Two New Duos For Clarinet & Percussion: Valerie Coleman and Fred O.

CONCERT of two new duos for clarinet (Mariam Adam) and marimba (JiHye Jung) by Grammy-winning composer Valerie Coleman and Fred Onovwerosuoke "Fred O." This event will feature a lecture by Fred O on the background of his "Exotic Dances" as well as a world premiere performance of these two pieces. This project will not only enrich the performing arts by expanding the repertoire for clarinet and percussion, but it will also help encourage women composers working in a historically male dominated field. As two leading classical female performers, our synergy will show the pacesetting the industry needs while contributing to the repertoire as a legacy point.

For Vanderbilt University, it publicly identifies our institution as a forward-thinking collaborator in the arts, anxious to spur the conception of new music. This project signals that we are contenders in recognizing the need for better representation of women in classical music with a collaborative effort to ensure the legacy of the Colloquium. Our premiere performances of the new work will expand into a set of events—through the innovative model of an “INFORMANCE” presentation—which will engage with Vanderbilt students, faculty, and staff, as well as the larger Nashville community, including a lecture by the composers and/or an interview with both the composers and the performers, and an exhibition of visual artifacts associated with the new piece.

Valerie Coleman is regarded by many as an iconic artist who continues to pave her own unique path as a composer, GRAMMY®-nominated flutist, and entrepreneur. Highlighted as one of the “Top 35 Women Composers” by The Washington Post, she was named Performance Today’s 2020 Classical Woman of the Year, an honor bestowed to an individual who has made a significant contribution to classical music as a performer, composer or educator. Her works have garnered awards such as the MAPFund, ASCAP Honors Award, Chamber Music America’s Classical Commissioning Program, Herb Alpert Ragdale Residency Award, and nominations from The American Academy of Arts and Letters and United States Artists. Umoja, Anthem for Unity was chosen by Chamber Music America as one of the “Top 101 Great American Ensemble Works” and is now a staple of woodwind literature.

Fred Onovwerosuoke “FredO” is a multiple award-winning composer, born in Ghana to Nigerian parents, with works featured in audio recordings, films, and radio, including Robert De Niro's film, “The Good Shepherd.” A prolific composer with diverse works for piano, solo voice/choral, chamber groups, orchestra, and various ensembles, his book “Twenty-four Studies in African Rhythms for Piano” is considered one of the most-demanded African-rhythm influenced piano studies known. (Pulled from www.fredomusic.com)