New music festival March 6-7 at WIU
February 28, 2023
Macomb, IL – The 36th Annual Western Illinois University School of Music New Music Festival will be held Monday-Tuesday, March 6-7. The festival’s main artists are Khasma Piano Duo and his visual artist Chris Craychee.
The duo commissioned six new works to be premiered on its program, with music by Meredith Monk. Hong-Da Chin and James Romig. Each new composition comes with video art created by Chris Craychee. This project is called “Trekking”.
“Trekking is a project inspired by people and nature moving through space and time,” says Ashley Mack, co-founder of Khasma Piano Duo and Director of Piano Studies at Knox College. “In honor of his 10th anniversary of Khasma and his 20 years of friendship, we decided to invite our favorite composers and artists. They all contribute to our lives in meaningful ways. and people we have come to love, respect and admire over the years.”
WIU Professor James Romig, co-director of the event, said for the first time in the festival’s history, one of the featured guest artists was not a composer or a performer.
“I think Chris’s stay here for a few days will give us all a chance to think about the concert experience from a different angle and a broader perspective,” said Romig. Each of the student composers integrates the videos into their own work, so there’s a lot for them to talk about during the Monday and Tuesday sessions.”
Craychee is a visual artist and freelance project manager/producer living and working in Pittsburgh, PA. His art incorporates painting, drawing, printmaking, writing, sculpture, photography, video, animation, performance, and nontraditional art such as synthetic carpets, gunpowder, ice cubes, googly eyes, aluminum foil, plastic toys, and chucks. media are used. -A-Luck wheels. He earned his BFA in Fine Arts from Carnegie Mellon University and has worked at Concept He Art He Gallery, Andy He Warhol Museum, Carnegie Museum of Art, Clear Story and Deeplocal.
Kazuma Piano Duo was formed in 2012 by Mack and Catherine Palumbo. The two have been performing together since they met at Bucknell University in 2000. With a shared enthusiasm for contemporary music, the duo has dedicated himself to performing and recording his 20th century and his 21st century works.
The duo’s concert tour has taken them all over the United States, playing at colleges, new music festivals, and conferences. Their albums Switchback and Time Likes To Pass are available on Amazon, iTunes and Bandcamp. Additional recordings are available on Innova and Navona Records.
Associate Professor Hong-Da Chin, co-director of the festival, said festival organizers were delighted to welcome Kasma Piano Duo to the campus for this year’s event.
“Hearing brand new works by six very different composers will be a rare and valuable opportunity for our students, and the wider music community.” It’s a remarkable performer who expresses it both beautifully and I find it particularly interesting to see how one video artist reacts to the incredible variety of music he’s interacting with.”
The 2023 New Music Festival will feature three concerts over the two-day event:
• Concert 1 – Monday, March 6, 7:30 PM – Video art by Kazuma Piano Duo and Craychee
• Concert 2 – Tuesday, March 7, 2:00 pm – Music by WIU student composers.
• Concert 3 – Tuesday, March 7, 7:30 PM – Video art by Kazuma Piano Duo and Craychee
In addition to concerts, the festival will feature lectures, panel discussions, masterclasses, workshops and other interactions with students, faculty and invited guests, connecting the community to the world of contemporary music.
For more information about the WIU School of Music, visit wiu.edu/music.
Contributor: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
University Communication & Marketing Office
