BGSU Festival Series continues with NEXUS

BOWLING GREEN, O.—Bowling Green State University’s College of Musical Arts will host the percussion group NEXUS at 8 p.m. Oct. 8 as part of the 2009-10 Festival Series. The concert will be in Kobacker Hall of BGSU’s Moore Musical Arts Center.

 The Toronto-based group will perform “Chess Pieces” and “Dance Music for Elfrid Ide” by John Cage, “Prelude – Winter Song,” by Gordon Stout, “Drumming Part 1” and “Music for Pieces of Wood” by Steve Reich and “Kebjar-Bali” by William Cahn. 

The first entirely improvised NEXUS concert, in 1971, marked the formation of a group that would touch and entertain people of all levels of musical learning, in all genres of percussion music. The ensemble stands out in the contemporary music scene due to its innovation and diversity, as well as an impressive history of collaborations and commissions. NEXUS’s revival of the 1920s novelty ragtime xylophone and its influential improvisatory ideas set the group apart from other percussionists.

The ensemble has embarked on tours of Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Brazil, Europe and, frequently, the United States and Canada. NEXUS is the first Western percussion group to perform in the People’s Republic of China. The group has also participated in several international music festivals.

NEXUS was asked to create the musical score for the National Film Board’s “Inside Time,” which won the 2008 Yorkton Golden Sheaf Award for best social/political documentary and the 2008 Robert Brooks Award for cinematography. CBS, PBS and CBC are among the networks that have featured the ensemble.

As part of its festival appearance, the group will participate in a three-day residency, which will include a master class from 7-9 p.m. Oct. 6 in Kobacker Hall. The class is free and open to the public.

Tickets for the concert are $36, $28 and $20 for adults and $29, $22 and $15 for students. There will be a $3 service charge on all tickets. For more information, call the box office at 1-800-589-2224 or 419-372-8171. Hours are noon-6 p.m. weekdays.

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(Posted September 22, 2009 )