Imagine 2001, a festival celebrating new music, kicks off its 29th year at The University of Memphis on March 21.
Harris Concert Hall will house the four days of performance, and this year will welcome international composers as well as some of the state's and University's very own.
Associate professor of music Frank Shaffer, looking back on past experiences, said he's most excited about Imagine's variety.
"It's fun to see what people are creating these days," Shaffer said.
With a cast of over 30, the Concert of New Works, featuring guest solo and collaborative pianist Vicki Ray, will get things going at 8 p.m. Wednesday. Fresh from the fall release of her latest CD, "From the Left Edge," Ray comes from the California Institute of the Arts, where she is also part of the acclaimed California E.A.R. Unit.
Festival coordinator, professor of music and associate director of graduate studies John Baur said Ray is "really dynamite."
Baur calls the Memphis Symphony Orchestra's Thursday engagement "a great treat."
"Very few festivals in the country have a professional orchestra," Baur said. "This is very distinct to our festival."
The Symphony, conducted by David Loebel, will playing its 12th festival at The University, and will be performing seven pieces. U of M students will take part in four of them. The concert will start at 8 p.m., and admission is free to students, $8 to the general public and $5 for senior citizens and non-U of M students.
The weekend will start with a Friday matinee at 3 p.m. and "Memphis Bluesoon," a work by assistant music professor Dale Clark. Clark said he was influenced by the early blues recordings of W.C. Handy from 1913.
Also highlighting will be the Memphis Brass Quintet and The U of M Percussion Ensemble.
Shaffer, ensemble conductor, said they are offering a rather exciting piece for the percussion group.
"There's a lot of interesting sounds and combos of drums," Shaffer said.
Set behind the continuous drumming, an electronic thunderstorm will provide the underlying beat, Shaffer said.
At 8 p.m. on Friday, the evening concerts will feature the U of M Contemporary Chamber Players conducted by graduate student David Shotsberger.
Amongst a cast of keys and double bass, Baur will perform "Four Strokes of Guitar," a piece taking a separate movement from four technical concepts.
Baur said works will range from a bizarre open-stringed tune study and rock inspired plucking and simultaneous hammering to fast -- scaled passages inspired by technique.
Clark said Saturday's guests, Beijing's Eclipse, have people talking.
"It's very exciting," Clark said. "The international element makes for a great festival."
From the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, China comes the second international performance in the festival's history. A string quartet and one pianist make up the Eclipse Ensemble, which will take the stage at 8 p.m.
"This will be an outstanding event," Shaffer said. "It's a very unique, cultural exchange."
Eclipse Ensemble, China's premier contemporary act, is fronted by Xiagang Ye, a leading modern Chinese composer. Ye, with students and faculty from the conservatory, plays traditional Chinese instruments and will perform works from the United States as well as China.
The Imagine 2001 New Music Festival is supported by Belz Enterprises, the College of Communications and Fine Arts, the School of Music and the Student Activities Council.
Call 678-3766 for more information.
