Grants awarded for Heartland Marimba Quartet residency
MINOT, N.D. – The Minot State University Division of Music, Minot Symphony Orchestra, and Minot Public Schools have received grants from three arts organizations in support of an April 23-25 residency at Minot State of the Iowa-based Heartland Marimba Quartet.
The cooperative project includes a workshop for middle school and high school student percussionists, a free public recital, and a concerto performance with the Minot Symphony Orchestra.
Minot Public Schools applied for and was awarded a $1,250 Special Project Grant from the ND Council on the Arts; the project has been granted $1,000 from the Arts Midwest Touring Fund and $650 from the Percussive Arts Society. Additional support will be provided by the Minot State University Division of Music through its Northwest International Festival of Music. Other co-sponsors of the event are the Magi Drumline and Minot State Percussive Arts Club.
The Heartland Marimba Quartet (HMQ), headquartered in Waterloo, Iowa, was established in 2016 and is comprised of founder Matthew Coley plus Michael J. Jones, Joe Millea, and Ujjal Bhattacharyya. The group’s mission is to develop and disseminate the classical marimba art form in both academic and community contexts. Their appearance in Minot is one stop in a spring 2020 concert tour through Wisconsin, North Dakota, Minnesota, and Iowa.
An HMQ workshop and 2 p.m. performance at Minot State’s Ann Nicole Nelson Hall on April 24 will be part of the official 2020 Percussive Arts Society ND Day of Percussion. On Saturday, April 25, HMQ will be featured guest soloists with the Minot Symphony Orchestra, performing the “Marahuaka” marimba concerto by maestro Efraín Amaya and “Journey for Marimba” by Coley. The symphony’s season finale, “The Titan,” will begin at 7:30 p.m. at Ann Nicole Nelson Hall. A complete schedule of residency events is available from minotsymphony@minotstateu.edu.
The ND Council on the Arts (NDCA) receives funding from the state legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts in support of local arts funding. Established by Congress in 1965, the National Endowment for the Arts is a public agency dedicated to supporting excellence in the arts, both new and established; bringing the arts to all Americans; and providing leadership in arts education.
Based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Arts Midwest is one of six nonprofit regional arts organizations in the United States. Its mission is to promote creativity, nurture cultural leadership, and engage people in meaningful arts experiences throughout the states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and beyond. Inter-state touring and the engagement of professional artists is central to the work of Arts Midwest. The Arts Midwest Touring Fund is a program of Arts Midwest supported by the National Endowment for the Arts with additional contributions from NDCA and the Crane Group.
The Percussive Arts Society (PAS) is the world's largest percussion organization and is considered the central source for information and networking for percussionists and drummers of all ages. Established in 1961 as a non-profit, music service organization, its mission is to inspire, educate, and support percussionists and drummers throughout the world. Through the activities of local chapters, PAS encourages each state to hold an annual Day of Percussion.
About Minot State University
Minot State University is a public university dedicated to excellence in education, scholarship, and community engagement achieved through
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| Published: 02/20/20 |
