Johnson, Kohl, and Stewart at the West Kortright Center on Thursday, April 23

EAST MEREDITH — Whitney Johnson Lia Kohl & Macie Stewart are a trio of improvisers individually rooted in deep sound exploration, multi-disciplinary composition, and all manner of cross-genre collaboration. The musical ground covered by their solo practices is correspondingly expansive, and their individual recording and performance credits read as a veritable who’s who, ranging from DIY darlings to household names of experimental avant-garde, electronic, indie rock, and more. They are performing at the West Kortright Center on Thursday April 23rd at 7pm. The opening act will be Graham Jones under the moniker of Grievous Angel, a musician based in Cooperstown.

Their collective sound is based on improvised performance—automatic, intuitive composition via their three voices and three string instruments: viola, cello, and violin. Their influences are vast and playfully deployed, ranging from the cloud-obscured mountains of Donegal to the raw cacophony of a Midwestern basement, as well as experimental music traditions like the Nurse With Wound list alongside classical training. 

As a recording unit, the trio transforms their live performance practice through careful post-production, using multiple tape machines and outboard effects to reimagine improvised material into meticulously crafted compositions. This process responds to the spaces they inhabit, with analog tape adding a physical, spatial dimension that results in striking, organically psychedelic sound worlds.

INDIVIDUAL BIOS

Whitney Johnson is a Chicago-based composer, performer, and sound artist working with viola, sine waves, Max/MSP, organ, synthesizers, voice, tape looping, and field recording. She has held residencies at Elektronmusikstudion (EMS) in Stockholm and Inkonst in Malmö, and her latest LP, Hav (2024, Drag City), expands her multi-channel performance work. As Matchess, she explores an alternate artistic identity through releases like Stena (2024). Her recent installations and performances investigate sound, perception, and brainwave entrainment. She holds a PhD in the sociology of sound from the University of Chicago and is currently Assistant Professor of Art and Technology/Sound Practices at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Lia Kohl is a Chicago-based composer and cellist whose work blends acoustic performance with synthesizers, field recordings, radios, and found sound. She explores the expressive potential of everyday and overlooked sonic environments through improvisation, transmission, and site-responsive work. Kohl has performed widely, including at the Art Institute of Chicago, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, and Big Ears Festival, and has created installations for Experimental Sound Studio and Roman Susan Art Foundation. Her recordings appear on labels including Drag City and International Anthem, and her work has been praised by NPR and the Chicago Tribune. Macie Stewart is a multi-disciplinary musician and composer based in Chicago, working across piano, violin, guitar, voice, and synthesizer. Known for her versatility and collaborative work, she has contributed to numerous acclaimed projects and performances across music, dance, and installation. Her compositions include orchestral works, film scores, and site-specific installations, and her 2025 album When the Distance is Blue (International Anthem) has been widely praised for its evocative blend of prepared piano, strings, and field recordings.

2026 West Kortright Center arts and community programs are funded in part by our members, by contributors to the 2025 Program Fund Drive, by the Bert Santora Trust, the Tianaderrah Foundation, and by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, from the A. Lindsay & Olive B. O’Connor Foundation and the Robinson-Broadhurst Foundation. Special thanks to Catskill Country Living for sponsoring our 2026 season.