News
Meridian to mark 25th anniversary
with weeklong residency at UB
The Meridian Arts Ensemble will celebrate its 25th anniversary with a weeklong residency at UB.
The internationally renowned Meridian Arts Ensemble (MAE) will celebrate its 25th anniversary at UB next week with a weeklong residency featuring an informance, master class and composer workshop session, and concluding with a concert in Slee Hall.
The concert, the second performance in this year’s Slee/Visiting Artist Series, will take place at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 21 in Lippes Concert Hall in Slee Hall, North Campus. The concert is presented by the Department of Music in conjunction with The Robert & Carol Morris Center for 21st Century Music.
Advance tickets for the concert are $12 for the general public; $9 for UB faculty, staff, alumni and senior citizens; and $5 for students. At the door, tickets are $20, $15 and $8. Tickets can be purchased at the Slee Hall box office, at the Center for the Arts box office and at all Ticketmaster outlets, including Ticketmaster.com.
The performance will include a set of Meridian commissions by David Sanford and Dave Ballou, as well as music for large ensemble from the Baroque and Renaissance periods.
The ensemble consists of UB faculty member Jon Nelson, trumpet; Tim Leopold, trumpet; Daniel Grabois, horn; Benjamin Herrington, trombone; Raymond Stewart, tuba; and John Ferrari, drums. Joining the group for the concert will be special guests Adam Unsworth, horn; Dave Ballou, trumpet; and Gustavo Rosales, trombone.
The MAE’s residency is being presented in memory of Richard E. Nelson, and is made possible by a gift from Richard and Marie Nelson.
It will feature several events that will be free and open to the public:
- Informance: 4 p.m., Oct. 17, Baird Recital Hall, 250 Baird Hall, North Campus.
- Composer Workshop: 4 p.m., Oct. 18, Lippes Concert Hall.
- Master Class: 4 p.m., Oct. 19, Baird Recital Hall.
Founded in 1987, the Meridian Arts Ensemble has performed on four continents, in 49 states, on radio and television, in concert halls and clubs, and in every imaginable performance venue possible. It began as a traditional brass quintet, winning First Prize in the coveted Concert Artists Guild New York Competition in 1990. Shortly after, the group evolved into an adaptable ensemble with a core of brass and percussion, allowing it to further explore a diverse array of musical styles and influences.
The ensemble has commissioned more than 60 pieces, including landmark works from Milton Babbitt, David Sanford, Lei Liang, Su Lian Tan, Stephen Barber, Kirk Nurock, Dave Ballou, John Halle, Rob Maggio, Norman Yamada, Mark Applebaum, Ana Lara, Hermeto Pascoal, Tom Pierson, Dafnis Prieto, Nick Didkovsky, Elliott Sharp, and Kenny Wheeler. In addition to premiering hundreds of new compositions worldwide, the MAE also has been recognized for its regular performances of works by American composers, in particular those by Elliott Carter, Alvin Etler and Ira Taxin. Meridian is best known for its work with Frank Zappa shortly before his death, when brass chamber adaptations of his music were created by Jon Nelson, with Zappa’s guidance and approval.
The group has produced 10 critically acclaimed CDs and received numerous awards from the National Endowment for the Arts, Concert Artists Guild, Chamber Music America, the Mary Flagler Cary Trust, ASCAP, the Koussevitsky Foundation, the Aaron Copland Fund for Music, Arts International and the Netherland-America Foundation, among others.
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