Eugene Difficult Music Ensemble present their 3rd annual New Music Festival, a celebration of composed sound works, with a special focus on those that push composition’s boundaries

This opening concert features performers from across America, and explores the visions and sounds of young artists writing music today, compositions profoundly engaged with the world as we live it now, post-pandemic, climate changed, and culturally embattled. The artists performing Friday night are:

Professor Lumos hails from Corvallis and brings a thought-provoking exploration of design, interaction, performance, and STEAM (Science, Tech, Engineering, Arts, & Math) education in musical and scientific instrumentation.

Lauren Sarah Hayes is a Scottish improviser, sound artist, and scholar who is recognised for her embodied approach to computer music. Her music is a mix of experimental pop, live electronics, techno, noise, & free improvisation.

Ryan Carraher is a composer, guitarist, and improviser based in Seattle, WA. He is concerned with articulating the vulnerability of the human body, the role failure plays in identity expression, and composer-performer-audience relationships informed by kinesthetic empathy.

Synsor is a mix of ambient, beat, drone, and noise electronic music, using both instrumental and vocal music forms and field recording sounds. They will bring the bay area weather with them.

Treya Nash is a composer and creative coder based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Treya’s area of focus is audience participation in the concert hall, which often involves creating web apps for cell phone use.

Artist Mage Chadowitz will also be on hand to light up Kesey Square with their custom psychedelic animations.