CalArts’ World Music and Dance Festival 2010, organized yearly by The Herb Alpert School of Music at CalArts, kicks off tonight with a program of solo works and ensemble pieces from students in the North Indian Music Program, directed by Grammy-nominated faculty member Aashish Khan. A sample of North Indian music from student Dave Cipriani’s recent MFA Graduation recital is posted above.
Under the direction David Rosenboom, dean of The Herb Alpert School of Music, this year’s festival brings six concerts and an array of sounds that span the globe. The music performances culminate next Saturday (May 8th) at the official dedication and celebration of The Wild Beast music amphitheater and the adjoining S. Mark Taper Foundation Courtyard.
Headlining The Wild Beast dedication program is CalArts’ World Percussion Ensemble, led by faculty members Randy Gloss and Houman Pourmehdi. Joining the ensemble will be special guest artist Abbos Kosimov, internationally renowned percussionist from Uzbekistan, whose instrument of choice is the dorya (frame drum). The latter part of the evening’s program will feature the Institute’s Latin Jazz Ensemble, led by pianist-composer David Roitstein, Mel Powell Chair of the Jazz Program. Audience members are encouraged to bring blankets and a picnic to take full advantage of the open space.
A complete list of concerts and locations follows:
Tonight (Thursday, April 29)
Indian Ensembles directed by Aashish Khan
The evening features solos and ensembles with students from CalArts’ North Indian Music Program courses.
8 pm in the Walt Disney Modular Theater (MOD)
Friday, April 30
Fe Fe
Faculty member Alfred Ladzekpo’s 11th Fe Fe play–an African musical with dance–is titled Guilty Dog a Hero and will be presented by CalArts African Storytellers and Dance Ensemble. (See video above from one of Ladzekpo’s classes.)
8 pm in the MOD
Saturday, May 1
North Indian Classical Music
The evening features the CalArts Tabla Ensemble and a raga performance by Swapan Chaudhuri, chair of the World Music Performance Program, on tabla and Aashish Khan on sarode.
8 pm in MOD
Sunday, May 2
African Music & Dance
The Institute’s African Music and Dance Ensemble, directed by Beatrice Lawluvi and Andrew Grueschow, perform traditional repertoire from the Ewe and Dagomba people of Ghana, West Africa.
8 pm in the MOD
Friday, May 7
Balinese Music and Dance: A Night in the Thousand Temples
Under the direction of I Nyoman Wenten and Nanik Wenten (dance), the CalArts Balinese Gamelan Burat Wangi (which means “fragrant offering”) present a new dance drama, The Ramayana: an Indian Epic. The evening will feature gamelan gong kebyar, a style of Balinese gamelan music, and the work of guest artists I Dewa Putu Berata and I Made Lasmawan.
8 pm at The Wild Beast
Saturday, May 8
World Percussion Ensemble with Latin Jazz Dedication
The musical program will celebrate the dedication of The Wild Beast and The S. Mark Taper Foundation Courtyard at CalArts.
8 pm at The Wild Beast