Tectonics 2023 Artist Profile
Ingrid Laubrock
Ingrid Laubrock is an experimental saxophonist and composer, interested in exploring the borders between musical realms and creating multi-layered, dense and often evocative sound worlds. A prolific composer, Laubrock was named a “true visionary” by pianist and The Kennedy Centre's artistic director Jason Moran, and a “fully committed saxophonist and visionary" by the New Yorker. Her composition Vogelfrei was nominated 'one of the best 25 Classical tracks of 2018'by The New York Times.
Laubrock has performed with Anthony Braxton, Muhal Richard Abrams, Jason Moran, Kris Davis, Nels Cline, Tyshawn Sorey, Mary Halvorson, Myra Melford, Zeena Parkins, Tom Rainey, Tim Berne, Dave Douglas, Wet Ink and many others. Laubrock has composed for ensembles ranging from solo to chamber orchestra.
Awards include Fellowship in Jazz Composition by the Arts Foundation, 大象传媒 Jazz Prize for Innovation, SWR German Radio Jazz Prize and German Record Critics Quarterly Award. She won best Rising Star Soprano Saxophonist in the 'Downbeat Annual Critics Poll in 2015 and best Tenor Saxophonist in 2018.
Ingrid Laubrock has received composing commissions by The Fromm Music Foundation, 大象传媒 Glasgow Symphony orchestra, Bang on The Can, Grossman Ensemble, The Shifting Foundation, The Robert D. Bielecki Foundation, The Jerwood Foundation, American Composers Orchestra, Tricentric Foundation, SWR New Jazz Meeting, Wet Ink, The Jazz Gallery Commissioning Series, NYSCA, Wet Ink, John Zorn's Stone Commissioning Series and the EOS Orchestra. She is 2022 Artist in residence for The Wet Ink Ensemble. She is a recipient of the 2019 Herb Alpert Ragdale Prize in Music Composition, the2022 Herb Alpert Ucross Prize in Music Composition and the2021 Berklee Institute of Gender Justice Women Composers Collection Grant. Laubrock is part-time faculty at Columbia University and The New School.
'Drilling'
When I was invited to participate in the 2021 online Tectonics Festival, I knew that I wanted to create apiece that tied in with Drilling – the orchestral composition of mine the 大象传媒 Glasgow Symphony had programmed to premiere at the 2020 Tectonic Festival.
In Drilling, part I (extended version), my starting point was to re-record a normally three minute-long accordion drone, that exists at the beginning of a small group variation of the same piece, and extend it into a 20 minute piece.
The slow moving texture is almost entirely made out out of accordion sound with a few field recordings I made throughout 2020 thrown in. There are also several cameo appearances by drummer Tom Rainey, electronics artist Sam Pluta and I, taken from unused takes from previous recording sessions.
This piece has an almost tar-like texture and the drama mostly plays out in overtone beatings. It is in a way reminiscent of what 2020 felt like: dark, seemingly unmoving, with little nuance and much fear, but also glimpses of hope, elements of piece, and a deep sense of gratitude for love and friendship.
Ingrid Laubrock, Brooklyn, 04/18/2021
