By Aidan Carney

On March 19, 2025, the Buffalo Chamber Players presented an evocative program titled “The Ice Is Talking” at Asbury Hall. The concert featured compositions by John Luther Adams, Vivian Fung, Anna Thorvaldsdottir and Jan Dismas Zelenka. The performance was based deeply on nature, as was communicated by Artistic Director Janz Castelo de Armas. 

The setting at Asbury Hall fostered an intimate yet informal experience, where concertgoers of all ages — from young students to seasoned music lovers — gathered to immerse themselves in the ensemble’s adventurous programming. This welcoming environment made the challenging repertoire feel all the more engaging and accessible.

The program strongly aligned with the Buffalo Chamber Players’ mission. It was a dense and thought-provoking evening that highlighted lesser-known or entirely unfamiliar works, forcing the audience to grapple with complex and sometimes uncomfortable themes — particularly the stark environmental message of The Ice Is Talking. This was not background music; it was music that demanded attention, reflection and dialogue.

The concert opened with Shades of Silence by Anna Thorvaldsdottir, a piece that immediately set the evening’s introspective and boundary-pushing tone. Its innovative use of the harpsichord and extended techniques on the strings created an eerie, delicate soundscape reminiscent of John Cage. The music was so quiet that it commanded absolute stillness — you didn’t want to move or even want to breathe for fear of disturbing the near silence. An immense, fragile beauty emerged from such little musical movement, pulling the audience into its hushed, mesmerizing world.

The second piece, Darkness and Scattered Light by John Luther Adams was a mesmerizing study in patience and intent. Scored for five contrabasses, it was strikingly tonal yet constantly subverted expectations, never quite resolving as expected. 

Adams, known for his deep reverence of nature, often composes works that feel less like traditional music and more like immersive sonic landscapes. Darkness and Scattered Light was no exception. It felt as though the piece told the story of existence itself — beginning with a deep, resonant hum, the voice of Mother Nature, before expanding into an overwhelming cacophony, encompassing all of humanity and the known world. As the density slowly unraveled, the piece returned to its original hum, suggesting that, in the end, Mother Nature is everything.

The evening’s centerpiece was Vivian Fung’s The Ice Is Talking, a composition that integrates solo percussion with electronics. Inspired by Fung’s poignant visit to the receding Columbia Icefield, the piece employs unconventional instruments — including blocks of ice, ice picks and a power drill — to create a visceral soundscape reflecting our environment’s fragility.

Percussionist Stephen Solook delivered a profoundly moving performance, immersing himself fully in the work’s raw, physical nature. His precision and control over the ice as an instrument — chiseling, shattering and manipulating its sounds — transformed what could have been a mere auditory spectacle into something profoundly human and urgent. Each crack and creak felt like a voice from the frozen landscape, mourning its impermanence.

An unexpected audio error halted the performance in the first minute, prompting a restart. Rather than letting it detract from the moment, Solook engaged the audience, sharing insights on the piece’s origins, technical challenges and deeper message. His candor enriched the audience’s understanding, making the restart even more impactful.

This combination of technical mastery, emotional depth and educational outreach made Solook’s performance unforgettable. The Ice Is Talking was not just a showcase of percussive innovation but a call to awareness, an urgent reminder of the world’s changing landscapes, delivered with the full weight of artistry and intention.

The final selection of the evening, Jan Dismas Zelenka’s Trio Sonata in C Minor, provided a brilliant contrast to the contemplative works that preceded it. The piece showcased the ensemble’s virtuosity, with each player bringing remarkable skill to their parts. Particularly striking was the beauty of the third movement, the Adagio, which was filled with lyrical depth and emotional resonance. The slow, expressive lines allowed the musicians to showcase their subtle phrasing and attention to tonal colors. 

The fourth movement, Allegro, was a thrilling burst of energy highlighting the performers’ virtuosity. The intricate passages were executed with impressive precision and flair, and the interplay between these instruments was a testament to the performers’ technical skill and musicality. The movement’s lively spirit and complex counterpoint provided a dazzling conclusion to the evening, leaving the audience in awe of the musicians’ ability to bring such intricate baroque music to life with both virtuosity and grace.

“The Ice Is Talking” was a remarkable program that demonstrated the Buffalo Chamber Players’ bold artistic vision. Their ability to balance musical excellence with meaningful thematic exploration makes them an ensemble worth following, and I look forward to experiencing more of their performances in the future.

Aidan Carney is a writer as well as a Music Education and Music History major at SUNY Fredonia.