OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK — The Grand Valley State University New Music Ensemble will perform twice in Olympic National Park today.
The ensemble will perform at the Lake Crescent Lodge amphitheater at noon and at the Kalaloch amphitheater at 7:30 p.m. Concerts are free.
Five composers were commissioned to create music about the national parks to be performed within the parks during a 17-day, 5,000-mile tour. It was funded by the National Endowment for the Arts.
Jennifer Jolley’s Blue Glacier Decoy combines the ensemble with the voice of choreographer Trisha Brown to convey glacier activity in Olympic National Park.
Kristin Kuster’s Wildflower Report portrays the meadows throughout Mount Rainier National Park. Alexander Miller’s Glacier Blue is his response to the glaciers and wildlife of North Cascades National Park. Aerial Glacier, composed by Rachel Grimes, presents an audio “flyover” of Glacier National Park and includes quotes from members of surrounding Native American tribes. Michael Laurello’s Mosaic is based on Voyageurs National Park.
In addition, a new arrangement of music by Pacific Northwest filmmaker, YouTuber, ultrarunner and composer Ethan Newberry will be performed, along with a composition from John Jansen that uses natural objects from the parks as instruments.
Rounding out the program is music from the ensemble’s two previous national park tours by composers Ashley Stanley, David Biedenbender, Adam Cuthbert, Zoe Keating, and Niko Schroeder.
The ensemble is performing at five national parks. In addition to Olympic, they are performing in Voyageurs, Glacier, North Cascades and Mount Rainier national parks.
