Author

Vanessa Ague

Vanessa Ague (she/her) is a violinist and writer who runs the experimental music blog, The Road to Sound, and writes for Bandcamp Daily, The Wire, Pitchfork, and the Quietus, among others. She is a recent graduate of the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY.
Vanessa Ague
Kite -- Photo by Michael Valiquette/EMPAC

Lakota Ontologies, AI, and Graphic Scores Find a Symbiotic Home in the Waking Dreams of Kite

Wooden blocks in various shapes are stacked on top of bright floral blankets onstage at the Experime...
Author
Vanessa Ague
Gabriela Ortiz -- Photo by Mara Arteaga

For Composer Gabriela Ortiz, Heritage and Culture are Consistent Throughlines

This sponsored article is part of a paid partnership with the Curtis Institute of Music. Composer Ga...
Author
Vanessa Ague
Laura Ortman and Ryan Sawyer -- Photo by Daniel Efram

Laura Ortman and Ryan Sawyer Mesmerize in Collaborative Set at Roulette

Standing on the side of a yellow-lit stage, Laura Ortman drew a quiet, grainy hum out of her Apache...
Author
Vanessa Ague
Holland Andrews -- Photo by Mengwen Cao

At the Whitney Biennial, Holland Andrews Turns the Museum into a Sonic Canvas

An angelic hum pierced through the din of a crowd huddled on the third floor of the Whitney Museum o...
Author
Vanessa Ague
Sun Ra, image still from Space is the Place (1974) -- Courtesy of Criterion Collection / Janus Films

At the Sun Ra/El Saturn Archive, the Iconic Bandleader’s Legacy is Living Inspiration

In 2000, writer, curator, and collector John Corbett found himself on his hands and knees digging th...
Author
Vanessa Ague
Val Jeanty -- Photo by Richard Louissaint

5 Questions to Val Jeanty (Afro-Electronica composer, turntablist, drummer)

The music of Afro-Electronica composer, turntablist, and drummer Val Jeanty (aka Val-Inc) blends Hai...
Author
Vanessa Ague
Kristin Norderval and Friends present

Kristin Norderval and Friends Consider Sound and Memory in Multi-Disciplinary Premiere

A heap of ceramics sat in the middle of the floor at Roulette on Feb. 7, jumbled like a pile of jagg...
Author
Vanessa Ague
Kronos Quartet, 2023 -- Photo by Lenny Gonzalez

50 Years and 1,100 New Works In, Kronos Quartet is Showing No Signs of Slowing Down

When Kronos Quartet traveled to Austria in 2018 to perform at Esterházy Palace – the home of Franz J...
Author
Vanessa Ague
Ellen Fullman and The Living Earth Show perform Elemental View at EMPAC -- Photo by Michael Valiquette

Ellen Fullman’s Singular and Suitably-Named ‘Long String Instrument’ Reverberates at EMPAC

Ellen Fullman’s Long String Instrument was almost invisible on stage at the Experimental Media and P...
Author
Vanessa Ague
Duo Maratin (Ria Modak and Angela Varo) perform at the 2023 Mutual Mentorship for Musicians (M3) festival -- Photo by Christopher Pelham

M3 Festival Celebrates Networks of Support and Empowerment for Artists of Marginalized Genders

Attending the Mutual Mentorship for Musicians (M3) festival felt akin to sitting down at a warm dinn...
Author
Vanessa Ague
KiMani Bridges -- Photo by Greater Art Solutions

For Luna Lab Alum KiMani Bridges, Composition is a Vehicle for Storytelling and Self-Discovery

KiMani Bridges likes to try a little bit of everything when she writes a new work, and she’s confide...
Author
Vanessa Ague
eddy kwon at Roulette Intermedium -- Photo by Todd Weinstein

SUN HAN GUILD Shakes Up Roulette with Vibrant, Cathartic Piece by eddy kwon

I shyly took a seat onstage at Roulette, in Brooklyn, on May 19. It was an unusual prospect for an a...
Author
Vanessa Ague
Art Ensemble of Chicago at Bang on a Can's 2023 Long Play Festival -- Photo by Peter Serling

Looking to Pin Down the Sounds of Today, Bang on a Can Jam-Packs Long Play 2023 with Joyful Experimentation

At Bang on a Can’s Long Play Festival, nothing is more exciting than pulling open the door to a new...
Author
Vanessa Ague
Andrew Yee -- Screenshot courtesy of Roulette

In Moving Performance at Roulette, Cellist Andrew Yee Ponders Identity and Conflicting Emotions

Andrew Yee took a seat onstage and swept the bow across their cello’s open strings without missing a...
Author
Vanessa Ague
Andy Akiho plays a sculpture by Jun Kaneko -- Photo by Casey Wood

Andy Akiho Wrings New Sounds out of Colossal Sculptures

A massive bronze head, with loops jutting out from every crevice of its face, sits amongst the orche...
Author
Vanessa Ague
John Schaefer--Photo by Daniel Randall

After 40 Years of New Sounds, John Schaefer is Still Actively Listening

When John Schaefer started broadcasting his WNYC show New Sounds in 1981, he was just playing music...
Author
Vanessa Ague
Image

New Works by Lesley Mok and Chris Williams Explore the Individual vs. the Collective

Sound artist and composer Fay Victor’s powerful voice cut through the din of chatter at Joe’s Pub, m...
Author
Vanessa Ague
Carlos Simon--Photo by Terrance Ragland

Carlos Simon Sparks Conversations About Social Justice Through Music

For composer Carlos Simon, music is a place where communities can come together. “I want people to b...
Author
Vanessa Ague
Sae Hashimoto, David Watson, Ikue Mori, and Charmaine Lee--Still from video livestream courtesy of Roulette Intermedium

Ikue Mori’s “Tracing the Magic” Highlights Invigorating Textures

A drum set, a few woodwind instruments, a piano, a couple of bagpipes, and electronics waited onstag...
Author
Vanessa Ague

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