Lake Affect.
Created in June 1999. In September 1999, first public performance and premiere of its
"Playing Guitart" show in the annual readings/ concerts program of Just Buffalo Literary
Center at Hallwalls Art Center, Black-n-Blue Theater. The same show was entirely or
partially performed in other venues: Brown-Bag Lunch Concert Series at Slee Hall, Slee Hall
main stage, and Burchfield-Penney Art Gallery at Buffalo State College. In May 2000,
"Playing Guitart" CD presentation / informal talk at Talking Leaves Bookstore (Buffalo)
CD distributed by Arsonal Centre per a la Difusió de les Arts Sonores Barcelona).
In June 2000, "Open Basement Show" at SUNY
at Buffalo premiering material of its second show,
Buffalo Salad, with collaborations with Buffalo resident poets Michael Basinski, Robert
Creeley, Anna Reckin, Rosemary Kothe and Mark Peters. The same program was presented together
with Jorge Guitart’s material last November at the Big Orbit Art Gallery. Lake Affect is
planning its second recording of the Buffalo Salad material for February 2001.
Individual Biographies of Group’s Members:
Lorena Guillén
Voice. Soprano born in Buenos Aires (Argentina). Master in Vocal Performance at State
University of New York at Buffalo (USA) and
PhD in Musicology in progress. Instructor of
Voice Group Class at SUNY at Buffalo. Winner of 1995 first prize and "Most Promising
Singer Award" in the New Mexico National Association of Teachers Competition. Active
performer of contemporary repertoire: George Crumb’s "Apparition" and "Madrigals,
" Berio’s "Circle," Oliver Messiaen’s "Harawi," and several premiers of young composer
pieces. Invited to the "New Music New Haven" of Yale University, to the College Music
Society Convention 1999, at recital in State University of New York at Fredonia and
Universidad Nacional de San Juan in short residency. Recipient of the summer scholarship
1999 to the Britten-Pears Institute in England. Worked with and performed for the composer
Karlheinz Stockhausen in the Stockhausen Courses 2000, "Am Himmel wandre ich" in Kürten
(Germany) under the sound and light projection of the German master.
Tom McCluskey
Percussion. MM in Percussion Performance from
SUNY at Buffalo. BA
from Buffalo State College,
where he was the Andrew Brown Choral Arts Scholarship recipient for two years. While at
Buffalo State he performed in many groups, including the percussion ensemble, chamber choir,
and concert Band. Active teacher and player of several ensembles: Slee Sinfonietta,
UB Contemporary Music Ensemble and
UB Percussion Ensemble.
Tiffany Nicely
Percussion. Former principal percussionist with the Santa Fe Symphony, has participated in
many diverse musical activities, which in addition to orchestral performance have included
arranging music for marching bands, performing for the Percussive Arts Society International
Convention, playing Mexican folk music and American ragtime in a marimba band, teaching
private percussion and music theory lessons, and composing for various instruments. Nicely
is currently active in the Slee Sinfonietta and SUNY
Buffalo Contemporary Ensemble.
Alejandro Rutty
Keyboard, percussion. Is a composer, conductor and performer whose compositions have been
performed by the Cassatt String Quartet, New York New Music Ensemble, and the National
Symphony Orchestra of Argentina, among others. Rutty has received several fellowships,
including awards from the Organization of American States, Yvar Mikhashoff Trust for New
Music, and Meet the Composer. He has also been music director, composer, and arranger for
numerous theatrical productions, and conductor and guest conductor of several orchestras
and choral groups both in Argentina and in the US.