Wild Up Celebrate Julius Eastman & Arthur Russell

<p><strong>Wild Up</strong> makes their Big Ears debut as one of the most innovative forces in contemporary music. Led by artistic director <strong>Christopher Rountree</strong>, the Los Angeles-based ensemble has spent more than a decade reshaping the possibilities of classical performance—merging composed and improvised music, conceptual art, minimalism, and audience-focused experimentation. Violinist-vocalist <strong>Darian Donovan Thomas </strong>and the group’s many composer-performers help shape projects that feel communal and alive.</p><p>Here joined by veteran critic <strong>Peter Margasak</strong>, Rountree and Thomas focus on their history as an ensemble and aligning their creative energies towards two groundbreaking American artists: <strong>Julius Eastman</strong> and <strong>Arthur Russell.</strong> Their Eastman projects including &quot;<strong>Femenine</strong>,&quot; developed over more than a decade—channel the music’s intensity, freedom, and disruption, creating performances that feel both fiercely present and deeply vulnerable. Their Arthur Russell work, the 90-minute dance-floor experience, “<strong>24→24 Music</strong>,” celebrates Russell’s emotional clarity and experimental spirit. Expect aural catharsis, vivid imagination, and boundary-breaking music-making from one of today’s most electrifying new music ensembles.</p>