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Contact:
Han-earl Park

+353 (0)85 146 1767


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MATHILDE 253 WITH I SHMAEL WADADA LEO S MITH
(CORK AND D UBLIN , I RELAND : MARCH 2011)
(Cork, Ireland—Feb 6 2011) Expect powerful and inventive musical interactions as internationally
renowned composer-improviser Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith performs with the virtuosic, cross-
idiomatic ensemble Mathilde 253 (Charles Hayward, Han-earl Park and Ian Smith) in Cork and Dublin,
Ireland in March 2011. This two-date tour marks Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith’s first appearance in
Ireland, and the Irish debut of Mathilde 253.
Hailed as “one of the most vital musicians on the planet today” (Bill Shoemaker, Coda), legendary
composer, multi-instrumentalist, improviser and educator Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith has been
active in creative contemporary music for over forty years. He is creator of Ankhrasmation, a systemic
music language, and his music traverses traditions as diverse as the delta blues, creative world musics,
American experimentalism and live-electronics. His current ensembles include the Golden Quartet
(currently with Vijay Iyer, John Lindberg and Pheeroan akLaff), Silver Orchestra (with J.D. Parran,
Lindberg, Okkyung Lee, Harris Eisenstadt and others), Organic (with Nels Cline, Lee, Lindberg, akLaff
and others), and his compositions have been performed by ensembles including the Kronos Quartet,
Da Capo Chamber Player, New Century Players, San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, Del Sol
String Quartet and New York New Music Ensemble. He is faculty member, and director of the African-
American Improvisational Music program, at The Herb Alpert School of Music at the California
Institute of the Arts, a Guggenheim Fellow, and a longtime member of the Association for the
Advancement of Creative Musicians.
Mathilde 253 consists of the pioneering avant-rock drummer Charles Hayward (This Heat,
Camberwell Now, Massacre), rising Cork-based guitarist and improviser Han-earl Park (Paul
Dunmall, Kato Hideki, Stet Lab), and Irish trumpeter and mainstay of the London improvised music
scene, Ian Smith (Derek Bailey, The London Improvisers Orchestra, The Gathering). Mathilde 253 was
formed to explore the spontaneous mashup of avant-rock, African-American creative musics, European
free improvisation and noise, and collaborates with noted improvisers such as Lol Coxhill and Pat
Thomas. Guillaume Belhomme described the music of the ensemble’s eponymous debut CD, released
in 2011 by Slam Productions (SLAMCD 528), as “ordered and entwining… a tapestry of choice: that of
another Mathilde, of a complete beauty”.
The Dublin event will open with a solo performance by the Dublin-based Paul G. Smyth, one of
Ireland’s foremost free-improvising pianist.
The events take place: Wednesday, 30 March, Half Moon Theatre (Cork Opera House, Emmet
Place, Cork), 8:00 pm; and Thursday, 31 March, Kevin Barry Room (National Concert Hall,
Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin) 8:30 pm.
Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith will also speak on ‘Ankhrasmation: A Systemic Music Language for Creative
Music’ as part of the UCC Music Research Seminar Series. The talk is free, open to the public,
and takes place at the UCC Music Building (Sundays Well, Cork) at 2:00 pm on 30 March.
Presented with funding from the Music Network Performance and Touring Award, and support from
UCC School of Music, Note Productions, the National Concert Hall and the Cork Opera House.
Mathilde 253 with Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith page 1 of 6
further information
www.busterandfriends.com/mathilde-ireland-2011
Ishamel Wadada Leo Smith: www.wadadaleosmith.com
Mathilde 253: www.busterandfriends.com/mathilde
Charles Hayward: www.charleshayward.org
Han-earl Park: www.busterandfriends.com
Ian Smith: www.efi.group.shef.ac.uk/musician/msmithi.html
Paul G. Smyth: www.paulgsmyth.com
images
Ishamel Wadada Leo Smith:
bit.ly/az5Owj
more images: bit.ly/i3t8bD
Mathilde 253:
www.busterandfriends.com/mathilde/mathilde.jpg
Charles Hayward:
www.busterandfriends.com/mathilde/charles-hayward.jpg
Han-earl Park:
www.busterandfriends.com/mathilde/han-earl-park.jpg
more images: http://bit.ly/h2lyI8
Ian Smith:
www.busterandfriends.com/mathilde/ian-smith.jpg
Mathilde 253 with Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith page 2 of 6
event summary
talk: Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith,
‘Ankhrasmation: A Systemic Music Language for Creative Music’
Date: Wednesday, 30 March 2011.
Time: 2:00 pm.
Venue: Ó Riada Hall, UCC Music Building, Sundays Well, Cork, Ireland.
Admission free.
More info from: www.music.ucc.ie +353 (0)21 490 4530
Presented by the UCC Music Research Seminar Series.
concert: Mathilde 253 with Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith
Date: Wednesday, 30 March 2011.
Time: 8:00 pm.
Venue: Half Moon Theatre
Cork Opera House, Emmet Place, Cork, Ireland.
Performers:
Mathilde 253:
Charles Hayward (drums, percussion and melodica),
Han-earl Park (guitar)
and Ian Smith (trumpet and flugelhorn)
with Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith (trumpet).
Tickets: €11 (€6 concessions)
from corkoperahouse.ie or +353 (0)21 427 0022.
Presented with funding from the Music Network Performance and Touring Award, and support from UCC
School of Music and the Cork Opera House.
concert: Mathilde 253 with Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith, plus Paul G. Smyth
Date: Thursday, 31 March 2011.
Time: 8:30 pm
Venue: Kevin Barry Room, National Concert Hall, Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2, Ireland.
Performers:
Mathilde 253:
Charles Hayward (drums, percussion and melodica),
Han-earl Park (guitar)
and Ian Smith (trumpet and flugelhorn)
with Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith (trumpet),
plus support: Paul G. Smyth (piano).
Tickets: €12 (€10 concessions)
from the National Concert Hall Box Office
10:00 am–7:00 pm Mon to Sat, 2 hours before concerts on Sunday and Holidays
telephone +353 (0)1 417 0000, fax +353 (0)1 475 1507
online: www.nch.ie, email: info@nch.ie
no booking fees
Presented with funding from the Music Network Performance and Touring Award, and support from Note
Productions and the National Concert Hall.
Mathilde 253 with Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith page 3 of 6
the per formers
Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith (www.wadadaleosmith.com): trumpeter and multi-instrumentalist, composer and
improviser has been active in creative contemporary music for over forty years. His systemic music language
Ankhrasmation is significant in his development as an artist and educator.
Born in Leland, Mississippi, Smith’s early musical life began in the high school concert and marching bands. At
the age of thirteen, he became involved with the Delta Blues and Improvisation music traditions. He received his
formal musical education with his stepfather Alex Wallace, the U.S. Military band program, Sherwood School of
Music, and Wesleyan University. Smith has studied a variety of music cultures: African, Japanese, Indonesian,
European and American. He has taught at the University of New Haven, the Creative Music Studio in
Woodstock, NY, and Bard College. He is currently a faculty member at The Herb Alpert School of Music at
California Institute of the Arts. He is the director of the African-American Improvisational Music program, and is
a member of ASCAP, Chamber Music America, and the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians.
Smith’s awards and commissions include: Fellow of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, Other
Minds residency and ‘Taif,’ a string quartet commission, Fellow of the Jurassic Foundation, FONT (Festival of
New Trumpet) Award of Recognition, Jazz Journalists Association Jazz Award, Islamic World Arts Initiative of
Arts International, Fellow of the Civitela Foundation, Fellow at the Atlantic Center for the Arts, ‘Third Culture
Copenhagen’ in Denmark-presented a paper on Ankhrasmation, Meet the Composer/Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest
Commissioning Program, Asian Cultural Council Grantee to Japan, Meet the Composer/Lila Wallace-Reader’s
Digest Commissioning Program, New York Foundation on the Arts Fellowship in Music, Numerous Meet the
Composer Grants, and National Endowment for the Arts Music Grants.
Smith’s music philosophy Notes (8 Pieces) Source a New. World Music: Creative Music has been published by
Kiom Press, translated and published in Japan by Zen-On Music Company Ltd., and into Italian and published by
Nistri-Litschi Editori. He was invited to a conference of artists, scientists and philosophers ‘Third Culture
Copenhagen’, and presented a paper on his Ankhrasmation music theory and notational system for creative
musicians. His interview was broadcasted on Denmark T.V.
Artists Smith has performed with include Muhal Richard Abrams, Anthony Braxton, Leroy Jenkins, Roscoe
Mitchell, Lester Bowie, Richard Teitelbaum, Joseph Jarman, George Lewis, Cecil Taylor, Andrew Cyrill, Oliver
Lake, Anthony Davis, Carla Bley, David Murray, Don Cherry, Jeanne Lee, Milton Campbell, Henry Brant, Richard
Davis, Tadao Sawai, Ed Blackwell, Sabu Toyozumi, Peter Kowald, Kazuko Shiraishi, Han Bennink, Misja
Mengelberg, Marion Brown, Kazutoki Umezu, Kosei Yamamoto, Charlie Haden, Kang Tae Hwan, Kim Dae
Hwan, Tom Buckner, Malachi Favors Magoustous and Jack Dejohnette among many others. Smith currently has
three ensembles: Golden Quartet, Silver Orchestra, and Organic. His compositions have also been performed by
other contemporary music ensembles: AACM-Orchestra, Kronos Quartet, Da Capo Chamber Player, New
Century Players, San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, Contemporary Chamber Players (University of
Chicago), S.E.M. Ensemble, Southwest Chamber Music, Del Sol String Quartet, New York New Music Ensemble,
ne(x)tworks, and California E.A.R. Unit. Smith’s music for multi-ensembles has been performed since 1969.
‘Tabligh’ for double-ensemble was performed by Golden Quartet and Classical Persian ensemble at Merkin
Concert Hall and by Golden Quartet and Suleyman Erguner’s Classical Turkish ensemble at Akbank Music
Festival in Istanbul. His largest work ‘Odwira’ for 12 multi-ensembles (52 instrumentalists) was performed at
California Institute of the Arts. His Noh piece ‘Heart Reflections’ was performed in Merkin Concert Hall, NY.
“Leo Smith is one of the most vital musicians on the planet today…. To say that Smith is a highly original
player would be an understatement.”
— Bill Shoemaker (Coda)
“Few trumpeters of the modern era have equaled his seamless marriage of lyricism….”

— Peter Margasak (Downbeat)
“A venerable vanguard rebel for four decades, trumpeter/composer Wadada Leo Smith shows his cutting-
edge artistry remains razor sharp… graced with crackling technique, free expression and passion for the
beautiful and the spiritual.”
— Owen McNally (The Hartford Courant)
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Mathilde 253 (www.busterandfriends.com/mathilde) is the real-time musical meetings between drummer Charles
Hayward, guitarist Han-earl Park and trumpeter Ian Smith. The ensemble was born out of an opportunity to
explore the spontaneous mashup of avant-rock, African-American creative musics, European free improvisation
and noise. Featuring special guest Lol Coxhill, Mathilde 253 debuted at Cafe OTO (London) in April 2010, and
2011 will see performances with Pat Thomas, and a Music Network funded tour of Ireland with the celebrated
composer-improviser Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith.
The ensemble weaves a performance of physical virtuosity and humorous sound poetics; a patchwork of restraint,
subtlety and recklessness. A playful collision of personal, social and musical histories, Mathilde 253 is a site where
tradition and idiom are not straightjackets nor limitations, but playgrounds for real-time (re)inventions and (re)
configurations.
Charles Hayward (www.charleshayward.org) is known as the pioneering drummer with This Heat and
Camberwell Now, an ever growing list of solo concerts and CDs (most recent release Abracadabra Information on
Locus Solus label), special collaborative performances, and is in Massacre with Bill Laswell and Fred Frith.
Throughout the 90’s up to the present he has initiated a bewildering array of events and performances, including
the widely acclaimed series Accidents + Emergencies at the Albany Theatre, Out of Body Orchestra (too much
sound, not enough space, not enough time), music made from the sound of the new Laban dance centre being
built which was choreographed for the official opening, music for a circus (part of the National Theatre’s ‘Art of
Regeneration’ initiative), the full-on installation/performance Anti-Clockwise (with Ashleigh Marsh and David
Aylward) for multiple strobes, maze structure of diverse textures, 2 drummers, synthesizers and your nervous
system. Recent developements include the Continuity evenings as part of Camberwell Arts.
Committed to song ‘but the shapes have to change,’ his current one-man show is an intoxicating mix of percussive
attack, swirling electronics and lyrical fragment collage.
“An unwavering belief in the power of the groove and an uncanny facility for generating one riff after
another.”
— The Wire
“Telepathic magic…. Hayward is one of the most life-affirming people who stalks this dark globe.”

— The Sound Projector
Improviser, guitarist and constructor Han-earl Park (www.busterandfriends.com) works from/within/around
traditions of fuzzily idiomatic, on occasion experimental, mostly open improvised musics, sometimes engineering
theater, sometimes inventing ritual. He feels the gravitational pull of collaborative, multi-authored contexts, and
has performed in clubs, theaters, art galleries and concert halls in Europe and America.
As a constructor of low- and mid-tech electronic and software devices, and as an occasional score-maker, he is
interested in partial, and partially frustrating, context-specific artifacts; artifacts that amplify social relationships
and, in some instances, objects that obscure the location of the author.
He is involved in collaborations with Bruce Coates, Franziska Schroeder, Alex Fiennes and Murray Campbell, and
is part of Mathilde 253 with Charles Hayward and Ian Smith. Recent performances include Mathilde 253 with Lol
Coxhill; duo concerts with Paul Dunmall, and with Richard Barrett; trios with Matana Robers and Mark Sanders,
with Kato Hideki and Katie O’Looney, and with Thomas Buckner and Jesse Ronneau; as part of the Evan Parker
led 20-piece improvising ensemble; and the performance of Pauline Oliveros’ ‘Droniphonia’ alongside the
composer. His recordings have been released by labels including Slam Productions, and DUNS Limited Edition.
He has appeared at festivals including Sonic Acts (Amsterdam), the Center for Experiments in Art, Information
and Technology Festival (California), dialogues festival (Edinburgh), Sonorities (Belfast) and VAIN Live Art
(Oxford).
Park founded and curates Stet Lab, and teaches improvisation at the UCC School of Music.
“Careful, crafty and well-played with that restrained yet fractured guitar that sounds so good. Han-earl’s
sound seems to be in between Derek Bailey and Philip Gibbs.”

— Bruce Lee Gallanter (Downtown Music Gallery, NY)
“Beautiful music, incredibly focused…!”
— Nick Didkovsky (Doctor Nerve / Punos Music)
Mathilde 253 with Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith page 5 of 6
Ian Smith (www.efi.group.shef.ac.uk/musician/msmithi.html) has been playing improvised music and has
performed with Evan Parker, John Stevens, Maggie Nicols, Lol Coxhill, Steve Beresford and Eddie Prévost among
others. His own trio, Trian, has played at the 1993 London Experimental Music Festival and the 1992 Soho Jazz
Festival. He also participated in a reformation of Cornelius Cardew’s Scratch Orchestra in the ICA in 1994. He
has collaborated with composer Roger Doyle, winner of the Bourges International Elecro-Acoustic Music
Competition 1997, and he has been featured on two instrumental tracks by the hip hop band Marxman. He toured
the UK with Butch Morris’ London Skyscraper conduction project in November 1997.
He helped to institute the London Improvisers orchestra in 1998 with Steve Beresford and Evan Parker, which
continues to play monthly in London and has recently performed at the Bimhuis in Amsterdam. He also founded
The Gathering with Maggie Nichols.
In 2000 he recorded his second CD as a leader, Daybreak, with Derek Bailey, Veryan Weston, Gail Brand and
Oren Marshall. Into the twenty-first century, as well as regularly playing with London improvisers, he has also
performed with Greg Tate’s Burnt Sugar Arkestra, guitarists Han-earl Park, Reeves Gabrels, the Poet and Detriot
legend John Sinclair, and New York based drummer Harris Eisenstadt.
“Smith’s style has the free-form panache of a Wadada Leo Smith or Joe McPhee, but his experience of other
musics is never too far from the surface. Some of his gestures seem to derive from earlier forms of jazz, and
there are moments of harmonic directness that you could put chord symbols under. But it has all been
thoughtfully moulded into a highly convincing and distinctive language.”
— Philip Clark (JazzReview)
“Smith’s trumpet playing is a particular revelation. His brassy blats and smears play off of the hyperactive
spatters of Eisenstadt’s drums. There is a clear jazz edge to his tone, which sounds almost radical these days
when many trumpet players in the improv world seem inclined to turn their back on that vocabulary. But he
can also dip down to breathy flutters and muted coloristic playing.”
— Michael Rosenstein (Signal to Noise)
Paul G. Smyth (www.paulgsmyth.com) is a musician, visual artist and designer, based in Dublin. A member of
The Jimmy Cake (described by the Irish Times as “the most powerful musical force in Ireland”) and Boys Of
Summer (“the sound of John Carpenter being buried alive” according to Le Cool Magazine), Smyth is also
Ireland’s foremost free-improvising pianist. Since touring with New York free-jazz veteran Charles Gayle, he has
gone on to play with such luminaries as Derek Bailey, Evan Parker, Keiji Haino, Barry Guy, John Russell, Chris
Corsano, Lol Coxhill, John Butcher, Max Eastley and Damo Suzuki, been a featured composer in the National
Concert Hall, written music for theatre, and performed in 17 countries.
“…Considerable gifts as an improvisor… a genuinely cathartic listening experience… such fuck-you intensity.”

— The Wire
“Ireland’s darkest jewel.”
— The Journal of Music
[ENDS]
Mathilde 253 with Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith page 6 of 6