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Los Friends – FREE Streaming Event

El Living Room

Originally Aired: Thursday, October 28, 2021

Overview

On this evening’s episode, artist-in-residence Angélica Negrón sits with her friends—both real and imaginary—to talk empathy, loneliness, communication, and community. Synth enchanter & composer Phong Tran comes over for a live electronics set inspired by internet friends, while his bestie & MEDIAQUEER bandmate (also composer, violinist & interdisciplinary angel) Darian Donovan Thomas joins the fun via El Wassap. Also stopping by is our new friend and musical comedian Dylan Adler, who was this close to being cast in Mulan as the emperor’s gay advisor/BFF. Wrapping up with a daily dose of self-care, the mystical Mela Pabón offers a guided meditation infused with the kind of blunt realtalk that not even our closest friends would dare share. Featuring a special appearance by Angélica’s very own furry best friend, Midi.

Leadership support for The Greene Space’s Artist-in-Residence program is provided by the Jerome L. Greene Foundation and the MetLife Foundation. Additional support for this project is provided in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.

Angelica Negron

Credit: hoto by Quique Cabanillas

Puerto Rican-born composer and multi-instrumentalist Angélica Negrón writes music for accordions, robotic instruments, toys, and electronics as well as for chamber ensembles, orchestras, choir, and film. Her music has been described as “wistfully idiosyncratic and contemplative” (WQXR/Q2) while the New York Times noted her “capacity to surprise.” Negrón has been commissioned by the Bang on a Can All-Stars, Kronos Quartet, loadbang, MATA Festival, Brooklyn Youth Chorus, Sō Percussion, the American Composers Orchestra, and the New York Botanical Garden, among others. She has composed numerous film scores, including Landfall (2020) and Memories of a Penitent Heart (2016), in collaboration with filmmaker Cecilia Aldarondo. Upcoming premieres include works for the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and National Symphony Orchestra, Opera Philadelphia, LA Philharmonic and NY Philharmonic Project 19 initiative.

Dylan Adler

Credit: Photo provided by guest

Dylan Adler is a comedian, actor, and musician based in NYC. He’s been featured in The New York Times for his show “Rape Victims are Horny Too” with Kelly Bachman. He’s also been featured in Vulture and has performed in the NY Comedy Festival. He was formerly a sketch actor on Maude Night at UCB. He is also the co-composer of the musical “Good Morning New York” that played at NYMF and premiered Off-Broadway at the Players Theatre. He studied music composition at NYU Steinhardt. 

Darian Donovan Thomas

Credit: Photo provided by guest

Darian Donovan Thomas is a Brooklyn based composer, multi-instrumentalist, and interdisciplinary artist. He is interested in combining genres into a singular vocabulary that can express ideas about intersectionality (of medium and identity). Necessarily, he is interested in redacting all barriers to entry that have existed at the gates of any genre – this vocabulary of multiplicity will be intersectional, and therefore all-inclusive. He has received a Bachelors in Music Composition from The University of the Incarnate Word, and was a 2018 New Amsterdam Composer Lab Fellow, 2018 SoSI Composer Fellow, and 2019 Banglewood Composition Fellow. He is currently touring with Moses Sumney, Balùn, and Arooj Aftab.

Phong Tran

Credit: Photo provided by guest

Phong Tran is a Brooklyn-based composer, electronic musician, and visual artist. His works are heavily inspired by the sound of early synthesizers and the noises and grinds of experimental electronics. Much of his work is developed through late night wikipedia dives while obsessing over things like simulation theory, abstract story structure, Dungeons & Dragons, and vaporwave eccojams.

Phong actively performs in MEDIAQUEER, a synthesizer and violin duo formed in 2018 with Darian Thomas. MEDIAQUEER is currently in residence at the Sō Percussion Studio. Phong’s solo work has been released through people | places | records and through slashsound. His latest project, The Computer Room will be released later this fall with New Amsterdam Records.

 

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