This season's edition of the storied CalArts creative music revue brings one of the most formidable lineups in the festival's history. Trumpeter, composer, improviser and festival founder Wadada Leo Smith leads two different ensembles: his Golden Quintet, with Vijay Iyer (piano), John Lindberg (bass), Pheeroan akLaff and Famoudou Don Moye (drums, percussion), accompanied by Carole Kim's live video projections; and the Silver Orchestra, which performs with master baritone Thomas Buckner, Pheeroan akLaff (drums and percussion), Erika Duke-Kirkpatrick (cello), Vinny Golia (winds), John Lindberg (bass), Mark Menzies (violin), J.D. Parran (reeds), and Vicki Ray (piano). The genre-defying pianist, composer and improviser Anthony Davis returns with a new iteration of his 1980s ensemble Episteme, featuring Earl Howard (synthesizer and saxophone), Mark Dresser (bass), J.D. Parran (reeds) and Cynthia Aaronson-Davis (soprano). The festival also includes one of the leading creative forces from Iran, the Sufi tradition-inspired Lian Ensemble, with Houman Pourmehdi (tonbak, daf, ney, vocals), Mahshid Mirzadeh (santur), Mani Bolouri (kamanche, gheychak, vocals), Amir Koushkani (tar, vocals) and Pirayeh Pourafar (tar, vocals). Completing the program is pianist, organist, gospel singer, composer and improviser Amina Claudine Myers, a longtime stalwart of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians. She plays in a trio with Don Pate (bass) and Reggie Nicholson (drums), accompanied by Paul Berkolds and the CalArts Choir.

Curated by Wadada Leo Smith.

Fri Sept 19 | 8:30 pm
Music and the Voice
Thomas Buckner and Wadada Leo Smith's Silver Orchestra
Anthony Davis and Episteme
Amina Claudine Myers Trio and the CalArts Choir

"[Anthony Davis is] an august avant-garde pianist… A post-everything, polymath composer-performer." The New York Times

Sat Sept 20 | 8:30 pm
Music and Video
Lian Ensemble
Wadada Leo Smith's Golden Quintet
With Carole Kim, live video projections

"Lian Ensemble is a gifted group with contemplative compositions and virtuosic performances." Los Angeles Times