USU's 'Museum and Music' Series Explores Indigenous Expressions for 2015

The Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art (NEHMA) at Utah State University kicks off its 2015-16 “Museum and Music” series with “Alaska Before the United States: The Music of the Russian Orthodox Church and John Luther Adams,” Friday, Oct. 2, at 8 p.m. in the museum on the USU Logan campus.

The USU Chamber Singers and conductor Cory Evans will be joined with an ensemble made up of percussion professionals from USU, the University of Utah, Utah Valley University and the Utah Symphony. The concert explores the complex layers of settlement and influence that define the history and culture of what is known today as the state of Alaska.

“This will be an unforgettable evening of music,” said Christopher Scheer, USU associate professor of musicology and curator for the series. “Inspired by Inuit culture, the concert raises questions about the definition of indigenousness by juxtaposing the music of Russian Orthodox churches, still dotting the inhabited landscape of Alaska, with music by John Luther Adams, a contemporary resident of the state.”

The “Museum and Music” series aims to connect the visual with the aural by presenting music that relates to artwork on view in the museum. In conjunction with the current exhibitions “Abstraction and the Dreaming” and “Transcendence,” the “Museum and Music” concerts for this season explore articulations of indigenousness across a number of different music genres and periods, from hip-hop to contemporary classical music to religious Russian music of the 19th century, said Katie Lee Koven, NEHMA executive director and chief curator.

“As always, the goal is to inspire a new understanding of the aural and visual by placing the musical events within the context of the exhibitions themselves,” Scheer said. “In so doing, the complex, and often contradictory nature of indigenousness cannot be reduced to simple binaries or convenient stereotypes, encouraging the participant to explore a deeper understanding of the similarities and differences that are articulated in daily life.”

“Museum and Music” is intended to be a casual event. Light refreshments will be served following the performance.

The “Museum and Music” series is presented in partnership with USU’s Department of Music and the Caine College of the Arts, with generous support provided by the Caine College’s differential tuition.

“Museum and Music” is free and open to the public.

NEHMA is located on the USU Logan campus and is open Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information see the museum’s website.

Contact: Katie Lee Koven, executive director and chief curator for the Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art, 435-797-0164, katie.lee.koven@usu.edu