Mix a bit of yodeling with Tuvan throat singing, add in a pinch of Sardinian cantu a tenore, fold in compositions from cutting-edge composers, and you have the ground-breaking vocal octet Roomful of Teeth. Formed in 2009 by Brad Wells, the group exploded on the contemporary music scene with its ebullient and uncompromising exploration of the human voice, studying with masters from singing traditions from around the world and commissioning composers to observe the process and reincorporate elements into Teeth’s ever-expanding repertoire of bespoke works. Standing at the frontier of 21st-century music, the band won the 2014 Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music / Small Ensemble Performance for their pioneering eponymous first album and were nominated again for their sophomore record Render.
WNMF proudly presents Roomful of Teeth for the first time in Winnipeg, performing selections from their repertoire by Caroline Shaw, William Brittelle, Judd Greenstein, Missy Mazzoli, and Brad Wells, along with world premieres of brand new WSO-commissioned works by Harry Stafylakis and Winnipeg’s own Andrew Balfour.
