Content area
Full Text
The Festival Dancing in Your Head has been steadily accruing buzz since it began three years ago at the Weisman Art Museum as a quirky, one-night new-music marathon. Last year, the festival expanded and moved to Walker Art Center. And this year's three-day event, co-presented by the Walker and composer-producer Anthony Gatto, could attract national attention for its wide-ranging programming and the marquee power of its featured composers, performers and filmmakers.
The festival opens Thursday with a sold-out concert by the Kronos Quartet, the superstar string ensemble known for its work on the vanguard of new music, including the 450-plus works it has commissioned over its 30-year history. The group will perform music from its recent recording, "Nuevo," on Mexican themes.
Gatto is excited about the talent in this year's festival, which includes the Midwest debuts of such New York City-based groups as the So percussion ensemble, the vaudeville-inspired new-music group Polygraph Lounge, the string quartet Ethel and the chamber orchestra Alarm Will Sound.
Music films will take a larger share of the spotlight than in previous years. Friday evening's concert opens with "In Absentia," a film by composer Karlheinz Stockhausen...