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Q: You’re also Artistic Director of NOVO Ensemble.

A: Yes. We have not been doing a lot of shows recently. I started doing a lot of solo work, just cello and electronics. It still exists, it’s going to be active in the future.

Q: What do you mean by “cello and electronics”?

A: I’m working with loops, so I’m doing layers of music. I use lots of effect pedals, and I’m learning slowly how to use Ableton Live (music production software). I’m having a great time looking into all these things and seeing what I can do to increase the sounds I can make with my cello.

Q: Will you be doing that at Sonic Boom?

A: Most certainly. Only one of the 11 pieces does not have any electronics. All the others have either some kind of effect or interactive electronics with computers. It’s exciting, and there’s a lot of variety. And it’s challenging for me.

Q: You were part of the Zappa meets Varese and Oswald performance at this year’s PUSH Festival. What was that like? Were you a Frank Zappa fan?

A: That was really intense. Zappa for me was one of these composers that all my friends who have good taste love, and I was never able to connect with until I did that show. The music was just fabulous. There was this piece called G-Spot Tornado, it’s insane, it’s so high, almost violin-registry, and so fast, and it keeps changing. That one was choreographed, so there were two dancers dancing with us. Because they learned it based on the metronome marking, the real tempo, we had no choice but to do it at that tempo. It was crazy but a lot of fun. Now I’m a Zappa fan.

Q: What would you say to people who might not normally go to a festival of new music, like Sonic Boom?

A: I think the thing most interesting thing about it is that people who come to these shows will see the music being written today, in their city. These are people (the composers and musicians) who go to the same grocery stores. It’s very interesting to see what our artists are creating now.