Isidore (Izzi) Ramkissoon, musician, composer, and 2007 graduate of the College of Staten Island (CSI) will be presented in concert at the Robert Miller Gallery, 524 W. 26th Street, Manhattan on Friday, May 4, 2007 at 8:00pm. Ramkissoon’s composition, Sub-ter-ain Frequencies 5.1, is a multimedia electronic-acoustic work, and is the first-prize winner of the prestigious 2007 Look & Listen Competition, which features new modernist works by emerging composers.
His work will be performed as part of a three-day festival that includes music by major composers such as Philip Glass, John Zorn, Paul Lansky, and Steven Mackey, and performances by Zorn’s Sappho Ensemble, the Flux Quartet, So Percussion, and the avant-garde string quartet Ethel. Samples of his work can be found at: www.izzilive.com/videos.html
Ramkissoon holds degrees from CSI in both Electrical Engineering and Music with a Concentration in Electronics. He has performed as a bassist and experimental music artist in jazz, rock, and new music venues including New York City’s Webster Hall, Studio 54, and CBGB. As a composer, he draws upon many traditional influences and combines these with modern technology. He works at CSI’s Electronic Music Lab, where he instructs undergraduates in electronic music techniques, and is currently composing music for various media including television and film, and freelancing as a live sound engineer. He plans to pursue graduate studies in Music Technology.
Sub-ter-ain Frequencies 5.1 is a tone poem about New York City. Inspired by musique concrete, the composition tells a story of a harrowing expedition through the NYC subway system. The performance combines synthesized and sampled music with live performances by Izzi Ramkisson (bass), CSI composition professor David Keberle (bass clarinet), CSI music major Kushaiah Hooper (pots, pans, and buckets), and DJ Brak (turntables). The live music is accompanied by ambient sounds of the NYC subway, and is ideally presented electronically in 5.1-surround sound technology in conjunction with video and lighting effects by Ramkissoon.
The Robert Miller Gallery, the host venue for the Look & Listen Festival, is located at 524 W. 26th Street (between 10th and 11th Avenues), in Chelsea’s Gallery District. Tickets are $10 for each of the three concerts (May 3, 4, and 5, 2007). For advanced purchase or reservations, please call 718-622-3005 or visit the Website www.lookandlisten.org. Tickets may also be purchased at the door.
