concert
Roomful of Teeth
Alyssa Regent | Florent Ghys | Caroline Shaw
Sun, 20 Sep 2026 — 19:00
Cité de la musique et de la danse
concert
Book of Travelers / Elevator Songs
Gabriel Kahane | Roomful of Teeth
Evolving between songwriting and composition, Gabriel Kahane holds a singular place on the American scene. Making his Musica debut, he brings together two landmark albums — his solo project Book of Travelers (2018) and Elevator Songs (2026), shaped by a particularly refined pop storytelling, where authentic experience nourishes musical and fictional material.
Nearly ten years ago, in the wake of Donald Trump’s first election, Kahane set out on a cross-country train journey. Without access to any phone or internet, he gathered stories from fellow passengers, sketching the portrait of a fractured nation. Book of Travelers grew out of this experience. He now returns to it with a solo piano performance, allowing these voices to resonate in present temporality and renewed accuracy.
In the second half, Elevator Songs is a cycle set in an imagined hotel, where each song is tailored to a specific voice within the ensemble. Carried by these distinct presences, the scenes constitute a gallery of characters caught in moments of waiting or transitions. Through this theatre of everyday life, Kahane moves from songwriting into contemporary composition, tracing his own distinct political, sensitive, and embodied path.
Program
Gabriel Kahane
Book of Travelers
(2018)
french premiere
— Intermission —
Gabriel Kahane
Elevator Songs
(2023)
french premiere
Cast
Roomful of Teeth
Estelí Gomez
Mingjia Chen
Eliza Bagg
Virginia Kelsey
Jodie Landau
Steven Bradshaw
Thann Scoggin
Cameron Beauchamp
piano, voice, guitar Gabriel Kahane
AFTER PARTY
Klub Camina × Musica
from 11pm
Karmen Camina
Gabriel Kahane, Elevator Songs (2023)
commissioned by Roomful of Teeth
supported by Meany Center for the Performing Arts (Seattle), Hancher Auditorium at the University of Iowa (Iowa City), San Francisco Performances
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