UB Open! String Ensemble

The Open! String Ensemble is an exciting new project, begun in the Fall of 2015. As its name suggests, it is a group with a collaborative orientation, open to players of all string instruments. Not only do we combine bowed and plucked instruments which seldom play with one another in traditional chamber music contexts, but we hope to provide a welcoming atmosphere for strings from around the world. The arrangements of the group's repertoire are created collectively and allow for improvisatory freedom.

Representative repertoire includes compositions by Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Explosions in the Sky, Mogwai, Sigur Rós, Sonic Youth, Yo La Tengo, Beck, Yes, King Crimson, St. Vincent, and Terry Riley's minimalist classic In C. The Open! String Ensemble also performs original works by group members.