Soundwaves

Soundwaves shows will resume in April 2026 at the Westside Music Conservatory. Details coming soon!

The Soundwaves series will end in July 2024. Here is a poster for the final four shows:

Thanks to all the performers, audience members, the Friends of Santa Monica Public Library and the Amphion Foundation for funding, and our presenting partners: Microfest, Angel City Jazz, Cold Blue Music, Dog Star Orchestra, Santa Monica Cultural Affairs, Jacaranda Music, Pianospheres, and Golden Spike Press.

Here is a full list of the almost 100 shows. Links will be added so this can become an index to this site, which will remain as an archive.

2016:

January 20: Cold Blue Music (Michael Byron, Michael Jon Fink, Jim Fox, Peter Garland, Daniel Lentz)

February 17: Judicanti Responsura (Joseph Mitchell & William Roper)

March 16: Ulrich Krieger

May 11: Anne LeBaron

May 18: Nicole Mitchell and Randy Gloss

June 15: Vinny Golia

July 20: Alex Cline and Areni Agbabian

August 17: Dana Reason Trio

September 21: Just Strings (John Luther Adams & Lou Harrison)

October 19: Justine Aronson and Richard Valitutto

November 16: Vicki Ray

December 21: “In C” Workshop

2017:

January 18: Emily Hay and Steuart Liebig

February 15: West Coast Chamber Jazz Trio

March 15: Michael Pisaro

April 19: Bonnie Barnett Group

May 17: Partch

June 7: Southland Ensemble Plays Oliveros

July 19: Sean Sonderegger’s Magically Inclined

August 16: Tom Peters Plays Tom Johnson

September 7: Michael Vincent Waller

September 20: Quartet for the End of Time

October 18: Tone Drift (GE Stinson, Kris Tiner, & Steuart Liebig)

November 15: Eric Barber Magneticism

December 20: Graphic Scores Workshop (Ellen Burr, Sarah Belle Reid, Scott Worthington, CSU Fullerton New Music Ensemble)

2018:

January 17: Nathan Hubbard Quartet

February 22: Mattie Barbier

March 21: Aron Kallay: Beyond 12

March 29: Pianospheres: Vicki Ray

April 4: Elana Mann and John Burtle (mark so, Dana Reason, Corey Fogel)

April 11: Jack Wright, Evan Lipson, Zach Darrup

May 16: Cold Blue Solos: Michael Byron/Daniel Lentz

May 24: Pianospheres: Steven Vanhauwaert

June 14: Pianospheres: Nic Gerpe with Pasha Tesitlin

June 28: Elliott Levin/Don Preston/Bobby Bradford Sextet

July 18: Brad Dutz Quartet

August 9: Anne Rhodes and Carl Testa

September 6: Pianospheres: Mark Robson

September 19: Phillip Greenlief Trio

October 3: Angel City Jazz Festival Young Artists Competition Finals

October 17: Brightwork New Music

November 14: Wayne Peet Quartet

November 15: Pianospheres: Gloria Cheng

December 19: Tofighi, Denney, and Fink

2019:

January 30: Jacaranda: Premonitions

January 31: Andrew Raffo Dewar

February 13: Wayne Horvitz and Sara Schoenbeck

February 21: Pianospheres: Vicki Ray & Tom Chiu: Morton Feldman’s “For John Cage”

March 20: Daniel Corral

March 28: Pianospheres: Susan Svrcek Plays Schoenberg

April 10: Jacaranda: Lukas Foss

April 17: Nicole Mitchell and Alex Lough

May 15: Carillon Quartet

May 22: Jacaranda: Vivid Reveries

June 6: Brendan Constantine: John Cage “Lecture on Nothing”

June 26: Elliott Sharp

July 10: Desert Magic

July 17: Thollem McDonas and Alex Cline

August 21: Bobby Bradford Sextet

August 29: Continuum

September 18: Michael Vlatkovich Wind Quintet

October 1: Angel City Jazz Festival Young Artists Competition

October 3: Michael Vincent Waller

November 6: Andrea Centazzo

November 7: Jacaranda: Partch

December 4: Jacaranda: David Kaplan: “Gideon’s Suitcase”

December 11: Brendan White Plays Hindemith

2020:

January 9: Pianospheres: Richard Valitutto

January 15: Daniel Rothman

February 26: Yves Charuset, Lisle Ellis, Peter Valsamis

February 27: Pianospheres: Thomas Kotcheff Plays Frederick Rzewski

2022:

June 4: West Coast Chamber Jazz Trio

July 2: Dan Rosenboom Quintet

2023:

January 7: Lauren Baba Sextet

February 4: Jacaranda: Philip Glass

March 4: Randy Gloss Percussion Ensemble

April 1: Scott Worthington

May 6: Cosmic Vibrations

June 3: The Smudges

July 1: Conducted Improvisation Workshop (Sean Sonderegger & Miller Wrenn)

August 5: Wilfrido Terrazas

September 2: Patrick Shiroishi Saxophone Quartet

October 7: Anna Homler

November 4: Michael Jon Fink: Trio Through the Looking Glass

December 2: Ben Goldberg/Todd Sickafoose/Scott Amendola

December 9: Cathy Milliken

2024:

January 5: The Soapbox with Elliott Levin

February 3: Wendy Richman & Tim Feeney

March 2: Chris Jonas Quartet

April 6: Cold Blue Music

May 4: Joe Baiza

June 1: Steuart Liebig minim

June 22: Isaura String Quartet

July 6: The Present Quartet

Due to repairs at the library auditorium, April’s concert will be at the Edye, a black box theater connected to the Broad Stage, at 1310 11th St, at the regular time of 3:30PM. It’s at the corner of 11th St. and Santa Monica Blvd, four blocks east of the Main Library. There is a large free parking lot.

This show is a collaboration with the Venice-based Cold Blue Music record label and features pieces from their catalog. It begins with John Luther Adams’ “Darkness and Scattered Light,” for five basses. On record, the late Robert Black (of Bang on a Can) recorded all five parts. For this, the LA premiere, the players will be John Graves, Hakeem Holloway, James Bergman, Christopher Roberts, and Jeff Schwartz. Bergman, Roberts, and Schwartz will follow this with “Flying,” from Roberts’ “Trios for Deep Voices,” and the program concludes with the world premiere of Nicholas Chase’s “Tiny Thunder,” for piano-four hands, played by Brian Pezzone and Jennifer Logan.

The library auditorium should be back in service for the May 4 performance by Joe Baiza’s quartet. Thanks to James Bergman and Santa Monica College for hosting this special show. See you there!

Soundwaves co-founder Jeff Schwartz gave presentations on the series at the 2017 California Library Association conference (in Riverside) and the 2020 New Music Gathering (online). Note that the theme of the 2017 conference was “New Worlds Emerge” and the 2020 one “Local Action.”

The Santa Monica Public Library’s acclaimed Soundwaves new music series will present seven concerts in 2024, each on the first Saturday of the month at 3:30PM, all in the Main Library’s Martin Luther King Jr. Auditorium at 601 Santa Monica Blvd.

The year begins with two shows of contemporary compositions for strings. On January 6, the Isaura String Quartet gives a program featuring the world premiere of a piece written for them by Sarah Hennies, and violinist/violist/vocalist Wendy Richman, best known as a member of the International Contemporary Ensemble, performs February 3, joined for part of her set by percussionist Tim Feeney.

On March 2 Chris Jonas, a saxophonist who has worked with Cecil Taylor and Anthony Braxton, presents Music from the Deserts, a video and set of compositions inspired by his home in Santa Fe. His band features Cory Wright (reeds), Lisa Mezzacappa (bass), and Jason Levis (drums), all from Oakland.

April 6 spotlights pieces from recent releases on the Venice-based postminimalist Cold Blue Music record label including John Luther Adams’ “Darkness and Scattered Light” for five basses.

On May 4, guitarist Joe Baiza, founder of SST Records bands Saccharine Trust and Universal Congress Of, brings a quartet with Jessika Kenney (vocals), David O. Jones (bass guitar), and Brian Christopherson (drums).

The final two shows are both by bassist-led groups that combine contemporary chamber music and improvisation. On June 1, six-string bass guitarist Steuart Liebig presents the latest edition of his band Minim, with Breana Gilcher (oboe), Maggie Parkins (cello), and Vicki Ray (piano), then the series concludes on July 6 with The Present Quartet, organized by Soundwaves co-founder Jeff Schwartz with Ellen Burr (flutes), Anne LeBaron (harp), and Charles Sharp (winds).

Soundwaves was created by librarian/musician Jeff Schwartz and composer Daniel Rothman in 2016 to present cutting-edge music at the Santa Monica Public Library. It has received grants from the Friends of the Santa Monica Public Library and the Amphion Foundation, and programs have included collaborations with the Angel City Jazz Festival, Piano Spheres, Jacaranda Music, Microfest, Cold Blue Music, and the Dog Star Orchestra. A complete list of shows, with many videos, is at soundwavesnewmusic.com.

Over the course of almost 100 events, Soundwaves has demonstrated three ideas: that Los Angeles has been crucial to multiple experimental musical communities, from refugee Modernist composers to free jazz to punk rock and beyond, that very challenging work can be successfully presented to a general audience, and that libraries and other public spaces can partially substitute for grassroots venues and other arts resources lost to gentrification.

All Library programs are free and open to the public. Parking is available underneath the Main Library, several bus lines and the Metro E line stop nearby, and there are bike racks. The MLK Auditorium is wheelchair accessible. Please call (310) 458-8600 to request additional accommodations.

Soundwaves Concert Series Announces Fall Season

SANTA MONICA, Calif. –

The Santa Monica Public Library’s acclaimed Soundwaves new music series continues, with six events in September through December, all at the Main Library’s Martin Luther King Jr. Auditorium, 601 Santa Monica Blvd.

All the musical performances are on Saturdays at 3:30 p.m. September 2, at 3:30 p.m, rising star Patrick Shiroishi presents music for four saxophonists. On October 7 Anna Homler sings in invented languages and creates sound with found objects, joined by Jorge Martin on electronics and series coordinator Jeff Schwartz on string bass. November 4 composer Michael Jon Fink picks up his guitar for a set of music inspired by the experimental side of cool jazz, with clarinetist Brian Walsh and cellist Derek Stein. Bay Area clarinetist Ben Goldberg visits December 2 with an all-star trio including Grammy and Tony-winning bassist Todd Sickafoose and drummer Scott Amendola, and on December 9 Berlin-based oboist Cathy Milliken, a founding member of Ensemble Modern, performs with Jeff Schwartz and series co-founder Daniel Rothman (clarinet).

In addition, Soundwaves is teaming with the Angel City Jazz Festival to host a talk by composer/performer Nicole Mitchell, on her recent book The Mandorla Letters: For the Hopeful, on Thursday, October 26, at 6:30 p.m. Mitchell’s book is an original, powerful, and accessible blend of Afrofuturist fiction, memoir, ecofeminist manifesto, and notes on her music. A book sale and signing will follow her talk.

Since 2016 Soundwaves has regularly presented free concerts of cutting-edge music at the Santa Monica Public Library, supported by the Friends of SMPL and the Amphion Foundation, including collaborations with the Angel City Jazz Festival, Piano Spheres, Jacaranda Music, Microfest, Cold Blue Music, and the Dog Star Orchestra.

Soundwaves focuses on noncommercial music, drawing on Los Angeles’ large and complex history of experimentation in rock, jazz, classical, and uncategorizable creative music, bringing the underground back to the westside. Visit soundwavesnewmusic.com for more information, including videos of many past shows.

All Library programs are free and open to the public. Seating is limited and on a first arrival basis. For more information, call (310) 458-8600 or visit smpl.org. The Auditorium is wheelchair accessible. For other disabled services, call Library Administration at (310) 458-8600 one week ahead. The Main Library is directly served by Big Blue routes 1, R10 and 18. Other bus routes and the Blue Line stop nearby. Ride your bike. Bike racks are available.

Solo flute performance by Wilfrido Terrazas.

Miller Wrenn and Sean Sonderegger led an open participation community workshop on conducted improvisation, using the Conduction system codified by Lawrence “Butch” Morris, and their own ideas for organizing music while it is being made.

photos by Barbara Fleeman

PRESS RELEASE  

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Date:  December 13, 2022 

Soundwaves Concert Series Resumes at Pico Library 

SANTA MONICA, Calif. –  

     The Santa Monica Public Library’s acclaimed Soundwaves new music series resumes, with free concerts the first Saturday of each month at the Pico Branch Library Annex in Virginia Avenue Park, at the corner of Pico and Cloverfield. 

     On January 7, 2023 violinist/violist Lauren Baba, known for her work with her big band, the Vitamin String Quartet, and as a touring musician for Japanese Breakfast, leads a jazz sextet. February 4 Jacaranda Music presents the work of Philip Glass, with a flute duo and a short film with a score by Glass recorded by Jacaranda’s Mark Alan Hilt on organ. CalArts faculty member Randy Gloss heads a percussion ensemble using instruments and rhythms from around the world on March 4, and Redlands Symphony Principal Bass Scott Worthington performs a solo recital April 1. Cosmic Vibrations, featuring vocalist Dwight Trible, who worked with Horace Tapscott and Pharoah Sanders, bring spontaneous spiritual jazz on May 6, and the season concludes June 3 with the Smudges: violinist Jeff Gauthier and cellist Maggie Parkins, whose work incorporates improvisation and electronics. 

     From 2016 to 2020 Soundwaves regularly presented cutting-edge music at the Main Library, supported by the Friends of SMPL and the Amphion Foundation, including collaborations with the Angel City Jazz Festival, Piano Spheres, Jacaranda Music, Microfest, Cold Blue Music, and the Dog Star Orchestra Festival. Soundwaves focuses on noncommercial music, drawing on Los Angeles’ large and complex history of experimentation in rock, jazz, classical, and uncategorizable creative music, bringing the underground back to the westside. Visit soundwavesnewmusic.com for more information, including videos of many past shows. 

     The Pico Annex is an indoor/outdoor space. Its configuration will vary to suit the music and weather. For indoor events, masking is currently encouraged by not required. SMPL will follow LA County Health Department guidelines in case of any changes. These concerts are free and open to the public. There are no tickets or reservations. Free parking is available and the #7 Big Blue Bus stops at the park

From January 2016 to March 2020, the Soundwaves concert series presented dozens of free performances of world-class creative music at the Santa Monica Public Library, including collaborations with PianoSpheres, Jacaranda, the Angel City Jazz Festival, Microfest, Cold Blue Music, the Dog Star Orchestra Festival, and others. Due to cuts in the Library’s budget and hours, the regular series will not resume.

However, there will be three Saturday afternoon concerts this summer, outdoors at the Library’s Pico Branch Annex in Virginia Avenue Park, at 2200 Virginia Ave, Santa Monica, CA, 90404. They’re at 3:30 on the first Saturday of the month, one set only. No tickets or reservations, just come on by.

June 4 is the West Coast Chamber Jazz Trio: Andrea Centazzo (percussion, electronics, and compositions), Ellen Burr (flutes), and Jeff Schwartz (bass).

July 2 is Dan Rosenboom‘s quintet.

and August 6 is Lauren Baba‘s quintet.

Like most encores, this is just a little extra after the ending, but also something special you won’t want to miss.