MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -- Internationally recognized trombonist and performance artist Abbie Conant will visit MTSU March 16-17 for a free public musical presentation and public lecture as part of the university's National Women's History Month celebration.
Conant will present composer William Osborne's "Aletheia" at 8 p.m. Monday, March 16, in Hinton Hall, located inside MTSU's Wright Music Building at 1439 Faulkinberry Drive in Murfreesboro.
The multifaceted performance features a singer/instrumentalist and computer-controlled piano with staging, props, trombone playing, singing and acting. "Aletheia," composer Osborne has said, is one of several ancient Greek words for truth and means "creating a space where truth can appear."
"It's really difficult to describe what Conant does," said David Loucky, professor of trombone and euphonium in MTSU's School of Music. "She has become known for performing these monumental pieces that defy description. You could call it 'trombone-opera' or 'performance art' or 'music theater.'
"It is a one-woman show that is not improvised but acted, sung and played on the trombone with piano accompaniment. Her performances really fall into their own unique genre. I can't imagine anyone else performing something like this."
Conant also will present a lecture, "You Sound Like a Ladies Orchestra! My Experiences with Gender Discrimination and How I Have Responded with My Art," at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 17, in Room 101 of the Saunders Fine Arts building, located at 629 Normal Way adjoining the Wright Building.
Conant's lecture will cover her 11-year legal battle with the Munich Philharmonic, which demoted her from first trombone in the orchestra and refused to pay her equally with her male colleagues in a series of actions that a judge called "indecent."
She teaches at Germany's Trossingen University of Music and performs and provides master classes worldwide. Her two-day MTSU residency is part of a 17-city spring tour of U.S. universities.
"We're excited that they were able to schedule this visit as part of MTSU's celebration of Women's History Month," said Loucky. "This presentation will provide a highly unusual experience for all attendees."
The School of Music and the MTSU National Women's History Month Committee are sponsors of Conant's March 16-17 campus residency.
