Ensemble Evolution launches Arboretum collaboration

The Arnold Arboretum opens its doors to international percussion group Ensemble Evolution as its first artists-in-residence this November. A collaboration cultivated by local percussionist Maria Finkelmeier, Ensemble Evolution will present a three-part residency in early November highlighting the creative connection between composing and performing music dedicated to and inspired by nature.

On Friday, November 8, the trio will collaborate with the Boston Percussion Group to create a special composition for the Arnold Arboretum. Together, the musicians will workshop a brand new piece, inspired by the unique Arboretum landscape, to be premiered at the concert. This process will be open to public observation from 3–4pm. The performance will be accompanied by images and videos captured by local photographer Adam Detour.

The concert on Saturday, November 9 will take the audience beyond Boston and into the landscape of northern Sweden—Ensemble Evolution’s home for two years. They will perform their self-composed album “Sounds from the Treetops,” a collection of six pieces inspired by the iconic Treehotel in Harads, Sweden. Joined by New York based clarinetist Angela Shankar, the set will feature a variety of instruments and timbres—from marimbas to drums and cymbals, from soft and delicate to energetic and rhythmic—which will transport listeners on a musical journey from beginning to end. The performance will be accompanied by video projections from the Treehotel, giving the audience a unique lens into this special place.