Ethel
Origin
New York, New York , United States Genres
Contemporary classical Occupation(s)
Chamber ensemble Years active 1998–present Labels
Cantaloupe Music /
Innova Recordings Members Ralph Farris, viola Kip Jones, violin Dorothy Lawson, cello Corin Lee, violin Past members
Jennifer Choi (2011–2012), violin Cornelius Dufallo (2005–2012), violin Todd Reynolds (original member, 1998–2005), violin Mary Rowell (original member, 1998–2011), violin Tema Watstein (2012–2014), violin Website
www.ethelcentral.org
Ethel is a
New York based
string quartet that was co-founded in 1998 by
Ralph Farris ,
viola ;
Dorothy Lawson ,
cello ;
Todd Reynolds ,
violin ; and
Mary Rowell , violin. Unlike most string quartets, Ethel plays with
amplification and integrates
improvisation into its performances.
[1]
[2] The group's current membership includes violinists Kip Jones and Corin Lee.
[3]
Ethel performs
original music as well as works by notable
contemporary composers such as
Julia Wolfe ,
John Zorn ,
Don Byron ,
Marcelo Zarvos ,
Pamela Z ,
Phil Kline ,
John King and many more.
[4] The group's 2004–2005 season culminated with a 45-city U.S. and European tour with the
rock musicians
Joe Jackson and
Todd Rundgren , which included an appearance on
Late Night with Conan O'Brien . Their 2005–2006 season included the
Cantaloupe Music release of its second CD, Light , performances at
BAM Next Wave Festival with choreographer
Wally Cardona
[5] in New York, first-time performances in Miami (Florida), the
Krannert Center for the Performing Arts in
Champaign-Urbana, Illinois , performance at the new
Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center
[6] at the
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in
Troy, New York as well as at the
TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) Conference, and a monthly residency at
Joe's Pub . In 2008 Ethel worked with director
Annie Dorsen to produce Ethel's TruckStop: The Beginning which was performed at BAM's Next Wave Festival.
[7] Months later, they offered another large scale performance, Wait for Green , presented by
World Financial Center in the
Winter Garden with choreographer
Annie-B Parson .
[8] Ethel returned to the TED Conference in 2010 as the
house band , performing with
Thomas Dolby ,
David Byrne and
Andrew Bird .
[9] They performed at
Lincoln Center Out of Doors in the summer of 2010, collaborating with
Juana Molina ,
Dayna Kurtz ,
Tom Verlaine ,
Patrick A. Derivaz ,
Mike Viola and
Adam Schlesinger . In 2011, Ethel was an
artist in residence at the
Park Avenue Armory .
[10]
Members of the group performed or recorded with
Bang on a Can ,
The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center , the
Orpheus Chamber Orchestra , the
New York Chamber Symphony , CONTINUUM,
Sheryl Crow ,
Roger Daltrey , and
Yo-Yo Ma 's
Silk Road Project .
[11]
[12]
In 2002 the string quartet founded Ethel's Foundation for the Arts, a
nonprofit organization with a mission to support contemporary concert music with
collaborative projects,
commission of new
works , and
educational outreach . In keeping with this mission, Ethel has been the string quartet in residence since 2005 with the
Native American Composers Apprenticeship Project (NACAP), an affiliate program of the
Grand Canyon Music Festival , which is dedicated to teaching
Native American young people to compose
concert music . In 2011 NACAP was presented with a
National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award by First Lady
Michelle Obama .
[13]
Ethel toured a program titled Tell Me Something Good with special guest Todd Rundgren in 2012. The program included
Lou Harrison 's Quartet Set ,
Herbie Hancock 's
Watermelon Man , a new commission, Octet 1979 , by
Judd Greenstein , Sunrise of the Planetary Dream Collector by
Terry Riley ,
Spiegel im Spiegel by
Arvo Pärt and
Led Zeppelin 's
Kashmir , as well as an entire set of Todd Rundgren songs performed with Rundgren himself.
[14]
[15]
[16] Ethel is the current resident ensemble at the
Metropolitan Museum's Balcony Bar
[17] Also this season, Ethel will present a multimedia program, Ethel's Documerica , celebrating the 40th anniversary of the
Environmental Protection Agency's
Documerica , launched in 1972. The program will feature new commissions from American composers;
Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate ,
Ulysses Owens Jr.,
James "Kimo" Williams , and
Mary Ellen Childs , and will include a visual component designed by visual artist Deborah Johnson. Ethel's Documerica will premier at the Park Avenue Armory as part of its Under Construction series.
[18] For a second consecutive year, the
Jerome Foundation has announced support of Ethel's Foundation for the Arts HomeBaked program to commission new works from emerging New York City-based composers.
[19] Ethel has announced that this season's composers will be Hannis Brown, Lainie Fefferman,
Dan Friel and Ulysses Owens, Jr., with works premiering in Spring 2013.
[20] In 2014
Denison University announced that Ethel will become their first ensemble in residence.
[21] In July 2016, Denison University announced that all four quartet members (Farris, Jones, Lawson and Lee) will receive honorary degrees,
Doctor of Humane Letters , honoris causa. The degrees were awarded during the college’s 176th Commencement exercises on Saturday, May 13, 2017.
[22]
Discography
Recordings: Self Produced
2003 – Ethel , with music by John King, Phil Kline, Todd Reynolds and
Evan Ziporyn ,
Cantaloupe Music
2006 – Light , with music by
Timo Alakotila , Don Byron, Mary Ellen Childs,
Einstein the African grey parrot ,
Lennie Tristano , Pamela Z and Marcelo Zarvos, Cantaloupe Music
2012 – Heavy , with music by Don Byron, John Halle, Julia Wolfe, John King,
Raz Mesinai ,
David Lang ,
Kenji Bunch and Marcelo Zarvos,
Innova Recordings
2015 – Documerica , with music by Mary Ellen Childs, Ralph Farris, Kip Jones, Dorothy Lawson, Ulysses Owens Jr., Jerod Impichchaachaaha Tate, Tema Watstein and James Kimo Williams, Innova Recordings
Recordings: Featured Artist
2000 – Downtown Documents: Hazardous Materials ,
VHS , live concert, Context Studios
2001 –
Mel Graves : Day of Love ,
Mutable Music
2001 –
Muhal Richard Abrams :
The Visibility of Thought , Mutable Music
2003 – Julia Wolfe: The String Quartets , Cantaloupe Music
2004 –
Lukas Ligeti : Mystery System ,
Tzadik
2005 –
Neil Rolnick : Shadow Quartet , Innova Records
2005 – Here This Now: Cantaloupe Music Sampler on "Sweet Hardwood" by John King
2006 – TED 2006: The Future We Will Create , DVD/CD, TED
2006 – John King: AllSteel , Tzadik
2006 – Mary Ellen Childs: Dream House , Innova Recordings
2007 – A Sampler From Cantaloupe Music on "Also Sprach Einstein" by Mary Rowell
2007 –
For New Orleans , Benefit compilation CD including artists
Jeff Buckley ,
Indigo Girls ,
Natalie Merchant ,
Marshall Crenshaw ,
Dan Wilson ,
the Jayhawks and more,
Sugarfoot Music
2008 –
Douglas J. Cuomo : Arjuna's Dilemma , Innova Recordings
2008 –
Joshua Rosenblum : Sundry Notes on "Will You Please Be Serious?",
Albany Records
2009 – Phil Kline: Around the World in a Daze on "Svarga Yatra",
Starkland
2009 – Phil Kline: John the Revelator , with the vocal ensemble
Lionheart , Cantaloupe Music
2010 – Oshtali : Music for String Quartet by
Chickasaw String Composers
2010 –
NYFA Collection: 25 Years of New York Music , Innova Recordings
2011 – Neil Rolnick: Extended Family , Innova Recordings
2012 –
Anna Clyne : Blue Moth on "Roulette", Tzadik
2012 – Cold Blue Two , various artists, on "Sky with Four Suns" by
John Luther Adams , Cold Blue Music
2014 –
Jerome Kitzke , The Paha Sapa Give-Back on "Winter Count", Innova
2014 –
Hafez Modirzadeh , In Convergence Liberation ,
Pi Recordings
2021 –
Joe Jackson ,
Todd Rundgren , State Theater New Jersey 2005 ,
Purple Pyramid
Recordings: Guest Artist
2000 – Joe Jackson:
Night and Day II ,
Sony
2002 – Dayna Kurtz: Postcards From Downtown , Kismet/Mri
2004 – Dayna Kurtz: Beautiful Yesterday , Kismet/Mri
2007 – Soundtrack
Dan in Real Life ,
Capitol Records
2007 –
Mudville : Iris Nova , Slurry Records
2007 – Eric Starr Group: She
2008 –
Room Eleven : Mmm... Gumbo? ,
Universal Music Group
2009 –
Kurt Elling :
Dedicated to You: Kurt Elling Sings the Music of Coltrane and Hartman ,
Concord Records , 2010, live concert recording
[23]
Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album
2011 –
Thomas Dolby :
A Map of the Floating City , on "Love Is A Loaded Pistol"
2012 – Joe Jackson: The Duke , Razor & Tie
2012 –
Kaki King :
Glow ,
Velour Recordings , on "Great Round Burn" and "The Fire Eater"
2015 –
Kaki King :
The Neck Is a Bridge to the Body , Short Stuff Records, on "Trying to Speak I" and "Trying to Speak II"
2020 -
Svjetlana Bukvich , EXTENSION , "Once You Are Not A Stranger", Navona Records
[24]
Recordings: Film and Television
2000 –
Steve Oscar Moore : The Indescribable Nth , animated film with score by
Bennie Wallace ,
Character Builders
2004 –
Deadwood Pilot Episode, on track "Shuffle" by composer John King,
HBO
2007 –
Susan Todd : The Mother Is the One Who Stretches , score by Ethel, Archipelago Films
2008 – John Turner: Soundtrack You Belong to Me ,
CD Baby
2008 –
Jehane Noujaim :
Pangea Day Trailer, score by Ethel, TED
[25]
2009 –
Christopher North : Soundtrack
Everything's Jake ,
Chris Fetchko Films
2009 –
Stewart Wallace : Soundtrack Daylight
2009 –
Ela Orleans :
Zodiac , scary cue,
BMI
[26]
2010 –
Danièle Wilmouth : Eleanor & the Timekeeper , score by Ethel, Hairless Films
2010 – Christopher North: Soundtrack
Eavesdrop , CD Baby/INDYS
2010 –
Lee Brooks : 2010
Oslo Freedom Forum Soundtrack , Lee Brooks Media
2010 – Jim Rivett: Westbound , Various Artists, on track "Hobo Soup" with
Jill Sobule
2011 – Molly McBride: Strings on the Rez , PBS
2012 – Tom Schroeder: Marcel, King of Tevuren , animated film with score from "The Blue Room and Other Stories" by composer Phil Kline
References
^ "Don't Call It a String Quartet. It's a Band.", The New York Times , by Steve Smith, October 20, 2002
[1]
^ "A Rock Band's Effects In a String Quartet Sound", The New York Times , by Allan Kozinn, November 2, 2002
[2]
^
"ETHEL Welcomes New Violinist, Corin Lee + ETHEL" . Archived from
the original on 2015-02-09. Retrieved 2015-02-09 .
^ "A bold force in foursomes", The Los Angeles Times , by Kyle Gann, February 20, 2005
[3]
^ "Navigating a Shifting Terrain by Working Within Its Limits", The New York Times , by Jennifer Dunning, December 16, 2005
[4]
^
"EMPAC 360: On Site + Sound" . Archived from
the original on 2012-06-09. Retrieved 2012-05-21 .
^
"BAM Next Wave ETHEL'S TruckStop™ : The Beginning " . Archived from
the original on 2011-12-22. Retrieved 2012-05-21 .
^ "Musicians Haunting Hitchcock Shadows", New York Times , by Roslyn Sulcas, December 21, 2008
[5]
^
David Byrne sings "(Nothing But) Flowers", TED, Feb 2010
^
Park Avenue Armory Artist-in-Residence Page
^ "String Quartet Brings New Work in the Making to MASS MoCA" Mass MoCA Press Release 2004
[6]
Archived 2010-12-29 at the
Wayback Machine
^
"Program Notes © 2011 by Miriam Villchur Berg, Maverick Concerts" . Archived from
the original on 2015-02-09. Retrieved 2012-06-02 .
^ "Native American Composers Apprenticeship Project Gives Students a Voice", The official blog of the National Endowment for the Arts
[7]
Archived 2012-03-16 at the
Wayback Machine
^ "Todd Rundgren and Ethel rocked the hurricane", The Diamondback , by Jeremy Snow, October 31, 2012
[8]
Archived 2012-11-07 at the
Wayback Machine
^ "Todd Rundgren and Ethel: Reimagining the ’70s", The Washington Post , by Charles T. Downey, October 29, 2012
[9]
^ "Ethel string quartet teams with Rundgren for wide-ranging program", The Davis Enterprise , by Jeff Hudson, October 31, 2012
[10]
^
Metropolitan Museum of Art Press Release
^ "String Quartet ETHEL Announces Fall 2012 Schedule", Musical America , by AMTPR, August 14, 2012
[11]
^
"Jerome Foundation" . Archived from
the original on 2014-10-06. Retrieved 2012-11-08 .
^
Ethel's Foundation for the Arts
^ Denison University Press Release
[12]
Archived 2015-09-14 at the
Wayback Machine
^ University, Denison.
"Adventurous string quartet, ETHEL, to receive honorary degree | Press Releases | Denison University" . Denison University . Retrieved 2016-08-18 .
^ "Playfully Laying Claim to Songs of Two Jazz Greats", The New York Times , by Nate Chinen, January 23, 2009
[13]
^
"Svjetlana Bukvich - EXTENSION" . Navona Records. Retrieved January 9, 2022 .
^
TED Blog
^
Video
External links