ALIAS presents world-premiere of Gabriela Lena Frank's Hilos

ALIAS, Nashville’s most eclectic and critically acclaimed chamber music ensemble, and Latin Grammy Award-winning composer and Guggenheim fellow Gabriela Lena Frank will give the world-premiere performance of Hilos on October 1 at Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music in Nashville. 

Alias Ensemble
Commissioned by ALIAS, The Schubert Club, and Drs. Jonathan Neufeld and Jennifer Lena, and supported by a grant from Vanderbilt University, Hilos (Spanish for “threads”) is an eight-movement quartet for piano, violin, cello and clarinet that will be performed by Ms. Frank (piano) and three members of the 12-member ALIAS ensemble:  Zeneba Bowers (violin), Matthew Walker (cello) and Lee Levine (clarinet).

ALIAS will record Hilos, which will be released by Naxos on the American Classics imprint, along with other premiere recordings of Ms. Frank’s works, performed by the composer and ALIAS ensemble members.  The recording is anticipated for a 2011 release.

In conjunction with the premiere of Hilos, ALIAS and Ms. Frank will participate in “Mestiza Music in Music City,” an educational outreach initiative that will take place in September and October 2010 as part of National Hispanic Heritage Month.  This NEA-funded initiative will bring Hispanic music, including Hilos, and related educational materials to minority schools and communities in Nashville.  The purpose of the program is to help promote understanding between Nashville’s diverse cultures.  In addition, Ms. Frank is participating in the interdisciplinary Music, Authority and Community project with Drs. Lena and Neufeld at Vanderbilt University.

Click here to read a preview article about Hilos.

Watch a video accompaniment to Hilos: