Monarch Butterfly by rocío sánchez (2026 AIR) features Melissa Almaguer (tap dance and percussion) and Kenneth Jiménez (double bass). Together, the trio explores the elusive monarch’s migratory journey through sound and movement, with each instrument articulating distinct states of motion.
Isabella Thorpe-Woods presents "Envelop/e," her second program as ISSUE’s 2026 Suzanne Fiol Curatorial Fellow. Bringing together choreographers Jade Manns and Ella Dawn W-S for site-specific duets, they navigate presence and absence, repetition and rupture, and the tension between inherited geometries and shifting landscapes.
"Spiriting Off" is a new solo work by luthier Webb Crawford (2026 AIR) for electric guitar, tenor banjo, and five-string banjo.
ISSUE closes the summer season with the return of Matana Roberts (2009 AIR). Opening the evening, Ben Vida (2013 AIR) will perform music from his 2026 release, "Oblivion Seekers" with vocalist Sara Magenheimer.
Ben Vida performs the East Coast Premiere of Damages Particulates, an eleven movement solo composition for fixed and live electronics presented in four channel expanded stereo. The program also includes his recent work "Extraction", accompanied by a micro-lecture on the theme of "Extraction" by curator Anthony Elms.
Ten Years Alive on the Infinite Plain
ISSUE collaborates with the Kitchen to present the X-Patsy's founding members: actress Barbara Sukowa and artists Robert Longo and Jon Kessler, joined by the extraordinary musicians Anthony Coleman, Knox Chandler, Jonathan Kane, and Ernie Brooks. Rhys Chatham opens with a performance of his legendary "Guitar Trio".
Francesco Tristano had already established a formidable reputation as a classical pianist when he broke new ground with his piano arrangements of Detroit techno classics. Tonight he plays a program crossing Buxtehude, Berio, and his own work, and electronic composer Byron Westbrook presents a new multi-channel work.
Yasunao Tone’s expansive practice eschews standard notions of media and embraces contradiction. His most recent sets harsh, scrupulous digital noise, are generated by his own modifications to the MP3 encoding system. Tone performs solo, joined by his recent collaborators Talibam!, a duo of Matt Mottel and Kevin Shea.
Bill Orcutt performs his hiccup-stuttered, blues-inspired guitar in a solo acoustic set, a shared bill with avant percussionist Jon Mueller. Active since the mid-80s, Mueller’s contemplative, dense minimalism is truly singular.
Ten Years Alive on the Infinite Plain
ISSUE presents the first duo performance by Chicago Saxophonist/composer Ken Vandermark and New York trumpet stalwart Nate Wooley, as well as two works by Geneva-based collaborators Jacques Demierre and Vincent Barras, whose vocal performances are inspired by the fundamental building blocks of human speech.
Multi-instrumentalist Oren Ambarchi's compositions are hailed for their intricate harmonic patterns, carefully tended arrangements, and surrender to the physicality of sound. Tonight Ambarchi plays solo, sharing the bill with a duo of two highly individualistic improvisers: dancer Michelle Boulé and Okkyung Lee.
Ten Years Alive on the Infinite Plain
One of the hardest-hitting drummers around, Jonathan Kane's February, summons elements from this diverse resume of expermimental and minimalist rock into a distinctive take on American roots music. This free show features a solo set by Fang Island's Jason Bartell, and the Dan Joseph Ensemble.