Central Vermont Chamber Music Festival presents Erik Friedlander: Block Ice & Propane

The project is grounded in his memories of childhood cross-country trips with his family, and that sense of movement, distance, and discovery runs through the music. These personal recollections are woven together with visual elements: photographs by his father, the renowned photographer Lee Friedlander, and films by Bill Morrison, whose work often explores time, memory, and decay. Together, they create a layered portrait of American travel - part documentary, part dream.

On the cello, Friedlander uses extraordinary finger-picking technique and resonant, open tunings that are more commonly associated with guitar and folk styles. This approach gives the instrument a rugged, earthy quality, yet the music remains spacious and lyrical. The result is a kind of "new American cello music" that feels both familiar and surprising: plain-spoken in its melodic language, yet emotionally rich, reflective, and quietly haunting.