New Music Winner: Christian Erickson at ARTCORE
Dates: (4/19/2015 )
ARTCORE |
330 South Center Street
Casper,WY WY 82601
Phone: (307) 265-1564
SUBMIT UPDATES
Christian Erickson is the coordinator of music theory and music technology at Sheridan College. His compositions consist of a wide variety of works spanning various idioms in vocal, instrumental, and electronic media, and have been performed by soloists and ensembles throughout the United States.
Dr. Erickson holds degrees in music theory and composition from the University of Colorado-Boulder, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and the University of Wyoming. Among his teachers were James Cook in piano and Gary Smart, Randall Snyder, and Luis Jorge Gonzlez in composition.
Ericksons honors include several student academic citations, various regional and national composition prizes, including a Wyoming Arts Council Performing Arts Fellowship.
Although Dr. Ericksons creative output is central to his activity as a musician, he considers his students a vital and integral part of his work as well. Several of them have distinguished themselves by winning awards in original composition, sound design for theatre, and admission into competitive academic programs. For Dr. Erickson, the success of his students is one of the most rewarding aspects of teaching, and he considers it a privilege to be a facilitator for them.
Composers Note:
The Matachina dance, or Danza de Matachines, is a ritual dance performed with masks and elaborate costumes. The tradition originated in Spain as a celebration of the expulsion of the Moors in 1492. Missionaries introduced the dance to the indigenous peoples of the New World as an exemplary symbol of Christian victory over their Muslim occupiers. Today these dances are still practiced in the American Southwest and Mexico, although the interpretation and meaning of the ritual varies greatly.
For thematic material for a new composition, I became interested in adopting several Matachina accompaniment tunes that were described in musicologist J. D. Robbs article The Matachines Dancea Ritual Folk Dance. Robb created field recordings of a solo fiddler named Pete Maese performing several of these dances, which he then transcribed in music notation for his article. These recordings of Maeses exuberant performances suggested strings as an appropriate medium, and the intimacy and agility of a string quartet made it a logical choice for an ensemble for which to compose.
Cast and Creative team for New Music Winner: Christian Erickson at ARTCORE
Christian Erickson
Videos
|
Bright Star
Central Wyoming College (3/13 - 3/23) | ||
| VIEW SHOWS ADD A SHOW | ||
Recommended For You
Get Casper's #1 Newsletter
Get the best news & discounts for Casper & beyond.
