Michael Bates’ Acrobat w/ The ALTA String Quartet

Acrobat, the quintet led by bassist/composer Michael Bates, features five fearless voices exploring one of music’s most mysterious personalities, Dmitri Shostakovich. With literal themes by Shostakovich or themes composed with his spirit, “Acrobat” is full of music that is playful yet dark and swinging. And while Shostakovich is clearly being channeled, the voices of these five fantastic improvisers will be on full display: Beautiful and vicious, elegant and dissonant, and humor laced with serene sarcasm. (With Marty Ehrlich, clarinet; Mazz Swift, violin; Sara Schoenbeck, bassoon; Michael Sarin, drums)

The ALTA String Quartet present radically different explorations of two dissident composers: Dmitri Shostakovich and Witold Lutoslawski.