Interference Series Presents: Annea Lockwood

Annea Lockwood, is a composer born in Aotearoa, New Zealand, and currently based in the
U.S., bringing to her work vibrant energy, relentless curiosity, and profound openness. Her
fascination with the physical and environmental perception of sound has led to pieces for
concert performance, performative art, and multimedia installations.
In recent years, she has received international recognition, including a composer portrait at
Miller Theatre (Columbia University), an article in The New York Times, the SEAMUS award
for lifetime achievement, a documentary film by Sam Green, her election to the American
Academy of Arts and Letters, and a commission from the Fromm Foundation (2024).
She has collaborated with Yarn/Wire (Into the Vanishing Point) and Nate Wooley (Becoming
Air), both released by Black Truffle. Her music has been featured at festivals such as Lucerne,
Tectonics, Huddersfield, and Counterflows, and she has worked with Bang on a Can,
Thomas Buckner, Sarah Cahill, and other notable performers.

Forest Duo Gustavo Aguilar and Leah Bowden emerged from The Forest, a cooperative
percussion ensemble based in New York that also includes Andrew Drury and Michael
Wimberly. Each member combines performance, composition, and improvisation with a deep
engagement in the musical traditions of African, Asian, and Indigenous diasporas, among
others. The Forest creates new works and develops performance techniques in unconventional
acoustic and physical spaces, in dialogue with diverse communities. Their approach
emphasizes open forms, active listening, and structured play. They have toured across the U.S.
with performances at Roulette, Lincoln Center, Edgefest, CalArts, Bread & Salt, The
University of Illinois, The University of Washington, The University of New Mexico, among
other institutions. Their first studio album, (D)ruminations (2024, Different Track Recordings),
includes collaborations with Warren Smith and J.D. Parran. They are currently working on a
series of pieces by Smith and recently recorded a new collaborative album with Spokane artist
lone eagle to be released on Ropeadope in 2026.

Gustavo Aguilar is a percussionist,
composer, improviser, and interdisciplinary
artist. His work, described as “beautiful,
introspective, and passionate,” explores
intersections between tradition and
experimentation across diverse media.
Originally from Brownsville, Texas, he has
performed at international festivals and
venues such as the Agora Festival(Paris),
Lincoln Center (NY), Copenhagen Jazz
Festival, Zagreb Biennial, Seoul Arts
Center, and the Getty Center(LA).
He has collaborated with artists including
Anthony Braxton, George Lewis, Annea
Lockwood, Wadada Leo Smith, and Mary
Oliver. His recordings have been released
on labels such as Acoustic Levitation,
Mode, and Mutable Music. He is co-editor
of The Modern Percussion Revolution
(Routledge) and has given masterclasses
both in the U.S. and abroad. He is currently
a professor at NYU Tisch and the School
of Visual Arts, artistic co-director of the
collective TUG, and a member of the
quartet The Forest.

Leah Bowden is a percussionist, educator,
researcher, and community organizer. She
holds a doctorate in music from UC San
Diego, where she was a member of Steve
Schick’s ensemble red fish blue fish. She
is the author of Max Roach and M’Boom:
Diasporic Soundings in American
Percussion Music and a contributor to Tom
Tom Magazine. She performs in the U.S.
and abroad with projects such as The
Forest, Baby Bushka, and other
experimental and collaborative ventures.
She has directed the ensemble El Otro
Lado and the Voices of Our City Choir,
and has taught at UC San Diego, CalArts,
CECUT, the Autonomous University of
Baja California, and other institutions. She
is currently an adjunct professor at
Springfield College. She also serves as
the official archivist and frequent musical
collaborator of legendary percussionist
Warren Smith.

Host or Publisher Coconino Center for the Arts