International Contemporary Ensemble: Yvette Janine Jackson’s T-Minus, A Radio Opera

International Contemporary Ensemble returns to Roulette with a program of works by composer and installation artist Yvette Janine Jackson. The evening will feature the world premiere of T-Minus, commissioned by the Ensemble and funded by the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation. This radio opera is part of a series themed around the environmental and socioeconomic impact of space tourism on local communities near launch sites. Also on the program is her piece, Swan, a radio opera without words, a musical journey via acousmatic sound. Radio opera is a term Jackson first used to describe her narrative electroacoustic compositions, such as the Invisible People series, that frequently forefront historical events and social issues. The term continues to take on new meaning for the composer as she expands these ideas to include live performance, visuals, lighting, and interactivity. Influenced by productions from the Golden Age of Radio Drama, Jackson’s radio operas leave room for the listener’s experiences to give meaning to the music.