Local Musicians Take Stage at High Zero

This weekend Baltimore is host to the High Zero music festival. Showcasing “experimental, improvised music,” this event is premier in its genre.

High Zero boasts a participant ratio of about one-half Baltimoreans, due mostly to the prominence of the city’s experimental music culture. Local Baltimore musicians range from Jeff Carey, who performs computer music, to John Dierker, an improvisational saxophonist. Owen Gardner, another figure in the Baltimore underground, focuses his performance around the violoncello and guitar.

Along with music, High Zero performers also use other forms of media in their shows. Margaret Rorison — a Baltimore filmmaker who recently received her MFA from MICA — will entertain the crowd with projections and sound.

Along with Baltimore participants, the High Zero festival has also brought in national and international performers. Flautist Wilfrido Terrazas traveled from Mexico City for this event. Trumpet player Mazen Kerbaj comes all the way from Beirut. Back home he is known as one of the founders of the Lebanese free improvisation scene.

As the weekend progresses, audiences will see collaborations among musicians. On Saturday, Irish composer and performer Jennifer Walshe organizes experimental musicians into a versatile ensemble. Sunday night, the final performance, will leave events “up to chance.” Musicians are randomly grouped into four sets, come what may. Look out for Mario de Vega, a multimedia artist from Berlin.

Also associated with the High Zero festival are some HighJinx events taking place in various spots around the city. On Friday night the steps of the Baltimore Museum of Art will host something called FolkPhalanx. For this creative gathering, the idea is polyharmony. In other words, the plan is to have as many people as possible play different music simultaneously.

The High Zero Music Festival is easily accessible from Hopkins. A quick JHMI shuttle ride will take you to Penn Station. High Zero is at the Baltimore Theater Project, just a few blocks away. The area is near Mt. Vernon, a great site for exploring and eating. So make a day of it; take in some of this unique festival and then wander Mt. Vernon’s historic district.

The main concerts run from Thursday to Sunday night, with afternoon shows on Saturday and Sunday.