7:00 p.m. Composer’s Chat with Glen Velez
Five-time Grammy winner Glen Velez is the pioneer of the modern frame drum movement and a legendary figure among musicians and audiences worldwide.
Velez brought a new genre of drumming to the contemporary music scene by creating his own performance style, inspired by years of studying percussion and frame drumming from various cultures. His virtuosic combinations of hand movements and finger techniques complement his original compositional style, which incorporates stepping, drum language, and Central Asian Overtone singing (split-tone singing).
His rich artistic legacy is marked by collaborations with such diverse musicians as John Cage, Steve Reich, the Paul Winter Consort, Suzanne Vega, Maya Beiser, Tan Dun and Pat Metheny. The TA KA DI MI Project includes fellow frame drum virtuosi Shane Shanahan and Yousif Sheronick, vocalist Lori Cotler, and Indian flute master V.K. Raman.