Hermann Hesse’s groundbreaking novel Steppenwolf treats the figure of Harry Haller, a man torn between the confining parameters of civilized life and his submerged instinctual self, as a symbol of the struggle between one's own often opposed aspects: those of both the exterior and culturally-predetermined human, and the obscured yet never-sleeping wolf. For their performance, Bill MacKay and Katinka Kleijn will draw on musical motifs from various experimental traditions to illustrate these polarities, their inevitable conflict, and the redeeming power of their eventual convergence.

Through his extensive work in in creative folk, experimental rock and the avant-garde, Bill MacKay has emerged as a highly inventive composer-songwriter and versatile, unpredictable guitarist. His 2015 releases, Land of Plenty—a duo recording with Ryley Walker on Whistler Records, and Altamira by MacKay's band Darts & Arrows on ears&eyes, bear the hallmarks of his sound: a trip equally influenced by the folk of Appalachia and Britain, the hybrid rock & jazz of urban America, and the ragas of India. His recent collaborators include Marvin Tate, Leroy Bach, Rob Frye, Rene?e Baker, Sam Wagster and Mark Shippy.

Called “Chicago’s first lady of the cello” by Timeout Chicago Magazine, Katinka Kleijn enjoys a career performing in solo, chamber, improv and orchestral performance, in a diverse array of styles. A member of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, she appeared as soloist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, The Hague Philharmonic, the Chicago Sinfonietta, and at the Marlboro Music Festival. She makes frequent appearances with the renowned International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE) and recently presented Intelligence in the Human-Machine, a duo for cellist and brainwaves, at the Library of Congress.

Beer provided by Revolution Brewing