Photo Rachel Stauffer

NAKEDEYE ENSEMBLE

NakedEye is an electro-acoustic group with classical, rock, and jazz DNA on the forefront of cutting-edge and crossover music that defies conventional labels.

Founded in 2013 and based out of Lancaster, PA, NakedEye has developed a fluid repertoire reflective of its DNA, commissioning projects, institutional and artistic collaborations, and its mission of musical exploration and innovation.

NakedEye commissions work from young emerging composers such as Angélica Negrón, Molly Joyce, Florent Ghys, and Monica Pearce, as well as established composers such as Jerome Kitzke, Randall Woolf, and Zack Browning. NakedEye is also fortunate to count among its core members the multi-talented composers Richard Belcastro and Rusty Banks.

Two albums reflect the group’s stylistic diversity. “Storylines Crossing” (Starkland, 2018) explores the group’s blues and jazz expressions. This CD received Global Music Awards’ Best Debut Album and Best Ensemble Album of 2018. The more recent album “Toy” (New Focus Recordings, 2019) takes the group’s focus on a miniaturist journey with original works featuring music for toy piano and toy instruments.

In addition to its regular season concerts in the Northeast, NakedEye has been featured at New Music Gathering, Queens New Music Festival, The Chamber Music Society of St Louis, The DCCC New Music Series, Pikes Falls Chamber Music Festival, Tribeca New Music, as well as schools and universities in PA and DE. 

NakedEye Ensemble is led by pianist Ju-Ping Song and is supported in part by The Russo Family Foundation, PA Council on the Arts, The Amphion Foundation, and New Music USA.


INSTRUMENTATION

FLUTE – piccolo, soprano, alto
CLARINET – B-flat, bass
SAXOPHONE – soprano, alto, tenor, bari
CELLO
ELECTRIC GUITAR
ELECTRIC BASS
PERCUSSION – drum set, small, portable mallet instruments (xylo, glock), anything else travel-ready
PIANO – grand, toy, MPK mini


MEMBERS

JU-PING SONG
Pianist, founder, director

CHAD KINSEY
Guitarist, sound engineer

RYAN KAUFFMAN
Saxophonist

CHRISTY BANKS
Clarinetist

PETER KIBBE
Cellist

MIKE BITTS
Bassist

MATTHEW ANGELO
Flutist

DARREN LIN Percussionist

DARREN LIN
Percussionist

ANDY THIERAUF
Percussionist

RICHARD BELCASTRO
Composer

RUSTY BANKS
Composer

 

 

"NakedEye is one of the few ensembles playing music that is incredibly alive."

                                              – Matthew Allison, flutist