Eric Miller, Todd Hammes & Sean Kleve

media release: Arts + Literature Laboratory welcomes Eric Miller, Todd Hammes, and Sean Kleve for a performance on Friday, November 17, 2023 at 8:00pm. Advance tickets are $20 ($15 ALL Member, $10 student), or $25 at the door for everyone. 

Viola da gambist Eric Miller, harpsichordist Sean Kleve, and percussionist Todd Hammes will perform the complete Couplets de folies written by viola da gamba virtuoso, Marin Marais in 1701.

Eric Miller, viola da gambist and cellist (baroque and modern), performs in Aplomb, ViolMedium (violmedium.org), and the Wisconsin Baroque Ensemble (wisconsinbaroque.org). A leader in promoting historical performance and the viola da gamba in Wisconsin, he directs the Madison Youth Viol Consort and has been on the faculty at the Madison Early Music Festival.  Eric studied cello at Northern Illinois University and the University of Wisconsin while teaching himself viola da gamba. Since that time,, he has taken lessons from masters such as Catharina Meints and Josh Lee which have greatly informed his playing. Eric recently released a recording of virtuosic works for solo viol by Le Sieur de Machy and Johannes Schenck, available through his website, www.millerstrings.com

Through the breadth of his musical endeavors and his own unique inner vision of sound and music, Todd Hammes creates meaningful connections between himself, his students, colleagues and audiences everywhere. Enraptured audiences, fellow musicians and participants in his engaging workshops experience a special connection to the raw energy and sensitivity he possesses. His work includes performances both domestically and abroad, extensive musical composition, and teaching and outreach programs to groups large and small. He has trained with some of the world’s leading percussionists and is a life-long student of the percussive arts. “Through my clinics, workshops, artist residencies and the Hand Drum Exploratorium,” says Todd, “I’ve seen thousands of students become engaged and enthralled by the sheer joy of making music.” Residing in Madison, Todd has a thriving private teaching studio and is a Teaching Specialist at UW-Madison’s Mead Witter School of Music. He Is a disciple of the late tabla drum master Pandit Sharda Sahai, and holds a B.M. from University of Arizona (1992), and D.M.A. from UW-Madison (2010). www.toddhammes.com

Harpsichordist and historical performance enthusiast, Sean Kleve, is dedicated to the wide world of historical keyboard instruments and what they can tell us about the repertoire of the past. As a long-time performer of Bach on modern and non-traditional instruments, Sean recently dove into the wide world of harpsichord and historical performance. Sean’s particular interests center upon an understanding of figured bass improvisation, historical tuning, the music of J.S. Bach, and early Italian Baroque music from the 17th century.

Sean performs solo recitals and chamber works on the harpsichord. Sean’s principal harpsichord teachers are Trevor Stephenson and Jason Moy. As a Percussionist, Composer, and Conductor, Sean founded Madison Wisconsin’s premiere experimental percussion ensemble, Clocks in Motion. The group is dedicated to performing new and classic works for percussion instruments while promoting and supporting the education and future of new music. Clocks in Motion has toured extensively throughout the United States and has commissioned dozens of new compositions from composers such as Marc Mellits, Andrew Rindfleisch, Jennifer Bellor, John Jeffrey Gibbens, Filippo Santoro, and countless young and emerging composers. Clocks in Motion’s 2022 electro-acoustic album Oneira, released by Aerocade Music, features the music of Jennifer Bellor and can be heard on every major streaming service.

Not only known for his performances of contemporary music, Sean has also been successful in the orchestral field. Sean can be heard on the debut recording by the Chamber Orchestra of New York and has also performed with the Cleveland Chamber Symphony, the Dubuque Symphony, and the Quad City Symphony. In addition, Sean is a substitute percussionist/timpanist with the Madison Symphony Orchestra, the Madison Chamber Orchestra, and the Madison Bach Musicians.

Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Sean completed his Bachelor of Music degree in Percussion Performance at Baldwin-Wallace University and his Master of Music degree at the Manhattan School of Music.  Sean completed his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in classical percussion with a minor in music theory at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2014. Sean commissioned five new experimental compositions and professionally recorded the pieces for his doctoral project. Sean was a recipient of the Paul Collins Fellowship (2010-2013), which is awarded to outstanding graduate performance majors and determined by a committee of performance faculty. 

Sean lives in Madison, Wisconsin with his wife, two kids, three dogs, and a massive board game collection. Sean maintains a rapidly growing private teaching studio of pianists, harpsichordists, and percussionists of all ages. For more information about upcoming performances, lessons, and videos of past performances, please visit seanklevemusic.com