February 28, 2008
8 p.m.
UMBC Fine Arts Recital Hall

Contact: Thomas Moore
Director of Arts & Culture
410-455-3370
tmoore@umbc.edu

Note: You may view or download this release as a pdf file.

UMBC's Department of Music presents baritone Thomas Buckner in concert with pianist Joseph Kubera on Thursday, February 28, at 8 pm in the Fine Arts Recital Hall.

Their program will feature the world premiere of a work by Dan Joseph for baritone and hammer dulcimer, with text by Lou Harrison; the premiere of a work by Stuart Saunders Smith, and works by Robert Ashley and Matthias Kaul.

For more than three decades Thomas Buckner has championed music of the avant-garde in America and throughout the world as a performer, producer, and promoter. A former student of the legendary Metropolitan Opera baritone Martial Singher, he was trained in the classical tradition and has continued throughout his distinguished career to broaden the scope of his vocal styles, specializing in a wide range of experimental music. Buckner has collaborated with a host of new music composers including Robert Ashley, Roscoe Mitchell, Wadada Leo Smith, Noah Creshevsky, Annea Lockwood, Bun-Ching Lam, David Wessel, Tom Hamilton, Leroy Jenkins, Phill Niblock, Matthias Kaul and many others. He has made solo appearances at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Harvard University, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Edinburgh Festival, the Prague Spring Festival, and the Biennale Festival in Venice, presenting a repertoire that includes more than 100 compositions, written for, or dedicated to him.

Thomas Buckner has participated in more than 40 recordings, including five solo albums: Full Spectrum Voice (1991), Sign of the Times (1994), Inner Journey (1998), His Tone of Voice (2001), and Contexts (2006), which features solo improvisations as well as improvised duets including the distinguished artists Borah Bergman (piano), and David Darling (cello). This disc also includes the work Ilex by Earl Howard, who provides an electronic accompaniment in conjunction with Gustavo Aguilar (percussion), and Wu Man, (pipa). The entire discography features newly commissioned works by an impressive array of composers including Annea Lockwood, Somei Satoh, Alvin Lucier, Muhal Richard Abrams, Blue Gene Tyranny, Brian Smith, David Behrman and many others, who utilize Buckner's wide range of musical styles. The baritone works as an energetic concert producer as well, presenting many facets of new music deserving recognition. For the past eighteen seasons, Buckner has curated the Interpretations series with the World Music Institute in New York City. He also has created the Mutable Music record label to produce new recordings and reissue some important historic recordings, previously unavailable in CD format. The impressive catalog includes recordings by Randy Weston, Roscoe Mitchell, Borah Bergman, Jerome Cooper, Earl Howard, Noah Creshevsky, and Tom Hamilton.

Hailed by Village Voice critic Kyle Gann as one of "new music's most valued performers," pianist Joseph Kubera has been a leading interpreter of contemporary music for the past 25 years. He has been soloist at such festivals as the Berlin US Arts and Inventionen festivals, the Warsaw Autumn and Prague Spring. In the U.S. he has performed at UC Berkeley's Edgefest, Carnegie Hall's When Morty Met John, and Miami's Subtropics Festival. He has been pianist in residence at the Ostrava New Music Days (Czech Republic) since its inception in 2001. Mr. Kubera has been awarded grants through the NEA Solo Recitalist Program and the Foundation for Contemporary Performance Arts.

Admission
Admission is $7 general, $3 for senior citizens, free for all students, and free with a UMBC ID.
Tickets are available through MissionTix at www.missiontix.com or by calling MissionTix at 410-752-8950.
Tickets will also be available at the door (cash or check only) immediately prior to the concert.

General Public Information
UMBC Arts Website: http://www.umbc.edu/arts

Directions
-- From Baltimore and points north, proceed south on I-95 to exit 47B. Take Route 166 toward Catonsville and then follow signs to the Fine Arts Building.
-- From I-695, take Exit 12C (Wilkens Avenue) and continue one-half mile to the entrance of UMBC at the roundabout intersection of Wilkens Avenue and Hilltop Road. Turn left and follow signs to the Fine Arts Building.
-- From Washington and points south, proceed north on I-95 to Exit 47B. Take Route 166 toward Catonsville and then follow signs to the Fine Arts Building.
-- Daytime metered visitor parking is available in Lot 10, near the Administration Building. Visitor parking regulations are enforced on all University calendar days. Hilltop Circle and all campus roadways require a parking permit unless otherwise marked.
-- Online campus map: http://www.umbc.edu/aboutumbc/campusmap/

Images for Media
High resolution images for media are available online:
http://www.umbc.edu/newsevents/arts/hi-res/
or by email or postal mail.