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2022 World Music Festival at NIU

2022 World Music Festival at NIU

2022 World Music Festival (School of Music) To celebrate Asian American Heritage Month this year, the world music program in School of Music collaborates with Asian American Certificate Program and Asian American Resource Center to curate its annual World Music Festival to showcase music cultures of Asian origins and to recognize the important contribution of Asian American performers to the U.S. artistry communities.

Below is the list of the concerts/events that will take place from April the 11th to the 16th:

April 11 (7:00pm, Concert Hall) Japanese Taiko Concert Japanese Taiko Concert - Northern Illinois University (niu.edu)
This concert will kick off NIU’s celebration for Asian American Heritage this year. Ho-Etsu Taiko is a community Taiko group based in Chicago. Fusing traditional Japanese taiko drumming styles with various contemporary musical idioms, Ho-Etsu taiko will collaborate with NIU graduate student in world music, Chih-I Hsiao on the erhu to showcase the diverse musical sounds of taiko.
Sponsorship: Asian American Resource Center (AARC), Office of Academic Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ADEI), School of Music

April 13 (6:30pm, Recital Hall) Chinese Music Concert Chinese Music Ensemble - Northern Illinois University (niu.edu)
Under the direction of well-known pipa (Chinese lute) master Wei Yang, NIU Chinese music ensemble will perform a concert of traditional Chinese silk and bamboo music and a variety of musical arrangements to showcase the bi-musicality of our student members in the Chinese music ensemble. Sponsorship: Asian American Certificate Program (AACP), AARC, ADEI, School of Music

April 14 (11:00am, Recital Hall) Japanese Shubukai Dance Concert Japanese Shubukai Dance Concert - Northern Illinois University (niu.edu)
Shubukai dance is a classical dance genre in Japan. In this concert, grandmasters of Shubukai, Fujima Shunojo and Fujima Yoshinojo will be accompanied by Tatsu Ayoki on the shamisen, three string lute instrument, to present traditional Japanese aesthetics in performing arts.
In addition to the performance, dancers and musician will share with NIU community the roles they play in preserving traditional Japanese arts and their essence to help strengthen the cultural ties between Japanese-Americans and their root in Japan.
Sponsorship: School of Art and Design, College of Visual and Performing Arts, AARC, ADEI, School of Music

April 14 (6:30pm, Recital Hall) Thai Music Concert Thai Music Concert - Northern Illinois University (niu.edu)
Officially offered as an ensemble first time in NIU since 2019, Thai music ensemble, under the direction of Prof. Chamni Sripraram, is a new addition to the already flourishing world music program in the school of music at NIU. In this concert, NIU Thai music ensemble will share stage with one of the three Thai music groups in higher education in the U.S., the Thai ensemble of Kent State University (Kent, Ohio) directed by Dr. Priwan Nanongkham. This is the first time these two college groups meet and perform in the same concert.
Various styles of music from Thailand, classical court music of central Thailand as well as folk music of northeastern region, will be featured.
Sponsorship: Thai Studies Funds, Center for Southeast Asian Studies, AARC, ADEI, School of Music
April 15 (6:30pm, Recital Hall) World Music Fusion World Music Fusion - Northern Illinois University (niu.edu)
This concert showcases musical idioms that are cross-road in nature, thus, can’t be labelled by any fixed terms existing in western classical music history. The highlights of this concert include a concerto for piano and central Javanese gamelan composed by Lou Harrison, a piano-duo replicating Balinese ceremonial music composed by Colin McPhee, and several new compositions created by music students in the School of Music. Audience will get to explore a brand-new fresh idea of music and sounds in this concert.
Sponsorship: AARC, ADEI, Center for Southeast Asian Studies, School of Music

April 16 (3:00pm, Concert Hall) World Music Concert World Music Concert - Northern Illinois University (niu.edu) The closing world music concert is a showcase of world music groups in the NIU community. It features gamelan ensemble, Thai music ensemble, Chinese music ensemble, Korean drumming group, Banda, Afro-Cuban folklore group, all part of the NIU Music School’s rich world music program and a community ukulele group, Wild Blue Ukulele ensemble.
Sponsorship: AARC, ADEI, Center for Southeast Asian Studies, School of Music

Music Building
07:00 PM - 08:00 PM, every day through Apr 16, 2022.
Music Building
School of Music, Northern Illinois University
DeKalb, Illinois 60115
8152179527
jcwang@niu.edu
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