CONTEMPORARY MUSIC FESTIVAL MARKING 25TH YEAR FEB. 6-9

From: Media Relations

Performance from the festival's first night, Feb. 6
January 26, 2005

HARRISONBURG — Two internationally acclaimed composers will join an accomplished pianist and a string quartet at James Madison University for the 25th annual Contemporary Music Festival, to be held Sunday through Wednesday, Feb. 6-9.

More festival photos may be viewed at JMU Photography Services.

Composers Robert Dick and Ofer Ben-Amots, pianist Carsten Schmidt and the Chester String Quartet will participate in concerts, informal presentations, master classes and lectures as guests of the JMU School of Music.

"This year's festival highlights the interaction between composition and performance," said Jason Haney, an assistant professor of music at JMU and a member of the festival organizing committee.

In addition to his composition talents, Dick is known worldwide as a creative virtuoso, redefining the flute by creating new visions of its musical role to stand with the instrument's established music. Dick, a member of the New York University faculty, has recorded 20 CDs of original solo and chamber music by fellow composers and performers. As a composer, his work has been recognized with a Koussevitsky Foundation commission, a Guggenheim Fellowship and two composer fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Ben-Amots, who teaches music composition and theory at Colorado College, is the recipient of many awards for his compositions, which are performed regularly throughout Europe, Israel, Canada, the United States, South America and Japan. His composition's have earned him honors as the winner of the 1994 Vienna International Competition for Composers, the 1988 Kavannagh Prize, the Gold Award at South Africa's 1993 Roodepoort International Competition for Choral Composition and the 1991 Kobe International Competition for Flute Composition in Japan. Also a gifted pianist, Ben-Amots was awarded first prize in the Chet Piano Competition at age 16.

Carsten Schmidt, an occasional guest of the School of Music, teaches at Sarah Lawrence College in New York. He and the members of the Chester String Quartet, the quartet-in-residence at Indiana University at South Bend, will perform in concerts throughout the festival. The Chester String Quartet has earned top prizes at international competitions in Munich, Germany, and Portsmouth, England, as well as in Chicago's Discovery Competition.

Admission is free for all lectures and the Student Composers' Recital Wednesday, Feb. 9. Admission to all other concerts is $2 at the door.

The complete Contemporary Music Festival schedule follows.

SUNDAY, FEB. 6:
  • Concert, 3 p.m., Wilson Hall Auditorium: Features JMU choirs, JMU Percussion Ensemble and guest artists the Chester String Quartet and pianist Carsten Schmidt; 2 p.m., pre-concert conversation with Ofer Ben-Amots and JMU music Professor John Hilliard.

    MONDAY, FEB. 7:
  • Concert, 8 p.m., Wilson Hall Auditorium: Features Robert Dick, flute; 7 p.m., pre-concert conversation with Dick.

    TUESDAY, FEB. 8:
  • CMF-Visiting Scholars Program Lecture, 9:30 a.m., Wilson Hall Auditorium: Ofer Ben-Amots presents "Celestial Dialogues."

  • Lecture, 11 a.m., Wilson Hall Auditorium: Robert Dick presents "An Independent Career: Being Ahead of the Curve."

  • Concert, 8 p.m., Wilson Hall Auditorium: Features chamber music selections performed by JMU School of Music faculty and the Chester String Quartet.

    WEDNESDAY, FEB. 9:
  • Lecture, 12:20 p.m., Room 305, Taylor Hall: JMU music Associate Professor James Hiatt presents "Music Theory: What's it Good For?"

  • Recital, 5 p.m., Anthony-Seeger Auditorium: Features JMU student compositions.

  • Concert, 8 p.m., Wilson Hall Auditorium: Features chamber music selections performed by the Chester String Quartet and pianist Carsten Schmidt.

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