"There are no two points so distant from one another that they cannot be connected by a single straight line -- and an infinite number of curves."
Composer Lawrence Dillon has produced an extensive body of work, from brief solo pieces to a full-length opera. Partially deaf from birth, Dillon grew up in a bustling household with seven older siblings. He began composing as soon as he started piano lessons at the age of seven. In 1985, he became the youngest composer to earn a doctorate at The Juilliard School, and was shortly thereafter appointed to the Juilliard faculty. Dillon is now Composer in Residence at the North Carolina School of the Arts, where he has served as Music Director of the Contemporary Ensemble, Assistant Dean of Performance and Dean of the School of Music.
Dillon's music, in the words of American Record Guide, is "lovely...austere...vivid and impressive." His works are recorded by Albany Records, Channel Crossings and CRS, and published by American Composers Editions. He is represented by Jeffrey James Arts Consulting.
Percussionist/composer Michael Udow is here this week for performances, workshops and a recording session. I attended a concert last night that was a joint affair between the Philidor Percussion Group and the NCSA Percussion Ensemble, featuring Udow’s works.
Though it’s not really my cup of tea (I have a hard time getting excited about five minutes of sandpaper scraping, no matter how clever the rhythmic relationships may be), I’m so glad we have him here, so the students can work with a terrific guy who has a lot to share both artistically and professionally. In particular, I like having the students exposed to viewpoints that are very different from mine, which sure beats me trying to cover all the bases myself.
The part of the concert that really grabbed me, though, was the West African and Indian music played by members of Philidor. The tabla, mrdangam and jembe have such a rich range of tones; in the hands of real masters they can be revelatory.
posted by Lawrence Dillon
7:06 AM