Improv:21

A Series of Informances on 21st century music

Nels Cline jams w/Larry Ochs
Nels Cline jams w/Larry Ochs at Cline's "Talking Coltrane" Improv:21

Rova:Arts is pleased to present Improv:21, a series of “informances” on twenty-first century music that explore the connection between predetermined structure (composition) and performer interpretation (improvisation). Led by master improvisers and composers from the Bay Area and beyond, and hosted by critic and KPFA radio host Derk Richardson, Improv:21 programs look at the many ways of organizing improvisation through a shifting (i.e. “improvised”) combination of onstage lecture and dialogue, musical demonstration and performance, and audience question-and-answer forum. Reasonably priced and easily accessible, these two-hour events are designed to inform, inspire, challenge, and enlighten a wide-ranging audience, from professional and amateur musicians to listeners of all backgrounds and levels of experience. All these informances are also being documented on video for future availability to students and fans alike. In fact, every two months, we upload one Improv21 to RadiOM.
This streaming media site is hosted by Other Minds, another great new music organization in San Francisco worthy of your attention and support.

The first five Improv:21 events took place in San Francisco in 2005; they were led by guitar legend Fred Frith (January 30), discussing his composing for film (Rivers and Tides; Step Across the Border ) and for large ensembles of improvisers; by L.A.-based guitar pyrotechnician Nels Cline (March 26), discussing the influence on his music of the late great John Coltrane, and including a live duet with tenor saxophonist Larry Ochs; by the members of Rova Saxophone Quartet (June 5), discussing their current music influenced by or directly involved with the visual arts and visual scores; by singer and master violinist Carla Kihlstedt (Sept. 15), discussing her personal history and development as an improviser; and by saxophonist, poet and artist Oliver Lake (Oct. 17), illustrating his compositional artistry with live solo performance and recorded CDs.

Steve Adams
Steve Adams is discussing a visual score from a piece by Gino Robair

Ochs; by the members of Rova Saxophone Quartet (June 5), discussing their current music either influenced by or directly involved with the visual arts and visual scores; by singer and master violinist Carla Kihlstedt (Sept. 15), discussing her personal history and development as an improviser; and saxophonist, poet and artist Oliver Lake (Oct. 17), illustrating with live solo performance and recorded CDs, his compositional artistry.

Large ensemble composer and percussionist Gino Robair (Feb 1) lecturing on and performing his large ensemble opera with a forty person ensemble of improvisers; the extraordinary saxophone soloist and composer Ned Rothenberg (Feb 15), who discussed his work with the koto in Japan as well as his thoughts on musical process and solo improvisation; and master koto player, composer, and conceptual artist Miya Masaoka (March 8) who discussed her conceptual compositions for plants, her solo work on koto, and her own improvisational methods.

A list of all past Improv:21 events follows:

Carla K
Carla K improvising an end to her informance
Photo: Jon Raskin

08-09 Season at Red Poppy Art House in San Francisco:


07-08 Season at The Marsh in San Francisco:


06-07 Season at the San Francisco Performing Arts Library, The Thick House, San Francisco, and at 21 Grand, Oakland:

John Rogers
John Rogers of Ideas in Motion, who is documenting the series.


2005-2006 Season at Mission Dance Theater, San Francisco:


Frith and mc Richardson   Larry Ochs
Frith and mc Richardson at first Improv:21   Larry Ochs introducing the informance for Rova:Arts