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Subject: Kennedy Center Premiere
Author: BrentMD@aol.com at SMTP
Date: 1/25/96 11:19 PM
PRESS RELEASE * PRESS RELEASE * PRESS RELEASE * PRESS RELEASE
(300 words)
Brent Michael Davids
CANYON SUNRISE
It's not often that a Native American is featured at the prestigious Kennedy
Center in Washington DC, but Composer Brent Michael Davids is making his
third showing there! In 1992, Davids performed his Moon of the Falling
Leaves with the famous Joffrey Ballet, and in 1995, the world-renown Kronos
Quartet opened their concerts with his Singing Woods for enthusiastic crowds.
Both groups have now performed these works in dozens of major cities around
the world. As a result, Davids is busy working on his third commission for
the Kronos Quartet to be premiered later this year.
This time around, the Kennedy Center will be featuring Davids new work CANYON
SUNRISE written especially for the National Symphony Orchestra. CANYON
SUNRISE commemorates the 65th Anniversary of the National Symphony Orchestra
and the 25th Anniversary of the Kennedy Center. Composed as a fanfare for
Native America, SUNRISE is a musical celebration for both the ancient and
contemporary residents of a southwestern canyon. From night crickets to
morning birds, the music portrays the glow of dawn as it begins to shine into
the rocky crevasses. CANYON SUNRISE is a carefully crafted composition that
combines the "song" techniques of Native Americans with the "developmental"
techniques of Western-European music. With flutes and percussion instruments
spaced into three separate groups, the unusual spatial arrangement mimics the
sound of echoes in a deep canyon. Brent Michael Davids is widely recognized
for his innovative approaches to composing music as well as his self-designed
instrument creations. Brent Michael Davids is an enrolled member of the
Mohican Nation.
CANYON SUNRISE is scheduled for 1996 performances on February 22, 23, 24 &
27, at the Kennedy Center. Contact Angie Gutierrez at the National Symphony
Orchestra for details: 202/416-8108.