Happy Saturday!
One of the great things about the weekend is there are lots of opportunities to listen to music across the country.
If you are in Miami this weekend, stop by the University of Miami Frost School of Music to enjoy the music of one of our performers, Gene Knific, at his Senior Recital.
Who: Gene Knific, jazz piano
Where: Clark Recital Hall in the Weeks Center for Recording and Performance (University of Miami Frost School of Music)
When: Sunday, March 23, 2014 at 2 p.m.
How much: Free
We were able to catch up with Gene and gain some insight into his performance:
How did you choose the featured works in your Senior Recital?
My senior recital will feature a pretty eclectic repertoire, from traditional jazz standards, to early 20th century classical works arranged for my trio, to my own compositions, and everything in between. I think I am a pretty eclectic musician and composer and wanted to stretch myself to feature as many of my abilities as possible.
I think the most unique thing on the program will be my interpretations of older classical works by Fauré, Ravel and Hindemith. I will be presenting them with the unique instrumentation of piano, bass, and drums, while improvising in the style of each composer.
Who do you find to be the most inspirational to you as a composer?
It would be impossible to pinpoint a single person or composer that is the most inspirational to my composing, but some of my favorite composers include Beethoven, Fauré, Ravel, Bartok, Duke Ellington, Pat Metheny and Thom Yorke. I also draw inspiration from all types of artists – poets, visual artists and filmmakers – and also from my friends and family.
What do you want listeners to get out of your Senior Recital?
What I want to do most with my recital is to bridge gaps between different styles of music that I enjoy listening to and playing. I hope that my recital will open up the listeners’ minds to music that they might not initially like or know much about. I also hope that they will connect to the music emotionally and be moved by it.
What are you looking forward to in your future career as a musician?
I am looking forward to continuing to work with incredible musicians and artists and expanding my own depth as a musician and artist.
In the near future, I am looking forward to completing a documentary that I am working on with support from the Knight Foundation. Featuring the works of five young artists from Michigan of different mediums, I will be scoring the documentary and it will include my recently composed string quartet.
If you are not in Miami or unable to make it to the performance but still want to view the concert, you can watch the live stream for free here.
