ABOUT

ABOUT

Founded in 1986 by Dawn and Lou Mallozzi, Eric Leonardson, and Perry Venson, Experimental Sound Studio (ESS) has occupied its Edgewater location since 2006. The facility is home to a full-service recording, mixing, and mastering studio for hire; Audible Gallery, a small public space for exhibitions, meetings, workshops, performances, and artists' projects; and the Creative Audio Archive—an invaluable collection of recordings, print, and visual ephemera related to avant-garde and exploratory sound and music of the last five decades. ESS presents eclectic performance and installation programming, workshops, and artist talks year round—both in the various spaces around the studio (including its beautiful garden) and at various partner venues around Chicago.

 

Mission

Experimental Sound Studio is a Chicago-based nonprofit organization dedicated to artistic evolution and the creative exploration of sound. As an international hub for sonic experimentation, ESS nurtures artists, heralds new works, and builds a broad, supportive community of makers, enthusiasts, and creative partners through production, presentation, education, and preservation.

 

Core Values

  • The artist is at the center of the creative process
  • The past informs and inspires invention and innovation
  • Experimentation requires both artistic rigor and risk
  • Sonic-based expression has no boundaries and requires an inclusive environment that welcomes and values diverse perspectives and voices
  • Collaboration activates growth
 

Staff

Adam Vida: Managing Director

Contact Adam

Adam Vida has been Studio Manager/Events Coordinator at ESS since 2008. In addition to running the day-to-day operations of the recording studio, he is instrumental in scheduling and executing ESS' events programming at ESS—developing, curating, and coordinating many concerts, workshops, and performance series—including Sunday Solos, SummerSonic, the Benefit Concert for Frank Rosaly, and Drone for the End of Time. Adam also works as a producer for recording sessions and an in-house composer for film and video projects.

Adam is also a multi-instrumentalist, composer, improviser, and producer. After attending the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Adam moved to Chicago in 1997 where he has performed and recorded in various rock, jazz, improvised, and experimental music projects (U.S. Maple, Singer, Dhalgren, DRMWPN, Azita, Redmoon Theater, Central Falls, Ken Vandermark). He has toured extensively throughout North America and Europe with various projects.

 

Alex Inglizian: Technical Director, Chief Engineer

Contact Alex

Alex Inglizian has been with ESS since 2007, shortly after he received a BA in Sound from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. A seasoned engineer, he has over 10 years of experience in both live and recorded sound. In addition to managing the upkeep of the studio's soft- and hardware and engineering most of our recording sessions, he co-curates the SummerSonic series, and runs location sound and does post-production mixing for many independent film and video projects. Inglizian is a technical wiz, exhibiting prodigious skill in sound design, circuit bending, programming, and as an educator. He is an active musician and improviser around Chicago, playing in bands such as Dhalgren and El is a Sound of Joy.

 

Olivia Junell: Development & Outreach Director

Contact Olivia

Olivia Junell's role as Development & Outreach Director focuses primarily on reaching out within and beyond ESS's already strong support bases, developing opportunities for deeper involvement with the organization for a wide range of individuals, and continuing to grow community partnerships.

A native Texan, Olivia moved to Chicago in 2013 to pursue a dual Masters in Arts Administration and Public Policy and Modern Art History and Critical Writing at the School of the Art Institute Chicago. Before moving Olivia worked in development for over 8 years, most recently as Development Manager at the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston.

Olivia is also Managing Director of the Hyde Park Jazz Festival and serves on the board of Honey Pot Performance.

 

Nicolas Rodriguez: Marketing Director

Contact Nicolas

Nicolas Rodriguez is the newest member of the ESS team and brings with him fresh ideas both for programming and the organization’s public face. In addition to managing ESS’s website, mailing lists, press communication, and social media, Rodriguez serves as in-house graphic designer. 

 

Lou Mallozzi: Founder / Director Emeritus

Founder Lou Mallozzi is an artist, arts administrator, and educator. He is a founding member of ESS and was Associate Director since its inception in 1986 until 1999, when he became Executive Director. His duties include developing programming and organizational partnerships, and overseeing administrative and financial operations. During his time at ESS he has facilitated the presentation of work by several hundred artists and ensembles to Chicago audiences by curating, organizing, or co-producing scores of performances, exhibitions, broadcasts, roundtable discussions, and other cultural programs. These include the ESS Florasonic sound installation series, the Outer Ear Festival of Sound (now the Outer Ear Series), the Sounds From Chicago radio series (1988-1996), the Artist Residency Program, and others.  He oversaw ESS’s studio renovations in 2001 and 2006, the initiation of the Creative Audio Archive in 2003, and the establishment of Audible Gallery in 2006. He has been invited to speak on numerous panels concerning sound as art, public art practice, and historic and theoretical topics in contemporary art practice.  His own practice as an artist engaged primarily with sound has received considerable attention, including performances and exhibitions in the US, Canada, and Europe, as well as grants and residencies from the Rockefeller Foundation, the Illinois Arts Council, the Chicago-Lucerne Sister Cities Program, and others. He is on the faculty of The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where he teaches in the Sound Department with an emphasis on sound art, sound installation, creative production techniques, and interdisciplinary art practice. Lou retired from his position of Executive Director in July of 2016.

 

Board

Drew Roulo: President And Chair

Director of Asset Servicing, Guggenheim Partners Investment Management
Expertise: financial planning and fiscal management.

Ed Herrmann: Treasurer

Freelance audio producer and composer
Affiliations: Association of Independents in Radio, Public Radio Exchange, Guild of Carillonneurs in North America
Expertise: Small business finance, programming.

Kim Alpert

Founder, Make Amazing; Artist
Expertise: Experience based immersion, design, interactive architecture, new and emerging media concepts and technologies, event production

Carrie Cooper

Partner & Chief People Officer, Dark Matter Coffee
Affiliations: Ithaca Underground, Ithaca, NY, Board Member; The Chicago Outfit Roller Derby, Chicago; Hope for the Day, Chicago (Dark Matter Coffee Partner Organization); Garfield Park Garden Network, Chicago, (Dark Matter Coffee Partner Organization); Hyde Park Art Center, Volunteer (formerly Finance & Operations Manager & Art Instructor).
Expertise: community partnerships; events organization; financial management.

Lou Mallozzi

Adjunct Professor and Graduate Coordinator, Sound Department, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Artist, curator, and educator. Co-founder and former executive director – now director emeritus – Experimental Sound Studio.
Expertise: Contemporary interdisciplinary arts; arts administration, curating, cultural events organizing, cultural organization partnerships, post-secondary arts education.

Darin Walsh

Sr. Manager, Product Content, Shure Incorporated.
Affiliations: Trustee, DEW Foundation.
Expertise: Management, content technology, community access to culture and social services

 

 
Today in the studio, LES CHANTEUSES DU REIN rehearses for their Oscillations performance this Friday! • TRICKSTER QUARTET/LES CHANTEUSES DU RIEN is Elaine Lemieux (operatic voice), Hanna Brock (violinist), and Sara Zalek (vocal/movement). They explore the personal dynamics of resonance and hidden histories in relation to space, drawing inspiration from classical scores, experimental opera, improvised sound, expanded cinema, and Butoh dance. Their performances are motivated by a strong desire to communicate intimately, through the absurd, the dramatic, the fantastical, and reconstructed language. • • For Oscillations, Les Chanteuses du Rien will perform two improvisations using the entire ESS building, moving from back to front and through, activating the various spaces and their resonance with their voices and movement.
Today in the studio, LES CHANTEUSES DU REIN rehearses for their Oscillations performance this Friday! • TRICKSTER QUARTET/LES CHANTEUSES DU RIEN is Elaine Lemieux (operatic voice), Hanna Brock (violinist), and Sara Zalek (vocal/movement). They explore the personal dynamics of resonance and hidden histories in relation to space, drawing inspiration from classical scores, experimental opera, improvised sound, expanded cinema, and Butoh dance. Their performances are motivated by a strong desire to communicate intimately, through the absurd, the dramatic, the fantastical, and reconstructed language. • • For Oscillations, Les Chanteuses du Rien will perform two improvisations using the entire ESS building, moving from back to front and through, activating the various spaces and their resonance with their voices and movement.
The Sun Ra/ El Saturn archive contains over 700 hours of recorded material left behind by Sun Ra and his Chicago-based manager Alton Abraham. Damon Locks and Terri Kapsalis were commissioned by Experimental Sound Studio to create pieces in response to this archive. In lieu of solo work, they teamed up and invited The Eternals' Wayne Montana to work with them to make a sound piece. They then welcomed animator Rob Shaw to create an accompanying visual track. "Noon Moons" is the result of their collaboration. Here’s an excerpt from the video. The full video can be viewed here: https://vimeo.com/43231895 #creativeaudioarchive #CAA
OPTION AUDIO 010 features Bonnie Jones, a Baltimore based improvising musician, poet, and performer working with electronic sound and text. Bonnie presented a solo concert at Option on May 28th, 2018. Get the digital download on our Bandcamp page! https://bit.ly/2zIZsX2
OPTION AUDIO 010 features Bonnie Jones, a Baltimore based improvising musician, poet, and performer working with electronic sound and text. Bonnie presented a solo concert at Option on May 28th, 2018. Get the digital download on our Bandcamp page! https://bit.ly/2zIZsX2
Nomi Epstein performing at the opening of her Florasonic show, bregne. On view through January 20!
In the second concert from the Oscillations series, KG Price will create new polyphonic compositions using turntables. In the second set, Riley Leitch and Kelley Sheehan present their evolving project zP42, a site specific improvisation utilizing max msp. • OSCILLATIONS: Kelley Sheehan & Riley Leitch / KG Price November 9, 2018 Doors at 7:30PM. Music at 8:00PM General $10 | Student/Members $8 Experimental Sound Studio 5925 N Ravenswood Chicago, IL 60660 • #oscillations
ESS commissioned Goat Island - the Chicago performance group directed by Lin Hixson - to perform “What Would Your Shadow Do?” for 2002’s Outer Ear Festival. • Come hear an excerpt of the piece’s premiere - and a live interview with ESS Founder, artist, and educator Lou Mallozzi - who has compiled a playlist of recordings from the Creative Audio Archive that are not music: • Sunday, December 2, 2018 @ 5pm | FREE Ace Hotel, Waydown on the 7th Fl. • #CreativeAudioArchive #musicthatisnotmusic @evryhshsadr @acehotelchicago #loumallozzi
ESS commissioned Goat Island - the Chicago performance group directed by Lin Hixson - to perform “What Would Your Shadow Do?” for 2002’s Outer Ear Festival. • Come hear an excerpt of the piece’s premiere - and a live interview with ESS Founder, artist, and educator Lou Mallozzi - who has compiled a playlist of recordings from the Creative Audio Archive that are not music: • Sunday, December 2, 2018 @ 5pm | FREE Ace Hotel, Waydown on the 7th Fl. • #CreativeAudioArchive #musicthatisnotmusic @evryhshsadr @acehotelchicago #loumallozzi
OPTION AUDIO 009 featuring Ben Hall was released last week. Click on over to our bandcamp page to purchase the download! https://bit.ly/2RDFaph
OPTION AUDIO 009 featuring Ben Hall was released last week. Click on over to our bandcamp page to purchase the download! https://bit.ly/2RDFaph
Today artist Nomi Epstein and ESS’s technical director Alex Inglizian visit the @lincoln.park.conservatory for a test installation of her piece ‘bregne’ which opens next Sunday 11/11 at 1pm! We can’t wait to see how the fern room transforms. 🌿 📸: Alex Inglizian
Today artist Nomi Epstein and ESS’s technical director Alex Inglizian visit the @lincoln.park.conservatory for a test installation of her piece ‘bregne’ which opens next Sunday 11/11 at 1pm! We can’t wait to see how the fern room transforms. 🌿 📸: Alex Inglizian
Tomorrow night! - 11/2 - ESS welcomes Eduardo F. Rosario / Ted Moore + Ben Roidl-Ward for the first of three OSCILLATIONS programs. Music starts at PM - join us at the studio!
🎃HAPPY HALLOWEEN from the Llama man!🎃 In 2015, ESS was honored to host SLEEPER, an experimental haunted house, where guests were challenged to confront and befriend their own deepest fears. Concept and execution by Lyra Hill and Grace Needlman, in collaboration with the Teen Creative Agency at MCA Chicago, featuring musical performances by Matchess (Whitney Johnson), Night Terror (Tyson Torstensen), Andy Costello, Dan Mohr. The Llama man, performed by Lyra Hill, was the antagonist of her recurring childhood nightmares that became a character through out her work. At SLEEPER, all participants confronted the horrific llama man at the end of a self-guided journey within the dark maze winding through out the entire building. 'Twas a very freaky Halloween indeed! Wishing you a Halloween full of wonder, bravery and fright!
🎃HAPPY HALLOWEEN from the Llama man!🎃 In 2015, ESS was honored to host SLEEPER, an experimental haunted house, where guests were challenged to confront and befriend their own deepest fears. Concept and execution by Lyra Hill and Grace Needlman, in collaboration with the Teen Creative Agency at MCA Chicago, featuring musical performances by Matchess (Whitney Johnson), Night Terror (Tyson Torstensen), Andy Costello, Dan Mohr. The Llama man, performed by Lyra Hill, was the antagonist of her recurring childhood nightmares that became a character through out her work. At SLEEPER, all participants confronted the horrific llama man at the end of a self-guided journey within the dark maze winding through out the entire building. 'Twas a very freaky Halloween indeed! Wishing you a Halloween full of wonder, bravery and fright!
We are here at @acehotelchicago with Steven Krakow @plasticcrimewave and ESS Archives Manager @matt_mehlan for our first Sunday Sessions Listening Party featuring tracks from the inaugural Million Tongues Festival, curated from ESS’s Malachi Ritscher Collection. . Keep an eye out for the release of the playlist on DRAM and excerpts of the interview in Sound American.
We are here at @acehotelchicago with Steven Krakow @plasticcrimewave and ESS Archives Manager @matt_mehlan for our first Sunday Sessions Listening Party featuring tracks from the inaugural Million Tongues Festival, curated from ESS’s Malachi Ritscher Collection. . Keep an eye out for the release of the playlist on DRAM and excerpts of the interview in Sound American.
Today is the last day to see Florasonic: Milad Mozari + Mitsu Salmon 'Mt. Shamao' in the fern room at Lincoln Park Conservatory. Take a spin through before it comes down, the conservatory closes at 5pm.
Today is the last day to see Florasonic: Milad Mozari + Mitsu Salmon 'Mt. Shamao' in the fern room at Lincoln Park Conservatory. Take a spin through before it comes down, the conservatory closes at 5pm.
OPTION AUDIO 008 features Damon Locks! Damon presented this riveting solo work at Option on June 12th, 2017. Download 2 high quality recordings from our bandcamp! https://bit.ly/2RgyvBl
OPTION AUDIO 008 features Damon Locks! Damon presented this riveting solo work at Option on June 12th, 2017. Download 2 high quality recordings from our bandcamp! https://bit.ly/2RgyvBl
Join us TOMORROW 10/28 FREE 5PM @acehotelchicago for the inaugural Sunday Sessions series hosted by ESS's Archives Manager, Matt Mehlan, featuring Steve Krakow (aka Plastic Crimewave - founder of the Million Tongues Festival - featured in CAA's Malachi Ritscher collection), Sunday Sessions from the Creative Audio Archive at ESS asks guest curators, those with ties to a particular CAA collection, to assemble a playlist around a theme and present it at a live listening event. Between and beside these historic sounds, curators will provide first-hand stories and conversation, offering further insight into important recordings of avant-garde music makers. Pictured here is LSD March performing a the first Million Tongues festival in 2004. 🔥🎸
Join us TOMORROW 10/28 FREE 5PM @acehotelchicago for the inaugural Sunday Sessions series hosted by ESS's Archives Manager, Matt Mehlan, featuring Steve Krakow (aka Plastic Crimewave - founder of the Million Tongues Festival - featured in CAA's Malachi Ritscher collection), Sunday Sessions from the Creative Audio Archive at ESS asks guest curators, those with ties to a particular CAA collection, to assemble a playlist around a theme and present it at a live listening event. Between and beside these historic sounds, curators will provide first-hand stories and conversation, offering further insight into important recordings of avant-garde music makers. Pictured here is LSD March performing a the first Million Tongues festival in 2004. 🔥🎸
OSCILLATIONS kicks off next week, Friday 11/2 with performances by Eduardo F. Rosario and Ted Moore + Ben Roidl-Ward. Music at 8PM. https://bit.ly/2JgBOWz
OSCILLATIONS kicks off next week, Friday 11/2 with performances by Eduardo F. Rosario and Ted Moore + Ben Roidl-Ward. Music at 8PM. https://bit.ly/2JgBOWz
OPTION 10/29 features Booker Stardrum performing solo, followed by a trio with Dave Rempis and Beth McDonald in the second set. His new full-length album ‘Temporary etc.” is a highly personal amalgamation of electro-acoustics, minimalism, ambient, jazz, and contemporary experimental electronic music. His new live solo set for drums and electronics combines acoustic percussion with integrative sampler technology, deconstructing and reimagining sounds from the album. Performances start at 7:30 CST. This is the last OPTION of the season, so join us at the studio or stream it live at http://ess.org/option
OPTION 10/29 features Booker Stardrum performing solo, followed by a trio with Dave Rempis and Beth McDonald in the second set. His new full-length album ‘Temporary etc.” is a highly personal amalgamation of electro-acoustics, minimalism, ambient, jazz, and contemporary experimental electronic music. His new live solo set for drums and electronics combines acoustic percussion with integrative sampler technology, deconstructing and reimagining sounds from the album. Performances start at 7:30 CST. This is the last OPTION of the season, so join us at the studio or stream it live at http://ess.org/option
The year before playing 2004’s Million Tongues Festival, Ben Chasny aka Six Organs of Admittance recorded School of the Flower with drummer—and fellow 2004 Million Tongues performer—Chris Corsano. Adding Sun City Girls guitarist Richard Bishop, the duo later formed the group Ranga - pictured above. Hear a rare recording of Six Organs of Admittance, on October 28th when Ace Hotel and ESS welcome Steven Krakow for Sunday Sessions, presenting a playlist of rare recordings from the Malachi Ritscher collection of the Creative Audio Archive. ++Sunday October 28th, 2018 @ 5pm | FREE @acehotelchicago , Waydown on the 7th Fl.
The year before playing 2004’s Million Tongues Festival, Ben Chasny aka Six Organs of Admittance recorded School of the Flower with drummer—and fellow 2004 Million Tongues performer—Chris Corsano. Adding Sun City Girls guitarist Richard Bishop, the duo later formed the group Ranga - pictured above. Hear a rare recording of Six Organs of Admittance, on October 28th when Ace Hotel and ESS welcome Steven Krakow for Sunday Sessions, presenting a playlist of rare recordings from the Malachi Ritscher collection of the Creative Audio Archive. ++Sunday October 28th, 2018 @ 5pm | FREE @acehotelchicago , Waydown on the 7th Fl.
ESS is pleased to announce the next #Florasonic artist Nomi Epstein! 'bregne' is a site-responsive installation inhabiting Lincoln Park’s Fern Room. The work looks at the visual blooming process of ferns and uses the unfurling pattern as framework for instrumentation and environmental listening experience. Opening Reception & Performance: Sunday, November 11, 2018 3-5pm Exhibition Information: November 11, 2018 - January 20, 2019 Daily, 9-5pm Lincoln Park Conservatory* 2391 North Stockton Drive Chicago, IL, 60614 📷: Ryan Bourque
ESS is pleased to announce the next #Florasonic artist Nomi Epstein! 'bregne' is a site-responsive installation inhabiting Lincoln Park’s Fern Room. The work looks at the visual blooming process of ferns and uses the unfurling pattern as framework for instrumentation and environmental listening experience. Opening Reception & Performance: Sunday, November 11, 2018 3-5pm Exhibition Information: November 11, 2018 - January 20, 2019 Daily, 9-5pm Lincoln Park Conservatory* 2391 North Stockton Drive Chicago, IL, 60614 📷: Ryan Bourque
#OSCILLATIONS kicks off in a little under two weeks and the 2018 line up is solid! 🔥 ++Friday, NOV 2: Ted Moore & Ben Roidl-Ward Eduardo Rosario ++Friday, NOV 9: Kelley Sheehan & Riley Leitch KG Price ++Friday, NOV 16: Sara Zalek, Elaine Lemieux, & Hanna Brock Divyamaan Sahoo mark 'em 📅
#OSCILLATIONS kicks off in a little under two weeks and the 2018 line up is solid! 🔥 ++Friday, NOV 2: Ted Moore & Ben Roidl-Ward Eduardo Rosario ++Friday, NOV 9: Kelley Sheehan & Riley Leitch KG Price ++Friday, NOV 16: Sara Zalek, Elaine Lemieux, & Hanna Brock Divyamaan Sahoo mark 'em 📅
Monday’s #OPTION performer Gerry Hemingway and Anthony Braxton collaborated as members of the Anthony Braxton Quartet between 1983 and 1994, including at Hemingway’s first Chicago show in the early ‘90s. When they reunited to record Old Dogs in 2007, the duo timed four improvisations with a 60-minute hourglass, one for each disc of the resulting quadruple album.  https://youtu.be/ISBWE2p87hM Monday Oct. 22nd @ 7:30PM  https://bit.ly/2Es62Hk #OPTION #GerryHemingway #AnthonyBraxton #experimentalmusic
Monday’s #OPTION performer Gerry Hemingway and Anthony Braxton collaborated as members of the Anthony Braxton Quartet between 1983 and 1994, including at Hemingway’s first Chicago show in the early ‘90s. When they reunited to record Old Dogs in 2007, the duo timed four improvisations with a 60-minute hourglass, one for each disc of the resulting quadruple album.  https://youtu.be/ISBWE2p87hM Monday Oct. 22nd @ 7:30PM  https://bit.ly/2Es62Hk #OPTION #GerryHemingway #AnthonyBraxton #experimentalmusic
 

5925 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60660. USA

info@ess.org

773-998-1069

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Funders

ESS programs & services are made possible through the generosity of our members and donors, including significant contributions from anonymous donors. Major support is provided by the DEW Foundation, the Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, the MacArthur Fund for Arts & Culture at the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, the Illinois Arts Council Agency, the Arts Work Fund for Organizational Development, a CityArts grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events, and The Aaron Copland Fund for Music.

Partners

Lost Arts
Black Cinema House
Chicago Film Archives
Constellation
Links Hall
Comfort Station
Frequency Series
The Bridge
Chicago Park District
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Chicago Cultural Center
Morton Feldman Chamber Players
Chicago Artists Coalition
The Nightingale
Spudnik Press
Goethe-Institut Chicago
Homeroom
Sound American
The Poetry Foundation
Dark Matter Coffee
Chicago Archictecture Biennial
CAPE
Amundsen High School
WFMT
High Concept Labs

Volunteers

Jenny Bendelstein
Michael Gillilan
Rebecca Himelstein
Ralph Loza
Kyle Maurisak
Colin Morris

Contracted
Engineers

Todd Carter
Ralph Loza
Stephen Ptaçek

Members

Doyle Armbrust
Brian Ashby
Lawrence Axelrod
Brian Baxter
Lynn Bechtold
Keith Berg
Olivia Block
Marc Bonadies
Beth Bradfish
Jennifer Brown
Stephen Buono
Elizabeth Bustamante
Michael Catolico
William Ching
Daniel Christain
Susan Chun
Amanda DeBoer
Timothy Edwards
Nomi Epstein
William Faber
Ben Gibbins
Browne Goodwin
Aaron Gottl
Becky Grajeda
David Grant
Mary Griffin
Laura Harrison
Kyle Henry
Kikú Hibino
Stephen Hunt
Eliezer Kaplan
Matthew Kordonowy
Thomas Lunt
Brianna Matzke
Mary Mazurek
Shirley Mordine
Gregory O'Drobinak
Isabel Olive
Bill Ovca
Christopher Preissing
Hal Rammel
Richard Reger
Ben Remsen
Adam Rogers
Paula Romanaux
Fred Schmalz
Jason Shanley
Charlie Simokaitis
Mark Skillicorn
Adam Sonderberg
Jean Sousa
Lisa Stone
Deborah Stratman
Glenn Thomas
Ken Vandermark
Mary Vida
Darlene Vinicky
Susan Voelz
Mary Wallman
Mike Weis
Daniele Wilmouth
Michael Zerang
Ishmael Zghoul