House on Fire
House on Fire presents three new pieces for noisemaking machines, composed by Erin Demastes, Stephanie Cheng Smith and Richard An
Sunday March 8th
doors at 6:30pm | performance at 7:00pm
$15 ADVANCE tickets | $20 DAY OF SHOW | $10 STUDENT tickets with ID
House on Fire
House on Fire is a new music ensemble consisting of Wells Leng, Richard An, and Andrew Anderson. Though centered around their shared focus as pianists, each member’s multi-instrumentalism allows for expanded repertoire including cello, percussion, toy piano and other keyboard instruments. Close friends since their time at the California Institute of the Arts, the group was formally introduced in December 2021, and is dedicated to the performance of new and experimental music, as well as the work of Southern California composers, championing the music of its own members and close collaborators.
They get along like a house on fire.
Erin Demastes
Erin Demastes is an experimental composer, performer, and sound artist. She uses everyday objects and hacked electronics for her installations and performances and subverts their use and perception with play and experimentation. In addition to her interest in physical materials, Erin works with instruction and interaction design in her scores, performances, and installations by balancing structured composition with improvisation and exploration. Erin also teaches composition and music technology classes and is currently an assistant professor of composition and music technology at the College of William & Mary.
Stephanie Cheng Smith
Stephanie Cheng Smith is an L.A.-based composer, performer and programmer who creates interactive pieces, installations, improvisation, and through-composed works. Often using electronics, violin and light elements, Smith’s work stretches from ensemble performances and the realization of others’ scores to a solo practice that has included several projects that each utilize a novel technology-driven instrument of her own devise. Developing software and designing circuitry to control motorized elements, she has imagined a unique hybrid form where physical materials such jingle-bells, plastic cups, or pieces of paper can be deliberately – or aleatorically – controlled to “perform” expressive and organic sound events. A recent work, Life Cycles, uses such apparati to vibrate vellum, evoking the sound of cicadas. Smith's 2021 album Forms was released on A Wave Press.
Richard An
RICHARD AN (b.1995) is a performer and composer, born and raised in Los Angeles. Richard plays new music, usually with House on Fire and Tiny Backpack, sometimes with Monday Evening Concerts’ Echoi Ensemble, Piano Spheres, The Industry and on Bang on a Can’s LOUD Weekend. Richard plays piano and percussion, and has been known to sing, conduct, and teach. Richard’s music has been performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, HOCKET, Brightwork Newmusic, C3LA, and more. His music has been released on CMNTX Records. Richard has degrees from USC and CalArts. He is on faculty at the Pasadena Waldorf School, Glendale Community College and Harvard-Westlake. He plays tabla, builds instruments and makes YouTube videos. He owns rasp.la, a studio space in Pasadena, and is the Executive Director of Common Practice Music, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting experimental and contemporary music.