Charlottetown Improvisation Laboratory Volume 5

The Charlottetown Improvisation Laboratory will present the final concert in its five-part series at City Cinema in Charlottetown on February 7 at 7:30 pm. 

Nominated for Music PEI Awards for Achievement in Jazz/Blues Music as well as Achievement in Classical Music, the Improv Labs have brought together some of the Island’s most talented musicians. Over the five volumes, the series has commissioned twenty-five pieces of original music. 

Directed and curated by bassist Adam Hill, the Charlottetown Improvisation Laboratory is an ever-rotating assembly of musicians who have never performed together. The group joins forces for a single evening of brand-new music. Combining artists that hail from different genres with diverse musical experiences, the show challenges members of the ensemble to find a common musical language—and everyone in the theatre gets to learn that language at the same time. Like previous Improv Lab bands, Volume 5 will showcase an all-star lineup of Island musicians featuring Iván Garnica on guitar, Julain Molnar on voice, Olasunkanmi Omotosho on violin, and Trevor Grant on drums. 

Each member of the band will debut a new composition written specifically for this show, based on the concept of “structured improvisation.” Grounded in elements of instruction and notation, each piece also includes room for conversation and risk-taking. The composers will trade turns directing the musical material, and neither the audience nor the performers will know exactly how things will unfold. Along with the new compositions, Hill will lead the band through a few not-so-standards that build connections between the repertoire and give each performer an opportunity to shine. To top things off, Hill has created a colourful visual backdrop to be projected behind the band—ambient film that complements the musical textures created on stage.

Advance tickets can be purchased online at citycinema.ca. Both adult and student/artist prices are available.