April 15, 2023: Agent or Echo? at the Modern

From the early days of radio to the most sophisticated interactive computer music, sound coming from loudspeakers has always raised disconcerting questions: what is real, what is imaginary? what comes from the physical world, what is purely electronic? Is there someone or something listening and responding to us? All of these questions have only grown in complexity with new technologies. In Echo or Agent?, we reflect the artistic possibilities explored in the Modern’s current exhibition, I’ll Be Your Mirror, through musical works in which disembodied sound reframes the relationships between instruments, voices, and environment, as well as between composers, performers, and audience. The mirror of disembodied sound coming from loudspeakers complements the visual mirrors of screens and cameras, framing new relationships between people in a world where our senses of reality, presence, and communication are constantly questioned. Works by Elizabeth A. Baker, Eric Wong, Seth Shafer, Rachel Yoder, Andrew May, Elizabeth McNutt, Stephen Lucas and Sarah Ruth Alexander, and a virtual choir of artists covering the Velvet Underground, will feature live electronics and portable devices in addition to traditional instruments and voice.

The event starts at 2:00 pm CST on Saturday, April 15, 2023 in the auditorium of the Modern, 3200 Darnell Street, Fort Worth, TX 76107. Performances will be given by vocalist Sarah Ruth Alexander, flutists Elizabeth McNutt and Jess Schury, violinists Mia Detwiler and Andrew May, pianist Stephen Lucas, clarinetists Alex Ravitz and Charlotte MacDonald, trumpeter Garrison Gerard, and euphonist Justin Weis, with all musicians also running electronics of various kinds. Admission is free and open to the public. The concert will also be live streamed at The Modern’s YouTube channel, where you can also find other recent performances.

Detailed program information is here.