The musical worldview of the composer and pianist Courtney Bryan is both deeply rooted and sweepingly expansive. She draws upon an array of traditional and experimental traditions: gospel, jazz, spirituals, and more. Her music is also interwoven with the present, particularly in its commitment to confronting contemporary social injustices and commemorating the victims of racist police brutality in the U.S. Bryan’s music-making doesn’t shy away from the big topics: history, emotion, justice, and matters of life and death.
In residence at CalArts as a recipient of the Herb Alpert Award in the Arts, Bryan, an accomplished pianist, is joined in performance of her work by CalArts students and alumni, faculty filmmaker Cauleen Smith, saxophonist Steve Lehman, and the Aperture Duo.