Switch Ensemble to Perform, Give Workshops on Campus

The Switch ~ Ensemble, a unique contemporary musical ensemble, will perform a mix of acoustic and electronic music on Tuesday, March 6, at 7:30 p.m. in the Louis P. Ciminelli Recital Hall in Rockwell Hall.

“This is an incredibly talented group of young musicians. We’re excited they are coming to Buffalo State,” said Tomás Henriques, associate professor of music, who learned of the Switch ~ Ensemble through a musician friend. “They make it their mission to commission pieces by emerging and established living composers of the twenty-first century and late twentieth century.”

Founded in 2012 at the Eastman School of Music by 10 students, the Switch ~ Ensemble performs across the country. In the summers of 2016 and 2017, it served as ensemble-in-residence at the Valencia International Performance Academy in Spain and the University of Chicago, respectively.

According to its website, the Switch ~ Ensemble “is dedicated to the creation and performance of new works for chamber ensemble and multimedia. At the core of each performance is our commitment to the total integration of technology and live musicians. We believe that working directly with composers throughout their creative process—in a medium where the score is a departure point rather than a finish line—allows for new and thrilling musical possibilities.”

During its visit to the Buffalo State, the Switch ~ Ensemble also will present a workshop on combining electronic and acoustic music on Monday, March 5, at 4:30 p.m. and a master class on playing contemporary music on March 6 at 12:15 p.m. Both take place in Ciminelli Recital Hall and are free and open to the campus.

Admission to the performance is $10 for the general public. Students with ID are admitted for free. Contact the Rockwell Hall Box Office at (716) 878-3005 or order tickets online.