Arnold Dreyblatt's Orchestra of Excited Strings

Second generation minimalist composer Arnold Dreyblatt returns to Toronto for the first time in over 15 years for a collaboration with local musicians forming an Orchestra of Excited Strings.

Dreyblatt (compositions, upright bass), will work with cellist Amahl Arulanandam (Thin Edge New Music Collective, VC2), violinist Laura C. Bates (Völur), and percussionist Brandon Valdivia (Mas Aya, Not The Wind, Not The Flag) to present his transcendental and ecstatic music for “Orchestra of Excited Strings”. A maverick of contemporary composition with one foot in the media art world, Dreyblatt's unique tuning systems and performance techniques flow from minimalist roots but draw a kinship with avant-rock tendencies.

Dreyblatt has often developed and performed compositions with local musicians in addition to his own ensemble, "The Orchestra of Excited Strings". During an initial workshop period he introduces the musicians to his tuning system as well as to performance techniques. His last residency and performance at the Music Gallery was in 2007. The program for the evening performance consists of Transmissions (2021) a solo presentation of amplified upright bass prepared with music wire and mechanical transducer including sine waves tuned in the "Dreyblatt tuning system" along with real-time audio processing and software control and voice by Sam Ashley followed by a performance by local musicians forming an “Orchestra of Excited Strings.”