Martha Cargo, Flute

When Sara (Lydia Love) approached me about this project last fall (2010), I had only just started improvising with other musicians at the Manhattan School of Music. I jumped at the opportunity to collaborate with dancers. The context, however, gave me pause. My own relationship with intimacy has of late expanded beyond what I thought possible; I have always kept a tight lid on myself psychologically and sexually. Intimate Art encourages us as performers, participants, and audience members to confront the insecurities and misgivings that surround the taboo netherworlds of "sex" and (gasp!) "intimacy". I would like to thank Sara for this wonderful journey, Lisa Dowling for engaging her creative genius on the stage, and the other performers for their unique and dazzling gifts

Flutist Martha Cargo embraces innovative interpretations within various genres of music, including chamber, classical, and contemporary repertoire. She has premiered works by Travis Reuter, Stephen Lewis, Zosha di Castri and Beavan Flanagan, among others, and has performed at numerous summer music festivals, including Centre Acanthes (France), Colorado College (USA), Orford (Canada), and Domaine Forget (Canada). Winner of the Columbia Orchestra Young Artist Competition and a finalist in the Encore Orchestra Young Artist Competition, Ms. Cargo worked as Director of Administration for the League of Composers/ISCM (US) and the Look&Listen Festival (NYC). She studied Chemistry and Flute Performance at Oberlin, Musicology and Art History at the Sorbonne (Paris, France), holds a Masters degree in Classical Flute Performance from SUNY-Purchase, and is currently a Masters candidate at Manhattan School of Music in the Contemporary Performance Program, where she studies with Tara Helen O’Connor. Other principal teachers include Michel Debost and Catherine Cantin.

www.marthacargo.com