Orchid McRae is a percussionist, composer, improviser, and mixed media artist based in New York City. Her deeply collaborative process is often centered around structured pieces that ignore or subvert the dimension of “time” in music and memory.
orchiddBB
Orchid’s primary compositional vehicle is the ensemble orchiddBB (with Vivek Menon, Jen Sapiro, and Mario Fontes).Using a unique instrumental palette (soprano voice, violin, electric
bass, and percussion) and novel musical strategies (a hand-signaled
system, text to speech, dense instrumental passages), orchiddBB weaves a
disorienting, vibrant, and cathartic fabric.
orchiddBB’s debut album, water the teeth, was named one of the Top Prog Albums of Winter 2026 and has been described as having “Completely quirky, completely cool” by Bruce Gallanter of Downtown Music Gallery. water the teeth was released on February 20, 2026 as the first release (PERM001) on Orchid and Nathan Chamberlain’snew label Permanent Press.
Other Projects
Orchid is a founding member of the longstanding collaborative trio Dot Iso (with Vivek Menon and Dylan DelGiudice), whose music is largely based in improvsational dialogue. On May 18th and 19th 2024, the group presented “Dot Iso performs 26.2” at Ki Smith Gallery, a continuously performed improvised installation that lasted 26 hours, 13 minutes, and 8 seconds. This arduous task was aided by 20 musicians who represented multiple genres, generations, and performance practices. The group released its debut album I Read Too Many Things in 2024.
She also leads the ensembles House of the Ax, 5 Ribbons, and Wind Band/Songs for the Summer. Past projects include the now-defunct experimental band Bald Uakari and the short-lived improvisation
collective Active Field 6.
Collaborations, Etc.
Orchid collaborates extensively with artists outside of music including digital/textile artist Vân Anh, experimental theater troupe Rhymes with Orange, choreographers Alicia Steeves and Andrea Muñiz, and video artist Jon Denton. In 2026, she will launch The Flag, a series of performances and printed conversations featuring transgender artists.
Orchid has performed with Selendis Sebastian Alexander Johnson, Hans Young-Binter, Robert Dick, Leszek “Hefi” Wiśniowski, Michael Foster, Amirtha Kidambi, Nathan Chamberlain, Billy Martin, Daniel Carter, the Creative Music Studio Improvisers Ensemble, and many other musicians and ensembles. She is a member of the rock band Kissy Noises. In addition to her own ensembles, Orchid’s works have been performed by S.E.M. Ensemble, Terence Blanchard & Neil Leonard, the Berklee Interdisciplinary Arts Institute, and others.
Contact
orchidmcrae (at) gmail (dot) com
Instagram: @orchiddBB