Ensemble Dal Niente
Frequency Festival returns to Chicago for six days of immersive experimental sounds. Founded in 2016 and only pausing for the pandemic, the program unites artists using different combinations of acoustics, electronics and the human voice, breaking genre in favor of attentive listening. The majority of shows will be held at Constellation, a venue spotlighting contemporary composers just steps from the North Branch of the Chicago River, off Western. The multiday affair builds off the Frequency Series that runs throughout the year at Constellation, while incorporating additional partners such as the Renaissance Society and Gray Center for Arts and Inquiry for Sunday’s program at Bond Chapel in Hyde Park.
This year’s program features eleven acts, favoring new work; for many acts, this festival marks their Chicago debut. Expect no two movements to sound alike: Fans of classical, jazz, ambient and glitch can rejoice together at the opportunity to enjoy their preferred sounds that seamlessly morph through the night. The genius of programming that somehow remains cohesive.
The opening night, February 24, is a masterclass of percussion, featuring Ian Antonio, Xin Yi Chong and Grammy-nominated Doug Perkins performing Tristan Perich’s work, as well as Jennifer Torrence traveling from Oslo to perform pieces by Chicago-based artists Kelley Sheehan and Kari Watson. Perich’s composition for three vibraphones produces a warm, atmospheric tingle on the metallic sister instrument of the xylophone. The pulsating notes grow and morph slowly into beautiful and resonant harmonies of repetitive arpeggios. Torrence then brings up the energy through a force of stampeding drums in a multimedia performance with Lua Borges backing up the visuals.
February 25 holds the tension with spectral performances by the multihyphenate David Grubbs and the brass duo Rage Thormbones. Grubbs, a professor at CUNY, has an incredibly extensive discography of solo work, with a range that slides from heart-wrenching folk to screeching punk-rock. His newer solo work retains a Midwest emo influence that he stretches along drawn-out guitar strums. Rage Thormbones make instruments a mere starting point for music, using recording techniques and manipulative processing to add visionary textures.
February 26 builds on the momentum with Olivia Block and ~Nois Quartet. Block will perform new music inspired by Earth’s atmosphere. As a sonic artist, she has displayed installations and performed across an impressive range of museums, including the MCA. ~Nois, based in Chicago, will premiere Alex Mincek’s evening-long piece made in collaboration with the saxophonists over the last four years.
On February 27, members from Ensemble Dal Niente’s impressive roster will perform a series of compositions, including new work by Lei Liang. The most expensive tickets of the festival, the night should demonstrate their immense classical talent. On February 28, Alasdair Roberts and Fredrik Rasten perform a free concert at Bond Chapel, a kind of religious experience that will transform the space into an evolving meditation of guitar pitches.
For the final night, TAK Ensemble and Zachary Good showcase back-to-back performances of the most highly narrative works. The ensemble will debut Weston Olencki’s “when the great fires were lit on the other side of the ocean,” an almost operatic piece that delves into science fiction to tell a speculative history of America. With vocalists and instruments colliding in minor key and alien overtures, the show is sure to leave a dramatic impression. Good and Ian McEdwards round out the festival with nostalgic notes on the clarinet that will bring the week of concerts home.
At Frequency Festival, musicians dance along the edges of their genre, championing the interplay of composer and musician; the scores are anything but simple to master and require experienced hands, remaining steadfast between cacophonies and silences.
Frequency Festival 2026 takes place across the city February 24-March 1. For more information, visit frequencyfestival-chicago.com.
