by Mike Telin

Founded in 1998 as a collection of composers, improvisers and interpreters committed to making adventurous music, the New York City-based Wet Ink Ensemble has quickly garnered an international reputation for their innovative and virtuosic performances. Although the ensemble usually performs as a septet, on Friday, February 12 beginning at 6:30 pm in Oberlin Conservatory’s Stull Recital Hall, the Wet Ink Trio, Josh Modney (violin), Eric Wubbels (piano), and  Sam Pluta (electronics) will present a concert titled hydra | the children of fire. A solo electronic set by Sarah Snider will precede the Trio’s performance.

“The Trio version of the ensemble was formed last year,” violinist Josh Modney said during an recent interview. “Although our main ensemble is a septet, we also wanted to play repertoire by Wet Ink composers that has been written for smaller configurations.”

Modney, who joined Wet Ink eight years ago, pointed out that although they wanted to tour Eric’s 2012 composition the children of fire come looking for fire, they were in need of another piece that would fill out the program. “We asked Sam to write something that would involve himself, so in 2014 he wrote hydra (for violin, piano & live electronics). We made our first Trio tour to England in January 2015. We’ve also toured this program to California, so this will be our third tour.” [Read more…]