Theo Bleckmann. A jazz singer and new music composer of eclectic tastes and prodigious gifts, GRAMMY NOMINATED Theo Bleckmann makes music that is accessibly sophisticated, unsentimentally emotional, and seriously playful. His work provokes the mind to wonder, but connects immediately with the heart.

Singer. Bleckmann has released a series of gorgeous and irreverent albums on Winter & Winter, including recordings of Las Vegas standards, of Berlin kabarett, and of popular “bar songs” (all with pianist Fumio Yasuda), a recording of newly-arranged songs by Charles Ives (with the improvisational jazz/funk collective Kneebody), and most recently Solos for Voice and Toys, where Bleckmann brought just his stunning vocal technique, his emotional commitment, and his suitcase full of oddly evocative voice-altering gadgets to the project of recording delicate songs and poems alone at a monastery in the Swiss Alps.

Collaborator. In addition to his work as a soloist, Bleckmann loves to mix it up with other musicians. He maintains an ongoing creative relationship with guitar phenomenon Ben Monder, generating a series of performances and a pair of albums that wreak beautiful havoc with standard expectations of jazz and rock. With John Hollenbeck and Gary Versace, he makes up Refuge Trio, a project exploring and reinventing the work of popular singer-songwriters as well as generating provocative original work. With singers Peter Eldridge, Kate McGarry, Lauren Kinhan, and Luciana Souza, he forms Moss, a collective that plays in the sandbox of jazz, folk, and rock, building new ideas and compositions for voices. Bleckmann has additionally collaborated with a remarkable roster of contemporary musicians and composers, including Laurie Anderson, Philip Glass, Sheila Jordan, Michael Tilson Thomas, John Zorn, the Bang on a Can All-stars, and, most prominently, Meredith Monk, with whom Bleckmann worked as a core ensemble member for fifteen years. His uniquely flexible and colorful voice has also inspired compositions by, among others, Michael Gordon, Phil Kline, David Lang, Ikue Mori, Kirk Nurock, and Julia Wolfe.

Composer. Bleckmann's joyous, mischievous sensibility is also manifest in his compositional work, which leaves listeners feeling as if their usual chair had been moved over a few inches when they weren't looking - familiar things look fresh and strange again for a moment. He has composed for a range of instruments from piano, violin, and kalimba to chimes, Glockenspiel, toy microphone, and sewing machines, setting exquisite poems by Rumi, Emily Dickenson, and Kurt Schwitters as well as building ineffable soundscapes with just his voice and a loop pedal. His most recent compositional achievement is an evening of original work for voice and the JACK String Quartet, commissioned by the Slought Foundation.

Mad Genius. Bleckmann's approach to music and performance is unusual and provocative. His taste for risk-taking, coupled with rigorous technique, is clear in his unusual and varied ability as a sound improviser - an ability which is sufficiently in demand that he was commissioned to create the space alien language for Steven Spielberg's Men in Black. Bleckmann confesses to a love affair with performance art that informs his playful approach to music-making. Concerned that all senses be honored, he crafts each aspect of stage presentation (including expressive physicality and fabulous clothing choices) to create a context that completes and highlights the music. His thoughtfulness and articulacy about music and performance have led to recognition in unusual quarters, including a Fresh Air interview with Terry Gross and an article on vocal technique solicited for John Zorn's Arcana series, Volume III. Bleckmann's adventurous and extravagantly beautiful choices have led his work to be described as “from another planet” (New York Times), as “magical, futuristic,” (AllAboutJazz), “limitless” (Citypaper, Philadelphia) “transcendent” (Village Voice) and “brilliant” (New York Magazine), and left one critic wondering, “does he eat people food?” (AllAboutJazz). He has a gift for creating sounds listeners have never heard before, but pine to hear again. In 2010, Bleckmann received the prestigious JAZZ ECHO award from the Deutsche Phono-Akademie in his native Germany.

John Hollenbeck’s journey has been one of the most remarkable in contemporary music. Building on a wealth of experience in jazz and world styles as well as a deep interest in contemporary composition and spiritual practice, he has forged a lyrical new musical language, as accessible and expressive as it is advanced. After receiving degrees in percussion (B.M.) and jazz composition (M.M.) from the Eastman School of Music, Hollenbeck moved to New York City in the early 1990’s. He has worked with many of the world’s leading musicians in jazz (Bob Brookmeyer, Fred Hersch, Tony Malaby, the Village Vanguard Orchestra, Kenny Wheeler), world music (Pablo Ziegler), and new music (Meredith Monk). In the fall of 2005, John accepted a professorship in Drumset, Improvisation, and Composition at the Jazz Institute Berlin (Germany) where he currently teaches. Hollenbeck has received numerous awards and commissions which include a National Endowment grant to study composition with Bob Brookmeyer in 1994 and a Meet the Composer’s Grant in 1995 and 2001. He won the Jazz Composers Alliance Composition Contest in 1995 and 2002 and was awarded the 2002 IAJE Gil Evans Fellowship and 2003 IAJE/ASCAP Commission. Hollenbeck received a grant from Arts International to travel with his Claudia Quintet for performances in Brazil in the spring of 2002. In 2001, 2003, and 2007 John held a month-long residency at the Blue Mountain Center in New York, and in the fall of 2005, was a Fellow of the Wurlitzer House Foundation in Taos, New Mexico. Hollenbeck was nominated by the Jazz Journalists Association for the following: Up and Coming Jazz Musician of the Year (2004, 2006); Jazz Composer of the Year (2006, 2007); Drummer of the Year and Large Ensemble of the Year (2007). John Hollenbeck was named as both the Rising Star Composer and the Rising Star Arranger of the Year in the 2008 & 2009 Down Beat Magazine’s Critics Poll. Down Beat magazine has in previous years recognized him as a “Rising Star” in the Composer, Jazz Artist, Arranger, Big Band, and Jazz Group (Claudia Quintet) categories. John’s first large ensemble recording, A Blessing, received a 2006 Grammy Nomination, and in 2007, John was awarded the prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship. Exceptionally creative and versatile, John continues to create a passionate new musical language based on world rhythms, lyricism, and spirituality: he composed The Shape of Spirit, a piece for wind ensemble issued on the Mons label in 1998, and in 1999 composed Processional and Desiderata for wind ensemble and orator. This composition, written for and featuring the voice and trombone of Bob Brookmeyer, was released on Challenge Records in 2001. The Cloud of Unknowing, commissioned by the Bamberg Choir in Germany was released in 2001 on the Edel Classics label along with works by J.S. Bach, Igor Stravinsky & Paul Hindemith. In 2002, John’s IAJE Gil Evans Fellowship Commission piece, A Blessing, featuring vocalist Theo Bleckmann, was performed to critical acclaim at the IAJE Conference; and in 2003 his IAJE/ASCAP Commission, Folkmoot, was premiered in Toronto, Canada. John composed and performed the percussion score to the following Meredith Monk works: Magic Frequencies; Mercy (ECM 2002); and The Impermanence Project (ECM 2008). Hollenbeck’s chamber piece, Demütig Bitten, was commissioned by the Windsbacher Knabenchor (Germany) and released in 2004 on the Rondeau label along with works by Giovanni Gabrieli, Josquin des Prez and J.S. Bach. John’s most recent works include commissions by the Bang on a Can and the People’s Commissioning Fund; the Ethos Percussion Group funded by the Jerome Foundation; Youngstown State University; Gotham Wind Symphony; and the Painted Bride Art Center of Philadelphia. Hollenbeck’s recording career as a leader began in the winter of 2001 with the audacious simultaneous release of three critically acclaimed CDs on CRI/Blueshift: “no images,” an ambitious composer’s statement that Gary Giddins included in his Village Voice 2001 top ten list, “Quartet Lucy,” and “The Claudia Quintet.” His second Claudia Quintet recording, “I, Claudia”, appeared on Cuneiform in 2004, followed by “Semi-Formal” in 2005. Also in 2005, Hollenbeck debuted his Large Ensemble’s, “A Blessing” (Omnitone), which was nominated for a Grammy in the category of Best Jazz Big Band CD in 2006. His next large ensemble recording, “Joys and Desires” featuring Jazz Big Band Graz and Theo Bleckmann, was released by Intuition in 2006 to critical acclaim. The Claudia Quintet received 4 star reviews from DownBeat Magazine and The Guardian (UK) for its fourth recording, “For” (Cuneiform, 2007), and was named the Rising Star Jazz Group by DownBeat’s 2008 Critic’s Poll. The collective Refuge Trio, with Theo Bleckmann and Gary Versace, released their debut recording on the Winter and Winter label in the fall of 2008. This year John self-released a CD of chamber music, “Rainbow Jimmies”, comprised of recent commissioned pieces which feature: The Claudia Quintet, Mark Stewart, Todd Reynolds, Ethos Percussion Group, Youngstown State Percussion Ensemble and Saxophone Quartet. In addition, the John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble releases its second recording, “eternal interlude” on August 18th.

Skúli Sverrisson (born 23 October 1966) is an Icelandic composer and bassist residing in New York City.

Born in Reykjavik, Iceland 1966, Skúli Sverrisson studied bass and composition with Jon Sigurdsson and made his first recording with his group Pax Vobis in 1984. He later appeared on over 30 recordings with various Icelandic artists. In 1987 Sverrisson attended Berklee College of Music in Boston where he received his B.M. degree. During that time he quickly became a first-call bassist in the music scene performing with several notable artists such as Bob Moses, Danilo Perez, Wolfgang Muthspiel and Mino Cinelu and started his ongoing collaboration with multi- instrumentalist Carsten Tiedemann.

He has worked with numerous musicians and groups, including Hildur Guðnadóttir, Hilmar Jensson, Jim Black, Chris Speed, Anthony Burr, Laurie Anderson, Allan Holdsworth, Ryuichi Sakamoto, David Sylvian, Blonde Redhead, Yungchen Lhamo, Jamshied Sharifi, Ólöf Arnalds and Pachora. He was a part of Mo Boma with Jamshied Sharifi and Carsten Tiedemann, releasing 4 albums on Extreme; "Jijimuge", "Myths of the Near Future - Part One", "Myths of the Near Future - Part Two" and "Myths of the Near Future - Part Three".

His solo works include "Seremonie" in 1997 and "Sería" in 2006. "Seria" was chosen as "Best album of the Year" by the Icelandic Music Awards.

His music is featured in the 2008 experimental film When It Was Blue, directed by Jennifer Reeves.

Sverrisson also plays dobro, acoustic bass guitar, and charango, in addition to electric bass. He is currently music director for Laurie Anderson and tours with her internationally.

Henry Hey a NYC-based pianist/keyboard player, composer, producer and arranger.

Composer, violinist/violist, singer, and multi-instrumentalist Caleb Burhans was born in Monterey, CA, and has lived in New York with his wife, Martha Cluver, since 2003. He has been heralded by the New York Times as, “animated and versatile”, being a, “sweet voiced countertenor” as well as a “new music virtuoso”. Caleb's early musical influences were widespread both musically and geographically, ranging from his father (who in the 60's and 70's played with Ray Charles, Kenny Rogers and the Everly Brothers), to his training as a boy soprano in Houston, TX, to his early studies in Janesville, WI, where he studied violin, piano, music theory and composition, as well as picking up viola, cello, bass, percussion, mandolin, guitar, electric bass, and conducting. He attended Interlochen Arts Academy as well as the Eastman School of Music, where he received a bachelor's degree in viola performance and composition.

Besides violin and viola, Caleb’s main instruments are guitar and piano; he is also active as a countertenor. He is a regular member of groups including ACME, Alarm Will Sound, Beyondo, Bleknlok, Escort, itsnotyouitsme, Newspeak, Signal and the Wordless Music Orchestra. His compositions benefit from the synergy of writing for people he plays with, and his performances of other works draws from his insights as a composer. His compositions have often been premiered by (and commissioned by) ensembles he works with, including his setting of Psalm 118 (for mixed choir, children’s choir, brass, and organ) commissioned by Trinity Church, Wall Street for Easter 2008; his arrangement of John Adams’s “Coast” from Hoodoo Zephyr commissioned by Carnegie Hall and Alarm Will Sound (and premiered at Carnegie Hall by AWS in 2006); and his upcoming oh ye of little faith... (do you know where your children are?) commissioned by Lincoln Center for the re-opening of Alice Tully Hall, which will be premiered by Alan Pierson and Alarm Will Sound on March 3, 2009. Other compositions include An Advent Song, Commissioned by Trinity Wall Street and premiered on December 7th, 2008, by Robert Ridgell and the Trinity Wall Street Choristers; In a distant place, commissioned by the Bloomingdale School of Music, premiered on June 20, 2008, at Christ and St. Stephens Church by Clay Greenberg and students of the Bloomingdale School of Music; and Amidst Neptune, commissioned by Brad Lubman and premiered by Brad Lubman and Eastman’s Musica Nova at Kilbourn hall in March of 2003 (which was also performed at the Whitney Museum in 2006 by Alan Pierson and Alarm Will Sound as part of Steve Reich's 70th birthday celebration and at Carnegie’s Zankel Hall by Alan Pierson and AWS in a concert curated by John Adams).

Caleb has also been commissioned by the Albany Symphony, clarinetist Bill Kalinkos, Dogs of Desire, Fuma Sacra, Janus, the King's Park High School String Orchestra, mezzo-soprano Abby Fischer, percussionist Payton MacDonald, Scalene, St. Paul's Episcopal Church (Rochester, NY), Tarab Cello Ensemble, trombonist James Hirschfeld, violinist Yuki Numata, violists John Graham, Eric Nowlin, and Nadia Sirota.

A specialist in early music, new music, pop/rock, and improvisation, Caleb has premiered numerous pieces and worked with such composers as La Monte Young, Lou Harrison, Philip Glass, Steve Reich, John Adams, Meredith Monk, Gavin Bryars, Max Richter, David Lang, Michael Gordon, Jacob Ter Veldhuis, Poul Ruders, Per Norgard, Roger Reynolds, George Crumb, Brian Ferneyhough, Martin Bresnik, David Liptak, Brad Lubman, Augusta Read Thomas and Bernard Rands. His performing activities have included playing or singing (sometimes both) with groups including the All-American Rejects, Anti-Social Music, the Charleston Symphony, the Bach Choir at Holy Trinity, Ensemble21, Ethel, the Madison Symphony, the Michael Gordon Band, the Milwaukee Symphony, the New York New Music Ensemble, Nexus, Ossia, the Philadelphia Chamber Orchestra, the Rochester Philharmonic, the Slee Sinfonietta, SO Percussion, Spring Awakening (On Broadway), Stars of the Lid, the St. Thomas Choir of Men and Boys, The Hold Steady, the Todd Reynolds Situation, Trinity Wall Street Choir, the VOX Vocal Ensemble, the Wordless Music Orchestra, and the Zankel Hall Band. As a violin soloist, he’s also played with the Beloit Janesville Symphony, Eastman's Ossia Orchestra, Alarm Will Sound and Eastman’s Collegium Musicum. As a countertenor soloist he's sung with the Brockport Symphony, Rochester Bach Ensemble, Alarm Will Sound, Trinity on Wall Street Choir, Manhattan School of Music Percussion Ensemble, Eastman's Musica Nova and Eastman's Collegium Musicum.

Caleb has recorded for Nonesuch, Harmonia Mundi France, Universal, Virgin, Winter & Winter, Bridge, Naxos, Lujo, Cantaloupe, Hanssler, MSR Classics, Hybrid, Vagrant, Arthaus Musik, Sweet Spot and Oxford Press. He has worked with conductors such as David Robertson, Michael Tilson Thomas, Brad Lubman and Paul O’Dette. Caleb’s principal violin teachers have been Norman Paulu, Almita and Roland Vemos, Eugene Purdue and Lynn Blakeslee. His sole viola teacher was John Graham and he has studied voice with Robert Issacs. His composition teachers have been David Liptak, Bob Morris, Joseph Schwantner and Augusta Read Thomas.

As a string player, Caleb has played with the Charleston Symphony, Madison Symphony, Milwaukee Symphony, Philadelphia Chamber Orchestra, Rochester Philharmonic, Steve Reich Ensemble, Michael Gordon Band, Ensemble21, Tactus Contemporary Ensemble, University at Buffalo’s Slee Sinfonietta, Susie Kelly String Quartet, Ensemble Multicolour and the Rochester Bach Ensemble. As a singer he has worked with the New York Ensemble for Early Music, the Vox Vocal Ensemble, Christ Church Rochester and Downtown United Presbyterian Rochester. He’s been a member of the bands, Access to Gel, Eating Dead Deer Sex Machine, Sauce, Flesh Magnet, Mike Gamble’s Multi-Mediarchestra, and Nast, as well as the techno duo Bleknlok.

As a champion of new music, Caleb has premiered numerous works as well as working with such composers as La Monte Young, Lou Harrison, Philip Glass, Steve Reich, John Adams, Meredith Monk, David Lang, Michael Gordon, Jacob Ter Veldhuis, Poul Ruders, Per Norgard, Roger Reynolds, George Crumb, Brian Ferneyhough, Martin Bresnik, David Liptak, Brad Lubman, Augusta Read Thomas and Bernard Rands. He has been commissioned by various new music ensembles including the Albany Symphony, Tarab Cello Ensemble, Janus and Eastman’s Musica Nova Ensemble. His music has been performed throughout North America and Europe. His works have also been performed by faculty at the San Francisco Conservatory, Eastman School of Music, University of Wisconsin Madison and Smith College. They have won awards such as the Music Educators National Conference Composition Competition and Eastman’s Bernard and Rose Sernoffsky Prize. He has been featured on newmusicbox.org performing his own works. As a violin soloist, he’s played with the Beloit Janesville Symphony, Eastman’s Ossia Orchestra, Alarm Will Sound and Eastman’s Collegium Musicum. As a countertenor soloist he’s sung with the Brockport Symphony, Rochester Bach Ensemble, Alarm Will Sound, Trinity on Wall Street Choir, Manhattan School of Music Percussion Ensemble, Eastman’s Musica Nova and Eastman’s Collegium Musicum. Caleb was recently the featured soloist, playing violin with Alarm Will Sound in Lou Harrison’s Suite for Violin, Piano and Small Ensemble, as well as singing countertenor on Steve Reich’s Music for Mallet Instruments, Voices and Organ on WNYC’s show “New Sounds Live” with John Schafer.