HANDEL + HENDRIX With Dither, R.B. Schlather, and Ruckus

HANDEL + HENDRIX With Dither, R.B. Schlather, and Ruckus is a New York City–based performance project presented at National Sawdust. The program places music by George Frideric Handel in direct conversation with material associated with Jimi Hendrix, shaped by Dither’s contemporary-instrumental practice and R.

Dither is a classical ensemble known for working at the edge of new music performance, with appearances in New York City at Roulette. The group has shared bills and collaborations with artists and filmmakers including Bill Frisell, Bill Morrison, Buster Keaton, and Carla Kihlstedt, moving easily between concert work and cross-disciplinary projects.

R. B. Schlather is an American opera stage director whose work moves between U.S. and European houses. He has led world premieres including operas by Hertzberg, such as *The Wake World* and *The Rose Elf*, and made a European debut at Oper Frankfurt with Handel’s *Tamerlano*, later returning for Cimarosa and Puccini.

Ruckus is a performance group that appears in New York City programs where early music and contemporary approaches share the same stage. At National Sawdust, the ensemble has been part of *HANDEL + HENDRIX*, working alongside Dither and director R.

George Frideric Handel was a German-born composer who built his career in Britain, shaping the Baroque stage through opera, sacred drama, and instrumental writing. His oratorios—especially *Messiah*—remain central to New York City concert life, regularly heard at David Geffen Hall in large-scale choral performances.