International Musician & Composer Todd Reynolds Gives Talk At Berkshire Museum
Pittsfield - North Adams resident and internationally renowned musician and composer Todd Reynolds is the second of two guest artists participating in the Eye to Ear Talk series this spring at the Berkshire Museum. Sponsored by the Pittsfield Cultural Council, the illustrated talks are designed to give audiences insight into the creative lives and work of prominent Berkshire County visual, literary and performing artists. The second Eye to Ear artist talk is scheduled for Thursday, May 1, 7pm, at the Berkshire Museum, located at 39 South Street in downtown Pittsfield.Classically trained violinist and composer Todd Reynolds, who studied with Jascha Heifetz, broke away from the classical tradition to become a pioneer in genre-bending and technology-driven innovation in music. Praised by the New York Times for his “impassioned violin soliloquies,” and by the San Francisco Chronicle for his “astonishing virtuosity and commitment," the New Yorker noted "Todd Reynolds, more than any other New York violinist, has mastered the styles of jazz and classical with equal skill and flair."
He has been a longtime member of Bang On A Can, Steve Reich and Musicians and Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Project, and was a founder of the alternative chamber group, Ethel. He is known internationally for his work with amplified violin and electronics and has worked with a wide variety of performers, including a collaboration with Meredith Monk set to debut at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis in June 2008, recent performances with the Albany Symphony Orchestra, and a tour with the alternative band The Books last year.
The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle wrote of one of his performances, "Stimulating, provocative, and musically impressive… The performance was stunning. Reynolds could do no wrong, and he made light of the work's formidable technical difficulties. If more people could hear more concerts of this ilk, perhaps contemporary music would once more become an integral part of all our lives."
Eye to Ear is an ongoing series of talks by Berkshire County artists and creative professionals presented by the Pittsfield Cultural Council in cooperation with the Berkshire Museum and the City of Pittsfield Office of Cultural Development. Founded in 2004, the Eye to Ear artist talk series has featured Stockbridge set designer Carl Sprague, Williamstown choreographer Sandra Burton, New Marlborough painter Walton Ford, Pittsfield author Kevin O’Hara, Dalton jewelry artist Linda Kaye-Moses, Pittsfield percussionist and former Frank Zappa band member Ed Mann, and others.
The Berkshire Museum is located at 39 South Street in downtown Pittsfield. All Eye to Ear artists talks are free and open to the public. For more information, please call 413-499-9348.
