NAKEDEYE ENSEMBLE

NakedEye is an electro-acoustic group with classical, rock, and jazz DNA on the forefront of cutting-edge and crossover music that defies conventional labels.

Founded in 2013 and based out of Lancaster, PA, NakedEye has developed a fluid repertoire reflective of its DNA, commissioning projects, institutional and artistic collaborations, and its mission of musical exploration and innovation.

NakedEye commissions work from young emerging composers such as Angélica Negrón, Molly Joyce, Florent Ghys, and Monica Pearce, as well as established composers such as Jerome Kitzke, Randall Woolf, and Zack Browning. NakedEye is also fortunate to count among its core members the multi-talented composers Richard Belcastro and Rusty Banks.

Three albums reflect the group’s stylistic diversity. “Storylines Crossing” (Starkland, 2018) explores the group’s blues and jazz expressions. This CD received Global Music Awards’ Best Debut Album and Best Ensemble Album of 2018. “Toy” (New Focus Recordings, 2019) takes the group’s focus on a miniaturist journey with original works featuring music for toy piano and toy instruments. “A Series of Indecipherable Glyphs” (New Focus Recordings, 2022) offers Zappa-inspired rock inflections and their unique virtuosic rendition of Sinister Footwear II.

In addition to its regular season concerts in the Northeast, NakedEye has been featured at New Music Gathering, Queens New Music Festival, The Chamber Music Society of St Louis, The DCCC New Music Series, Pikes Falls Chamber Music Festival, Tribeca New Music, as well as schools and universities in PA and DE. 

NakedEye Ensemble is led by pianist Ju-Ping Song and is supported in part by The Russo Family Foundation, PA Council on the Arts, The Amphion Foundation, and New Music USA.

INSTRUMENTATION

FLUTE – piccolo, soprano, alto
CLARINET – B-flat, bass
SAXOPHONE – soprano, alto, tenor, bari
CELLO
ELECTRIC GUITAR
ELECTRIC BASS
PERCUSSION – drum set, small, portable mallet instruments (xylo, glock), anything else travel-ready
PIANO – grand, toy, MPK mini

THE ENSEMBLE