21CMposium includes opening Guest Artist Concert by Kronos Quartet Sept. 10

Friday, September 2, 2016

The international 21CMposium that the DePauw University School of Music has been "busting chops" on for more than a year is about to unfold.

The three-day gathering of thinkers, performers and arts leaders will convene Sept. 9-11 at the Green Center for the Performing Arts on the DePauw campus.

As conference registration has surpassed expectations, some events have sold out. Tickets are still available to the opening Green Guest Artist Concert by the Kronos Quartet at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 10 -- the premiere event during the symposium to be staged in the center's largest venue, the 1,400-seat Kresge Auditorium.

Among the standout events offered during the Sept. 9-11 DePauw School of Music international 21CMposium will be a concert by the legendary Kronos Quartet -- David Harrington (violin), John Sherba (violin), Sunny Yang (cello) and Hank Dutt (viola)-- whose Saturday, Sept. 10 performance will include a world premiere by Native American composer Raven Chacon, from the group's Fifty for the Future project.

Individual tickets are still available for $15 in advance and $20 the day of the concert.

Heralded by The New York Times as having revolutionized the approach to string repertory, the original members of the Kronos Quartet made an indelible mark on the classical crossover scene in 1986 with a string interpretation Jimi Hendrix's "Purple Haze."

Joseph McLellan, writing for The Washington Post, commented, "This group is absolutely amazing -- not merely because of the superb technique with which it tackles the challenging contemporary repertoire, but even more for the breadth of vision that matter-of-factly and quite correctly includes Jimi Hendrix."

Since the release of that debut album (with program notes by 21CMposium presenter Greg Sandow), the ensemble has gone on to be recognized as the only recipients of both the Polar Music Prize and the Avery Fisher Prize, two of the most prestigious awards given to musicians. The group's numerous awards also include a Grammy for Best Chamber Music Performance (2004) and "Musicians of the Year" (2003) from Musical America.

The School of Music is particularly honored to serve as the presenter for the ensemble's innovative multi-media performance on Saturday, which includes a world premiere by Native American composer Raven Chacon, from the group's Fifty for the Future project, of which DePauw is a commissioning partner.

Two exciting elements of the upcoming 21CMposium, the Friday night performances by Decoda, DePauw's 2016-17 ensemble-in--residence, and LAUNCH: Emerging Artist Showcase, have already sold out. Any unclaimed seats to these events will be made available on a first-come, first-served basis shortly before the performance.

"I anxiously await the arrival of colleagues from across the country who have been leading a sea of change in their respective worlds," symposium director Mark Rabideau remarked. "There are extraordinary things happening across the country.

"I look forward to welcoming visitors who are making the pilgrimage from distances as far away as Japan, India, France, Greece and Egypt. Their global perspectives on the future of music are critical to this discussion."

To join the 21CMposium conversation online, visit 21cm.org. Tickets to the Kronos concert can be obtained online also, at www.brownpapertickets.com, and in person at the Green Center box office, beginning one hour prior to the performance.

All-Access Season Passes will be available for sale through Saturday, Sept. 10. Individual tickets and season passes continue to be free for seniors, youth and all students, thanks to sponsors Judson and Joyce Green

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