The formidable Chicago-based trio comprising violist Whitney Johnson, cellist Lia Kohl, and violinist Macie Stewart have released a mesmerising performance film of their composition “Stone | Piece.” Directed by Derrick Alexander, the visual captures the musicians seated within the auditorium at The Land School, International Anthem’s new headquarters situated within Theaster Gates’ space-based project. The film documents a fresh iteration of the piece, originally found on their August 2025 release BODY SOUND [STONE PIECE], where the group’s organic instrumentation and voices are intricately layered with analog tape loops. The resulting soundscape operates as a multidimensional abstraction of time and timbre, drifting elegantly between the outskirts of minimalist classical, ambient pastoralism, and modern improvisation.
The film’s release coincides with a significant run of live performances for the group. Last night, they kicked off a sold-out five-night residency opening for Andrew Bird at his renowned Gezelligheid holiday shows, running December 8th through 12th at the Fourth Presbyterian Church in Chicago. While in-person tickets are entirely sold out, audiences worldwide can experience the trio’s set via a livestream of the December 9th concert (at 9:00 PM ET – tickets and details here). These performances and the new visual work serve as a bridge between their recent cassette single and a highly anticipated full-length album scheduled for release in 2026. Johnson, Kohl, and Stewart—each an accomplished composer with extensive solo and collaborative catalogs—continue to dissolve the boundaries between disciplines, and “Stone | Piece” stands as a testament to their collective power in navigating the profound possibilities of sound.
Stone | Piece” performance of composition originally recorded and released as “Stone Piece 1” in August 2025: https://international-anthem.lnk.to/StonePiece-I