Improvisation Laboratory

After a groundbreaking first season that transformed an arthouse theatre into an intimate listening room, Charlottetown Improvisation Laboratory returns to City Cinema for Volume 4 of the series on November 14 at 7:30 pm.

Directed and curated by bassist Adam Hill, Charlottetown Improvisation Laboratory is an ever-rotating assembly of five musicians who have never performed together. The group joins forces for a single evening only 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 4 will showcase an all-star lineup of Island musicians featuring Ian Toms on guitar, Diana Delirio on voice and woodwinds, Ray Knorr on fiddle, and Max Gallant 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 lots of room for conversation and risk-taking. The composers will trade turns directing the musical material, and neither the audience nor the performers 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. And to top things off, Hill has created a colourful visual backdrop to be projected behind the band, ambient film complementing the musical textures created on stage.

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