Saxophonist, composer and Wesleyan professor Anthony Braxton is known worldwide for his contributions to contemporary music. On the event of his 60th birthday, Wesleyan University's Center for the Arts, Music Department, and a wide array of scholars, students and professional musicians have joined forces to perform and examine his work with a festival in three parts.

This website will be updated with the most current festival information, so check back soon.

Part I: Wednesday through Saturday, Sept. 14-17

Wesleyan Music Department Colloquium
Wednesday, September 14, 4:15pm
Daltry Room (Rehearsal Hall 003)
Free Admission

Braxton scholar Hugo de Craen from Antwerpen University in Belgium presents his paper, "Braxton and Kandinsky : Symbolists of the Spiritual".

Anthony Braxton: Solo Saxophone
Thursday, September 15, 8pm
Crowell Concert Hall
Tickets: $10 A, $8 B, $5 C

Anthony Braxton presents a rare solo saxophone concert comprised of his language music compositions.

Composition 103 for 7 Trumpets and the Diamond Curtain/Wall Trio
Friday, September 16, 8pm
Crowell Concert Hall
Tickets: $10 A, $8 B, $5 C

A World Premiere, featuring the 7-piece Braxton Trumpet Ensemble: Taylor Ho Bynum, Tim Byrnes, Peter Evans, Sam Hoyt, John McDonough, Kelly Pratt, Nate Wooley, followed by a U.S. premiere of the Diamond Curtain/Wall Trio: Anthony Braxton (reeds, electronics), Tom Crean (electric guitar) and Taylor Ho Bynum (brass).

Ghost Trance Twelvetet with Electronic Components
Saturday, September 17, 8pm
Crowell Concert Hall
Tickets: $10 A, $8 B, $5 C

Braxton and his current core ensemble of collaborators explore his unique music system. Anthony Braxton (reeds, electronics, compositions), Taylor Ho Bynum (brass), Andrew Raffo Dewar (reeds), Elizabeth Panzer (harp), Jessica Pavone (viola, violin), Jane Rigler (flutes), Reut Regev (trombone), Jay Rozen (tuba), Sara Schoenbeck (bassoon), Aaron Siegel (percussion), Carl Testa (contrabass), Libby Van Cleve (oboe, english horn).

Part II: Wednesday through Sunday, Nov. 16-20

Four concerts of Braxton's complete works for solo piano, performed by Belgian pianist Genevieve Foccroulle in the Wesleyan Memorial Chapel.
Tickets: $10 A, $8 B, $5 C.

1st Concert of Complete Piano Works Cycle
Wednesday, November 16, 8pm

2nd Concert of Complete Piano Works Cycle
Friday, November 18, 8pm

Composition 171 for piano
Saturday, November 19, 8pm

3rd Concert of Complete Piano Works Cycle
Sunday, November 20, 3pm

Part III: Wednesday through Saturday, Dec. 7-10

Anthony Braxton's Large Ensemble
Wednesday, December 7, 8pm
Crowell Concert Hall
Tickets: $5 A & B, $4 C

Professor Braxton's student ensemble performs his large ensemble music.

Anthony Braxton Alumni Concert
Friday, December 9, 8pm
Crowell Concert Hall
Tickets: $10 A, $8 B, $5 C

Alumni of the Wesleyan Music program and Professor Braxton's ensemble return to campus for a performance of his early compositions.

Orchestra Music
Saturday, December 10, 8pm
Crowell Concert Hall
Tickets: $10 A, $8 B, $5 C

The concert finale of Braxton's Birthday Celebration will feature the as-yet unrecorded Comp.24 and Comp.83 for orchestra, performed by the Braxton Festival Orchestra.

Pre-Concert Talks

The Braxton at 60 festival will feature pre-concert talks with specialists and notable music scholars discussing varying aspects of Anthony Braxton's work.

"Braxton and Jazz: IN the Tradition"
Friday, September 16, 5pm
Daltry Room (Rehearsal Hall 003)
Free admission.

Pre-concert talk by music scholar Kevin Whitehead
(Author of New Dutch Swing).

"The Improviser's Enigma"
Wednesday, November 16, 5pm
Wesleyan Memorial Chapel
Free admission.

Pre-concert talk by Yale Professor John Szwed
(Author of Space is the Place: The Lives and Times of Sun Ra).

"Growing Young with Braxton's Music: A Retrospective Look Forward"
Wednesday, December 7, 5pm
Daltry Room (Rehearsal Hall 003)
Free admission.

Pre-concert talk by music scholar Mike Heffley
(Author of The Music of Anthony Braxton and Northern Sun, Southern Moon: Europe's Reinvention of Jazz).

"The Friendly Experiencer's Quest from Composition 82 to the Genome Project : An attempt at decoding the trajectory"
Saturday December 10, 5pm
Daltry Room (Rehearsal Hall 003)
Free admission.

Pre-concert talk by Braxton scholar Hugo de Craen from Antwerpen University in Belgium.

Ongoing, Sept. - Dec. :
Syntactical Ghost Trance Performances

Throughout the duration of the festival, at locations and times to be specified on this website, aspects of Braxton's music system will be performed in public spaces throughout the Wesleyan University campus, bringing his work into direct contact with the community.

Thursday, November 17th 4pm
Glass Corridor near "Wes Shop"
Wesleyan University, Middletown CT
Free Admission

Rachel Thompson (violin), Kyle Brenders (tenor saxophone), Jonathan Zorn (electric air organ, electric bass)

Thursday, December 8th 3pm
Olin Library lobby
Wesleyan University, Middletown CT
Free Admission

Anne Rhodes (voice), Carl Testa (bass, bass clarinet)

Price Key:
A: General Admission
B: Seniors/Wesleyan Faculty & Staff/Non-Wesleyan Students
C: Wesleyan Students

Wesleyan Center for the Arts :
860-685-3355
www.wesleyan.edu/cfa
boxoffice@wesleyan.edu

Wesleyan University Music Department

 


Site last updated September 13, 2005.