[PAST EVENT] Andrea Clearfield: "Compositions Inspired by Tibetan Music"

November 28, 2012
7:30pm - 8:30pm
Location
Reves Center for International Studies, Reves Room
200 S Boundary St
Williamsburg, VA 23185Map this location
Clearfield will describe her Tibetan music fieldwork which inspired recent commissioned compositions.

The discussion combines issues of creativity, ethnomusicology, anthropology, and Tibetan Buddhism. This remote region has only been open to foreigners since 1990 and one still needs a government permit to enter. Upper Mustang is the highest kingdom in the world and is one of the last remaining enclaves of pure Tibetan culture.

Clearfield will share audio and film footage from both fieldwork and the creative work that was inspired by it. One of those pieces is "Tse Go La" for double chorus, electronics and chamber orchestra.

Finally, Clearfield will reflect on issues of her personal creativity as an American composer as she intersects with this complex and distinct region.

Andrea Clearfield is an award-winning composer of music for orchestra, chorus, chamber ensembles, dance, and multimedia collaborations. Her works are performed widely in the U.S. and abroad. Among her 90 works are ten cantatas for voices and orchestra, one of which was commissioned and premiered by The Philadelphia Orchestra.

Clearfield received her doctoral degree in composition from Temple University where she was honored as a distinguished alumna. She served on the composition faculty at The University of the Arts for 25 years. Active as a pianist, she has performed with numerous groups including the Court of the Dalai Lama and plays keyboards in the Relache new music ensemble. She is also the founder and host of the renowned Philadelphia Salon concert series now celebrating its 26th year featuring contemporary, classical, jazz, electronic, dance, and world music and winner of Philadelphia Magazine's "Best of Philadelphia" award. She is currently working on two operas.

Free and open to the public.