The 21st annual Dog Star Festival comes to a close this weekend with four days of free performances at Automata, the downtown Los Angeles venue known for hosting boundary-pushing live art and experimental music. A project of the Dog Star Orchestra, the festival has become a key fixture in the Southern California experimental music community, offering a platform for both emerging and established artists working at the edges of sound, composition, and performance.
Dog Star was founded in 2005 by composer Michael Pisaro-Liu, a faculty member of The Herb Alpert School of Music at CalArts.
The weekend at Automata features a diverse lineup of CalArts alumni, faculty, and longtime collaborators. Programming includes site-specific installations, custom-built sound devices, community-based ensembles, and durational works.
Find the schedule below:
Thursday, June 26
Near-Field #1 | 7 pm
Performance and composition by: Brandon Auger
Holophony | 8 pm
A concert of spatial music by CalArts Music faculty Eric Heep (Music MFA 16, BFA 14). Performances and compositions by: Faith Rawson (Music MFA 25), Eric Lennartson (Music MFA 21), Stephanie Cheng Smith (Music MFA 11), Liam Mooney, Cassia Streb (Music MFA 06), and Tim Feeney (Music faculty).
Friday, June 27
In Real Time | 4 pm
Performances and compositions by: Nev Wendell, Ethan Marks (Music MFA 17), and Anqi Liu (Music MFA 15) and Han Zhang.
In the Courtyard | 7 pm
Performance and compositions by: The Los Angeles Woodwind Skill Share and Carolyn Goodwin.
Terrains | 8 pm
Performances and compositions by: Bonnie Whiting, Wang Lu, and Michael Jones.
Again and Again | 8 pm
Performance by: The Dog Star Community Choir.
Saturday, June 28
L-Collective | 4 pm
Performances and compositions by: The L-Collective
Untangling | 7 pm
Performance and composition by: John Eagle (Music MFA 13) and Eric Heep (Music MFA 16, BFA 14).
Sunday, June 29
These Are My Friends | 8 pm
Performances and compositions by: Nat Evans, Anna Heflin, Ben Rempel, and TJ Sclafani (Music MFA 18).
All Dog Star Festival events are free and open to the public. No tickets or reservations are required unless otherwise noted.
