SOUNDSCAPES
08/15 Siphonophores + Morgan Barnard
10/03 Gunn Forlano + C3
August 15, 2026
Siphonophores
+ Morgan Barnard
Our third concert will be headlined by Siphonophores: an improvisation-based project featuring Jesse Tatum on flute,
Peter Gilbert on electronics, and Nick Tauro Jr. with projected images. In the natural world, siphonophores are known as highly polymorphic and complex organisms, blurring the line between working individually and as a colony. As a human performance ensemble, Siphonophores believe in live performance and the creative immediacy of the moment.
They will be joined by multimedia artist Morgan Barnard. Morgan works in the areas of public art, interactive media, immersive installations, and live cinema. His visual work offers audiences unique moments of observation and reflection through the use of lighting and projection, while his music is distinctly in the downtempo style, building up and then deconstructing as series of chilled grooves.
6:30 doors open
7:00 introductions
7:05 conversation with Morgan Barnard
7:15 Morgan Barnard performance
7:40 intermission
8:00 conversation with Siphonophores
8:15 Siphonophores performance
9:00 evening concludes
Tickets are just $15 in advance and $20 at the door. Parking at FUSION is free, and street plus other nearby parking is free after 6 PM. Quality bar service will be provided by Safe House Distilling Co. and Teller Genuine Vodka. Click here for some nearby dining options; Say Cheese Eatery will also be open in the lobby of The Cell 5-8 PM for a meal or snack before the event as well as during intermission.
Opening the evening will be new media artist Morgan Barnard. Morgan works primarily in light-based media such as projection, screens and lights, navigating the links between cinema, generative media, interactivity and data visualization.
His approach to music blends ambient texture, rhythmic experimentation, and cinematic sound design. His work often connects sound with light, movement, and dynamic visual environments, treating music as both an emotional space and as a structural force.
The main performance of the evening will be provided by the audio + visual trio Siphonophores, which consists of Jesse Tatum on flute, Peter Gilbert on electronics, and Nick Tauro Jr. with projected images.
Jesse Tatum is known as a relentless musician, performing chamber music, orchestral music, operas, and solo works. They are Principal Flute of The Santa Fe Symphony, Santa Fe Pro Musica, Opera Southwest Orchestra, and is a Core Member at Chatter where they have performed over 15 years of adventurous music with this innovative Albuquerque-based chamber ensemble. Additionally, Jesse has performed many seasons with The Santa Fe Opera and the New Mexico Philharmonic.
Peter Gilbert’s music combines acoustic and live-electronic sensibilities in works for multi-media theatre, film, installation and the concert hall. He has taught at Harvard University, the Cleveland Institute of Music, Wellesley College. Since 2010 he has been part of the composition faculty and a coordinator of the composition and music technology areas University of New Mexico as Professor of Composition.
The American Record Guide enthused: “Filled with the ghosts of sounds, he captures a dark, yet hopeful wonder through variation in color, mood, and the semblance of melodies.”
Nick Tauro Jr. is a visual artist and self-publisher based in Albuquerque. He notes that “image making is my life; it’s my passion.” Nick’s work has been exhibited in multiple solo and group shows, both locally and internationally.
Nick was a founding member of the Latent Image Collective (2014–2019), a group of photographers from around the world. Nick is also the host of the bi-weekly photography podcast Right Eye Dominant.
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About Us
Sandia Soundscapes is a new series of electronic and electro-acoustic music concerts that will escort your imagination on a colorful sonic journey. It will appeal to lovers of ambient, cinematic, downtempo, and other creative, chilled-out non-mainstream styles; fans of jazz, classical, world, and other adventurous music will also find a home at our events.
One of our goals is to weave a closer connection between the audience, artists, and their music. Each performance will start with a discussion about how and why the artist creates their music with their chosen tools. Video cameras and screens will give you a close-up, real-time look at how they create their amazing sonic worlds. The intimate feeling has been likened to the ultimate “living room” concert.
Sandia Soundcapes was co-founded by composers & musicians Chris Meyer (Alias Zone) and Jim Coker (Meridian Alpha).
Our main host for our inaugural season will be FUSION | The Cell at . This 25′ x 50′ space is a flexible “black box” space which we will configure with quadraphonic sound plus video screens so you can enjoy the performances from any seat. Parking at FUSION is free, and street parking is free after 6 PM. Quality bar service is provided for each event by Safe House Distilling Co. and Teller Genuine Vodka, while Say Cheese Eatery provides food and snacks in the lobby.