Jonny Greenwood's smear gets its US premiere in New York

Jonny Greenwood's first concert work, smear, has its US premiere tonight at Columbia University's Miller Theatre in New York. The Either/Or ensemble play it under Richard Carrick, as part of the SONiC Festival, nine days of music by composers aged 40 and under.

Greenwood wrote smear in 2004 for large ensemble and two ondes martenots, the instrument he often plays in Radiohead, and it was used in There Will Be Blood. Marie Bernard and Estelle Lemire, both based in Montreal, take the ondes parts tonight.

Nonesuch, who released the film's soundtrack in 2007, plan an album next year that sets Greenwood beside Krzysztof Penderecki, pairing two Penderecki works with the Greenwood pieces they led to. Threnody for the victims of Hiroshima inspired Popcorn Superhet Receiver, which is also heard in There Will Be Blood. Polymorphia, written for 48 strings, drew Greenwood's 48 Responses to Polymorphia.

Either/Or play Jonny Greenwood's smear, US premiere, Miller Theatre, New York, 17 October 2011· eitherorensemblewatch on youtube →