Composers & Choreography

Transcription

1 Saturday, February 11, :00 p.m. Composers & Choreography An Evening of Music & Dance DePaul 800 West Belden Avenue Chicago

2 Saturday, February 11, :00 p.m. DePaul Composers & Choreography An Evening of Music & Dance Chad McCullough, trumpet Kane Mathis, kora Roshni Samlal, tabla Lin Batsheva Kahn, choreographer Program Dan Burke (b. 1984) Contemplation (2006) Dan Burke, saxophone Ben Pedersen, trombone Zac Nunnery, guitar Davi Priest, bass Lucas Gillan, drums & cymbals Aidan Kranz (b. 1995) Eudaimonia. For two percussionists (2016) Choreography by Lin Batsheva Kahn Aidan Kranz, marimba & bass drum Sarah Weddle, marimba Dancers: Mallory Garrison Julia Killelea Traditional Jiki - Mandinka Chad McCullough, trumpet Kane Mathis, kora

3 Dan Burke (b. 1984) Navaja (2016) Choreography by Lin Batsheva Kahn Dan Burke, saxophone Ben Pedersen, trombone Zac Nunnery, guitar Davi Priest, bass Lucas Gillan, drums & cymbals Composers & Choreography February 11, 2017 program Dancers: Dana Alsamsam Cheyenne Blakely Erin Miller Kane Mathis (b. 1975) & Roshni Samlal (b. 1983) Hexameters (2016) Kane Mathis, kora Roshni Samlal, tabla Chad McCullough (b. 1981) Desolation 11.9 (2016) choreography by Lin Batsheva Kahn Chad McCullough, trumpet Kane Mathis, kora

4 Program Notes Composers & Choreography February 11, 2017 Dan Burke (b. 1984) Contemplation (2006) This work materialized out of practicing descending piano voicings and analyzing compositions by a favorite alto saxophonist of mine, Dick Oatts. Though most of the phrases in Contemplation are 5 or 7 bars long, the piece flows organically through the different sections allowing the listener to be introspective and finding tranquility from within. The chords and melody on the bridge begin to jar the internal calm, however the entrance of the initial melody on the last A reorients the mind focusing it once more. The developmental interlude contains a staggered call and response from the saxophone and trombone. Featured during this section is an improvised drum solo which builds to a send off into the final recapitulation. Aidan Kranz (b. 1995) Eudaimonia. For two percussionists (2016) Eudaimonia is a Greek word describing a way of living purposefully. It describes a life of striving, and reaching for goals. This piece is not a literal portrayal of the word, rather an attempt to embody that which it seeks define. It is the culmination of a multifaceted group s work and achievement. Traditional Jiki - Mandinka Jiki is a traditional Mandinka song which roughly translates into hope, reliance, or to depend on. This piece is unique because the muted ascending pattern in the mid-range of the instrument shows the Kora s relation to the hunters harp, n goni. The hunters N goni is considered a predecessor to the Kora in its construction and playing style. Dan Burke (b. 1984) Navaja (2016) The initial inspiration of Navaja came out of my desire to compose a work in which an ostinato bass line was the entire focal point of the piece. Through this bass pattern, different chordal structures could be implied creating interesting ways to develop harmonies and melodies. Out of this pattern and the accompanying groove I envisioned a showdown between two rivals fighting to the death with Navajas, or Spanish folding knives. While this piece turned into a much larger work with different developmental sections, the concept of shifting harmonies from a single ostinato remain.

5 Composers & Choreography February 11, 2017 program notes Playing broken triads, the solo saxophone sets up the initial motive for both the harmonic structure and groove that drives the ostinato bass pattern as well as the melodies throughout the composition. The syncopated, lopsided melody enters floaty and dance-like which portrays the agility each fighter has as well as the uncertainty of their rival s moves. The opening section peaks with some trading improvisations before subsiding down to a near whisper. The next section contains the first lunges and attacks from the opponents. Having the horns play in octaves while the rhythm section play percussive jabs conveys a more aggressive and powerful passage. This developmental section also provides a textural shift not only from the previous groove, but for the trombone and bass to play some melodic figures together. This section grows until the tension is finally released with a rock-like back beat groove leading to a somber improvised trombone solo. During the end of the trombone solo, tensions once again rise between the combatants leading to a new section. During this section the full ensemble plays syncopated rhythmic unison hits. Balancing these blows are the saxophone and bass with brief melodic intrusions. This section sends off into a second improvised solo; this time the saxophone takes the lead. The saxophone solo is the beginning of the transition to the initial melody and groove. With the fierce assault between the two adversaries at it s peak, the harmony from the initial motif has shifted from major 7th chords to minor chords with a natural 7th. These subtle harmonic differences offer an uncomfortable dissonance to a situation with no pleasant ending. This solo section builds in intensity until you hear a familiar melody releasing the built up tension. The piece seems to ends as it started, with a recapitulation of the melody when a sudden shift occurs. Hearing a quick melodic fragment from the developmental section, the rock-like back beat groove comes driving forth with saxophone and trombone giving a victorious end. Kane Mathis (b. 1975) & Roshni Samlal (b. 1983) Hexameters (2016) Hexameters explores Indian Classical music cycles and west African Mandinka Kumbengo, or melodic cycles. The suite of rhythms goes through variations of Kherewa Taal (8 Beats) which then doubles and evolves into a fast (drut) Ek Taal (12 beats). The Kora cycle is based off of a common kind of

6 Composers & Choreography February 11, 2017 program notes pattern found in the Tilibo region of the former Mandinka Empire. Breaks and transitional elements are taken from the Koravai and Tehai, in Classical Indian music and other transitional elements are taken from west African Sabar style breaks. Chad McCullough (b. 1981) Desolation 11.9 (2016) I wanted to write a simple folk-like melody expressing the feelings surround the most recent political landscape. The first melodic idea is taken from the pentatonic scale, stated in unison, and then with kora accompaniment as the dance begins. There s a beauty, and an underlying sadness prevalent in the pentatonic scale, and I am often drawn to the significance of each tone in a limited harmonic setting. The second melody is a descending figure from the major scale, eventually resolving to the root of the harmony. As the two melodies overlap there is hope of togetherness in an otherwise desolate climate. The three-note motif at the conclusion of the work first resolves to minor, then a hopeful major resolution ends the piece. The diatonic nature of the kora is always a wonderful setting as it can provide so much complexity and forward motion to a very tonal harmonic landscape. Balancing the two instruments is often a fragile challenge, and one I always know Kane is up for. As a musician, he s as supportive as I need. We ve worked together for nearly a decade in a wide variety of settings, and I always jump at the chance to collaborate with him and dancers. Lin has captured the simplistic nature of the composition with beautiful flowing motions, that add to the hopeful message in it s resolution.

7 Composers & Choreography February 11, 2017 Biographies Chicago-based trumpeter/composer Chad McCullough called a thoughtful improvisor with technique to spare by Allaboutjazz.com, Chad s various albums have received wide critical-acclaim. His stable of collaborators is a diverse collection of unique musicians and speaks to the depth of his musical palette. Dan McClenaghan writes, He is a rare instrumentalist who makes each note sound as if it were imbued with a deeper meaning. Certainly a player with great chops, his approach is one that is measured and deliberate, often introspective, sometimes gorgeously melancholic, and one that employs a continuity of mood and atmosphere that the best recordings have. As a leader, he has performed with his bands at festivals throughout the globe, including the 2013 Festival of New Trumpet Music (New York), the GG Jazz Festival (Krasnodar, Russia), The Earshot Jazz Festival (Seattle), Halifax Jazz Festival (Halifax, NS) and The Appeltuin Jazz Festival (Belgium). His albums have been released on Seattle s Origin Records, and many have peaked in the top 100 for national airplay in the US. He is a member of the West African-inspired group The Kora Band, a group who s latest record Cascades has garnered national attention, peaking at #12 on the World Music Charts, and won NW Recording of the Year in Earshot Magazine. They were recently awarded a CMA New Jazz Works grant for their upcoming record, and the music was released on UK-based Whirlwind Records in He also tours with Tunnel Six, an international group that has been awarded five Canada Council of the Arts grants. Their debut record, Lake Superior, made the top 100 albums of 2011 on emusic, and the follow-up, Alive, was released in His new group The Spin Quartet s debut album, In Circles, comes out in October. As a composer, he has scored for film, written for various brass ensembles, dancers, and string quartets and quintets- in both classical and jazz idioms. Many of his pieces have been used for music spots on NPR. He is also in high demand as an educator, and frequently speaks about jazz music and the trumpet to students of all ages, giving clinics at high schools and colleges throughout the country. He has been involved with mentoring projects run by the Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra, the radio station KPLU, and has done educational outreach in several internationally-recognized high school music programs. Chad holds a M.M. from the University of Washington, and a B.M. from the University of Idaho, where he was a Lionel Hampton Scholar, and was the first student to graduate with a jazz emphasis on his degree. He has

8 Composers & Choreography February 11, 2017 biographies played and arranged for the Disneyland College Band, toured extensively playing both piano and trumpet in the Glenn Miller Orchestra, in 2009 was selected to attended the jazz & creative music workshop at the Banff Centre in Canada, and was an awardee of the 2016 Chicago DCASE Grant. With a Masters in Contemporary Dance from Case Western Reserve University, an interdisciplinary Masters in Dance, Theater, and Communication from Kent State University, and a BFA Cum Laude in Modern Dance from the University of Illinois/Champaign, Lin Batsheva Kahn created and teaches Diversity in Dance: Paradigms Shifting; Chicago Dancing, and Modern Dance courses at The Theatre School; and Creativity and Adversity, an interdisciplinary course about transcending hardship through the arts in the Psychology department at DePaul. Vast choreography for dance companies, university dance programs, musical theater, children s theater, Jewish theater, collaboration with actors, poets and musicians, self-produced and women s concerts includes a commissioned piece for Cleveland Contemporary Dance Theater to Beethoven s Moonlight Sonata described as skillfully crafted by dance critic Wilma Salisbury, The Cleveland Plain Dealer. Collaboration with faculty from DePaul School of Music includes choreography on students to Fractalia with Michael Kozakis Percussion Ensemble, Dance Patterns with Michael Lewanski s Ensemble 20+, DePaul Opera Theatre production of The Fairy Queen and Dido and Aeneas, a baroque opera with Dr. Eric Esparza and Jason Moy where her contemporary dance choreography was described as stunning. Kahn was an invited guest to Jerusalem where she taught, performed, and set choreography on Miriam Engel and Sergey Shamota from Angela Dance Company. As part of her Office of Institutional Diversity and Equity President s Signature Series event Celebrating Women and Multiculturalism through the Universal Language of Dance, she will choreograph new pieces for their 2017 collaborative concert. Described as a powerhouse on stage, Lin has danced in work by choreographers such as David Dorfman, Clare Porter, Doug Elkins, Tom Smith, Darwin Prioleau, Beverly Blossom, Kathryn Mihelick, Andrea Shearer, John Crawford, Sasha Spielvogel, Marina Walchli, Susan Van Pelt, Denise Gabriel, Lori Belilove, Helen Tamiris and Isadora Duncan. A recent guest choreographer with Chicago s Project 606 Dance Company, she will perform a new solo with faculty violinist Olga Kaler at in April. Numerous honors include Chicago Jewish News Jewish Chicagoan of the Year, Today Chicago s Woman magazine 100 Women of Inspiration, Arts

9 Composers & Choreography February 11, 2017 biographies Educator of the Year from the Ohio Alliance for Arts in Education, 2 DePaul Excellence in Teaching nominations, and 3 DePaul Woman of Spirit and Action honors. Professor Kahn s course about overcoming adversity with creativity selected and filmed at PBS WTTW as an inspiring ELI Talk includes her moving duet January Thirty first to Concerto for Violin and Orchestra by Philip Glass. Brooklyn-based Kane Mathis is active internationally as a performer, composer and educator. Specializing in music of West Africa and the Middle East, Mathis has a broad range of experience in traditional and contemporary contexts. His recorded and live performances have won him enthusiastic praise from music lovers and scholars alike. Mathis began his musical career at age 16 playing blues and jazz clubs in Chicago before going to the Lawrence Conservatory of Music to study jazz and classical guitar. Simultaneously Mathis began making trips to The Gambia, Africa, to live with a family of hereditary musicians, which he has done for the past 20 years. Mathis holds a diploma from the Tiramang Traditional music school in The Gambia and has performed for the President of The Gambia, the American Ambassador to The Gambia and he has appeared on Gambian National Radio and Television. In 2011 Mathis became the first non-african to be endorsed by the country s National Center For Arts and Culture. Mathis is also one of the leading interpreters of Ottoman classical music having studied with Mutlu Torun of Istanbul s I.T.U. conservatory before beginning a five-year apprenticeship with oud virtuoso Münir Nurettin Beken. As a composer Mathis is regularly commissioned to create original works for dance, theatre and instrumental ensembles. He has created numerous works for dance over the past 10 years with newer works focused on electronic fixed media. Mathis is a 2010 Earshot Jazz album of the year winner and a recipient of the 2012 Chamber Music America grant. To learn more about Kane, visit his website: Roshni Samlal is a New York based tabla player originating from Trinidad, WI. At age 5, she was initiated into the tradition of Indian classical music both in vocal performance and tabla in the academic community of Bharatiya Vidya Sansthan, taught by the Hindusthani classical theorist and composer, Professor H.S.Adesh. Since 1998 she has continued her tutelage in the Benares style of tabla playing under Shri Tapan Modak and is currently a student of the epic Farukhbad exponent Pt. Anindo Chatterjee and the

10 Composers & Choreography February 11, 2017 program notes masterful Punjab/Benares. While her passion is Indian classical tabla, Roshni has performed in many collaborative settings in creating scores for films and playing for kirtan singers such as Snatam Kaur and Nina Rao. Roshni has had the opportunity to accompany maestros in the Hindustani classical world, such as Pt. Subrata Roy Chaudhuri and Steve Gorn. Roshni is an actively performing member of the innovative collective, the Brooklyn Raga Massive, and teaches in the NY area.

11 Upcoming Events Friday, February 17 8:00 p.m. New Music DePaul Saturday, February 18 8:00 p.m. Symphonic Choir Thursday, February 23 6:30 p.m. Recital Hall Career Workshop: Freelancing 101 with Third Coast Music Open to School of Music current and prospective students, and alumni. For more information, please visit Friday, February 24 8:00 p.m. Baroque Chamber Concert Sunday, February 26 8:00 p.m. Brass Ensemble Monday, February 27 7:00 p.m. Recital Hall Wind Chamber Showcase I Monday, February 27 8:00 p.m. African Ensemble Wednesday, March 1 5:45 p.m. Green Room Masterclass: Celeste Johnson, oboe Wednesday, March 1 8:00 p.m. Recital Hall Jazz Combos I Wednesday, March 1 8:00 p.m. Baroque Ensemble Composers & Choreography February 11, 2017

12 Thursday, March 2 8:00 p.m. DePaul Wind Ensemble Saturday, March 4 7:00 p.m. Recital Hall Cello Studio Recital Saturday, March 4 8:00 p.m. DePaul Wind Symphony Sunday, March 5 3:00 p.m. Student Center 2250 N. Sheffield Ave. Jazz Ensembles Sunday, March 5 3:00 p.m. Wind Chamber Showcase II Sunday, March 5 8:00 p.m. String Chamber Showcase I Monday, March 6 8:00 p.m. Composers Forum Composers & Choreography February 11, 2017 upcoming events As a courtesy to those around you, please silence all cell phones and other electronic devices. Flash photography is not permitted. Thank you. Sign up for DePaul E-Notes! Receive monthly updates in your inbox on performances taking place at the School of Music, as well as special offers and discounts to ticketed events! You can choose to unsubscribe from the list at any time. We have a strict privacy policy and will never sell or trade your address. You can sign up for E-Notes by visiting music.depaul.edu and clicking on Concerts & Events. DePaul University School of Music 800 West Belden Avenue Chicago Recital Hall 804 West Belden Avenue Chicago music.depaul.edu