The Tree of Heaven: New Music for Harpsichord and Strings by Alec Goldfarb & Joshua Alvarez Mastel

St. Paul's Chapel, 1160 Amsterdam Ave., New York, NY 10027

AVAILABLE to stream LIVE on YouTube, link below.

The Tree of Heaven and sky goes dark are two new works for microtonal double-manual harpsichord and strings that explore Renaissance theories of cosmology and their musical implications. Drawing on Nicola Vicentino’s 16th-century musical tuning system, Mastel and Goldfarb explore harmonic realms that stretch the boundaries of Vicentino's theory. Through this expanded system the works echo and transform the celestial harmony envisioned during the Renaissance, bridging historical and contemporary music.

PROGRAM

sky goes dark — Joshua Alvarez Mastel

The Tree of Heaven — Alec Goldfarb

PERFORMERS

Alec Goldfarb, guitar

Joshua Alvarez Mastel, harpsichord

Austin Wulliman, violin

Daniel Hass, cello

Julian Bennett Holmes, organ

Joshua Alvarez Mastel writes instrumental and electronic music which has been performed internationally by Yarn/Wire, ekmeles, ensemble mosaik, and Schallfeld Ensemble. In addition to composing concert music, he makes sound pieces using field recordings, motorized hardware, and digital sound, often for live performance. 

Alec Goldfarb is a Downbeat Magazine award-winning guitarist, composer, and Hindustani classical musician based in Brooklyn whose music is “full of ingenious juxtapositions and twists” (The Wire). He served as inaugural composer in residence for Jonah Bokaer Choreography in 2018, premiering new works at the Joyce and across the East Coast. Other performances include Roulette Intermedium, Skanu Mezs, Darmstadt Ferienkurse, the Yellow Barn, the Kimmel Center, Frequency Festival, the Clark, Asia Society NYC, the Jazz Gallery, and more. He played on the Deutscher Jazz Preis Award winning album "Orlando Furioso" in 2023 as well as the Deutscher Jazz Preis Award nominated "Phantom Islands" in 2024.

Live at St. Paul’s Chapel — or, watch on YouTube.