Marshall University’s School of Music was visited by Leviathan, a music trio specializing in new and experimental music.

The trio, composed of flutist Lindsey Goodman, cellist Hannah Pressley and pianist Joseph Dangerfield, performed five pieces, culminating in a performance of “Vox Balaenae,” or “Voice of the Whale,” written by West Virginia native George Crumb.

“Vox Balaenae” was immediately preceded by a prequel to the piece, “The Knot,” composed by Dangerfield.

The other pieces included “Seiren” composed by Alice Pink Yee Ho, a selection of “To Committee (a Self-Parody)” composed by Daniel Felsenfeld and the premiere of “The Impeded Stream is the one that Sings” composed by Luke Dahn.

“The Impeded Stream is the one that Sings” is a collection of eight short sections accompanied by poems read by Pressley. Five sections were performed.

The trio frequently played with volume dynamics, playing styles alternating between hard and soft, the use of harmonics and multiphonics and playing methods and techniques considered new and different.

These methods included Goodman performing the flute while vocalizing or without the use of a head joint, Pressley sliding down the string of her cello and making the sounds echo, and Dangerfield plucking and scraping the strings from inside of his piano and altering the sound.

Mark Zanter, professor of music, arranged the concert and said the techniques used are often considered new, but also compared the techniques to what a young child would do if you let them play with an instrument for the first time.

The trio is in their fourth season, and this was their first performance at Marshall.

Landon Mitchell can be reached at [email protected].