Scenius 2.2 — San Francisco, April 14, 2025

Scenius 2.2 took place on April 14th in San Francisco’s SoMa neighborhood, marking the series’ first event outside Los Angeles. Hosted at GRNHS, a new performance space on historic Folsom Street, the evening gathered a small audience and an exceptional group of musicians for a few hours of sound and conversation.

The program centered on Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet K. 581, featuring Cory Tiffin of the California Symphony, alongside the San Francisco premiere of the Clarinet Quintet by Brendan Eder. Authority Figurines presented Eder’s Solace in a fresh arrangement, and the night closed with a full-ensemble improvisation led by Matthew Liam Nicholson — a slow, immersive blend of acoustic textures and meditative frequencies.

The Authority Figurines ensemble for the evening featured Cory Tiffin (clarinet), Matt Vincent (violin), Dominic Johnson (violin), Keith Lawrence (viola), Eric Sheafer (cello), Brendan Eder (keyboard), and Matthew Liam Nicholson (guitar).

Scenius 2.2 continued the project’s exploration of collective creativity — how musicians, space, and audience together form a living ecology of ideas. It was, like the previous gatherings, both performance and experiment: music as a way of testing connection.

Scenius 2.1 — Los Angeles, April 7, 2025

On April 7th, Metonym presented Scenius 2.1 at the historic Huron Substation in Los Angeles — an evening that brought together musicians, collaborators, and friends in a warm and expansive setting. The venue’s century-old brick walls and garden spaces set the tone for a night of high vibes and collective presence.

The program opened with Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet K. 581, featuring clarinetist Josh Rubin, followed by the world premiere of a new quintet by Brendan Eder. Miguel Atwood-Ferguson performed a set of original works for solo viola and string quartet, and Authority Figurines presented Eder’s Solace in a new arrangement. The evening closed with a full-ensemble sound bath group improvisation led by Matthew Liam Nicholson, transforming the room into a slowly shifting soundscape. DJ sets by John Hendicott framed the live performances, keeping the energy fluid between concert and gathering.

Like each event in the Scenius series, the night explored Brian Eno’s idea of scenius — the shared intelligence that emerges from creative communities. The Authority Figurines ensemble for the night featured:

• Miguel Atwood-Ferguson — viola, compositions, artistic advisor

• Stephanie Yu — violin

• Dominic Johnson - violin, co-host

• Charlie Tyler — cello

• Joshua Rubin — clarinetist (International Contemporary Ensemble)

• Brendan Eder — compositions, electronics, mixing

• John Hendicott — DJ, sound recordist

• Matthew Liam Nicholson — guitarist, composer, sound bath lead

• Alexander Burke — vibraphone

• Adrien Oneiga - visuals

• Emmy Ross - mixologist

The event was offered as a gift to the community — a continuation of Metonym’s ongoing effort to create spaces where collaboration, experimentation, and musical curiosity can thrive.

Scenius 1.0: An Evening of Innovative Music and Fine Company

On the evening of December 6th, Metonym presented Scenius 1.0, an intimate gathering celebrating innovative music, artistic collaboration, and community at MiMoDa Studio in central Los Angeles. This new event series marked a continuation of the spirit once embodied by the pre-pandemic chamber music salons hosted by Metonym collective artists in Los Feliz Hills, offering a space for shared creativity and connection.

The word Scenius, coined by Brian Eno, describes the collective intelligence that emerges from creative communities. Each event under this name is designed as a small experiment in that idea — what happens when artists from different backgrounds share a room, and an audience joins them in it.

The program featured a rich blend of classical and contemporary sounds, beginning with a performance of Schumann’s Third String Quartet, followed by original compositions for string quartet by local legend Miguel Atwood-Ferguson. The evening also witnessed the live debut of Authority Figurines, an electro-acoustic/ambient project led by Matthew Liam Nicholson and Dominic Johnson, integrating the string quartet into uniquely textured soundscapes. John Hendicott opened and closed the night with soulful DJ sets that linked the acoustic and electronic worlds.

Scenius 1.0 featured a string quartet of Fernando Lascurain (violin), Dominic Johnson (violin), Miguel Atwood-Ferguson (viola, compositions), and Maksim Velichkin (cello). The event marked the beginning of an ongoing series connecting artists and audiences who value collaboration, experimentation, and the slow work of building something together.