2025 Concert Programs — Our 14th Festival

Announcing!

The 14th Annual Hear Now Music Festival 2025 edition

A Festival of New Music by Contemporary Los Angeles Composers
Hugh Levick, Artistic Director

The magic of the voice as solo, as blended – or not – into ensemble, with and without orchestral instruments, with and without electronic modulation, with a speaking string quartet and a shouting flutist…HEAR NOW 2025 explores how composers are using the voice as expression, from jubilant to musing to protest and beyond. The adventurous HEX vocal ensemble leads the way in ensemble works, and vocal soloists take on a range of techniques matched to the the texts. Each concert will be preceded by a concert preview in the Arts + Archives Archive Room at 4:00pm, where the composers will discuss their works. Come and enjoy the warm hospitality of the Arts + Archives Cabaret Room!


Sunday, March 30 at 2220 Arts + Archives, 5:00pm: Electroacoustic with Vocal

  • Snow Leopard (2021) — Taylor Joshua Rankin, for strings and synthesizers
  • soshi so$$$hi (2022) — Peter S. Shin, for pre-recorded voice and percussion
  • SYNAPSIS (2024) — Matthew Brown, for amplified SSATBB, voder, synth, and electronics 
  • Tinte la clochette (2021) — Bill Alves, for soprano and stereo playback
  • Kohelet (2024) — Raphael Radna, for clarinet, cello, piano and electronics
  • boiling blooming (2022-23) — Jiyoung Ko, for amplified flute, clarinet, trombone, piano, percussion, violin, and cello
  • Echoes to Violet (2013) — Arman Gushchyan for flutes, bass clarinet, violin, cello, percussion, piano, and live electronics. US Premiere
  • If Not Numbers (2024) — Aria Gittelson, in a new two-instrument arrangement for Hear Now

Sunday, April 13 at 2220 Arts + Archives, 5:00pm: Instrumental Chamber Music

  • Extraordinary Instruments (2017) — Tommy Dougherty, for four violinists and their voices
  • Through the Ocean Glass (2024) — Gibson Mahnke, for flute, clarinet, viola, cello, and piano
  • Solve (2022) — Isaac Schankler, for piano solo
  • Tangent (2021-22) — Haosi Howard Chen, for flute, horn, percussion, piano/celeste, violin and cello
  • Diar (2023-24) — Shahab Paranj, for string quartet
  • Amateur Geology (2024) — Mason Moy, for string trio
  • Immiscible Figures (2019) — Kevin Hartnett, for string quartet
  • Pining (2024) — Daniel Cui, for mixed vocal octet
  • a moment like this…? (2018, rev 2024) — Stephen de Filippo, for flute, percussion, piano and cello

Sunday, May 18 at 2220 Arts + Archives, 5:00pm: Vocal Chamber Music

  • Rio (2012) — Peter Knell, for violin and mezzo-soprano
  • exsangues (2022) — Elliot Menard, for four treble voices
  • et bon bon bon bon bon (2023) — Tanner Pfeiffer, for SATB vocals 
  • Again and Again (2024) — Drew Corey, for SSATTB vocals 
  • Brooklyn Narcissus, mvmt 1 (2017-20) — Chris Castro, for soprano solo
  • Three Copypastas, mvmts 1 & 2 (2023) — Theo Trevisan, for vocal octet
  • Hghi (2024) — Arin Shahjahanian, for soprano, clarinet and piano
  • Torso, air (2019) — Kevin Zhang, for vocal octet
  • I Can’t Help You (2024) — John Hollywood, for mezzo-soprano, bassoon, horn, viola and percussion
  • Sea Change (2023, rev 2024) — TJ Sclafani, for SSATBB vocals
  • The Song of Prophet X — Hugh Levick, for piano quartet and speaker/singer 

All programs are subject to change.

Composers Row 1, L to R: Aria Gittelson, Bill Alves, Haosi Howard Chen, TJ Sclafani, Tanner, Pfeiffer, Peter Knell, Aram Gushchyan, Jiyoung Ko.

Row 2: Daniel Cui, Kevin Hartnett, Mason Moy, Drew Corey, and Kevin Zhang.

Row 3: Stephen de Filippo, Tommy Dougherty, Elliot Menard, John Hollywood, Chris Castro, Peter S. Shin, Gibson Mahnke, and Taylor Joshua Rankin.

Row 4: Hugh Levick, Shahab Paranj, Raphael Radna, Matthew Brown, Theo Trevisan, Isaac Schankler, Arin Shajahanian.