Susie Ibarra Plays at SUNY New Paltz on March 10

Now a New Paltz resident, Ibarra is SUNY New Paltz's Kenneth Davenport Composer in Residence for spring 2018 and looks forward to world premiere of her newest work, "Talking Gong," on March 10 at Studley Theater. Written to be a collaborative performance with pianist and SUNY Department of Music assistant professor Alex Peh and flutist Claire Chase (no relation to Brian), a 2012 MacArthur "Genius" award recipient and 2017 Avery Fisher Career Prize winner, the piece references "the rhythms and language of the Philippine Maguindanaon talking gongs, the gandingan, which were originally used not only to play music but also to speak language."

"It's the first time I'm performing locally, so of course I'm very excited about that," she says. "Alex and I have been talking with the SUNY music department about ways to build the contemporary music scene here and make it more inclusive. Maybe we'll find a space in the area to hold similar events on a regular basis. I'm hoping the concert helps lead to something along those lines."

Ibarra also hopes, despite her unyielding routine, that the intermediate interludes of music and life don't get lost in the creative frenzy, for her or her audience. "I'm always wanting to learn, to hear something new, and I see music as a way for people to connect and learn," she says. "When I play and compose I'm inviting people to stop and just listen. Sometimes the things that are the most powerful happen when other things are in transition—those in-between moments."

Susie Ibarra will perform "Talking Gong" and other works with Alex Peh and Claire Chase at the Julien J. Studley Theater at SUNY New Paltz on March 10 at 8pm. The Cotabato Sessions will screen at the college's Max and Nadia Shepard Recital Hall on March 8 at 12:30pm and 2pm.