“Forging” the Way to Success

Mon, 03 Nov 2003 05:00:00 -0500
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Exploring the Sonic Landscape

Performing classical music�whether by Bach, Stravinsky, Mozart or a host of others�presents tough challenges for concert artists, who not only learn the music’s notes, but also master phrasing, articulation and other elements to bring the music to life. But for performers of contemporary classical music (or “new music” in the common parlance�music written in the past 10 or 20 years), the challenge intensifies: the music is often unfamiliar and far more difficult to play. Sometimes learning just a few seconds of music can take repeated hours or days of rehearsal.

At UMBC, Department of Music performance faculty relish the opportunity to study and perform new music. Two years ago, several faculty banded together to form Ruckus, a group dedicated to performing contemporary music. The newest member is violinist Airi Yoshioka, who joined the department this fall. She describes working with the ensemble as “an eye opening experience…Playing with Ruckus is all about being in the moment and tapping into one’s creativity. Although I’ve played a lot of new music, I previously hadn’t been challenged to improvise as extensively or even compose a portion of a piece.” Other members of Ruckus include flutist Lisa Cella, cellist Franklin Cox, percussionist Tom Goldstein, clarinetist E. Michael Richards, and pianist Kazuko Tanosaki.

By providing an opportunity for intensive collaboration and investigation of new music, Ruckus functions as a research laboratory for the Department of Music. Says Richards, “It’s a rigorous environment. Working closely with each other, and often with composers, helps each of us broaden our insight and understanding.”

In addition to its concerts in the campus’ Fine Arts Recital Hall, Ruckus has extended the visibility of music at UMBC by performing at the University of Virginia, the University of Maryland, College Park, Hartwick College, and the Smithsonian Institution¹s Freer Gallery of Art. This Thursday, November 6, Ruckus will play at the Baltimore Museum of Art as part of the Museum’s First Thursdays program.

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Ruckus will perform twice at the Baltimore Museum of Art on November 6. At 6:30 p.m., the group will present pieces by Fluxus composers, and a concert at 8:00 p.m. will include John Cage’s Variations II and music by Randolph Coleman and Louis Andriessen. Information is available on UMBC’s arts calendar.