A self-promotion...
You are cordially invited to be part of the Annual Spring World Music Concert in Boutell Memorial Concert Hall at NIU on April 5. The concert will begin at 3:00 with a collaborative music selection, Hands without Borders, by three Chicago-based percussionists specializing in drumming styles of different cultures: the Syrian-born Omar Al Musfi on the Middle Eastern drums and Venezuelan-born Javier Saume and Mexican-American Ruben Alvares on Latin-American percussion instruments.
Following this modern world music fusion trend is a series of traditional Chinese music featuring Taiwanese pipa soloist, Mrs. Wang Chen Yung-Hsin, flutist; Ms. Santina Sheng-Ting Lin; and vocalist, Ms. Vicky Yu-Kuan Wang. The NIU Javanese gamelan ensemble will again present a mixture of traditional and modern compositions on the gamelan, featuring soloists Shari Heda on the clarinet, Robyn Sutton on the flute, and Dennis Dziekan, vocal.
The Chicago Okinawa Kenjinkai is the next performance group invited to showcase the folk music and dance tradition of Okinawa, Japan. NIU Percussion majors Maggie Bergren and Clarice Cast will perform folk tunes from two cultural regions, Spain and Brazil, respectively, on the same instrument, the pandeiro (tambourine). The concert will be concluded by Dr. Greg Beyer of the NIU percussion faculty playing a modern composition incorporating yet another world music element, the Venezuelan maracas.
Come join us to discover this diverse soundscape in our community and to share this wonderful multi-music feast our musicians and performers have prepared for you this year. We look forward to seeing you all then. Children of all ages are welcome. Please contact Dr. Jui-Ching Wang (jcwang@niu.edu) if you have any questions.
