The Brigham Young University School of Music will host two unique musicians in guest recitals this week. Both performances are free:
• Percussionist and dulcimerist Matthew Coley will perform Wednesday, Oct. 12, at 7:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall.
The program consists of a micro-concerto for a percussionist and a mixed quartet, as well as two pieces composed by BYU faculty member Neil Thornock and an arrangement of “Moonlight Sonata.”
Coley is a kinetic sound artist and has had a professional modern dance career in Chicago but also has been entertaining audiences on almost any percussion instrument. As a kinetic sound artist, he has won marimba competitions, published compositions, performed multi-percussion concertos, been featured as a cimbalom and dulcimer artist and soloed as a glass percussionist.
He is a professor of percussion at Iowa State University and has presented concerts and master classes all over the United States and as far away as Denmark, Germany and Sweden. He has recently released a solo marimba album, “Circularity,” that has received very positive praise.
In addition to marimba and percussion, Coley spends much of his musical time performing on dulcimer and cimbalom, and much of his work has been committed to expanding the contemporary repertoire for the dulcimer and percussion. He has commissioned and premiered more than 25 marimba, percussion or dulcimer works.
• Latif Bolat, one of the most renowned Turkish musicians in North America, will perform Thursday, Oct. 13, at 7:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall.
The concert will consist of traditional Turkish music sung and accompanied by Bolat. By creating an intimate, almost "storytelling" atmosphere, Bolat will explain Turkish folk and mystic music and its sociopolitical and cultural elements. The performance will both entertain and invite the audience to ponder questions such as how major sociopolitical factors influence culture and the art it produces.
Bolat has presented concerts and lectures at colleges, universities, performing arts institutions and festivals across the United States, Canada, England, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Bulgaria, the Philippines, Scotland, Singapore, Indonesia and Turkey. With a vast repertory that includes songs in classical, folk and Sufi mystic music styles, he accompanies his singing on the baglama (long-necked lute) and various other traditional instruments from the Turkish folk music tradition.
He is a native of the Turkish Mediterranean town of Mersin. He received his degree in folklore and music in Turkey and taught traditional music throughout the country before moving to the United States.
For more information, contact Ken Crossley at (801) 422-9348 or ken_crossley@byu.edu.
Writer: Charles Krebs
