Wild Up rewrites history with “The Odes”
07 March 2026
Days after the viral soundbite of Timmy throwing shade at the world of ballet and opera, an unsung hero from the LA new music scene stood their ground by putting on a timeless show, making a statement on the state of new classical music. At first glance, Wild Up’s programming reads as almost too early for the band’s usual affinity for living composers, but after careful listening, Saturday’s selections seem even more brilliant and refreshing than the wealth of new music you would find across the city.
The first half of the concert captured the essence of baroque stylings through an avant-garde lens. Even on modern instruments and standard tuning, Wild Up strings managed to convey the wonderfully chaotic writing of Jean-Féry Rebel’s “Les Élémens” with vibrant articulation and electric phrasing, an approach that had in-house early music specialist Andrew McIntosh’s fingerprints all over. And trust me, those demisemiquavers were indeed electric – they were so sparkly and tidy – ridiculously fast. To me, the most memorable moments were the tender conversations within “Rossignuols” and “Air”, played by Andrew, Mona, Rachel, and Vicki. When the full ensemble pared down to make space for this quartet, it really spoke to me that historical performance can emerge with meaningful intention as much as with periodic limitation.
In the next two pieces, Wild Up was joined by singer-songwriter Julia Holter, performing an original song “Materia”, as well as “Dido’s Lament” by Henry Purcell, another icon of an early composer. A pairing as hip as LA itself, Holter’s breathy delivery and ethereal melodies played perfectly to the warmth of strings, especially as the ensemble continued to experiment with bow speed over vibrato as the main tool of expression. Reimagining her own music with the strengths of Wild Up feels sort of like a time-traveling Celtic band that loves to dwell in these beautifully gothic minor keys.
The second half of the show (the Schnittke half) captured the essence of contemporary classical music with baroque sensibilities. And even though I’ve never seen him use a baton (like ever!), Chris Rountree really shines with spotless command and his usual ways of galvanizing his performers to step up to the challenge. This was especially important with the special addition of string players, both current students and alumni, from CalArts, an environment many Wild Up members have incubated in. Every bit of sound and intensity was squeezed from the heart of the ensemble and worn on the sleeve. Violin soloists Adrianne Pope and Andrew McIntosh play an uncanny and emotional game of tag, with phrases often written in chromatic reflection of one another. And slowly, the sounds of Vicki’s prepared piano and harpsichord meld into one another as the audience bathes in dissonance and stillness. One cannot help but see haunting stills from a Robert Eggers film with the way Schnittke conveys life’s many hardships and tragedies.
On a night of musical experimentation where our bodies were situated into the center of time, Wild Up proves that the reinvention of classical music is not only necessary for the survival of Western culture under techno-fascism but that it has already arrived. A heartfelt ode to music and culture – an affirmation of survival.
Are you paying attention?