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spacer symbol Guthrie & Streb
Guthrie & Streb is a Los Angeles based music ensemble committed to the performance of new and experimental works by living composers and the cross-pollination of art disciplines through collaboration. Since 2005, cellist April Guthrie and violist Cassia Streb have commissioned over 50 works for their string duo. The ensemble has worked with James Tenney, Wadada Leo Smith, Georges Aperghis, Vinny Golia, Michael Pisaro as well as many other composers. In addition to working with established artists, Guthrie & Streb commission emerging composers who are passionate about the collaborative process of creating new music.

Guthrie & Streb believes that contemporary music needs to be presented in new ways and as such is committed to the composition and realization of new works. Our events are programmed to create a cohesive show where the listener is invited to hear the pieces as a complete album with a universal musical arc alongside the smaller musical gestures. The ensemble is dedicated to creating a musical community where musicians, in all of their capacities; performance, composition, improvisation and electronics etc, encourage one another to innovate and help them realize their ideas.

Guthrie & Streb recently completed a collaboration with filmmaker Madison Brookshire and sound artist Michael Pisaro. Their project, Transparent Cities, was presented through a residency at the Hammer Museum. The Hammer Museum's Artist Residency Program was initiated with funding from the Nimoy Foundation and is supported through a significant grant from the James Irvine Foundation.

spacer symbol April Guthrie (left)

April Guthrie, a Kansas City native, holds a Master's Degree in multi-focus cello performance from the California Institute of the Arts and a BA in cello performance and environmental studies at Illinois Wesleyan University. Her work directly with composers includes--Louis Andriessen ("La voce"), Muhal Richard Abrams, Antoine Bonnet, Jürg Frey, Vinny Golia, Eva-Maria Houben, Joan LaBarbara, Libby Larsen, Mario Lavista, Radu Malfatti, Stephen L. Mosko, Michael Pisaro, David Rosenboom, James Tenney, Wadada Leo Smith, Christian Wolff, and John Zorn. She has studied cello with Dr. Nina Gordon, Erika Duke-Kirkpatrick, and Rohan de Saram.

In March of 2006 April performed in the North American premiere of Greek composer George Aperghis' "Sextuor: L'origine des espèces." In May of 2006, Ms. Guthrie organized a retrospective concert of the work of American composer Earle Brown with friends and colleagues of the late Mr. Brown performing. This concert--in collaboration with The Earle Brown Foundation--included a publication with writings by Michael Pisaro, Christian Wolff, Joan LaBarbara, Erika Duke-Kirkpatrick, Dorothy Stone, Art Jarvinen and many others. Guthrie’s musical style is influenced by studies with the renowned Javanese composer Djoko Walujo WP--with whom she studies rebab and performs in the Kyai Dorodasih Gamelan on both cello and Javanese gamelan instruments.

She recently completed an artist's residency (with violist Cassia Streb of Guthrie & Streb, filmmaker Madison Brookshire, and sound artist Michael Pisaro) at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles, California. The Hammer Museum's Artist Residency Program was initiated with funding from the Nimoy Foundation and is supported through a significant grant from the James Irvine Foundation. Her recent concerts include a tour with Moira Smiley & VOCO; Spiritualized; Seawolf; and with guitarist Miroslav Tadic and actor Rade Serbedzija.

As a private cello teacher she enjoys teaching all ages with a focus on technique, traditional repertoire, composition, and creativity. She recently began teaching actress Deanne Bray for the television show "Heroes." During this time with "Heroes" she also worked with composers Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman (Wendy & Lisa).

She currently plays on a 1923 Dante Baldoni (Buenos Aires) cello, and a Miguel Huipe (Paracho) bow (of the guitar luthier Huipe family).

spacer symbol Cassia Streb (right)
Cassia Streb is a Los Angeles-based violist, improviser and composer. She is active in the field of contemporary and experimental music, performs regularly as a soloist and a chamber musician, and collaborates with a variety of artists from many disciplines. She performs with the Vinny Golia Large Ensemble, the California EAR Unit, Wadada Leo Smith’s Silver Orchestra and Guthrie & Streb. Cassia is also sought after as a soloist, particularly for her interpretation of modern scores and microtonal works, and she collaborates with many artists from the fields of electronic music, western classical instruments and composes for theatre, dance and film. She has commissioned and performed a number of works by both established and emerging composers and she has worked closely with a range of artists including Christian Wolff, James Tenney, Michael Pisaro Jurg Frey, John Zorn, Morton Subotnik, Mark Trayle, Radu Malfatti and many others. Cassia holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Victoria and a Masters’ degree from the California Institute of the Arts.