Kris Bowers Sets the Stage with Cue & A
The Broad Stage hosts the premiere of original series, Cue & A, featuring award-winning composer and pianist Kris Bowers, alongside his hand-picked quintet.
From Left, Kris Bowers accompanied by Alyssa Park, Jessica Guideri, Andrew Duckles, Hillary Smith, and Mike Valerio finish performing on Tuesday, April 26, at The Broad Stage in Santa Monica, Calif. (Karén Vartanian | The Corsair).
On April 26, house lights dimmed and the audience’s murmurs hushed as seven artists made their way to the Broad Stage in Santa Monica, Calif. Among those artists were two award-winning composers and a quintet of string musicians. Robert Kraft, the event’s host, seated himself for proper viewing while the musicians prepared themselves with their instruments. The evening’s guest of honor, Kris Bowers, broke the silence. With crescendoing piano notes, he dove into the overture and invited every guest into his world of music.
Bowers grew up with classical and jazz training as he studied at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts which he graduated from in 2006. He attended class alongside cellist Hillary Smith who later would sit amongst Bowers’ quintet. “He went to New York and when he came back he called me to record on various projects and we've worked together since,” Smith said.
In New York, Bowers advanced his studies at Juilliard, until he earned his Bachelors in 2010 and Masters in 2012. There, he met the quintet’s second violinist, Stephanie Matthews. “I've known Kris for many years, it's uniquely personal getting to perform with friends who are also colleagues and people you admire,” Matthews said.
On the Broad Stage, Bowers turned to face the cheering crowd with a modest smile. His overture, Kraft pointed out, was an entirely different composition from one he’d heard Bowers practice before the show. Kraft then gave the young composer a well-deserved introduction. In his journey thus far, Bowers has developed an impressive discography of soundtrack compositions ranging from film and television to video games.
The musicians recommenced the performance with Bowers’ medley from the Netflix series “Dear White People.” With just a pianist, two violinists, a violist, cellist, and bassist– the score sounded as grandiose as though it was played by a full orchestra. The quintet then played Bowers’ scores from projects including “Green Book,” “King Richard,” “When They See Us,” “Bridgerton,” and a short film directed by Bowers’ wife, Briana. Behind the musicians hung a screen displaying movie scenes of climactic, somber, and heartwarming nature. “Film scoring evokes emotion. It snaps you to a very specific time, space, and visual cue,” Matthews said.
By the end of the program, Bowers asked the audience to shout out emotions. He planned to take that feeling and fashion it into an improvisatory melody. “A baby’s love!” someone in the crowd said. Earlier that night, Bowers shared that he and his wife had their first baby two months prior. For mere moments he pondered, then his fingers began to play. The notes unraveled as though they had been thought out carefully and perfected for weeks on end.
“[Bowers’ improvisation] just speaks to who he is and his perspective that we can hear in his music. What we're hearing is an extension of him,” Matthews said. Bowers’ final melodies brought the audience to its feet in an uproar of praise.
The Cue & A series, hosted by Robert Kraft, is determined to advance the art of film scoring by showcasing today’s composers, reputable and emerging. The production’s next installment will feature songwriter and composer Michael Abels of “Get Out,” “Us,” and the upcoming film “Nope.” The Broad Stage will hold the event on Wednesday, June 1, at 7:30 p.m.
