Fifth House Ensemble Bids Farewell to Artistic Director Dan Visconti
Chicago, IL - Fifth House Ensemble (5HE) bids a fond farewell to Dan Visconti, as he concludes his final season as the ensemble’s Artistic Director.
Dan first joined 5HE in 2013 as a composition faculty member for the annual Fresh Inc Festival before later joining the ensemble in an artistic leadership role in 2014. At the Fresh Inc Festival, Dan helped performers, composers, and pre-formed ensembles to envision and launch their own authentic careers in music, rooted in adventurous genre-defying collaboration, entrepreneurial thinking, and meaningful partnerships with audiences and community. He also worked over nine festival seasons to build a diverse, visionary, and internationally-acclaimed Fresh Inc composition faculty including colleagues Jennifer Higdon, Derek Bermel, Lisa Bielawa, Shawn Okpebholo, and Daniel Bernard Roumain, among others. He oversaw the commissioning and premieres of over 150 new works by young composers, many of which have been featured on 5HEs subsequent touring programs.
“Since I was first introduced to Dan in 2018, I immediately felt that Dan brought an undeniable sense of selflessness into his role,” said Alexandra Olsavsky, Executive Director of Fifth House Ensemble. “Dan continuously struck me with his seemingly boundless ability to innovate, in tandem with being a tremendous mentor and advocate for young composers and artists. I am so grateful for the environment of curiosity, collaboration, and community he helped develop during his time at 5HE, and hope to build on that legacy as we invite new voices into the organization.”
As an artistic leader, Dan has championed 5HE’s artistic mission in the development of innovative performance programs, including collaborations with GRAMMY-winning artists such as guitarist Jason Vieaux and Tuvan vocal trio Alash, genre-bending projects including the Cedille Records album Nedudim, and partnerships with environmental advocates and civic practice practitioners in programs Rivers Empyrean and We Are Good. One of Dan’s most lasting contributions to 5HE has been his brokering of major agreements and show design for the world’s first audience-interactive video game concerts Journey LIVE and Undertale LIVE, taking classical chamber music fully into the 21st century.
"Dan is an artist of tremendous vision,” said Board President, Tad Gray. “He helped us all explore what it means to tap the collaborative spirit of chamber music. I'm grateful for his delightful collaboration, and for his contributions to the enduring success of Fifth House Ensemble."
ABOUT FIFTH HOUSE ENSEMBLE
Praised by the New York Times for its “conviction, authority, and finesse,” the Chicago-based Fifth House Ensemble harnesses the collaborative spirit of chamber music to reach beyond the traditionally-perceived limits of classical music. The ensemble’s artistic, educational, and civic programs engage theater groups, video game designers, corporate innovators, and folk bands to share stories as diverse as the communities it serves.
Reaching 17,000 students annually through its arts-integrated educational programs, Fifth House connects K-12 core curricula to vivid, custom-crafted, and interactive musical experiences which challenge students to share and lead. As an extension of this work, Fifth House enters its fourth year of partnership with Loyola University’s Center for Urban Research and Learning this season, through which the ensemble is in residence at sites serving at-risk youth and adults including Deborah’s Place, Teen Living Programs, Cara Chicago, and Nancy B. Jefferson Alternative School at the Chicago Temporary Youth Detention Center. Fifth House also partners with Storycatchers Theatre as part of its residency at the detention center to develop new curriculum culminating in a new theatrical work based on participants’ own experiences.
An established partner and resource to the nation’s top music schools and conservatories, Fifth House launches the careers of emerging artists through entrepreneurship residencies and training programs, including those at Yale College, Eastman School of Music, New England Conservatory, Indiana University, Roosevelt University, the Cleveland Institute of Music, UT-Austin, Northwestern University, San Francisco Conservatory, DePaul University, and the Colburn School. Recent creative partnerships have included those with The Cleveland Orchestra and the San Francisco Opera. In 2012, Fifth House launched Fresh Inc, a two-week, intensive training program for emerging composers and performers where Fifth House works with participants on building careers in music in line with their own unique vision and values.
Visit us at www.fifth-house.com for more information, and for videos of our latest work.