ALL THE WRONG NOTES: CHARLES IVES at 150

October 20 - November 12, 2024
Cornell University

In four concerts, ALL THE WRONG NOTES: CHARLES IVES AT 150 celebrated the 150th anniversary of Charles Ives. Described variously as “gibberish,” “impossible,” like “awfully indigestible food,” Ives’ works draw directly from European techniques, suffusing them with the spirit and sounds of early 20th-century America. His musical agenda might best be summed up by the Connecticut minister who insisted on programming Ives over the protests of his congregation, blithely retorting: “After all, God gets awfully tired of hearing the same thing over and over again.” 

Night 2: Ives Violin Sonatas with KJ McDonald

Excerpt from Night 4:
Jasmine Morris Double Bind

  • I: Gilbert Kalish plays Ives' First Sonata

    Oct. 20, 2024 • Beloved American pianist Gilbert Kalish opens the festival on Ives’ 150th birthday with the First Piano Sonata, alongside a selection of songs performed by Rachel Schutz and Xak Bjerken.

  • II: KJ McDonald & Ariel Mo: Complete Violin Sonatas

    Oct. 25, 2024 • Violinist K.J. McDonald from Boston’s New England Conservatory joins pianist Ariel Mo in this recital of the complete violin sonatas.

  • III: Music for quarter-tone pianos

    Oct. 31, 2024 • Thomas Feng and Jack Yarbrough present Ives’ Three Quarter-Tone Piecesfor two pianos alongside solo works from Tui St. George Tucker and Georg Friedrich Haas, each played by one pianist on two pianos simultaneously.

  • IV: Music for piano PLUS

    Nov. 12, 2024 • Works by Rzewski, Ives, and a world premiere by Jasmine Morris. Featuring Trio Gaia, Xak Bjerken, Isaac Dorio, Federico Ercoli, Grant Houston, and Ariel Mo.

This event was made possible by the generous sponsorship of the Cornell Department of Music, Ensemble X, Cornell Council for the Arts, Cornell Center for Historical Keyboards, and the Society for the Humanities.