Spring Break
ECU hosts New Music Festival
Brittani McNeill
Issue date: 2/26/09 Section: News
Yesterday the ECU School of Music kicked off the ninth annual New Music Festival. The New Music Festival is a "celebration of the music of our time." It features music that spans genres, from student composers of classical music, to well known artists such as Radiohead and The White Stripes.
The New Music Festival was started by Dr. Ed Jacobs. The goal was to promote the music of artists who are currently bringing new ideas onto the music scene, and to give these artists a place to display their talent.
"This festival is about all kinds of new ideas. It's about musical ideas, about arts' ideas--it's not about any particular musical aesthetic," said Jacobs. "It's not about rock, it's not about jazz, it's not about classical, it's not about hip hop. It's about in this world where all these different styles exist, what do people who are making new music do to bring all that together?"
The festival includes six concerts, master classes with visiting composers, performers, readings and recordings of the works of student composers by professional musicians and more.
The festival began last night with a Clarinet Recital at Starlight Café, featuring ECU professor Christopher Grymes.
The events continue tonight at 8 p.m. with a concert by the ECU Chamber Singers at St. Paul's Episcopal Church.
"We have sacred music, we've got profane music, we've got electric guitars and we've got string quartets," Jacobs said. "We've got Karen Hall singing, we've got the Chamber Singers and we've got Chris Grymes singing … It's gonna be very cool."
Other performances feature the Daedalus Quartet, an international award-winning string quartet; Pulsoptional, a new music ensemble/band of composers from Durham, N.C.; ECU Clarinet Professor Christopher Grymes; The ECU Chamber Singers, under the direction of ECU Professor Dr. Daniel Bara; the ECU Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Dr. Jorge and featuring ECU Professor Tom McCaslin and the New Music Camerata.
The New Music Festival was started by Dr. Ed Jacobs. The goal was to promote the music of artists who are currently bringing new ideas onto the music scene, and to give these artists a place to display their talent.
"This festival is about all kinds of new ideas. It's about musical ideas, about arts' ideas--it's not about any particular musical aesthetic," said Jacobs. "It's not about rock, it's not about jazz, it's not about classical, it's not about hip hop. It's about in this world where all these different styles exist, what do people who are making new music do to bring all that together?"
The festival includes six concerts, master classes with visiting composers, performers, readings and recordings of the works of student composers by professional musicians and more.
The festival began last night with a Clarinet Recital at Starlight Café, featuring ECU professor Christopher Grymes.
The events continue tonight at 8 p.m. with a concert by the ECU Chamber Singers at St. Paul's Episcopal Church.
"We have sacred music, we've got profane music, we've got electric guitars and we've got string quartets," Jacobs said. "We've got Karen Hall singing, we've got the Chamber Singers and we've got Chris Grymes singing … It's gonna be very cool."
Other performances feature the Daedalus Quartet, an international award-winning string quartet; Pulsoptional, a new music ensemble/band of composers from Durham, N.C.; ECU Clarinet Professor Christopher Grymes; The ECU Chamber Singers, under the direction of ECU Professor Dr. Daniel Bara; the ECU Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Dr. Jorge and featuring ECU Professor Tom McCaslin and the New Music Camerata.
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