The UVA Percussion Ensemble will present their spring 2024 concert on Tuesday, April 16th, 2024 at 8:00pm in Old Cabell Hall. The Percussion Ensemble is directed by I-Jen Fang, one of the University of Virginia's Associate Professors of Music.
The Department of Music presents “A Night of Percussion” featuring Brady Spitz with the UVA Percussion Ensemble, directed by I-Jen Fang on Tuesday, April 16 at 8 pm in Old Cabell Hall.
The Percussion Ensemble is excited to work with guest artist and composer, Brady Spitz, in a concert featuring the theme, “When East Meets West……,” to bridge the music between Asian and Western culture. The concert will open with a Balinese Monkey Chant Kecak, followed by a Javanese Gamelan composition, Udan Mas (Gold Rain), and will finish the first half with a world premiere composed by Dr. Spitz for solo drum set and gamelan ensemble.
Other pieces in the concert are Squabbling Ducks, composed by An Zhishun for Chinese Cymbal ensemble; a Gamelan inspired keyboard quartet, Implosion by Mantle Hood; Saigo no Bansan by “mouse on the keys,” arranged for percussion quartet by our very own Cason Duszak; and Ten Year Portrait by Ed Smith, composed for and premiere by the UVA Percussion Ensemble in 2015.
Dr. Brady Spitz is a percussionist, timpanist, and educator based in Boone, North Carolina where he is Coordinator of Percussion at Appalachian State University. He has extensive performance experience with classical, contemporary, and world percussion in a diverse group of musical environments. He has performed with the Houston Symphony, Hawaii Symphony, and the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestras among many others. Dr. Spitz maintains an active freelance percussion schedule and has appeared on stage alongside artists such as Idina Menzel, Weird Al Yankovic, and The Who. As a chamber musician, he has worked with a diverse group of artists, including Claire Chase and Mario Davidovsky. His duo Sonic Boom is working to create a repertoire for organ and percussion where very little has existed before, yielding upcoming international engagements.
The UVA Percussion Ensemble is directed by I-Jen Fang, the Principal Timpanist and Percussionist with the Charlottesville Symphony at the University of Virginia. Re-established in spring 2005, the Percussion Ensemble is a chamber group that performs literature from classical transcriptions to contemporary music. The ensemble draws upon a large family of pitched and non-pitched percussion instruments. The number of players and the amount of equipment varies greatly from piece to piece. Music is chosen to match the abilities and interest of the ensemble members. Music reading skills and basic percussion technique on all percussion instruments is required. Previous percussion ensemble experience is highly recommended. The course is offered both semesters with a small group in the fall and a large group in the spring, culminating in an annual Night of Percussion Concert. Membership is open to all university students.
Described as an “intrepid percussionist” by Fanfare Magazine,I-Jen Fang has a career as a solo performer, chamber musician, orchestral player, and teacher. She joined the faculty of the McIntire Department of Music at the University of Virginia in 2005 and as Principal Timpanist and Percussionist of the Charlottesville Symphony.
As a soloist, I-Jen has performed as a marimba soloist in Taiwan, U.S., Austria, France, Hungary, Romania, and South Africa. She was also the featured marimba soloist with the Charlottesville Symphony in 2006 and 2010. As a chamber musician, I-Jen has performed or recorded with artists such as Keiko Abe, William Cahn, Christopher Deane, Mark Ford, Heini Kärkkäinen, Mike Mainieri, Jan Müller-Szeraws, Diane Pascal, Carsten Schmidt, Ed Smith, Michael Spiro, NanikWenton, Nyoman Wenton, Attacca Percussion Group, and DaCapo Chamber Players. She has appeared in Heritage Theater Festival, Staunton Music Festival, University of Virginia Chamber Music Series, Percussive Arts Society International Convention and Regional PAS Day of Percussion.
For more information, please visit https://music.virginia.edu/percussion-ensemble-spring-2024.
Tickets are available at the UVA Arts Box Office in the Culbreth building, online at https://artsboxoffice.virginia.edu/ or by calling (434) 924-3376. UVA students need to reserve their tickets 24 hours in advance at the UVA Arts Box Office student ticket portal.
Old Cabell Hall is located on the south end of UVA's historic lawn, directly opposite the Rotunda (map). Parking is available in the Central Grounds parking garage on Emmet Street, in the C1 parking lot off McCormick Road, and in the parking lots at the UVA Corner. Handicap parking is available in the small parking lot adjacent to Bryan Hall.
Please call the Music Department at 434.924.3052 or send a message to music@virginia.edu for more information.
All events are subject to change.
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