Breakout star cellist, Ashley Bathgate, will perform  the West Coast premiere of BACH UNWOUND, in collaboration with Brooklyn-based composer collective Sleeping Giant. Inspired by the Unaccompanied Cello Suites of J.S. Bach, BACH UNWOUND features Bathgate performing re-imagined suites composed by the Giants. 

Heralded by The New York Times for her “impish ferocity, rich tone, and imaginative phrasing,” Bathgate is one of the fastest rising stars in her field. A member of the award winning, world-renowned ensemble, Bang On A Can All Stars, the young cellist is accustomed to bending the rules with her instrument. BACH UNWOUND will further reveal her dynamic talents as she incorporates extended techniques, live electronics, and external media into her performance, resulting in a radical deconstruction and re-imagination of the original music.

BACH UNWOUND premiered at the famed New York nightclub (Le) Poisson Rouge in January 2016, and will make its West Coast debut in Santa Ana. Bathgate commissioned the series, calling on the six-man composer collective Sleeping Giant to create pieces that explore the elasticity of Bach’s cello suites. Each member of the critically acclaimed collective composed one movement that echoed Bach’s original work, but reintroduces the music in a style and voice specific to the composer.

Sleeping Giant (Timo Andres, Andrew Norman, Jacob Cooper, Christopher Cerrone, Robert Honstein, and Ted Hearne) champions diversity and innovation in sound. Their work has appeared in prestigious concert halls including Carnegie Hall and Kennedy Center, and has been performed by the Berlin Philharmonic Foundation, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the New York City Opera.