Concerto for Trio
Philip Gelb, Shakuhachi
Pietro Lusvardi, bass
Michael Strunk, drums
A unique combination of shakuhachi and string bass, combining two very different musical traditions comes together in an improvised setting based on Lusvardi's compositions.
Philip Gelb is one of a handful of shakuhachi players that focus on new music and frequently collaborate with composers for new works. He has studied shakuhachi with Kurahashi Yoshi, Ronnie Nyogetsu Seldin and Dale Olsen bai-o. He has performed throughout North America and in Europe and Japan as a soloist and in various ensembles, premiering numerous new works for shakuhachi solo and in varied ensembles. His recordings have been released on Deep Listening, Leo, Sparkling Beatnik, New World/Countercurrents, 482Music, Ryokan, Abray, Cultural Labyrinth and Limted Sedition. He has received grants from the Florida Arts Council, Meet the Composer and the Knight Ridder Foundation.
Pietro Lusvardi, born in Lugano Switzerland, studied music at the Conservatorio of Guiseppe Verdi in Milan(Italy) and earned his degree in 1997 with special emphasis in the contrabass. Since then, his Contrabass has carried him around the globe and led to performances with numerous musicians and orchestras, including the Romanian Philharmonic Oltenia of Craiova, the Cluy Napoca Orchestra and various prestigious orchestras throughout Italy and Great Britian. In conjunction with Maximilian Brooks, Lusvardi founded the award winning contemporary jazz ensemble Gatto Marte in 1994.. Lusvardi has recorded a compilation of solo performances entitled Progetto Contrabasso .
Michael Strunk has been a professional drummer-percussionist for over 25 years. His wide-ranging musical interests include jazz, musical theater, Afro-Cuban, Javanese gamelan, avant-garde and American traditional music. He also teaches world music and Latin American music at colleges in both California and Washington. His compositions have been performed by The Santa Cruz New Music Works, The Cabrillo Contemporary players, Gamelan Si Aptos, and the jazz-fusion group Pacific Rhy’m.
Cost: free