Relâche Offers Turkish-Inspired Concert Saturday, February 27 In Honor of The Golden Age of King Midas Exhibition at the Penn Museum

PHILADELPHIA, PA Winter 2016— Relâche, Philadelphia’s renowned new music ensemble, offers a Turkish-inspired afternoon concert in honor of the Penn Museum’s The Golden Age of King Midas exhibition, on Saturday, February 27, with admission to the special exhibition at 2:00 pm and concert at 3:00 pm. Admission to the concert and exhibition is $20; $15 Penn Museum members; $5 for students with ID (and free for accompanying second student). Guests may pay online in advance (www.penn.museum/calendar) or at the door, subject to availability.

The Turkish Connection

To make the Turkish connection, Relâche presents two works which reference traditional Turkish music by Turkish-American composer Kamran Ince: Strange Stone and Turquoise. Also on the program is Pleiades by Cypriot-American composer Sophia Serghi, Close by Erling Wold, some Turkish inspired improvising, and a Relâche favorite, Raymond Scott's Twilight in Turkey.

The Relâche octet commissioned Kamran Ince's Strange Stone in 2004; the composer also orchestrated his 1996 Turquoise for the ensemble. Imbued with the sound of Turkish music, Ince's compositions operate at extreme high intensity, alternating with equally intense spiritual calm.

Sophia Serghi's Pleiades is a suite of musically colorful portraits of six sisters of Greek mythology whose names were given to the stars of the Pleiades cluster in the constellation Taurus. The composer discovers a wide range of musical proclivities among the sisters, from the mesmerizing to the pedantic, with a "funky tango," too.

Erling Wold is a San Francisco post-minimalist composer. His Close features five Relâche musicians, flutist Michele Kelly, clarinetist Bob Butryn, percussionist Chris Hanning, bassist Douglas Mapp, and keyboardist Ron Stabinsky in a quirky yet beautiful context.

The musicians of Relâche also improvise on a traditional Turkish song, while Twilight in Turkey, by the American jazz original Raymond Scott, is a madcap romp whose mid-eastern musical reference is only in fun. The song was arranged for Relâche by Darin Kelly and is featured on the recent Relâche CD Comix Trips.

About Relâche

Relâche is a new music ensemble that for over thirty years has maintained an international reputation as a leader in commissioning and performing the innovative music of our time. Relâche has a unique sound—flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, viola, piano, bass and percussion, and performs works that are neither classical, nor popular, but somewhere in between—a melding of Western classical traditions with jazz, rock, electronica, world music, and more.

Among the oldest continuously operating, non-profit organizations and chamber ensembles dedicated to contemporary music in the United States, Relâche has consistently offered world-class performances and presentations of music by leading American and international composers and artists. To date, Relâche has performed more than 600 concerts in the Greater Philadelphia area, around the country and the globe, including residency, festival, and touring appearances in South America, Japan, and Eastern and Western Europe. The Ensemble boasts a touring-ready repertoire of more than 50 pieces and a repertory library of more than 400 works. Relâche commissions include works by Robert Ashley, Kitty Brazelton, John Cage, Uri Caine, Fred Frith, Kyle Gann, Philip Glass, Fred Ho, Michael Nyman, Pauline Oliveros, Bobby Previte, George Russell, Somei Satoh, and Lois V Vierk. Relâche has released seven CDs to date, from Relâche on Edge (1991), to Comix Trips (2014).

Contact Relâche via emailing Chuck Holdeman, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or calling (215) 574-8248.

About the Penn Museum

The Penn Museum (the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology) is dedicated to the study and understanding of human history and diversity. Founded in 1887, the Museum has sent more than 300 archaeological and anthropological expeditions to all the inhabited continents of the world. With an active exhibition schedule and educational programming for children and adults, the Museum offers the public an opportunity to share in the ongoing discovery of humankind's collective heritage.

The Penn Museum is located at 3260 South Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (on Penn's campus, across from Franklin Field). Public transportation to the Museum is available via SEPTA's Regional Rail Line at University City Station; the Market-Frankford Subway Line at 34th Street Station; trolley routes 11, 13, 34, and 36; and bus routes 21, 30, 40, and 42. Museum hours are Tuesday through Sunday, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, with extended hours the first Wednesday of each month (to 8:00 pm). Closed Mondays and holidays. Guests with day-of Relâche tickets may explore the Museum between 2:00 pm and performance time at 3:00 pm. Regular Museum admission donation is $15 for adults; $13 for senior citizens (65 and above); free for U.S. Military; $10 for children and full-time students with ID; free to Members, PennCard holders, and children 5 and younger.

Hot and cold meals and light refreshments are offered to visitors with or without Museum admission in The Pepper Mill Café; the Museum Shop offers a wide selection of gifts, books, games, clothing and jewelry. The Penn Museum can be found on the web at www.penn.museum. For general information call 215.898.4000.