The festival will finish its eighth season of programming with an arrangement of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon.
By Sabrina Shearer
MusicIC Festival returns to Iowa City for its eighth season to celebrate space and light for the Iowa City community June 20-23.
Presented by the Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature, the festival combines literature and chamber music to create a new perception of local art.
This year’s festival was curated by Tricia Park, the MusicIC founder and artistic director.
“This year’s particular musical arc explores the contemplation of the universe and our place in it and really branches out into musical genres beyond traditional and classical staples, moving into contemporary, classical, and popular music, like rock,” she said.
The festival’s unique finale will feature a chamber arrangement of Pink Floyd’s classic The Dark Side of the Moon incorporated with literary works that touch on the major themes of the album.
The first free program, “Stargazing,” will include classics from Beethoven and Bartók, plus Cerrone’s “How to Breathe Underwater” at 7:30 p.m. June 20 at the Trinity Episcopal Church, 320 E. College St.
Arranged by Andrew Janss, The Dark Side of the Moon program is a one-time experience that will take place at the Englert, 221 E. Washington St., at 7:30 p.m. June 22. In an Iowa City twist, local writers will share their original work on the themes of the album, including money, madness, and mortality. This is the only ticketed event; they can be purchased at englert.org or the box office for $18.
“Our hope is that in hearing this well-loved and well-worn album in a new way, the concert-goers will come away with a newfound love of this album and a broader appreciation of just how groundbreaking it truly was,” Janss said.
The performance will also include a psychedelic projection of the filmed light improvisation “Invisible Writing,” by ’60s light-show pioneers Single Wing Turquoise Bird.
The festival will close June 23 at 10:30 a.m. with a free family program in the Iowa City Public Library, 123 S. Linn St. The Solera Quartet will perform with student writers from the Iowa Youth Writing Project reading from original work on the festival’s themes.
John Kenyon, the executive director of the City of Literature, said he hopes the event will bring in a more diverse audience of chamber, literature, and classic rock fans.
“We want to provide more opportunities for people to enjoy a night of literature, music, and a new idea to conceive what the chamber orchestra can be,” he said.
The festival’s music will feature the Solera Quartet — Park and Miki-Sophia Cloud on violin, Molly Carr on viola, and Janss on cello. Amanda Grimm (viola) and Laura Usiskin (cello), who have performed with Orchestra Iowa, as well as local musicians Minji Kwon (piano) and Eric Douglas (drums) will also perform. Iowa City native Meagan Brus will be the vocalist, joined by writers including Jan Weissmiller, Daniel Khalastchi, and Rachel Yoder.
This year’s festival features great string quartets of Beethoven, Bartók, and Mozart and includes contemporary works by Argentine composer Osvaldo Golijov and American composer Cerrone.
