Fast Forward Austin is proud to present Austin’s second annual performance of Phil Kline’s Unsilent Night!   Friday, Dec. 07 2012 @ 8pm Buford Tower: at the corner of Colorado and Cesar Chavez(aka 201 W. Cesar Chavez) Downtown Austin   Written specifically for outdoor performance in the month of December, Unsilent Night is a rousing street promenade in which the audience becomes the performer. Each participant gets one of four music tracks in the form of a cassette, CD, or Mp3. Together all four tracks comprise Unsilent Night. Carrying boomboxes, or anything that amplifies music, participants simultaneously start playing the music. They … Continue reading →

The second annual Fast Forward Austin Music Festival was a huge success! Nearly 200 people came to ND-501 to see artists from Austin, Waco, Winnipeg, and New York perform over 10 hours of thrilling new music. From the students of Austin Soundwaves performing a new silent film score with Graham Reynolds to the earth shattering reverberations of Baylor Percussion pounding out Xenakis in the rafters, this year’s festival was full of powerful moments and unforgettable sounds. Vicky Chow capped off the day with a gorgeous set of 21st century piano music followed by an all-star ensemble of FFA artists burning … Continue reading →

It was such a pleasure for us to team up with Nonclassical to help bring “that ‘other’ kind of live music” to South by Southwest this year!  The showcase was a resounding success with outstanding performances by PK Waddle, the Bel Cuore Sax Quartet, Peter Gregson, Owen Weaver, the Aiana String Quartet and line upon line Percussion.  You can check out a few articles about the event on Feast of Music, The Austin American Statesman and WQXR NYC.  

We received over 150 entries from all over the world. The quantity and quality of these submissions was humbling and overwhelming. There were many excellent pieces to choose from. After carefully considering all submissions, the selection committee and festival artists have selected the following pieces: Category 1 (solo piano): Christopher Cerrone, Hoyt-Scherherhorn Category 2 (saxophone quartet): David Biedenbender, You’ve Been Talking in Your Sleep Category 3 (mixed chamber): Shawn Allison, Towards the Flame Vicky Chow, the Bel Cuore Quartet, and Precipice will perform these works at this year’s festival on April 15, 2012. Again, thank you all for your submissions. It is … Continue reading →

Fast Forward Austin is pleased to announce our involvement in an exciting showcase of contemporary classical music at SXSW on March 16.  We’re teaming up with Nonclassical (London, UK) to co-curate 6 hours of  live music by some of the most innovative performers in the US and UK on March 16. ————— Fri 16th March: NONCLASSICAL (co-curated by Fast>>Forward>>Austin) @ Creekside / Hilton Garden Inn, 500 North IH 35, 8PM – 2AM 8:00pm – Steve Snowden // 8:30pm – PK Waddle // 9:00pm – Bel Cuore Sax Quartet // 10:00pm – Peter Gregson // 11:00pm – Owen Weaver // 12:00am – Aiana String Quartet // … Continue reading →

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This year’s Fast Forward Austin features calls for scores in three categories: 1) Solo piano works for Vicky Chow, pianist of the Bang on a Can All-Stars 2) Saxophone quartet works for the Bel Cuore Quartet 3) Mixed chamber works utilizing 3-6 players for Precipice (flute, clarinet, violin, violoncello, piano, and percussion) The call is open to composers of all ages. All works must be composed within the last ten years, and under ten minutes in length. Pieces may have previously received performances. A maximum of three scores may be submitted by each composer (one in each category). See complete … Continue reading →

Thursday, Feb 23 @ 7pm The Gershwin Hotel 7 east 27th street New York, NY Fast Forward Austin teams up with Contagious Sounds for an evening of performances by FFA 2012 artists Owen Weaver and the Bel Cuore Sax Quartet, joined by special guests Vicky Chow and Concert Black. We’ve always wanted Fast Forward to be about more than just the annual festival. It’s also about connecting the Austin scene to a larger, nation-wide conversation. Our show at the Gershwin is a first step in that direction. At the Gershwin, Austin musicians will share their stuff with New Yorkers and New … Continue reading →