TAK is a quintet that delivers energetic and virtuosic performances of contemporary classical music. The ambitious ensemble “impresses with the organicity of their sound, their dynamism and virtuosity — and, well, just a dash of IDGAF as they slay the thorniest material like it’s nothing” (Q2 Music). Dedicated to the commissioning of new works and direct collaboration with composers and other artists, TAK promotes ambitious programming at the highest level, fostering engagement both within the contemporary music community and the artistic community at large. Their debut album “Ecstatic Music: TAK plays Taylor Brook” was released by New Focus Recordings in September 2016, to critical acclaim; it was featured as Q2 Music’s Album of the Week by WQXR, and was listed in the Top 10 Classical Albums of 2016 by the Boston Globe, which praised the “young, fearless players… fluid grace and confidence.” Their second album, Sanctuary was released on Denovali Records in 2017 in collaboration with Mario Daiz de Leon and described as “a ritualistic masterwork of modern classical music, combining acoustic and electronic elements with visionary intensity. 21st century chamber music that combines crystalline clarity with the disorienting turbulence of a sonic vortex.” by WIRE magazine.
Recent engagements include a multi-week run of “The Power of Emotion” with TELE-violet Theater at Abrons Art Center; a collaborative commissioning project with Montreal-based percussion quartet, Architek; the release of TAK’s second album Sanctuary with Mario Diaz de Leon on Denovali Records which was recommended by the New York Times and I Care If You Listen; a premiere performance of “21st Century Sound Stories,” an evening of contemporary music and theater by Qubit and director Josh Gelb; and working with institutions such as from Columbia University, New York University, The new York Philharmonic Very young Composers, and the Juilliard Music Advancement Program.
Upcoming projects include performances at the Library of Congress in Washington D.C., Cluster Festival in Winnipeg, Look and Listen Festival in NYC; residencies at Stanford University, Cornell University, Saint Cloud State University, Boston University, and the Delian Academy; releasing a recording of works by Natacha Diels, Taylor Brook, Tyshawn Sorey, Ann Cleare, Ashkan Behzadi, and David Bird; and commissioning works from Michelle Lou, Eric Wubbels, Jessie Marino, and Julien Malaussena.
