Welcome to the website of the X ENSEMBLE
The X Ensemble is a Modern Chamber Music Ensemble of variable size & instrumentation, running the gamut from String ensembles with piano & winds to multiple synthesizers and digital music tools and every combination.
Watch “CONVERGENCE: SERIES A” Live on Friday 4/30 @ 7:30 pm
Latest News
August 4th 2023 – Continuing with our tradition of a concert every other year, I’m pleased to announce a performance on September 17th in Blooming Grove NY. This will be a piano trio concert with violinist Fung Chern Hwei and cellist Leigh Stuart, and will feature several works from our existing catalog (reworked for this format) as well as 2 new pieces, one of which is a world premiere. Tickets for this performance are $20; information and ticket links are in the Performances page. More info as it develops.
July 20th 2021 – I am happy to report that our concert went up on July 18th and was a rousing success. There was a possibility of being rained out yet again, but we stood our ground and managed to get everything setup in-between sprinkles. After setup we covered everything with tarps and waited…. Then at 6 pm we uncovered the percussion, keyboards and sound system and by 6:30 we were line checked and ready to roll. We played our entire 110 minute program (with only a 5 minute intermission) to an enthusiastic crowd of friends, music lovers and locals under what had suddenly become a blue sky, and we received a standing ovation at the very end. 5 minutes later it began to rain again.
Suffice to say the concert went off “without a hitch”. Ken Jablosnky and his wife Angie from Aero Sound Systems provided state of the art audio. The crystal clear sound could be heard for blocks. Passers by – on foot, on bicycle – stopped to listen. The lawn across from the stage was covered with blankets and chairs. We had induced a miniature Tanglewood in the heart of downtown Newburgh, and thanks to our supporters we were able to keep this completely free to the public.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention cellist Leigh Stuart, who stepped for Daniel Frankhuizen at the 11th hour and played exceptionally well. There are additional photos on the Media page. Stay tuned for updates as we continue to book this program into venues nationwide and thank all of you for your support.
July 10th 2021 (4pm) – UPDATE: I have called tomorrow’s show on account of the high probability of rain. We will be falling back to our rain date – JULY 18. All other details remain the same. On behalf of the X Ensemble Thank you for your attention, and sorry about the inconvenience. Hope to see you on July 18th!
June 17th 2021 – Due to the (what I can only call the) overwhelming success of the World Premiere of “Convergence: Series A” I am thrilled to announce that we have received enough funds from our super generous donors to schedule a repeat performance – this one a real life outdoor free public performance on July 11th. Here are some details:
“On July 11th Safe Harbors of the Hudson will present “Music for a Summer Evening”, a live performance by the contemporary chamber ensemble ‘X Ensemble’. The program will feature the recently premiered “Convergence: Series A” by composer & pianist Neil Alexander and includes other pieces from their repertoire of original and classical compositions. This will be a free outdoor evening concert at Safe Harbors Green, located at the intersection of Broadway and Liberty, in Newburgh NY. The music will begin at 5:30 pm. Concertgoers should bring chairs and/or a picnic blanket. In addition, folks are encouraged to call The Wherehouse Restaurant (located across the street at 119 Liberty St., 845-561-4720) to place an order for a delicious boxed picnic supper to enjoy this summer’s evening concert in the park. In case of rain the concert will be rescheduled for Sunday July 18th.
Along with a repeat performance of Convergence, the program will feature 3 additional works – “Cumberland Spring”, “In the Kitchen” (by composer Neil Alexander), and Neil’s arrangement of the 2nd movement of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto #5 (the “Emperor”).
I sincerely hope you will join us for what promises to be a wonderful summer evening of free live music.
April 21st 2021 – In the final run up to the performance now. The Winds, Strings and Percussion sections have rehearsed their respective parts. Only a full ensemble rehearsal remains. After that it’s the initial load in on April 29th and the performance on April 30th.
I received the final scores back from the printer today. I have never attempted to print anything of this nature before, and it could use some adjustment in terms of point sizes and such; but they are complete and entirely usable. We are very excited to bring you this new work!
April 6th 2021 – Plans for the premiere of “Convergence: Series A” are moving long very well. Each different section (winds, Strings, Percussion) has had a successful rehearsal, reviewing and codifying the material, and the final rehearsals are a few days away. We are now printing posters and flyers, and accelerating our social media output. I have also updated the “Members” section of the website to include the current performer’s biographies. Please have a read, here.
February 6th 2021 – At long last, we are happy to announce a performance date for Convergence: Series A – and that date is Friday April 30th. We will premier this piece as part of a new series called “Night Flight Music Live” and will be live-streaming out of Cassandra Studios in Beacon NY. The stream will go out on right here, as well as on Neil Alexander’s Youtube channel and our Facebook Page. With the composition nearly complete, we have begun scheduling rehearsals. “Convergence: Series A” is a contemporary suite in 5 movements and is scored for 8 musicians, 2 of whom play multiple instruments. Video excerpts from the rehearsals will posted when available. We’d like to extend our gratitude once again to Arts Mid Hudson for their support. Once again, stay tuned for more details. Thank you.
October 23rd 2020 – I’m pleased to inform you that after postponing our show in June, dealing with the personal logistics of the pandemic and a surprisingly busy late summer with other projects, work has now resumed on “Convergence: Series A”. The next step will be planning a performance of some kind, which may include a streamed portion or something along the lines of a Drive in (where the audience would remain in their cars.) We are tentatively scheduling the performance for spring 2021. Stay tuned for more details. Thank you for your patience.
June 7th 2020 – After juggling several ideas and conversing with the venue, musicians and grantors we have now officially postponed the June 28th performance. Several ideas are being discussed about how we can bring this new music to you live without endangering anyone. We should have more information for you soon. Please check in with us in a week or so. Stay healthy, stay strong, stay creative.
March 16th 2020 – We are officially postponing the March 22nd house concert. The current response guidelines from the CDC suggest limiting exposure between groups of people and encouraging people to avoid contact and essentially stay at home to protect those who may be potentially at risk. We expect will this will continue for several weeks or until testing becomes more widespread. Our generous hosts have expressed the desire to reschedule and when we know more we will set a date. Meanwhile, stay healthy, wash your hands, limit your exposure and check in with older friends, relatives and neighbors.
March 12th 2020 – As of now we are going forward with the March 22nd House Concert. Buy tickets for X Ensemble: “Convergence Series A” Preview Concert.
Based on the current situation with CoVid 19, this could change. Notifications will be posted here and on the Facebook Page and the Event Page. Thank you for your patience.
March 4th 2020 – We are officially announcing the first of 2 preview performances, a private House Concert on March 22nd in Cold Spring NY with tickets going on sale Monday March 9th at 9 am. Please see the Upcoming Performances page or the Blog for more info.
Dec 2nd 2019 – Neil Alexander has been awarded an Individual Artist Grant from Arts Mid Hudson for a new work titled “Convergence: Series A (2020)“. The work will feature traditional instruments alongside electronics and software, and will utilize bth traditional and non-traditional compositional techniques. Scheduled to be performed in June of 2020, the free outdoor performance will also include several other pieces from our repertoire, plus new arrangements of contemporary and classical work. Stay tuned for more information, as well as information on our upcoming fundraiser series as we put together our 20-21 season. Thank you for your support, and thanks to Arts Mid Hudson for this wonderful opportunity.