April 9, 2007

Music Department presents ‘April in Santa Cruz’ concert series

The UCSC Music Department presents its annual “April in Santa Cruz” festival of new music, a monthlong concert series that runs through April 29 at the Music Center Recital Hall.

Eun-Ah Kwak will perform on the 12-string Korean Gayageum (zither).

From the music of innovative composer and inventor Harry Partch to Bay Area-based computer musician and clarinetist Matt Ingalls, to composers from the UCSC Music Department, this year's April in Santa Cruz festival of new music provides the opportunity to experience an eclectic mix of contemporary compositions.

The schedule:
• Saturday, April 14: Real Time, Imaginary Time
7:30 p.m. ($12 general, $10 seniors, $8 students)
Music for live and recorded digital media featuring works by: Gerry Bassermann, Peter Elsea, Paul Nauert, James Tenney.

• Wednesday April 18: Degrees of Freedom
7:30 p.m. ($12 general, $10 seniors, $8 students)
Composer/clarinetist/laptop artist Matt Ingalls and percussionist William Winant in a program of free improvisation and works by: Matt Ingalls, Denis Smalley, and Karlheinz Stockhausen, plus tributes to composers Lou Harrison and James Tenney featuring the UCSC Percussion Ensemble.

•Thursday, April 19: Music of Harry Partch
7:30 p.m. ($12 general, $10 seniors, $8 students)
John Schneider leads the ensemble PARTCH in a program featuring the music and novel musical instruments of maverick American composer Harry Partch.

• Sunday, April 22: Music for Korean Gayageum & Western Instruments (Premiere Concert I)
7:30 p.m. (free admission)
Hee-Jeong Kim and Yu-Sun Kim, virtuosos of the 12-string Korean Gayageum (zither), will join with UCSC graduate student performers to present world premieres of compositions by grad student composers from UC Santa Cruz, UC Berkeley, and UC Davis. Works by: Jean Ahn, Jesse Berkowitz, Daniel Brown, Sylvain Carton, Young-Shin Choi, Joel Ford, Simon Hutchinson, Sue-Hye Kim, Monica Lynn, John Seales.

• Monday April 23: Music for Korean Gayageum & Western Instruments (Premiere Concert II)
7:30 p.m. ($12 general, $10 seniors, $8 students)
Eun-Ah Kwak and Hee-Jeong Kim, 12-string Korean Gayageum (zither) virtuosos, join with Bay Area performers to present world premieres of music by composers from the Bay Area and Korea. Works by: Yu-Hui Chang, David Cope, Andrew Imbrie, David Evan Jones, Hi Kyung Kim, Sung-Ki Kim, Young-Ja Lee, Eun-Ah Kwak.

Sunday April 29: Franklin Cox / Karlton Hester
7:30 p.m. ($12 general, $10 seniors, $8 students)
Cellist Franklin Cox performs premieres by Benjamin Carson and Avi Tchamni and music by Elliott Carter, Emmanuel Nunes, and Klaus K. Hübler. Plus: Flutist/saxophonist/composer and associate professor of music Karlton Hester with guests Renata Bratt, Larry T. Douglas, Stan Poplin, and Kamau Seitu preview Hester's large-scale cycle The Divine Particles.

Tickets are available at the UCSC Ticket Office (831) 459-2159, Santa Cruz Civic Box Office, and online at: SantaCruzTickets.com.