Laura Schwendinger’s Aviary for Percussion Ensemble with Piano Presented on December 5 at University of Wisconsin - Madison

For Immediate Release

Contact: Jeffrey James Arts Consulting

516-586-3433 or jamesarts@att.net

The Western Percussion Ensemble, Anthony Di Sanza, director, will perform Laura Schwendinger's Aviary, or the songs of imaginary birds, for percussion ensemble with piano on Tuesday, December 5, 7:30 PM at the Mead Witter School of Music’s Mills Concert Hall on the campus of University of Wisconsin - Madison, 455 N. Park St. in Madison, Wisconsin. 

The composer writes, “In Aviary, we hear a sound world that imagines a walk through an imaginary zoo after hours. Following the closing bells, we hear strange birds such as the “Night Twinklers,” “Storkmeister of Bavaria,” and “Johnny One Note.” Halfway through, the birds find their voice and begin a cacophony that only the closing bells of the Aviary seems able to stop.”

“The work was written for and premiered by the percussion ensemble Clocks in Motion in November, 2016, but dedicated to Anthony Di Sanza who made this performance with his wonderful students possible.”

More about the December 5 concert and Western Percussion Ensemble at http://www.music.wisc.edu/event/western-percussion-ensemble-4/.

The first composer to win the American Academy in Berlin Prize, Laura Elise Schwendinger, is a Professor at University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her music has been performed by leading artists, including Dawn Upshaw (on tour 1997-2013) and on Voices of Our Time, (a TDK/Naxos DVD), Janine Jansen, Matt Haimovitz, the Arditti and Jack Quartets, The Choir of Trinity Wall Street, the New Juilliard Players, the Franz Liszt chamber orchestra and the American Composers Orchestra, at venues including Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Alice Tully at Lincoln Center, Wigmore Hall, the Berlin Philharmonic, the Théâtre du Châtelet, the Ojai, Aspen, Tangelwood and Ravinia music festivals, and Off-Broadway in the acclaimed Sounding Beckett Project. Her music has been recorded for the Albany and Centaur labels. Her website is at http://www.lauraschwendinger.com/.

For photos or press inquiries, please contact Jeffrey James Art Consulting at 516-586-3433 or jamesarts@att.net.

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