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Image courtesy of Johnathan Holmok

Friday, May 16, 2014 at 7pm

At EFA Project Space located at EFA Center, 323 W. 39th St., 2nd floor

What sort of sound does a circle make? Early twentieth-century Russian painter Vasily Kandinsky, who is believed to have had synesthesia—the ability to "hear" colors, or experience physical sensations in response to visual or auditory stimuli—wrote that a circle could be "simultaneously loud and soft."

That theory will be tested in two upcoming sound performances at EFA Project Space. Johnathan Holmok and his ensemble—Jasmine Bloch-Krempels, Andrew DeJoseph, Alan Rigoletto, and Geoff Summers—will present a musical interpretation of Kandinsky's iconic 1926 painting, Several Circles, that will explore the work's cosmic nature through sound. The score  will utilize the position, color, and size of the circles to create an aural landscape reminiscent of the "music of the spheres." Throughout, musicians will have some liberty to "traverse the circles" and respond to each other improvisationally within set guidelines. The goal is to give listeners a multisensory experience that will help them further understand synesthesia and the relationship between art and music.

This performance is organized in conjunction with the exhibition "Several Circles," curated by Marco Antonini. For more information, please click here. The performance will begin at 7pm with a brief reception to follow.

Jasmine Bloch-Krempels is a freeelance musician and band director located in the New York Metropolitan area.  She completed a BM in Music Education from The College of NJ (2002) and a MA in Music Business from New York University (2012).  She regularly plays bass guitar, reeds, and percussion with various groups in the area, inlcuding The Eastern Wind Symphony, Maplewood Community Band, and The Smiling Rhino Theatre.  She is currently the 5th Grade Band Director for the South Orange-Maplewood School District.

Andrew DeJoseph is a musician/composer living in the New York Metropolitan area. He holds a Master of Arts degree in Music History and Literature from Long Island University. Andrew is the Artistic Director of Renegade a contemporary brass quintet whose stated mission is to "bridge the gap between NYC's Early Music and New Music scenes". He is also the founder of comparedtowhat, a new chamber ensemble composed of varying instrumentation and voices. As a performer, Andrew has performed in many venues across the United States and Europe including the prestigious Montreux Jazz Festival. He regulary performs as a trumpet player, singer, and percussionist throughout the Metropolitan Area.

Johnathan Holmok is a percussionist, educator and bandleader with a BM in Music from The College of New Jersey. He founded and led the college’s contemporary music ensemble and has continued to organize new and experimental music events since graduating in 2008. He currently freelances throughout the tri-state area and regularly performs with a jazz combo, cover band, and various improvisational projects under his direction.

Alan Rigoletto is a classical, jazz, world, and experimental guitarist from North Jersey with  BM in music from The College of New Jersey under the guidance of guitarist James M. Day.  He has also studied classical guitar abroad at Die Hochschüle für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Frankfurt Germany and jazz guitar from North Jersey guitarist Mark Sganga.  He currently studies Hindustani Classical Vocals with Pranab Kumar Biswas at the Indus Melic Music School out of Livingston, NJ. Alan participates in various improvisational ensembles in efforts to develop a style that seamlessly combines jazz, rock, world music, and the avant-garde.  He can be found performing improvisational music around the North Jersey and New York City areas.

Geoff Summers is adjunct percussion instructor for the Rahway school district in Rahway, NJ, assistant director and design team member for the Morris Knolls high school marching band in Rockaway, NJ, on the faculty at the Calderone School of Music in East Hanover, NJ, and co-director of percussion education for the Jersey Surf World Class Drum Corps from Mount Holly, NJ. Summers is an in-demand marching arts specialist and has worked with East Coast Jazz (Malden, MA), Carmel High School (Carmel, IN), Old Bridge High School (Old Bridge, NJ), and King Philip High School (Wrentham, MA), among others. In addition to his work as an educator, Summers has toured the United States and Europe playing drums for bands such as Batillus and A Storm of Light and he is an aspiring composer and arranger.