The Progression Ensemble specializes in the performance of contemporary classical music. We invite composers to write new works which we premiere in a variety of settings: concert halls, libraries, churches, movie theaters, art galleries and new music festivals. Our performances reach a broad spectrum of the population: not only discriminating academic audiences, but elementary and high school students and the general public from metropolitan as well as rural backgrounds. We are committed to working with composers so that their music can be disseminated to as broad an audience as possible, and we do our best to give many performances of their works.
Our performances are enhanced by Progression Ensemble member, Shawn Lawson, who live codes real time computer graphics for each piece. His entrancing video work captures the attention of even the youngest members of the audience. The Progression Ensemble musicians include Rocco Anthony Jerry, Accordion/Bayan, Eric Despard, Guitar and Michael Gilbert Ronstadt, Cello.
To date, we have premiered over 20 new works, and have collaborated with 12 composers from Norway, Austria and the United States.
New Works Written for and Premiered by The Progression Ensemble:
- Ralph Schutti (Austria) “Thirteen Days in November” (2019) @ 15 minutes (to be premiered in June 2019)
- Christopher Cook (US) “Spectrum” (2018) @ 7 minutes
- Peter Jarvis (US) “Sotto Voce” (2018) @ 4 minutes
- Peter Jarvis (US) “Lament” (2018) @ 4 minutes
- Eric Despard (US) “Space Moving In/Space Moving Out” (2018) @ 6 minutes
- Bjorn Bolstad Skjelbred (Norway) “Before It Falls Apart” (2018) 5 minutes
- David Rothenberg (US) “One Day We’ll Know Why Whales Sing” (2018) @ 60 minutes
- Dale Marie Hoagland (US) “Triptych” (2018) @ 9 minutes
- Dale Marie Hoagland (US) “Rainbows” (2018) @ 3 minutes
- Michael Dilthey (US) “Sonata” (2018) @ 10 minutes
- Michael Dilthey (US) “Trio” (2017) @ 5 minutes
- Bjorn Bolstad Skjelbred (Norway) “The Thin Line” (2017) @ 7 minutes
- Conrad Kehn (US) “Soundtracks to Movies that Don’t Exist” (2017) @ 10 minutes
- Torstein Aagaard-Nilsen (Norway) “Musical Doodles II” (2016) @ 15 minutes
- Bjorn Bolstad Skjelbred (Norway) “as the wind behaves” (2016) @ 20 minutes
- Dan Cooper (US) “Lullaby” (arrangement for Progression Ensemble) (2018) @ 4 minutes
- Magnar Am (Norway) “On the Banks of the Eternal Second” (arrangement for The Progression Ensemble) (2014) @ 10 minutes
- Bjorn Bolstad Skjelbred (Norway) “ConVergEnce” (2013) @ 17 minutes
