Livewire 15 — RUCKUS: Trailblazers

The RUCKUS ensemble opens the Livewire 15: Blazing Trails new music festival, highlighting innovators of contemporary music, performing works of pivotal women composers Sofia Gubaidulina, Tania León, and Joan Tower in addition to the music of festival composer-in-residence, Zosha Di Castri. RUCKUS is also thrilled to present a work by ground-breaking composer/improviser/scholar George Lewis, who will be in residence at UMBC in March 2026.

With a mission to champion new and innovative works, RUCKUS is dedicated to supporting innovative artists and early-career composers through commissions and collaboration. RUCKUS works directly with students working toward the Certificate in American Contemporary Music, often performing alongside these students and mentoring their creative work. Each year, the ensemble co-hosts the Livewire Festival, bringing guest artists and other ensembles from around the world to Baltimore for a weekend of cutting-edge contemporary music.

RUCKUS features Lisa Cella, flute; Airi Yoshioka, violin; Juan Sebastián Delgado, cello; Liana Harron, piano; Dustin Donahue, percussion; and Philip Mann, conductor. The ensemble is frequently joined by UMBC Affiliate Artists Natalie Groom, clarinet; Patrick Crossland, trombone; and Nicholas Currie, violin.

The program:
Sounds of the Forest — Sofia Gubaidulina
Parajota Delaté — Tania León
Into the Night — Joan Tower
Forma Della Spazio — Zosha Di Castri
Hexis – George Lewis
Hypha – Zosha Di Castri