The University of Michigan Creative Arts Orchestra will present a guest artist concert at the West Virginia University Creative Arts Center, Wednesday, Feb. 15, at 7 p.m. in the Bloch Learning and Performance Hall (200A). The event is free and open to the public.

The Creative Arts Orchestra is a large, creative improvisation ensemble that was founded by Professor Ed Sarath in 1986. It was among the first of its kind at any university.

The group is currently directed by Mark Kirschenmann. In the last 10 years, the orchestra has performed with Henry Grimes, Nicole Mitchell, Douglas Ewart, Oliver Lake, Robert Ashley, Tony Malaby, Vinny Golia, Gregg Bendian and Karl Berger.

The orchestra has also performed in master classes for Roscoe Mitchell, Pauline Oliveros, Sonny Fortune, Rashid Ali, Tim Berne, Roman Stolyar and Billy Bang, and appeared at major festivals including International Society for Improvised Music, International Association for Jazz Education (Chicago), Edgefest (Ann Arbor) and the Detroit Jazz Festival.

The orchestra is currently comprised of more than 20 graduate and undergraduate students who are majoring in jazz and/or classical performance, composition, education and music technology.

For more information, contact the College of Creative Arts at (304) 293-4359.

-WVU-

CONTACT: Charlene Lattea, College of Creative Arts
304-293-4359, Charlene.Lattea@mail.wvu.edu

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