Ecstatic melody, unimaginable sounds and deep sexy beats played Industrial Flutes, Bullhorn Harmonicas, Regurgitated Music Box, Triple Extended Pennywhistls, Miniature Hand Bell Choir, Obnoxiophone, Glass Bowls With Red Marbles, human beat box and a clutch of curious objects.

Featured solo performances at Boston Symphony Hall for New Years Eve 2009 and premier performance of the composition “Melody For Lizzie” with the Boston Pops. Composition for short film written and directed by Neil Gaiman (Coraline, American Gods, The Graveyard Book), broadcast on Christmas day 2009 on SKY TV, UK. Support act for Dresden Dolls US tour and at The Round House in London, England. Featured at TED in Monterey, California, Ashley Capp’s (founder of Bonaroo) Big Ears Festival, Edinburgh Fringe Fest, Adelaide Fringe Festival in Australia, Floyd Fest, Joe’s Pub, The Knitting Factory and CBGB’s in New York City.

Upcoming in 2010, April and May “Evelyn Evelyn” tour with Amanda Palmer (Dresden Dolls) and Jason Webley in 5 countries. July european tour with Austrian percussionist Dieter Beir. Fall tour with Rhiannon Giddens of the Carolina Chocolate Drops in Ireland. Composition development for the Boston Pops with arranger Peter.

“My first night in New York City I wandered over to Tompkin’s Square Park, where 15 punk rockers, armed with sledgehammers, sticks and whatever they could find where pounding a piano into dust. It was John Cage made dangerous and delicious and ridiculous.” -Sxip Shirey

Sxip Shirey has played exploding circus organ for the pyro-technic clowns of the Daredevil Opera Company at the Sydney Opera House and the Kennedy Center, industrial flutes for acrobats on mechanical jumping boots at The New Victory Theater on Broadway, tamponophone with The Bindlestiff Family Cirkus at Bonaroo, hillbilly music for gypsies in Transylvania and gypsy music for hillbillies in West Virginia with The Luminescent Orchestrii. When in NYC, Shirey performs at the last of New York’s true underground parties and at Joe’s Pub at The Public Theater. He is currently working on music for a short film directed by Neil Gaiman (Sandman, American Gods).

Composition Highlights of 2007 and 2008 include work with Cheorographer Heid Latsky and dissabled dancers on “GIMP “which had a Boston Premier at The Institute of Contemporary Art. Composition for the feature film Hotel Gramarcy Park by director Douglas Keeve (Unzipped). Collaboration with composer Rachelle Garniez to create and perform the work “Shadowland” for MOMA’s Surrealistic Tribute to Salvidor Dali. Composition and music direction for “Marsupial Girl at The Minneapolis Children’s Theater by playwright Lisa D’Amour. Compostion for 5 George Meilies silent films including “A Trip to the Moon” for The Museum of The Moving Image in Queens with presentation by International Book Award writer Brian Selznick (The Invention of Hugo Cabaret).

Also, hosted and curated the multi-part Charm Sessions featuring live international music from NYC for BBC 2 Radio Scotland. Featured on the next Natalie Merchant album. Shirey has toured Ireland and Wales as a duo, “Sxip and Rhi” with Rhiannon Giddens of the Carolina Chocolate Drops. Featured on a track with New Orleans legend Doctor John on the next album By french recording artist Feloche. “New Yorkers are perpetually trying to explain the musical gazingstock that is Sxip. Their eyes grow big as saucers and they wave their hands around, emitting odd tones of pleasure and emphatic non sequiturs…. before sagging from the effort and saying simply, “I guess you’ll just have to go see him….he conjures a world of infernal calliopes and cotton candy machetes wielded by Gypsy crones with angel feet.” -SF Weekly