ASU faculty concert has global vision

WHAT: The faculty artist program, "Global Vision: East Meets West Through Voices of Women Composers."
WHEN: 7:30 p.m., Friday, Feb. 15, 2002
WHERE: Katzin Concert Hall, Music Building, 40 E. Gammage Pkwy., Tempe
TICKETS: Free admission, with no tickets required.

Tempe, Ariz. - The School of Music in the Herberger College of Fine Arts presents, "Global Vision: East Meets West through the Voices Of Women Composers." This intriguing program features the works of three prominent western women composers: Ruth Lomon, Jan Hamer and Judith Zaimont, an exciting new work by a promising new Egyptian composer, Nahla Matar, and music from South India by accomplished guest artist, Vijayha Praphakar.

"Each of the works from these award-winning composers is highly influenced by various ethnic experiences," says renowned pianist and ASU Professor of Music, Madeline Williamson. "One is inspired by Navajo religious ceremonies; one by poignant letters uncovered from victims of one of the concentration camps from the Holocaust; and the third, by the poetic story of a the life of a female elder of Athabaskan (Eskimo) peoples."

The program not only celebrates women composers who are often under-performed, but also demonstrates the strong ties in the arts between Eastern and Western cultures. Williamson - who is also the creator of the successful annual series "New American Piano" featuring new, innovative piano works - hopes that "Global Vision: East Meets West" will also evolve into a regular event that "melds both performance, new composition, and ethnomusicology" by showcasing works that have "artistic cross-pollination."

Williamson states that "the arts - especially music - are one more important medium for the public to realize what unites our eastern and western cultures, while valuing the differences as something distinctive... not destructive."

In addition, a captivating new "performance piece" written for piano, mezzo-soprano and tenor will receive its premiere during the faculty artist concert. Commissioned by Williamson and composed by Nahla Matar, a doctoral student in the Herberger College of Fine Arts School of Music, the work blends Middle Eastern color with traditional western instruments and electronics, as well as drawing upon the poetry and images of Edgar Allen Poe.

Finally, the program also features special guest artist Vijaya Prabhakar, an accomplished soloist and performer of the music of South India. She will be accompanied
by two other Indian instrumentalists on the mridangam and violin, as well as the college's ethnomusicology faculty member, Ted Solis, on the traditional thamboora.

In addition to pianist Williamson, other ASU faculty performers featured in "East Meets West: Voices of Women Composers" are:

Katie McLin, violin
Thomas Landshoot, cello
Judy May, mezzo-soprano, and
Douglas Nottingham, conductor (Nottingham is a recent ASU doctoral graduate and a current faculty member at Glendale Community College)

Eight outstanding student performers, all of whom are graduate students from the School of Music, will also be involved in the program. According to Williamson, "performing and interacting with our finest students from the School is one of the great rewards of being a professor of music."

Media Contact:
Megan Krause
480-965-8795
megan.krause@asu.edu