Montclair State University’s John J Cali School of Music showcases the music of their year long Artist in Residence and award-winning multimedia composer, Paola Prestini. The concert will be a retrospective portrait of her chamber and vocal work, alongside world premieres of new pieces by Cali School composers mentored by Prestini through a partnership with National Sawdust. Featuring performances by Montclair State University’s elite New Music Ensemble, the Cali Collective Ensemble, Vocal Accord, and Rose Quartet, the program includes choral music that follows the illness of young refugees in Sweden through words by librettist Royce Vavrek, a string quartet inspired by the calligraphy of psychologist Carl Jung, and cello solos made in tandem with Butoh dancer Dai Matsuoka and inspired by the poetry of Natasha Tretheway.

All ticket proceeds will support the Cali School’s educational programs.

About The John J. Cali School of Music at Montclair State University

The John J. Cali School of Music at Montclair State University is celebrating a decade of the Artist in Residence Program with award-winning multimedia composer, Paola Prestini for 23-24. The Artist in Residence Program affords a deep dive into the minds and music of each artist. Ranging from pianist Wu Han to jazz bassist Christian McBride, the year-long residency is unparalleled in its immersive power. The Cali School is a comprehensive school of music dedicated to artistic and academic education, offering exceptional conservatory-level training in best-in-class facilities. Cali students choose from majors in performance, jazz studies, composition, music education, recording arts + production, and music therapy, studying with world-class musicians dedicated to their artistic and personal growth. The concert tonight features some of the school's top ensembles; Vocal Accord under the direction of Dr. Heather Buchanan, the Graduate Quartet in Residence (the Rose Quartet) and the Cali Collective Ensemble under the direction of Kathryn Lockwood and Tomoko Fujita; and the New Music Ensemble under the direction of Aaron Helgeson. Along with the re-imagined Immersive Residency program, the Cali students collaborate with top-rated artists and ensembles dedicated to an ongoing exploration of the ever-changing landscape of music today.

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About Paola Prestini

Composer Paola Prestini has collaborated with poets, filmmakers, and scientists in large-scale multimedia works that chart her interest in themes ranging from the cosmos to the environment. She has created, written and produced projects such as the world's largest and first communal VR opera, The Hubble Cantata, and the eco-documentary The Colorado. Her opera Sensorium Ex produced by her frequent creative partner Beth Morrison Projects, dives into community impact and AI - bridging her love of collaboration with system building. Her work has been performed by the New York Philharmonic, Minnesota Opera, Los Angeles Opera, San Diego Opera, Bellas Artes, and at the Festival Dei Due Mondi in Italy. She has been a resident at MASS MoCA, the Park Avenue Armory, the American Academy in Rome, and at Sundance. Prestini is a Co-Founder of VisionIntoArt, a non-profit new music and interdisciplinary arts production company in New York City and is the Co-Founder/Artistic Director of the non-profit music organization National Sawdust.