Adelphi University is proud to present the world premier of two works by composer, performer, Assistant Professor Sidney Boquiren, entitled Odes to Earth & Air and We Will Not Be Silent. The multimedia concert will be performed on Saturday, October 16, 2010, at 8:00 p.m. in the Adelphi University Performing Arts Center (AU PAC), Concert Hall, 1 South Avenue, Garden City, NY.
Odes to Earth & Air is an innovative artistic work, comprised of poetry by Daniel Neer, video by Ted Gorodetzky, and music by Dr. Boquiren. Through words, sights, and sounds, the performance tells the story of French sculptor Camille Claudel (1864–1943) and her brother, the poet and diplomat Paul Claudel (1868–1955), two celebrated artists of the early 20th century. Although they were close throughout their youth, the siblings' relationship ultimately turned bitter and antagonistic, with Paul condemning his sister to a mental asylum for the last 30 years of her life. This work, projected to be a fully-staged chamber opera, depicts an encounter between the brother and sister in an imagined afterlife.
Dr. Boquiren has taught theory and composition as an Assistant Professor in Adelphi's Department of Music since 2004. His previous collaborative works as a composer and performer include The Civilized Captivity of a Primitive Existence and Four Songs. An accomplished pianist and vocalist, he regularly performs with the composer-performer collective pulsoptional (Durham, NC). He received his Ph.D. from Duke University, and was an Andrew F. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow at the Penn Humanities Forum of the University of Pennsylvania.
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Mr. Neer is a writer, singer, and actor who has performed in a wide variety of genres at venues including Carnegie Hall, The Apollo, the Guggenheim Museum, and Radio City Music Hall. Mr. Neer (baritone) will sing the role of Paul Claudel, with Ms. Abigail Fischer (mezzo-soprano) in the role of Camille Claudel and Mr. Adam Nielsen on piano.
The concert will open with the premiere of Dr. Boquiren's We Will Not Be Silent, an improvisational musical work that explores the interaction between acoustic and digitally processed sound. Conceived in response to recent tragic events, We Will Not Be Silent traverses a range of emotions including anger, loss, confusion, grief, helplessness and hope. Dr. Boquiren will perform this work on piano with Mr. Bryan Teoh on electronics.
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Individual tickets are on sale now for $15 to the general public or $7 to Adelphi students and can be purchased at the AU PAC Box Office. To learn more about AU PAC's 2010-2011 season, please visit aupac.adelphi.edu or call the AU PAC Box Office at (516) 877-4000.
Media Contact: Kali Chan, director of media relations for Adelphi University, (516) 877-4040, chan@adelphi.edu
