Noon Hour Concert: IY IS IO SO HOT?

Exploring sonic possibilities, and afro-futurist cosmologies through improvisation, Clifton Joey Guidry III (bassoon), Lisa E. Harris (voice/theremin), Olivia J. P. Harris (cello), seek the answer to the question, IY IS IO SO HOT? 

     Olivia J.P. Harris

        Joey Guidry                                       Lisa E. Harris

Radical self-love, compassion, laughter, and the drive to amplify Black art-makers and noise-makers comprise the core of Clifton Joey Guidry III’s work. The NYC bassoonist, composer, and activist excels in many spheres; the San Diego Tribune hails his performances as “lyrical and haunting…hair-raising and unsettling.” Clifton is not simply an acclaimed bassoonist, rather he is also a versatile improviser and a composer of experimental and daring new works that embody a deep love of storytelling. Clifton’s compositions channel his inner child, in honor of his ancestors and predecessors. In every aspect of his practice, Clifton seeks to support, hire, and promote Black artists. In support of this mandate, Clifton has spearheaded Sounds of the African Diaspora, a competition and commissioning platform for composers from the African diaspora. This new initiative ensures that composers from the diaspora have access to the space, resources, and time necessary to foster new, innovative music.
Clifton holds a bachelor’s degree in Bassoon Performance from the Peabody Conservatory and a Graduate Performance Diploma from the Mannes School of Music; currently, he is pursuing a Master’s of Music in Contemporary Performance at the Manhattan School of Music. He has attended and been featured by such prestigious festivals as the Spoleto Festival USA and the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity.            Guidry's  Website  - includes sample videos

Lisa E. Harris, aka Li, is an interdisciplinary artist, performer and composer from Houston Texas, USA. Li is a trained classical voice/opera singer from Manhattan School of Music and  is certified as a facilitator of DEEP LISTENING, the sonic philosophies of composer Pauline Oliveros, from the Rensellaer Polytechnic Institute. Li’s work focuses on the energetic relationships between body, land, spirit and place. She uses voice, theremin, movement, text and new media to explore healing in performance.
Recognized by the Huffington Post  as “One of Fourteen Artists that are Transforming Opera”, Lisa E. Harris is a creator. From Houston,Texas, this American soprano and composer who often creates with media, performance, and installation, is a filmmaker, singer/ songwriter, writer, educator, community organizer, environmental transformer and Mother Earth advocate as well.  Harris clarifies her artistic voice through experimental film, improvisational performance and compositional practices, and further translates her music through the application of natural sciences, spirituality, popular song, melody, harmony, ritual and ceremony. Her two new opera films “Cry of the Third Eye” and “Children of the Lost”  use vocal composition and film to amplify the quelled voices of youth and displaced people due to rapid gentrification in Houston’s Third Ward. Harris attained a Bachelor of Music Degree from the Mannes College and a Master of Music Degree from Manhattan School of Music.       Lisa E. Harris website

Cellist, improviser, and activist Olivia J. P. Harris is an artist dedicated to contemporary music and experimental sound art with a strong commitment to using music as a vehicle for social commentary and progress. In addition to being an active soloist, Oli is a founding member of Mazumal, a voice and cello duo committed to innovative performance that promotes inclusivity through socially conscious programming and educational outreach. Through their work with their chamber projects and in their solo engagements, Oli has worked to use their platform to address social and political topics, recently leading a panel entitled “Appropriation, Tokenization, and Allyship in Contemporary Music” during Mazumal’s residency at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee and appearing on series such as Music for Missions in Western Massachusetts. Oli has performed in concert halls in the US and Europe from Cleveland’s Severance Hall to the Konzerthaus Berlin. They are enthusiastic about collaborating across genres and mediums and has played alongside dancers, visual artists, actors, and singer-songwriters, including regular collaborations with their brother, writer Bernard E. P. Harris.  
Olivia J.P. Harrisbegan her studies in her hometown of Cleveland, Ohio. They are a graduate of Cleveland Institute of Music Prep, holds a Bachelor in Music Performance from The Hartt School, a Professional Performer’s Certificate from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a masters in Contemporary Performance at Boston Conservatory at Berklee where they studied with Rhonda Rider. Other principal instructors include Astrid Schween, Jeffrey Zeigler, Mihai Tetel, Regina Mushabac, and Martha Baldwin.

Olivia J.P. Harris website

                                                                                                     This concert series is proudly sponsored by