The Santa Monica Public Library’s acclaimed Soundwaves new music series welcomes oboe virtuoso Cathy Milliken to the Main Library’s Martin Luther King Jr. Auditorium, 601 Santa Monica Blvd. on Saturday December 9, at 3:30 p.m..
Originally from Australia, Milliken was a founding member of Ensemble Modern, one of Europe’s major new music groups. She appeared on their landmark recordings of works by contemporary composers from Adams to Zappa and is also a soloist, composer, and improviser. She is currently a resident fellow at Villa Aurora in Pacific Palisades, working on a piece for the Arditti Quartet.
For Soundwaves, Milliken will present an improvisation using English horn, voice, and percussion. She has invited series organizers Jeff Schwartz and Daniel Rothman to join her: Schwartz on upright bass and Rothman using environmental recordings from the Ballona Wetlands.
Since 2016, Soundwaves has presented free concerts at the Santa Monica Public Library, supported by the Friends of the Santa Monica Public Library and the Amphion Foundation. It draws on Los Angeles’ broad history of creative music and has included collaborations with the Angel City Jazz Festival, Piano Spheres, Jacaranda, Microfest, Cold Blue Music, and the Dog Star Orchestra. Visit soundwavesnewmusic.com for more information, including videos of many past shows.
All Library programs are free and open to the public. Parking is available underneath the Main Library, several bus lines and the Metro E line stop nearby, and there are bike racks. The MLK Auditorium is wheelchair accessible. Please call (310) 458-8600 to request additional accommodations.
Submitted by Jeff Schwartz