We’ve been keeping an eye on the up-and-coming ÆON Ensemble for the last year, and for good reason: they’re changing the game for classical music. The United Nations tapped them last year for their annual “Music for a Sustainable Development” concert, and their performance was so fresh they landed themselves a second year running the bill. Read below.
We play classical music as if the ink is still drying, and new music as if the paper is still hot from the printer.
Meet the Boguinia Brothers: Yuri and Vlad.
Composers at Princeton and Juilliard respectively, these two run the ÆON Ensemble. They’re out to change the face—and heart—of classical music.
For ÆON, it’s about what “classical” even means. This is always the question about classical music: how old is it? Do we need to think about historical techniques, or traditional instruments? Vlad and Yuri have a simple answer: nothing is old anymore.
People say music transcends time, and Yuri takes that literally. “We had a concert at Carnegie Hall recently, where we gave two world premieres—completely new music—paired with a Mozart concerto and a Bach concerto. We brought together two audiences that don’t often get to spend much time together. It’s a really special thing.”
This combination of the old and the new is central to everything they do. ÆON takes young, fresh musicians, and pairs them with masters. “At least one or two concerts a year, we try to collaborate with other ensembles. The first UN concert was with Kronos Quartet. We have this incredible group that’s been around 40 years, and this brand new ensemble.”
“It’ll be a little more diverse this year, though.”
Upcoming Show
Diverse indeed. This Sep. 21, ÆON will be giving their second Music for a Sustainable Planet concert in Carnegie Hall. The show features experimental hip-hop artist DJ Spooky, graphic visualizations from Ming-Che Tu, zero-waste garments designed by Jack Burns, and dance science (yes, dance science) from Gloria Benedikt.
Check out the site for more details.
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