percussioNM at U of New Mexicoperforming at PASIC 2012Christopher Shultis assisted by the University of New Mexico Percussion Ensemble, Scott Ney, director, will present The Process of Discovery: Interpreting Child of Tree by John Cage - Focus Day Performance at this year's PASIC 2012 conference in Austin, Texas - Thursday, 11:00 a.m. Shultis's work SIXTY-FOUR STATEMENTS RE AND NOT RE CHILD OF TREE is based on spoken texts about music pre-recorded by an ensemble, and then
played back variously during the performance. Texts are drawn from the writings of
John Cage, and also by the composer. This work and others are available in the collection Experimental Music and Writings, by Christopher Shultis, published by ACA.
Distinguished Professor Christopher Shultis's
career began as an orchestral musician, first with the Lansing Symphony
and then the Santa Fe Opera. He was Principal Percussionist for the New
Mexico Symphony (1980-1986) and Principal Timpanist for the Orchestra
of Santa Fe and Santa Fe Symphony (1980-1994). In 1980, he became
Director of Percussion Studies at the University of New Mexico. He received an ASCAP Deems Taylor Award in 1997,
was awarded two Fulbrights to Germany, and in 2010 delivered the 55th
Annual Research Lecture, “the highest honor UNM bestows on its faculty.”
Shultis's compositions are published by the American Composers Alliance
and a CD, Devisadero: Music from the New Mexico Wilderness, is available through Navona Recordings.
Scott Ney has
been on the faculty at the University of New Mexico since 1998 where he
is Associate Professor of Music and Director of Percussion. He directs
the UNM Percussion Ensemble, percussioNM, UNM Marimba Band, and is
co-director of the UNM Steel Band.
percussioNM
is one of four chamber percussion ensembles at the University of New
Mexico. The ensemble focuses on performing classic and new percussion
literature and working with contemporary composers and artists.
