Video Premiere: Pascal Le Boeuf Wanderlust (Four/Ten Media)

Back in April, we premiered the video for Pascal Le Boeuf’s Alkaline, which is now nominated for a Grammy for “Best Instrumental Composition!”

From the album imaginist, Alkaline is scored for string quartet and jazz quintet and uses alkalinity as a metaphor to balance any number of parameters: the notated vs. the improvised, strings vs. winds and percussion in order to create some sort of equilibrium between disparate worlds.

Grammy voting ends on December 21st, so today we present Wanderlust, an exciting new Four/Ten Media video from Le Boeuf and an all star cast of performers: Todd Reynolds (violin), Sara Caswell (violin), Jessica Meyer (viola),  Nick Photinos (cello), and Kenneth Salters (drums). Here’s what Le Boeuf had to say about Wanderlust:

Traveling can be an exhilarating experience and frequently leads to creative expression. Perhaps we are motivated by an urge to explore the unknown, a desire for personal growth, or a respite from the routine pressures of daily life.  Traveling certainly provides us with the freedom to escape social expectations, explore who we are, and present our true selves to the world. This feeling is the foundation of Wanderlust.

Wanderlust was commissioned by Holland America Line’s Lincoln Center Stage for piano quintet. This version is an expanded arrangement that incorporates the addition of a drum set and elements of improvisation. 

About Pascal Le Boeuf

Recent and projects include Pascal’s composition “Alpha” recorded by cellist Nick Photinos on New Amsterdam Records, “GIRLS” recorded by the flute/piano duo RighteousGIRLS on New Focus Recordings, and (as producer) the release of Timo Andres’ “Crashing Through Fences” recorded by percussionist Ian Rosenbaum on VIA Records. Pascal’s most recent awards include the 2017 Cortona Prize, the 2017 Lake George Music Festival Composition Composition, a 2016 FROMM Commission from Harvard University, the 2015 ASCAP Foundation Johnny Mandel Prize,  Pascal has also received commissions and grants from Lincoln Center, Chamber Music America, and New Music USA. He composed music for the 2008 Emmy Award-winning movie King Lines, and won first place in the 2008 International Songwriting Competition. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Music Composition at Princeton University as a Naumburg Doctoral Fellow.

About the Ensemble

Each of the members of this ensemble share a common link: a dual participation in both conventionally notated and improvisation oriented idioms. This flexibility allows us to interpret music with more flexibility than is conventionally possible in conventional performance situations. Having worked with each of the members individually, I was excited when one night after rehearsing Wanderlust, Todd suggested we put a group together. After a hand full of performances we made this a recording/video with the help of recording engineer Andy Taub of Brooklyn Recording, mixing engineer Dave Darlington of Bass Hit Studios, and filmmaker Kevin Eikenberg of Four/Ten Media.