World-Renowned Violin Virtuoso Tracy Silverman to Perform Two Free Concerts in November

Fresh from his Oct. 16 Carnegie Hall appearance with the American Symphony Orchestra, Tracy Silverman, an internationally renowned violinist and electric violinist, will perform two free concerts as part of The University of Findlay’s 2015-2016 Music Bach’s Concert Series. Both events will be held on Nov. 6 and are open to the public.
The first concert will take place from 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. in the Alumni Memorial Union. This concert will be more informal, and attendees are encouraged to pack a lunch or purchase one at The Cave. Individuals are welcome to come and go as their schedules allow. The second concert will be held at 8 p.m. in Ritz Auditorium, which is located on the second and third floors of Old Main. This will be a traditional formal solo concert.
Tracy Silverman has been redefining the role of the violin in contemporary music by contributing to the development of the 6-string electric violin. He is an in-demand clinician, a faculty member at Belmont University in Nashville, and a favorite of critics. Anthony Tomasini from the New York Times has described his style as having “fleet, agility and tangy expressivity with wailing hints of Jimi Hendrix.” “Blazing virtuosity,” wrote the Chicago Tribune’s John von Rhein.
Lauded by BBC Radio as “the greatest living exponent of the electric violin,” Silverman’s groundbreaking work with the 6-string electric violin defies musical boundaries. Formerly first violinist with the innovative Turtle Island String Quartet, Silverman was named one of 100 distinguished alumni by The Juilliard School. Considered the world’s foremost concert electric violinist, Silverman has contributed significantly to the repertoire and development of the 6-string electric violin and the non-classical stylistic approach he calls “21st century violin playing”, inspiring several major concertos composed specifically for him, including Pulitzer winner John Adams’ “The Dharma at Big Sur”, premiered with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the gala opening of Walt Disney Concert Hall in 2003 and recorded with the BBC Symphony on Nonesuch Records with Adams conducting; legendary “Father of Minimalism” Terry Riley’s “The Palmian Chord Ryddle,” premiered by Silverman with the Nashville Symphony in Carnegie Hall in 2012 and recorded by Naxos Records; and Kenji Bunch’s “Embrace” concerto, co-commissioned by nine orchestras and premiered by Silverman in 2013.
Shortly after graduating in 1980, Silverman built one of the first ever 6-string electric violins and set his own course as a musical pioneer, designing and performing on an instrument that did not previously exist. Silverman’s eclectic career has spanned work with the world’s premier symphonies and conductors, including the Detroit Symphony, Montreal Symphony, Adelaide Festival Orchestra, Cabrillo Festival, conductors Esa-Pekka Salonen, Marin Alsop, Neeme Jarvi among many others, as well as recording with the rock band Guster, contemporary music’s Paul Dresher Ensemble, jazz legend Billy Taylor and most recently on his new Delos/Naxos CD, “Between the Kiss and the Chaos,” with the acclaimed Calder Quartet.
Silverman is currently touring internationally as a soloist with orchestras, with his solo “Concerto for One” performances, “Concerto for Two” with five-time Grammy winner Roy Wooten, with his rock ensemble, “Electica” and with pianist Philip Aaberg and cellist Mike Block as part of the Three Part Invention.
For more on Silverman, visit his website at www.tracysilverman.com.
Ritz Auditorium is accessible by elevator located at the southwest corner of Old Main.
Both concerts are presented by The University of Findlay’s Campus Program Board, a student-led group that strives to bring high-quality, diverse entertainment to campus. Call 419-434-4606 for more information.