Episode
Wild Up Celebrate Julius Eastman & Arthur Russell
- Published
- Nov 20, 2025
- Duration seconds
- 3223
- Processing state
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Summary
Wild Up makes their Big Ears debut as one of the most innovative forces in contemporary music. Led by artistic director Christopher Rountree , the Los Angeles-based ensemble has spent more than a decade reshaping the possibilities of classical performance—merging composed and improvised music, conceptual art, minimalism, and audience-focused experimentation. Violinist-vocalist Darian Donovan Thomas and the group’s many composer-performers help shape projects that feel communal and alive. Here joined by veteran critic Peter Margasak , Rountree and Thomas focus on their history as an ensemble and aligning their creative energies towards two groundbreaking American artists: Julius Eastman and Arthur Russell. Their Eastman projects including " Femenine ," developed over more than a decade—channel the music’s intensity, freedom, and disruption, creating performances that feel both fiercely present and deeply vulnerable. Their Arthur Russell work, the 90-minute dance-floor experience, “ 24→24 Music ,” celebrates Russell’s emotional clarity and experimental spirit. Expect aural catharsis, vivid imagination, and boundary-breaking music-making from one of today’s most electrifying new music ensembles.