The contemporary music ensemble, Opus 21, will perform at Grand Valley State University on Thursday, February 22, at 8 p.m., in the Louis Armstrong Theatre, Performing Arts Center, Allendale Campus. The performance is free and open to the public.
Recipient of the 2005-06 First Prize for Adventurous Programming from Chamber Music America and ASCAP, the group performs a multi-genre program of newly commissioned works focusing on the influence of world cultures on art music in the United States. The concert is part of the university's Free Play Series and follows sold-out performances of the show in New York City, Ann Arbor and Three Rivers, Michigan.
The concert features six newly commissioned works written specifically for the eight-member ensemble by some of America's most prominent composers, including former composer-in-residence of the New York Philharmonic Tania Lein and eight-time Grammy Award-winning jazz legend Paquito D'Rivera, both Cuban-Americans.
Other cultural influences can be heard in the new works by Chen Yi (China), Kamran Ince (Turkey), Martin Bresnick (Spain), and Trent Kynaston (Central America). In addition, Opus 21 will perform a classic piece by Steve Reich inspired by African and Balinese music, and a recent composition by Evan Ziporyn that incorporates influences from Japan and Kenya.
For more information call (616) 331-3484 or visit www.opus21.org.
