Presented by Penn Live Arts
March 13, 7:30 PM – Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, Philadelphia
“One of the most vital and original ensembles on the American music scene.” — The New York Times
About the Program
GRAMMY Award-winning ensemble, Alarm Will Sound, returns to Penn Live Arts with American Stories, an evening centered on bold collaborations that blur the boundaries between concert music, R&B, multimedia performance, and ritual.
The program brings together two visionary artists in distinct yet resonant partnerships with the ensemble.
With acclaimed vocalist serpentwithfeet, Alarm Will Sound performs Julius Eastman’s ecstatic, groove-driven Stay On It alongside serpent’s own song “Invoice,” newly arranged for chamber orchestra by Shelley Washington. Eastman’s radical minimalism and serpent’s emotionally fearless sound world collide in music that is intimate, defiant, and deeply human.
The evening also features composer, vocalist, and multimedia artist Bora Yoon, whose immersive work weaves voice, electronics, traditional instruments, and visual storytelling into expansive sonic landscapes. Her interdisciplinary approach transforms the concert hall into a space of reflection where identity, ancestry, technology, and myth converge.
American Stories celebrates artists reshaping what American music can be through collaboration, imagination, and fearless expression.
About Alarm Will Sound
Celebrating its 25th anniversary, Alarm Will Sound continues to expand what it means to make music in the 21st century. Equally at home in concert halls and clubs, the ensemble champions voices that redefine genre and tell the evolving story of American music in all its complexity.
About serpentwithfeet
serpentwithfeet is a Baltimore-born singer, songwriter, and producer whose genre-defying work blends R&B, gospel, classical training, and experimental sound. His music is rooted in devotion, vulnerability, and the celebration of Black queer love. Through acclaimed releases including DEACON and GRIP, serpentwithfeet has built a reputation for emotionally fearless storytelling and a voice that moves fluidly between intimacy and ecstasy. Whether in clubs, concert halls, or intimate collaborations, his work centers compassion, ritual, and radical tenderness.
About Bora Yoon
Bora Yoon is a Korean-American composer, vocalist, and multimedia artist known for creating immersive audiovisual works that merge voice, electronics, found objects, and instruments from diverse cultures and centuries. Her music has been presented at venues including Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, and the TED stage. Blending technology, mythology, and sound design, Yoon crafts expansive performance experiences that explore identity, ancestry, and the invisible connections that bind us across time and space.