An exciting new talent, cellist and composer Darcy Gilkerson has released his debut album Acteon on the 3rd of March 2025 via Bandcamp. The album is currently available on all streaming services.
As a composer, Darcy is inspired by the lyricism, playfulness, and drama of composers such as Schumann, Piazzolla, Nat Bartsch and Luke Howard. The album is the culmination of a long period of experimentation and exploration in coupling together classical compositional techniques and jazz improvisation. At its strongest, the ensemble comprises both a string quartet and a jazz piano trio, as well as a tenor saxophone and guitar. By playing with different textures within this instrumental configuration,
Darcy’s music focuses on simple ideas that are expanded and stretched into broadly layered multi-faceted conversations between multiple artists. As a queer composer and performer, Darcy's music explores themes of self-discovery, empowerment, trans love and the ever-present ebb and flow between pain and joy. Those poignant themes come through strongly on ‘We Are The Blessing’, a melancholy and dramatic piece. The work opens and closes with warm minimalist string phrases which are complimented by a rich piano ostinato played by Pat Jaffe. ‘Saint Iffy’, written to celebrate Darcy’s transition and successful top-surgery, is full of exuberance and energy. Featuring a sparkling guitar solo from Daniel Waddingham and textured string lines, Saint Iffy embodies the fundamental values of the project: to write simple, uplifting, expansive music with rich harmonic lines. The titular piece ‘Acteon’, based on the poem from Ovid’s Metamorphoses, and ‘Bacchanalia’, featuring Hector Harley on tenor saxophone, both demonstrate Darcy’s love for history and mythology, and his affinity for and a clear narrative arc and enduring melodies. Darcy and his ensemble are planning an East Coast tour for late 2025.
Darcy Gilkerson: Cello
Micheal Brady: Guitar
Matt Steele: Piano
Monty Shnier: Bass
Jack Rosenzweig: Drums