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September 20, 2023, 7:30 pm
Live at Convocation Hall
Join the SJO on a sonic exploration of Sounds from a Quantum Future, inspired by the research of Dr. Steven Rayan and featuring music by Jeff Presslaff

About This Concert

In a one-of-a-kind initiative, the Saskatoon Jazz Orchestra (SJO) brings to you "The Hyperbolic Band: Sounds from a Quantum Future". This unique concert is the brainchild of University of Saskatchewan Mathematics Professor Dr. Steven Rayan, seasoned composer Jeff Presslaff, and SJO Artistic Director Dean McNeill.

Dr. Rayan and Dean McNeill spent several years deliberating on a challenging question: how to make advanced mathematical research accessible and exciting through music? To answer this, they turned to Jeff Presslaff, an experienced composer and a long-standing collaborator with the SJO.

Presslaff's approach is creative yet thoughtful. His compositions translate Dr. Rayan's research in hyperbolic geometry into music, crafting a unique and engaging experience.

The concert promises to be exceptional, not just in its musical interpretations of mathematics, but also in its choice of instruments. Alongside the regular SJO ensemble, we have invited a string quartet, an oboe, and a bassoon. These additions will lend a distinctive sound to the concert that is sure to captivate the audience.

"The Hyperbolic Band: Sounds from a Quantum Future" offers an evening of both intellectual and auditory engagement. We invite you to join us for a concert that explores the intriguing intersections of music and mathematics. It promises to be an engaging, stimulating, and enjoyable experience.

Read more about this concert here.

Funding for the event has been generously provided by the University of Saskatchewan’s Signature Area of Research in Quantum Innovation and the Centre for Quantum Topology and Its Applications (quanTA).

Accompanying Imagery

Our Supporters

This show is made possible by generous support provided by these organizations

Featured Artists

Steven Rayan

(Saskatoon)
Mathematician
mathematician
/
the-cosmos
Artist Bio

Jeff Presslaf

(Winnipeg)
Composer, Performer
composer,performer
/
piano,trombone
Artist Bio

Personnel

Guest Speakers Dr. Steven Rayan and Jeff Presslaff
Conductor Jeff Presslaff
Violin 1 Dru Waltz
Violin 2 Simon Fanner
Viola Shah Sadikov
Cello John Payzant
Oboe / English Horn Kevin Junk
Alto / Soprano Sax Dr. Glen Gillis
Tenor Sax / Clarinet Trent Reschny
Bari Sax / Bass Clarinet Doug Gilmour
Trumpet / Flugelhorn 1 Dean McNeill
Trumpet / Flugelhorn 2 Sam Boyd
Trombone Tiess McKenzie
Bass Trombone Jon Tait
Piano Jeff Presslaff
Bass Emmett Fortosky
Drums Chris Wallace

Setlist

Hyperbolic Band Theory Composed/Arranged by Jeff Presslaff

  1. Euclidean Lattices and Bloch Phases
  2. Hyperbolic Lattices and Automorphic Bloch Phases
  3. Particle-Wave Duality and the Abel-Jacobi Map
  4. The Bolza Lattice and a Particle in an Automorphic Potential
  5. Hyperbolic Point-Group Symmetries
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