A special presentation of Stefan Smulovitz and Viviane Houle from Canada, and a lecture on a lecture on the live performance tool, Kenaxis :: August 7, 6:30pm :: Admission: FREE at HARVESTWORKS, 596 Broadway, Suite 602 (at Houston St), New York :: Tel: 212-431-1130 (Subway: F/V Broadway/Lafayette, 6 Bleeker, W/R Prince).

Join Vancouver, BC based duo Stefan Smulovitz (laptop) and Viviane Houle (vocals) for a short performance followed by a lecture on Kenaxis. The performance will demonstrate the versatility and power of Kenaxis Software as a live performance tool. Stefan and Viviane have played extensively as a duet including performances at the Vancouver International Jazz Festival, the Sound Soundwave>Series, San Francisco, and the International PuSH International Performing Arts Festival.

Kenaxis is a realtime performance software allowing for the use of the laptop as an expressive instrument. Developed by Stefan Smulovitz over the last 7 years for use in improvisational and compositional settings, this software allows for live sampling and real time sound manipulation including looping, granulation, and convolution. There is also Kenaxis VBAP for surround sound playback: spin, spiral or exact placement of sounds are all possible in realtime. All welcome!

A truly interdisciplinary collaborator Stefan Smulovitz — composer, software designer and performer on viola and laptop — has performed and composed for film, live visuals (Pierre Hebert, Jamie Griffiths), theatre (Radix, Rumble, Theatre Replacement), dance (Noam Gagnon - The Holy Body Tattoo, Barbara Bourget - Kokoro Dance, Mascall Dance, Cheryl Prophet, Rob Kitsos), art installations (Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles), and DVD-ROMs (Confluences - work of Frank Gehry).

As a performer he is renowned for his “quicksilver ability to morph and manipulate sound via digital technology” (Georgia Straight) Transforming the laptop into an instrument using his custom software Kenaxis. Stefan has performed with many of the worlds top improvisers including: Evan Parker, Uri Caine, Mark Dresser, Fred Frith, Paul Plimley, Francois Houle, Jesse Zubot, Peggy Lee, Mark Feldman, and the NOW Orchestra. With his band Eye of Newt Stefan has created over 50 live scores for film.

His electro-acoustic works have won a national Canadian award (JTTP). He recently won the 2006 Vancouver New Music Chamber Music Competition for his piece for 12 players plus electronics entitled “the still unanswered question.”

Stefan’s compositions have been performed by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Turning Point, Ensemble Symposium, Chor Leoni, Elektra, and at the Sonic Boom Festival from 2002-2006.

He is currently working on a commission as part of the 2008 Alcan Award for Music.

Musical maverick Viviane Houle is a vocalist, improviser and songwriter who defies categorization. With her drop dead gorgeous voice and uncanny ability to mix musical styles as diverse as opera and avant-garde improvisation, Viviane captivates audiences wherever she performs.

In the opera house and concert hall she has performed with Vancouver Opera, Standing Wave Ensemble and pianist Leslie Uyeda. In the jazz world, she regularly performs with the lions of today’s improv scene, including such musicians as Wayne Horvitz, Ron Samworth, Peggy Lee, Coat Cooke, François Houle and Jesse Zubot. As a creator, she has released a CD of her original songs and improvisations with Existential Angst Party and collaborates with violist and laptop artist Stefan Smulovitz.

The ease and beauty of Viviane’s singing allow her to cross musical boundaries from Mozart to the most avant-garde music of the past century and today. Viviane’s appearances at such festivals as the Vancouver International Jazz Festival, Vancouver New Music’s VOX Festival and Festival Vancouver have been marked by a freshness and commitment to musical innovation. Her many premieres of work by some of Canada’s pre-eminent composers have brought life to new scores.