Latest news with #SusieIbarra
The Province
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Province
Pulitzer Prize-winner Susie Ibarra, plus 10 shows to see during the Vancouver Jazz Festival
Filipinx-American musician is one of this year's Artists in Residence Susie Ibarra Diana Pflammatter Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. Susie Ibarra was awarded the 2025 Pulitzer Prize in Music for her adventurous piece titled Sky Islands. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors As one of the 2025 Vancouver International Jazz Festival artists-in-residence at the New Improvisers Studio at Western Front, the Filipinx-American composer and percussionist will deliver a talk about her concepts on rhythm in daily environments, as well as perform three radically different concerts. Susie Ibarra All in a day's work for this acclaimed creator, whose work crosses between composing, recording and performing a unique blend of jazz, avant-garde, global and contemporary classical music. Ibarra also lectures on creative impulses and discoveries in field recordings as a TED fellowship recipient. Sky Islands is a showcase for these conceptual models. A musical tribute to the unique tropical rainforest habitats of Luzon, Philippines, the work combines the distinctive rhythmic traditions of the Northern Philippines with gongs, bamboo staffs and flute, string quartet, jazz flute, piano and Ibarra on numerous percussion instruments. As part of the creation, the artist spent time walking in, and recording, the sounds of the environment of Luzon. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Habitat Sounds label launched by Ibarra and Jake Landau in 2023 has released recordings of sound pieces inspired by and focused on the environment. And Ibarra's book, Rhythm In Nature: An Ecology of Rhythm, looks at how to sound-map the world's natural sounds into rhythms that can be developed into compositions. It's heady stuff. The final results of the applied concepts is some truly beautiful music, as heard in Sky Islands and on albums such as 2004's Folkloriko and 2007's solo Drum Sketches. Receiving the Pulitzer Prize in Music for composing recognizes not only the artist's music, but also her writing and research methods. Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Artist Talk moderated by François Houle: June 26, 3:30 p.m. at Western Front Collaborative Performance with Cat Toren, Tommy Babin and Jen Yakamovich: June 27, 5 p.m. at Revue Stage, Granville Island New Improvisers Studio public performance: June 28, 1 p.m. at Western Front Susie Ibarra: An Ecology of Rhythm: June 28, 9:30 p.m. at Revue Stage, Granville Island 'It's hard to wear a lot of hats, but it's the direction that my studies in music and sound have taken me. And I'm grateful to have the many different sides to my creative practice,' said Ibarra. 'I'm honoured to receive the Pulitzer and hugely proud of the artists who were involved in bringing it together into the performance and production for the world premiere. To be honest, it's still sinking in.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Now living in Berlin, where she is on a fellowship looking into music and sound, Ibarra says her hybrid style has developed over a long history of making field recordings and finding rhythmic content in everything from glacier movements in the Himalayas, to wind in bamboo forests. Finding the muse in such projects depends on using a sense that, weirdly, many musicians can overlook: Hearing. 'When I go out into the field with a sound team to record, I try not to force anything or compose, but rather take in the space as a whole,' she said. 'With a team, you can capture all of the elements that you might not individually hear and get the full orchestra effect. For many years now, I have been recording things like water flows, birdsongs and such and transcribing them.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Bringing all of that 'huge soundscape' back into the studio where she can manipulate the frequencies into audible levels opens up a treasure chest of sonic opportunities to develop into compositions. Ibarra also tunes into the soundscape in the 'built' urban world. You get very different results from the natural versus developed environment, but Ibarra manages to make them all groove. 'I'll be working with improvising musicians during the artist-in-residence, working on concepts that connect my environmental field practice with how it integrates with studio and stage performance,' she said. 'I'm really excited to be going out with them for field recording in Vancouver, as you have so many nearby places to record. Then we will present some music at the end of the week developed out of our study.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Ibarra will also get behind her drum kit to spontaneously create music with an instant quartet as well as a more guided presentation based on one of her compositions titled Bird Souls: Score for Flying. Basset clarinettist Francois Houle performs at the 2025 Vancouver International Jazz Festival Genevieve Monro 10 shows in 10 days to see at the 40th Vancouver International Jazz Festival The Vancouver International Jazz Festival runs June 20-July 1. However, there is a break between the first 10 days and the Canada Day jazz events that take place on July 1. After all, Canada Day often feels like a separate festival after a festival. It's kind of a no-brainer to be there for the whole day, which winds down with a performance by the acclaimed Cowboy Bebop Bebop Band at 8:15 p.m. at Ocean Artworks for free. Given this large group has been selling out shows performing the swinging score from the acclaimed anime series Cowboy Bebop, seeing them gratis is great. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. For the full calendar of jazz fest listings, pick up a copy of the program or visit Here are the picks for 10 shows over the first 10 days of jazz fest not to miss. Saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins Joshua Woods Immanuel Wilkins with the Lotoslawski Quartet When: June 20, 7 p.m. Where: Western Front Tickets/info: $39 at The Canadian premiere of a new work commissioned by Poland's Jazztopad Festival/National Forum of Musicians Wroclaw for the acclaimed contemporary classical group the Lutoslawski Quartet by star Saxophonist/composer Wilkins. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Trumpeter Feven Kidane Ingrid cheung When: June 21, 3:15 p.m. Where: Downtown Jazz, Georgia Street Stage, Vancouver Art Gallery Tickets/info: Free Multi-instrumentalist Kidane is a rising star who leads a number of crack combos performing everything from the Vancouver hippie era groovers Dido & the Handpeople (July 1, Ocean Artworks, 2:45 p.m., free) to leading her own adventurous original material in units like her sextet. Drummer Biboye Onanuga Biboye Onanuga Biboye Onanuga New Standards Trio When: June 22, 9:30 p.m. Where: Tyrant Studios Tickets/info: $18 at British-born, Nigerian-Canadian drummer and composer Onanuga is a fixture on the Edmonton music scene and a frequent visitor to town where he has a trio with local keyboardist Mary Ancheta and saxophonist Gordon Li. Stick around for the Open Jazz Jam to follow lead by the group and whoever sits in on the session. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Richard Bona Photo by Leesa Richards / Leesa Richards When: June 23, 7:30 p.m. Where: Vancouver Playhouse Tickets/Info: From $50 at Grammy-winning Cameroonian bassist and bandleader whose credits range from Salif Keita to Bobby McFerrin and the Pat Metheny Group leads an ace trio that finds common ground in Afro-Cuban grooves and improvisational grit with inspired style. Bill Frisell. Paul Moore (Ottawa Citizen) Bill Frisell Trio w/Thomas Morgan and Rudy Royston When: June 24, 7:30 p.m. Where: Vancouver Playhouse Tickets/info: from $50 at A living legend on the jazz guitar, Seattle-based musician Frisell has a resumé that reads like a history of jazz and instrumental Americana over the last 50-plus years. His trio with bassist Morgan and drummer Royston is a true power trio. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Guitarist/oud player Gordon Grdina (l) and clarinettist Francois Houle (r) Genevieve Monro When: June 25, 9:30 p.m. Where: Revue Stage Tickets/info: $30 at Basset clarinettist Houle and guitarist/oud player perform together as Heliotrope making wild and beautiful avant-garde/open jazz/classical hybrid. Add in Dublin-based pianist Kimura and Swiss-based American improvised musical legend, drummer Gerry Hemingway and sparks will fly. Violinist Joshua Zubot Genevieve Monro Joshua Zubot Octet When: June 26, 9:30 p.m. Where: Revue Stage Tickets/info: $30 at Violinist/composer Zubot is a fixture on the West Coast scene in multiple capacities. This group focuses on his contemporary chamber jazz work features his equally renowned violinist brother Jesse and also Josh's son Klee. The bows will fly at this one. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Trumpeter Marquis Hill Kenneth Lethridge When: June 27, 7:30 p.m. Where: Performance Works, 1218 Cartwright St., Granville Is. Tickets/info: $44 at Celebrating Black music across history, trumpeter Hill is a contemporary jazz star whose latest project homes in on compositions from fellow Chicago scene player Jeff Parker to Afro-futurist reeds player Marcus Strickland and others. He will perform these pieces with his crack quartet. Saxophonist/vocalist Nubya Garcia Danica Lawrence Nubya Garcia When: June 28, 7:30 p.m. Where: Performance Works, 1218 Cartwright St., Granville Is. Tickets/info: $44 at London saxophonist Garcia is exploding across international jazz with her mix of West Indian dub stylings, R&B, breakbeat and grime with unique, driving power. Her most-recent album, 2024's Odyssey, is loaded with killer jams. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Madeleine Elkins Trio Raunie Mae When: June 29, 4 p.m. Where: Ocean Artworks, Granville Is. Tickets/info: Pay-what-you-can Vancouver guitarist Elkins blends jazz, folk, rock and blues into her flowing tunes that continuously surprise with their changes and chording. Her debut, Brighton Train, is due out later this year on the excellent local Infidels Jazz label. sderdeyn@ Read More Love concerts, but can't make it to the venue? Stream live shows and events from your couch with VEEPS, a music-first streaming service now operating in Canada. Click here for an introductory offer of 30% off. Explore upcoming concerts and the extensive archive of past performances. Vancouver Canucks Vancouver Canucks Local News World Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Sun
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Vancouver Sun
Pulitzer Prize-winner Susie Ibarra, plus 10 shows to see during the Vancouver Jazz Festival
Susie Ibarra was awarded the 2025 Pulitzer Prize in Music for her adventurous piece titled Sky Islands. As one of the 2025 Vancouver International Jazz Festival artists-in-residence at the New Improvisers Studio at Western Front, the Filipinx-American composer and percussionist will deliver a talk about her concepts on rhythm in daily environments, as well as perform three radically different concerts. All in a day's work for this acclaimed creator, whose work crosses between composing, recording and performing a unique blend of jazz, avant-garde, global and contemporary classical music. Ibarra also lectures on creative impulses and discoveries in field recordings as a TED fellowship recipient. Get top headlines and gossip from the world of celebrity and entertainment. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sun Spots will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Sky Islands is a showcase for these conceptual models. A musical tribute to the unique tropical rainforest habitats of Luzon, Philippines, the work combines the distinctive rhythmic traditions of the Northern Philippines with gongs, bamboo staffs and flute, string quartet, jazz flute, piano and Ibarra on numerous percussion instruments. As part of the creation, the artist spent time walking in, and recording, the sounds of the environment of Luzon. The Habitat Sounds label launched by Ibarra and Jake Landau in 2023 has released recordings of sound pieces inspired by and focused on the environment. And Ibarra's book, Rhythm In Nature: An Ecology of Rhythm, looks at how to sound-map the world's natural sounds into rhythms that can be developed into compositions. It's heady stuff. The final results of the applied concepts is some truly beautiful music, as heard in Sky Islands and on albums such as 2004's Folkloriko and 2007's solo Drum Sketches. Receiving the Pulitzer Prize in Music for composing recognizes not only the artist's music, but also her writing and research methods. Artist Talk moderated by François Houle: June 26, 3:30 p.m. at Western Front Collaborative Performance with Cat Toren, Tommy Babin and Jen Yakamovich: June 27, 5 p.m. at Revue Stage, Granville Island New Improvisers Studio public performance: June 28, 1 p.m. at Western Front Susie Ibarra: An Ecology of Rhythm: June 28, 9:30 p.m. at Revue Stage, Granville Island 'It's hard to wear a lot of hats, but it's the direction that my studies in music and sound have taken me. And I'm grateful to have the many different sides to my creative practice,' said Ibarra. 'I'm honoured to receive the Pulitzer and hugely proud of the artists who were involved in bringing it together into the performance and production for the world premiere. To be honest, it's still sinking in.' Now living in Berlin, where she is on a fellowship looking into music and sound, Ibarra says her hybrid style has developed over a long history of making field recordings and finding rhythmic content in everything from glacier movements in the Himalayas, to wind in bamboo forests. Finding the muse in such projects depends on using a sense that, weirdly, many musicians can overlook: Hearing. 'When I go out into the field with a sound team to record, I try not to force anything or compose, but rather take in the space as a whole,' she said. 'With a team, you can capture all of the elements that you might not individually hear and get the full orchestra effect. For many years now, I have been recording things like water flows, birdsongs and such and transcribing them.' Bringing all of that 'huge soundscape' back into the studio where she can manipulate the frequencies into audible levels opens up a treasure chest of sonic opportunities to develop into compositions. Ibarra also tunes into the soundscape in the 'built' urban world. You get very different results from the natural versus developed environment, but Ibarra manages to make them all groove. 'I'll be working with improvising musicians during the artist-in-residence, working on concepts that connect my environmental field practice with how it integrates with studio and stage performance,' she said. 'I'm really excited to be going out with them for field recording in Vancouver, as you have so many nearby places to record. Then we will present some music at the end of the week developed out of our study.' Ibarra will also get behind her drum kit to spontaneously create music with an instant quartet as well as a more guided presentation based on one of her compositions titled Bird Souls: Score for Flying. The Vancouver International Jazz Festival runs June 20-July 1. However, there is a break between the first 10 days and the Canada Day jazz events that take place on July 1. After all, Canada Day often feels like a separate festival after a festival. It's kind of a no-brainer to be there for the whole day, which winds down with a performance by the acclaimed Cowboy Bebop Bebop Band at 8:15 p.m. at Ocean Artworks for free. Given this large group has been selling out shows performing the swinging score from the acclaimed anime series Cowboy Bebop, seeing them gratis is great. For the full calendar of jazz fest listings, pick up a copy of the program or visit . Here are the picks for 10 shows over the first 10 days of jazz fest not to miss. When : June 20, 7 p.m. Where : Western Front Tickets/info : $39 at The Canadian premiere of a new work commissioned by Poland's Jazztopad Festival/National Forum of Musicians Wroclaw for the acclaimed contemporary classical group the Lutoslawski Quartet by star Saxophonist/composer Wilkins. When : June 21, 3:15 p.m. Where : Downtown Jazz, Georgia Street Stage, Vancouver Art Gallery Tickets/info : Free Multi-instrumentalist Kidane is a rising star who leads a number of crack combos performing everything from the Vancouver hippie era groovers Dido & the Handpeople (July 1, Ocean Artworks, 2:45 p.m., free) to leading her own adventurous original material in units like her sextet. When : June 22, 9:30 p.m. Where : Tyrant Studios Tickets/info : $18 at British-born, Nigerian-Canadian drummer and composer Onanuga is a fixture on the Edmonton music scene and a frequent visitor to town where he has a trio with local keyboardist Mary Ancheta and saxophonist Gordon Li. Stick around for the Open Jazz Jam to follow lead by the group and whoever sits in on the session. When : June 23, 7:30 p.m. Where: Vancouver Playhouse Tickets/Info : From $50 at Grammy-winning Cameroonian bassist and bandleader whose credits range from Salif Keita to Bobby McFerrin and the Pat Metheny Group leads an ace trio that finds common ground in Afro-Cuban grooves and improvisational grit with inspired style. When : June 24, 7:30 p.m. Where : Vancouver Playhouse Tickets/info : from $50 at A living legend on the jazz guitar, Seattle-based musician Frisell has a resumé that reads like a history of jazz and instrumental Americana over the last 50-plus years. His trio with bassist Morgan and drummer Royston is a true power trio. When: June 25, 9:30 p.m. Where : Revue Stage Tickets/info : $30 at Basset clarinettist Houle and guitarist/oud player perform together as Heliotrope making wild and beautiful avant-garde/open jazz/classical hybrid. Add in Dublin-based pianist Kimura and Swiss-based American improvised musical legend, drummer Gerry Hemingway and sparks will fly. When : June 26, 9:30 p.m. Where : Revue Stage Tickets/info : $30 at Violinist/composer Zubot is a fixture on the West Coast scene in multiple capacities. This group focuses on his contemporary chamber jazz work features his equally renowned violinist brother Jesse and also Josh's son Klee. The bows will fly at this one. When : June 27, 7:30 p.m. Where : Performance Works, 1218 Cartwright St., Granville Is. Tickets/info : $44 at Celebrating Black music across history, trumpeter Hill is a contemporary jazz star whose latest project homes in on compositions from fellow Chicago scene player Jeff Parker to Afro-futurist reeds player Marcus Strickland and others. He will perform these pieces with his crack quartet. When : June 28, 7:30 p.m. Where : Performance Works, 1218 Cartwright St., Granville Is. Tickets/info : $44 at London saxophonist Garcia is exploding across international jazz with her mix of West Indian dub stylings, R&B, breakbeat and grime with unique, driving power. Her most-recent album, 2024's Odyssey, is loaded with killer jams. When : June 29, 4 p.m. Where : Ocean Artworks, Granville Is. Tickets/info : Pay-what-you-can Vancouver guitarist Elkins blends jazz, folk, rock and blues into her flowing tunes that continuously surprise with their changes and chording. Her debut, Brighton Train, is due out later this year on the excellent local Infidels Jazz label. sderdeyn@ Love concerts, but can't make it to the venue? Stream live shows and events from your couch with VEEPS, a music-first streaming service now operating in Canada. Click here for an introductory offer of 30% off. Explore upcoming concerts and the extensive archive of past performances.
New York Times
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Corrections: June 12, 2025
An article on Wednesday about the Ojai Music Festival in California misidentified the piece by Susie Ibarra that featured the sheng player Wu Wei. It was 'Nest Box,' not 'Sky Islands.' Errors are corrected during the press run whenever possible, so some errors noted here may not have appeared in all editions. To contact the newsroom regarding correction requests, please email nytnews@ To share feedback, please visit Comments on opinion articles may be emailed to letters@ For newspaper delivery questions: 1-800-NYTIMES (1-800-698-4637) or email customercare@
New York Times
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
The Most Open-Eared Festival in America Is Ojai
A crowd had gathered at the Ojai Meadows Preserve early Saturday morning. The nearby mountains were still shrouded in mist, and the cool, gray quiet was interrupted only by the sound of birds. Then a throaty quivering of flute emerged from behind the audience — and a stab of clarinet from another spot, a distant burr of saxophone, pips from a second flute. An almost avian quartet gradually coalesced from specks of song and chatter among the instruments, in conversation with the animals in the trees. This was Susie Ibarra's 'Sunbird.' That a couple of hundred people showed up at 8 a.m. for an experimental performance in the middle of a field speaks volumes about the Ojai Music Festival. Since the 1940s, this annual event, nestled in an idyllic valley in Southern California, has catered to audiences eager to be challenged. Each year, a different music director is invited to guide the programming. For this installment, which took place Thursday through Sunday, morning to night, the festival looked to the flutist Claire Chase, one of the most important nodes of creation and collaboration in contemporary music. Chase, a founder of the International Contemporary Ensemble and the instigator of 'Density 2036,' an ongoing 24-year commissioning project to create a new repertoire for her instrument, has an aesthetic well matched to Ojai. Her approach is rigorous yet relaxed, with an improvisatory, cooperative, nature-loving, even hippie bent — meditative, sunny and smiling, encouraging open minds and open ears. Two dozen musicians performed in shifting combinations throughout the weekend, so you had the feeling of being dropped in the middle of a joyfully bustling commune. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
The Star
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
Filipino American composer Susie Ibarra wins 2025 Pulitzer Prize for Music
MANILA: Bridging ancestral tradition with environmental urgency, Filipino American composer and percussionist Susie Ibarra (pic) has recently claimed the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for Music for her visionary work, 'Sky Islands.' 'Sky Islands' is a piece that reimagines the boundaries of contemporary music while celebrating the biodiversity of the Philippines. Premiered on July 18 last year, at the Asia Society in New York, 'Sky Islands' draws from the ecosystems found in the highland rainforests of Luzon. In a recent Ojai Talk with Ara Guzelimian, Ibarra emphasised the importance of biodiversity in these rare and vital landscapes, which deeply informed her creative process. 'Sky Islands,' she shared, was born from an urgency to give voice to the ecological and cultural stories embedded in these endangered terrains. The Pulitzer jury praised the work for '[challenging] the notion of the compositional voice by interweaving the profound musicianship and improvisational skills of a soloist as a creative tool,' highlighting its bold and collaborative spirit. At the heart of 'Sky Islands' is Ibarra's commitment to using sound as a medium for ecological storytelling. Drawing from native instruments like bamboo percussion, flutes and the kulintang – a traditional gong ensemble from southern Philippines – she created a layered sonic tapestry that invites reflection on both nature and heritage. The performance took place on 'Floating Gardens,' a set of sculptural gongs that served as both visual centerpiece and resonant sound chamber, elevating the immersive experience. The ensemble featured Ibarra alongside fellow percussionist Levy Lorenzo, flutist Claire Chase and the Bergamot Quartet: violinists Ledah Finck and Sarah Thomas, violinist Amy Huimei Tan and cellist Irene Han. Speaking about the piece, Ibarra expressed her hope to bring attention to the 'rich and fragile ecosystems' that inspired her. Through 'Sky Islands,' she invites listeners into a space where ancestral memory, environmental urgency and musical experimentation converge. In 2024, Fil-Am journalist Nicole Dungca was a finalist for her work on 'Searching for Maura' with The Washington Post. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
