From NYTimes.com:
Avant Music Festival (Friday and Saturday) This adventurous new-music festival presents music that mixes electronics and acoustic instruments by Paula Matthusen on Friday, with performers including Mantra Percussion and Dither Electric Guitar Quartet. On Saturday the virtuosic vocal ensemble Ekmeles takes on the complete eccentric choral works by John Cage. (The series continues on March 6 and 7.) At 8 p.m., Wild Project, 195 East Third Street, East Village, 212-228-1195, thewildproject.com. (da Fonseca-Wollheim)
Composer Portrait: Augusta Read Thomas (Thursday) Of the four works on August Read Thomas’s program in the Miller Theater’s wonderful series, two are world premieres. One is a brief piece for violin and viola, “Capricci,” the other a more ambitious work for percussion and string quartet, “Selene.” Also on the docket are “Resounding Earth,” a percussion symphony of sorts, and an excerpt from “Sun Threads” for string quartet. Third Coast Percussion and the Jack Quartet do the honors. At 8 p.m., Broadway at 116th Street, Morningside Heights, 212-854-7799, millertheatre.com. (Allen)
International Contemporary Ensemble (Friday and Saturday) This intrepid ensemble continues its residency at the Abrons Arts Center, where it celebrates the centennial of the Henry Street Settlement with two free concerts. The lineup on Friday includes works by Salvatore Sciarrino, Toshio Hosokawa, Marcos Balter and Andrea Agostini. On Saturday the saxophonist Steve Lehman and the pianist Cory Smythe collaborate on a program inspired by the New York composer Alvin Lucier. At 8 p.m., Abrons Arts Center, 466 Grand Street, at Pitt Street, Lower East Side, 212-352-3101, abronsartscenter.org. (Schweitzer)
Locrian Chamber Players (Thursday) This impressive contemporary music ensemble assures audiences that its free programs will be fresh through its defining mission: The group only plays works written within the last decade. These musicians have a good record of choosing interesting pieces. The concerts are presented in the intimate 10th floor performance space at Riverside Church. During intermission you can enjoy a spectacular view of the Hudson River from the balcony outside the hall. The next program offers works by John Adams, Daniel Bernard Roumain, David Macbride, Robert Cohen and Matthew Hough. At 8 p.m., Riverside Drive at 122nd Street, Morningside Heights, 212-870-6700, locrian.org. (Tommasini)
avantmusicnews.com 