What: A concert of work from College of Music professor Joseph Klein's CD/DVD Improbable Encounters
When: 8 p.m. March 18 (Tuesday)
Where: Voertman Hall in the UNT Music Building, 415 Avenue C, Denton
Admission: Free and open to the public
DENTON (UNT), Texas -- A College of Music faculty concert will feature works of acclaimed composer and UNT professor Joseph Klein.
The March 18 concert is tied to the release of Klein's newest CD and DVD, Improbable Encounters, which offers a retrospective of his works written over the past 30 years. Experimental in nature, Klein's music melds contemporary classical with computer-generated sound, poetry, mixed media and arresting visuals.
The concert is at 8 p.m. March 18 (Tuesday) in Voertman Hall in the Music Building, 415 Avenue C. Admission is free and open to the public.
Performances will feature UNT professors Susan Dubois, viola; Steven Harlos, piano; Elizabeth McNutt, piccolo; Stephen Morscheck, voice; Christopher Deane, percussion; and UNT doctoral student Kyle Stec, soprano saxophone. A 25-piece orchestra comprised of UNT students also will perform.
Pieces include a 20-year-old percussion concerto that is making its concert debut, a saxophone concerto, a solo piccolo piece and a poetry reading with computer-generated music.
One work, titled An Unaware Cosmos, pays homage to reason and rational thought, and to the freethinkers, scientists, philosophers, writers and political figures who devoted their lives to such noble pursuits, often at the risk of persecution and punishment, Klein said. The modular work features mixed ensembles, ranging from duos to full orchestra.
This will mark the first full recital of Klein's music in the 22 years he has worked at UNT.
"I am honored and excited to work with such talented faculty members and students, who are fantastic performers," Klein said. "With the release of my new album, this felt like the perfect time to host a faculty concert and feature some of my music."
About Joseph Klein
Born in Los Angeles in 1962, Joseph Klein is a composer of solo, chamber and large ensemble works, including instrumental, vocal, electroacoustic, and intermedia compositions. His music reflects an ongoing interest in processes drawn from such sources as fractal geometry, chaos, and systems theory, often inspired by natural phenomena. His works frequently incorporate theatrical elements, whether as a component of the various extra-musical references, or as an organic outgrowth of the musical narrative itself. Literature is another important influence on Klein's work, with recent compositions based on the writings of Franz Kafka, Elias Canetti, Alice Fulton, W.S. Merwin, Milan Kundera, and John Ashbery, among others. His music has been performed and broadcast internationally, and has been recognized by such organizations as the National Endowment for the Arts, the American Composers Forum/Jerome Foundation, the American Music Center, the Gaudeamus Foundation, and ASCAP. Klein holds degrees in composition from Indiana University, University of California, San Diego, and California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. His composition teachers have included Harvey Sollberger, Claude Baker, Robert Erickson, and Roger Reynolds. Klein is currently Distinguished Teaching Professor at the University of North Texas College of Music, where he has served as Chair of Composition Studies since 1999.
About the UNT College of Music
The UNT College of Music is one of the largest and most respected comprehensive music schools in the country. More than 1,600 music students attend UNT each year, participating in more than 50 widely varied ensembles and pursuing specialized studies in performance, composition, music education or music scholarship. UNT faculty members and students have made appearances on the world's finest stages and have produced numerous recordings, many receiving Grammy awards and nominations. Distinguished UNT alumni can be found around the globe, in top music ensembles, opera companies, universities and schools.