On April 1st, 2002, the world-renowned trombonist, Abbie Conant, will
perform a concert comprised of two highly acclaimed  works written in
collaboration with the composer William Osborne, entitled "Street Scene for
the Last Mad Soprano" and "Music for the End of Time."  This
extraordinarily unusual and engaging evening will utilize their work with
performance art, computers, and trombone that they have been developing for
over two decades.  They will be traveling with their own 600 pound
surround-sound system that provides the highest quality sonic effects.
This concert is a rare opportunity to hear one of the world's finest
trombonists performing two widely respected works so unique they are
impossible to categorize.  (See the program notes below for brief
descriptions and links to websites with more information.)

As solo- trombone of the Munich Philharmonic, Ms. Conant lived through one
of the most astounding and well-documented gender discrimination cases in
the music world.  (German National Television made a 90 minute documentary
film about her experiences and broadcast it throughout Europe.)  It is a
remarkable story and might make an interesting article for you, especially
since it influenced the two works she will be performing.  For more
information and some details see Monique Buzzarte's article,  "We Need A
Man for Solo Trombone" on the web at:

<http:www.osborne-conant.org/buzzarte.htm>

The site contains links to additional articles in the _Washington Post_ and
_Wall Street Journal_ about Ms. Conant's experiences as well as
biographical materials.  If you would like to interview Ms. Conant and/or
obtain publicity photos you can contact her at:

[log in to unmask]



ABBIE CONANT IN PERFORMANCE
8:00 pm
April 1, 2002
University of Tennessee

Street Scene for the Last Mad Soparno  (1997)
(Intermission)
Music for the End of Time (1998)

Brief notes:

"Music for the End of Time", for trombone and quadraphonic surround-sound,
is in six movements based on St. John's  _Book of Revelation_. The
electronic music of the surround sound creates a sonic environment in which
the trombone is the central figure.  In this epcially-shaped work, Conant's
performance reveals all aspects of her instrument, ranging from expressions
of "divine wrath," to wild rhythmic unisons with the Four Horsemen of the
Apocalypse, to the gentlest, meditative lyricism. The movements:

I.    A Door Was Opened In Heaven
II.   The Sea of Glass
III.   The Four Horseman
IV.  As It Were of a Trumpet Talking
V.   The White Beast
VI.   A Woman Clothed with the Sun

"Street Scene For the Last Mad Soprano", a music theater work for
performance-artist and quadraphonic sourround-sound, demonstrates the wide
range of Conant's artistic skills as instrumentalist, singer and actress.
Imagine a down-and-out soprano living among the dumpsters behind the Met.
Tomorrow is her big audition at the Opera House, if only she could think of
what to perform.  She colors her world with opera excerpts, grandiose Swan
Songs and virtuosic escapades on her instrument-- but as she makes
preparations for her final big audition, we see that the brutality of the
street has long since caused the borderlines between life and opera to
blur.  In a word, "Street Scene for the Last Mad Soprano" explores the
belief that cultural identity is necessary for survival and that it is a
way of confronting our human condition.  For more details and photos of
this work see:  http://www.osborne-conant.org/Street.htm


ABBIE CONANT
received her Bachelor's Degree (cum Laude) from Temple University in 1977.
In 1976 she studied at Yale University, and in 1979 she received her
Master´s Degree from the Juilliard School, followed by a Meister diploma
from the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik in Cologne, Germany in 1984.  From
1979 to1980 she was solo trombonist of the Royal Opera of Turin, Italy.
>From 1980 to 1993 she was solo trombonist of the Munich Philharmonic. The
International Trombone Association Journal has featured Abbie Conant in a
cover article and described her as "in the first rank of world class
trombonists".  She has recorded a highly acclaimed CD of trombone and organ
music and performs internationally as a concerto soloist, recitalist,
improviser and performance artist.  In recent years she has performed as a
soloist in over 100 European and American cities.  In 1992 the
Baden-Würtemburg State Ministry for Education, in recognition of her
international reputation as a trombonist, named her Professor of Trombone
at the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik in Trossingen, Germany - the first
woman Prof. of  trombone in Germany.  In 1996 the 4200 members of the
International Trombone Association elected her as their President elect.
In August of 1998 she was the first woman to serve as a judicator for the
International Trombone Competition in Geneva, Switzerland.  She has
composed a series of music theater works concerning the Holocaust which
have been performed in Germany to large audiences with critical success.
For her most recent project, entitled "The Wired Goddess and her Trombone,
she is working with composers to create works for computer and trombone
based on the theme of the goddess.  To date twenty-eight works have been
written or are in progress, of which she has already premiered thirteen.

For more information about the work of Abbie Conant see:
http://www.osborne-conant.org

She will also be speaking to the class, "Sex Roles and Culture" in
Fletcher 113 at 1:00 on Monday, and presenting a master class on
Tuesday, April 2 at 1:45 in the Hayes Concert Hall.

For more information, call Jocelyn Sanders at 755-4601.