John Zorn Presents:
The Stone
Commissioning Series
About the Series
John Zorn Presents The Stone Commissioning Series celebrates Zorn’s revolutionary venue, The Stone, a non-profit venue that was “dedicated to the experimental and avant-garde,” and served as a vital spot for new-music in Manhattan’s Alphabet City for over a decade. Held on the last Wednesday of every month at National Sawdust, the series honors the spirit of The Stone presenting the world premiere of a new work at every performance.
Curated by the legendary John Zorn, performers featured in The John Zorn Stone Commissioning Series have won Grammys, MacArthur Awards, and more. Join us on the last Wednesday of every month to hear the evolution of jazz, experimental, and avant-garde music from composers both familiar and emerging.
Current Shows
Sylvie Courvoisier & Andrew Cyrille: Duo & Solos
John Zorn’s Stone Commissioning Series presents: Zeena Parkins with Jeff Kolar
John Zorn’s Stone Commissioning Series presents: Sara Serpa
John Zorn’s Stone Commissioning Series presents: Ned Rothenberg & John Zorn
John Zorn’s Stone Commissioning Series presents: John Medeski
John Zorn’s Stone Commissioning Series presents: Peter Evans
Past Shows
Bill Frisell + Ikue Mori Duet
John Zorn Presents: Jon Irabagon
June 27th, 2018 - 6pm doors • 7pm show Composer and revolutionary saxophonist Jon Irabagon premieres After Talk, a new song cycle for classical voice, piano and improvising saxophone. Irabagon's intergenerational collaborations have garnered worldwide rave reviews, and he combines both worlds tonight in a brand new long-form work that depicts a relationship from start to finish and all the love, anger and anguish in between.
John Zorn Presents: Annie Gosfield
May 30th, 2018 - 6pm doors • 7pm show This month’s featured artist is Annie Gosfield, a composer who the BBC calls “a one-woman Hadron collider.” A expert walker of the tightrope between electronic and acoustic music, Gosfield specializes in using found sounds such as machines, destroyed pianos, warped records, and jammed radio signals, which led the New York Times to call her a “master of musical feedback.”
John Zorn Presents: Uzupis
April 25th, 2018 - 7:00pm For April, Zorn presents Uzupis, a band led by revolutionary musician Kenny Wollesen. An eclectic, shimmering trio of 2 vibraphones and electric drums, Uzupis will create a spectacular experience using with the help of Wollesonics, newly created instruments by Wollesen.
John Zorn Presents: The Stone Commissioning Series: Pamelia Stickney
March 28th, 2018 - 7:00pm For March, Zorn presents theremin maven Pamelia Stickney, whose playing has been described as “haunting” by People’s World.
John Zorn Presents: The Stone Commissioning Series: Craig Taborn
February 28th, 2018 - 7:00pm Listen to Taborn premiere a brand new work on the stage for the first time, along with other repertoire that Taborn personally curates for the evening.
John Zorn Presents: The Stone Commissioning Series: Tyshawn Sorey
January 31st, 2018 - 7:00pm As the first of the new year, this special edition of the Stone Series features Tyshawn Sorey front and center
John Zorn Presents: The Stone Commissioning Series: Vicky Chow
December 27, 2017 - 7:00pm Pianist Vicky Chow performs in trio with longtime John Zorn associates Shanir Blumenkranz and recent MacArthur winner Tyshawn Sorey.
The Stone Commissioning Series: Jad Atoui
Nov 29, 2017 - 7:00pm Besides formal musical language and practices, the usage of biological data and behavior analysis as tools to compose, allows not only human beings but also lower life forms, such as plants, to be sonically expressive. In 2015, electronic musician Jad Atoui joined molecular biologist Ivan Marazzi and together, they conceived “Biosonics”, which bestowed plants with the ability to generate compositions performed by musicians on stage in order to monitor biological response and translate it into a performance experience.
Stone Commissioning Series: Brian Marsella
Oct 25, 2017 - 7:00pm Gatos do Sul features premieres of compositions by Brian Marsella inspired by classical, jazz, and folkloric Brazilian music. Influenced by composers from Ernesto Nazareth, Heitor Villa-Lobos and Pixinguinha to Baden Powell and Egberto Gismonti, Marsella combines samba, bossa-nova, choro and more and turns it all on its ear.
Stone Commissioning Series: Kris Davis
Sept 27, 2017 - 7:00pm John Zorn’s Stone Commissioning Series premieres a new work or set of works on the last Wednesday of every month by composers who push the envelope of possibility.
Stone Commissioning Series: Ambrose Akinmusire & Mary Halvorson
Aug 30, 2017 - 7:00pm A long time in the works, tonight's performance will be the debut of brand new music by Mary Halvorson (guitar) and Ambrose Akinmusire (trumpet)
Stone Commissioning Series: Okkyung Lee The Idea of Red and Grey and Yellow
July 26, 2017 - 7:00pm Okkyung Lee, a New York-based artist and South Korea native, has created a body of work blurring genre boundaries through collaborations and compositions while testing the limit of contemporary cello performance techniques. Her music draws inspirations from noise and extended techniques, jazz, Western classical, and Korean traditional and popular music.
Stone Commissioning Series: Julian Lage’s Studies For One Electric Guitar
June 28, 2017 - 7:00pm At age 27, Julian Lage already boasts a resume that an artist twice his age would be proud to claim. A former child prodigy—he was the subject of the 1997 documentary Jules at Eight—the California- born, now New York–based guitarist has collaborated with such giants as Gary Burton, Jim Hall, David Grisman, Béla Fleck, and Charles Lloyd.
Stone Series: John Zorn Commissioning Series feat. Suphala
April 26, 2017 - 7:00pm John Zorn’s The Stone Series continues at National Sawdust with tabla artist Suphala.
Stone Commissioning Series: Nicole Mitchell
March 29, 2017 - 7:00pm Nicole Mitchell, flutist and composer, presents "Maroon Cloud" as part of the Stone Commissioning Series.
Stone Commissioning Series: Matt Mitchell
February 22, 2017 - 7:00pm These compositions are all related and part of a series, and they stem from one bar of music called “A Pouting Grimace’. It represents a desire to consciously integrate a higher amount of my sonic and compositional interests than previously attempted. We will record this music a week after this performance.
Stone Commissioning Series: John Zorn Plays Solo
January 25, 2017 - 9pm In collaboration with The Stone, National Sawdust is proud to present a monthly curatorial series of performances featuring newly commissioned work by some of the most exciting and creative composer/performers in New York. The series kicks off on January 25 with John Zorn on solo saxophone, and continues on February 22 with Matt Mitchell, and on March 29 with Nicole Mitchell.
