NOW Ensemble to Give Lecture, Concert at UT Oct. 5

On Wednesday, Oct. 5, The University of Tampa will welcome NOW Ensemble for a discussion of their music in the afternoon, followed by a performance in the evening. Both events are free and open to the public.

With a unique instrumentation of flute, clarinet, electric guitar, double bass and piano, NOW Ensemble is a dynamic group of performers and composers dedicated to making new chamber music for the 21st century.

At 4 p.m., at a lecture titled “The Music of NOW Ensemble: Creating a Unique Ensemble Sound in the 21st Century,” members of the ensemble will give an overview of the works written for them over their 12-year history, including the origin of the group’s instrumentation and an analysis of specific works written by ensemble members, and then lead a discussion on the role of small chamber ensembles in defining new sound in the 21st century. The lecture will take place in Reeves Theater on the second floor of the Vaughn Center.

Then at 7:30 p.m., the ensemble will give a performance in the Sykes Chapel and Center for Faith and Values. Also performing will be the UT Interactive Arts Ensemble, premiering a new work that explores sign language, color and sound as a means of communication.

First formed in 2004, one of NOW Ensemble’s main goals has been to create a musical paradigm in which continuous collaboration between composers and performers is taken as a given. Over the years, NOW has worked with more than 60 of today’s most exciting composers, and has performed at such venues as Miller Theater, Merkin Hall, the Bang on a Can Marathon, The Kitchen NYC, Cal Arts, MIT and Julliard.

For more information, contact Bradford Blackburn, associate professor of music, at bblackburn@ut.edu.