MUSIC FROM THE AMERICAS CONCERT SERIES Presents
VERSUS 8 Percussion Ensemble
Percussion music in the Americas is one of the most exotic, visually attractive, and antique forms of expression since pre-hispanic times. Preserving, promoting and creating music for the percussion family of instruments is at the core of Versus 8’s mission through international collaboration with composers, performers, students, and cultural centers that contribute with their resources to the cycle of music, namely: creation, performance, and listening..
Versus 8 Percussion Ensemble offers a fresh perspective on modern and traditional percussion music. In its 16th anniversary Versus 8 has performed in numerous stages around Mexico and internationally in countries such as Paraguay, Cuba, and Luxembourg, USA and Spain.
Travesías is the title of Versus 8’s latest show, which is well-balanced in terms of form, style, and aesthetics of contemporary percussion music, including some of the most symbolic sounds of the beautiful traditional Mexican marimba.
PHOBIA I – BUATUCATTA (2015) Hugo Morales (1979)
THE EXERTING FORCES OF THEIA AND GAIA (2018) José-Luis Hurtado (Mexico, 1975)
DANZA ISORRÍTMICA (1996) Mario Lavista (Mexico, 1943)
RHYTHMIC STRUCTURE OF THE WIND IV (2007) Raúl Tudón (Mexico, 1965)
SON BULERÍAS (2002) Miguel Cruz (Mexico, 1976)
VERSUS 8
Carlos Barrón Valadez Andrés Gómez Jaimes Enrique Eldon Sterling García
Pedro Salvador Velasco artistic director
Santiago Vaquera-Vásquez: Imagining Something Better: Punk, Tejano, La Bamba, and Other Rolas from My Border Hi-Fi
Unrepentant border crosser, writer, ex-dj, and academic. Santiago Vaquera-Vásquez is an Associate Professor of US Southwestern Literatures, and Creative Writing in the Department of Spanish, and Portuguese at the University of New Mexico.
Music from the Americas presents “Scaling the Wall”
“Scaling the Wall” is a project that promotes works for flute by Canadian, American and Mexican ex-patriate composers. It seeks to showcase how contemporary composers connected to those countries have successfully bridged the political, cultural and geographic borders crossing the western 100th meridian. Featured composers’ works vary in style, instrumentation and compositional approach, but also illustrate the universality of music, regardless of nationality.
Music from the Americas presents Iracema de Andrade, cello
Brazilian cellist Iracema de Andrade is strongly committed to the music of our time. Her repertory includes pieces for solo cello, cello and electronics, as well as multimedia and improvisation.