March 12: 6ixwire and the World
Master Players to present 'iMusic IX: 6ixwire and the World' concert
8 a.m., March 3, 2016--After their last Master Players Concert Series appearance in spring 2013, the world traveling 6ixwire will return to the University of Delaware to perform a large-scale concert titled “iMusic IX: 6ixwire and the World” at 5:30 p.m., Saturday, March 12, in Mitchell Hall.
Featuring violinist Xiang Gao, Trustees Distinguished Professor of Music at UD, and erhu soloist Cathy Yang, 6ixwire is the Master Players ensemble-in-residence.
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June 5: Blue Hen 5K
June 6-9: Food and culture series
Produced by Gao and co-sponsored by the UD’s English Language Institute (ELI) under the direction of Scott G. Stevens, iMusic IX features original works created with collaborators from the U.S., India, South Africa, Scotland, Japan, China and Turkey.
The international artists include:
- Kesivan Naidoo, Cape Town, South Africa, jazz composer and drummer;
- Sandeep Das, Indian tabla drums soloist, known as "the king of tabla" and leading member of YoYo Ma's Silk Road Ensemble;
- Catherine Doersch, Celtic drummer;
- Harini Vasudevan, Indian vocalist;
- Mike Penny, shamisen soloist (Japanese folk string instrument);
- Tom Palmer, who has prepared an arrangement of Let's Call the Whole Thing Off for 6ixwire and jazz band;
- Ezgi Elkirmis, hand drummer from Istanbul, Turkey;
- Gao, who has created compositions and arrangements in world music and folk rock style;
- Jennifer Margaret Barker, who has composed in Scottish rock style and been featured in John Anthony Palmer’s original films; and
- David Brinley, visual director and designer of art.
With original ideas, inspiring music, edgy visual art and memorable literature created by world-class artists and participating UD students, the concert features the world premiere of new music compositions with multimedia installations.
Tickets are $25 for adults; $20 for alumni, senior adults, staff and faculty; and $10 for students. Tickets can be purchased online, by phone at 302-831-2204, or in person at the REP Box Office in the Roselle Center for the Arts. Click here for directions and parking information.
Every Master Players concert in the 2015-16 season so far has been sold out before the day of the concert, including concerts featuring the Juilliard String Quartet in November and the Cory Band from Wales in February. Advance purchase is recommended.
Visit the Master Players website for parking and directions and information about new convenience features, including a free shuttle service for those who need assistance, time saving parking vouchers, and more.
About 6ixwire
Founded Gao and Yang, the Delaware-based 6ixwire ensemble aims to bring Eastern and Western culture together in creative concert productions that celebrate diversity while transforming the way classical music is experienced.
The ensemble has performed worldwide for four years at major concert halls and international celebration events, including a recent performance at the National Committee for U.S. China Relations gala in New York City, introduced by Henry Kissinger.
In May 2015, 6ixwire was awarded a prestigious residency partnership grant by Chamber Music America, a national non-profit organization that provides a variety of funding opportunities for small chamber ensembles in the U.S., in support of a new expanded outreach program that aims to serve people who otherwise may not be able to attend a classical music concert.
This program, co-presented by the Master Players Concert Series, sends 6ixwire to perform 15 free concerts at local community centers, including schools, medical facilities, senior centers and libraries in an effort to promote new chamber music and to bring music to the underserved communities in the region. A full schedule of these events, most of which are open to the public, will be published soon on the Master Players website.
Recognized as one of the world's most successful multifaceted artists of his generation from China, Gao’s musical integrity and virtuoso technique have gained accolades from audiences and reviewers around the world.
Gao was selected in 2007 by the Stradivari Society in Chicago to be a recipient of world famous Stradivarius violins for his international solo concerts. In 2014, he received the Governor’s Award in the Arts for his contribution in founding, producing and directing the Master Players Concert Series.
An internationally acclaimed erhu virtuoso, Yang is also a guzheng (Chinese zither) soloist and a former professor of music at the China Contemporary Cultural Academy.
Among other honors, Yang has been awarded top prizes at the Long Yin Instrumental Competition, the Tian Hua Erhu Competition and the Chinese Ministry of Culture Annual Music Competition, and earned the Chinese National Cultural Foundation Award.
Program partners
This program is made possible, in part, by a grant from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency dedicated to nurturing and supporting the arts in the state, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.
Other sponsors include Vita Nova restaurant at the University of Delaware and Marriott’s Courtyard Newark-University of Delaware. For a complete list of sponsors, visit the Master Players website.
Photo of 6ixwire by John Palmer