Music “The Challenge of World Music for the Creative Musician” by Ned Rothenberg

The Amherst College Department of Music presents a lecture/workshop by clarinetist, composer and improviser Ned Rothenberg titled “The Challenge of World Music for the Creative Musician” on Thursday, April 2, at 4 p.m. in Room 3 of Arms Music Center at Amherst College.

For musicians and nonmusicians alike, Rothenberg’s presentation addresses an important question: How can the Western composer/improviser address philosophical, technical and aesthetic issues that arise from the consideration of foreign traditions in a way that isn’t superficial or exploitative? The event is free and open to the public.

Ned Rothenberg has been internationally acclaimed for both his solo and ensemble music, presented for the past 33 years on five continents. He performs primarily on alto saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet and the shakuhachi, an end-blown Japanese bamboo flute. His solo work utilizes an expanded palette of sonic language, creating a kind of personal idiom all its own. In an ensemble setting, he leads the trio Sync, with Jerome Harris, guitars, and Samir Chatterjee, tabla; works with the Mivos string quartet playing his Quintet for Clarinet and Strings; and collaborates around the world with fellow improvisors. Recent recordings include this "Quintet," "The World of Odd Harmonics," "Ryu Nashi" (new music for shakuhachi) and "Inner Diaspora," all on John Zorn's Tzadik label, as well as "Live at Roulette" with Evan Parker, and "The Fell Clutch," on Rothenberg’s Animul label.

Later the same day, Rothenberg’s group Inner Diaspora performs on the Magic Triangle concert series at 8 p.m. at Bezanson Hall at the Fine Arts Center at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Details are available at https://fac.umass.edu/Online/NedRothenberg.

For more information, contact Professor Jason Robinson at (413) 542-8208 or jrobinson@amherst.edu.

Photo credit: Caroline Forbes