AMOC* presentation at Peabody Essex Museum of “Zarabanda Variations”
May 11, 2025
Morse Auditorium
Conceived by AMOC* violinist Keir GoGwilt, Zarabanda Variations brings together a group of visionary composers, improvisers, and performers to draw inspiration from the musical histories of 16th- and 17th-century New Spain/Mexico. The zarabanda is a dance with supposed Spanish, American, and Arab origins, plausibly named from the Bantu “nsala-banda,” which eventually transformed into a courtly dance of the European baroque. Zarabanda Variations explores the archival gaps of early American music, creating a surprising and vibrant synthesis of European and LatinBaroque, folk, and contemporary musical traditions.
Keir GoGwilt,* Violin and Composer
Miranda Cuckson,* Violin
John Popham, Cello
Carrie Frey, Viola
Wilfrido Terrazas, Flute
Kyle Motl, Double Bass
Alec Goldfarb, Guitar
Jonny Allen*, Percussion
Mariana Flores Bucio, Voice
An * asterisk next to an artist’s name denotes that they are one of AMOC*’s seventeen founding company members.