Philip Glass Curates "In The Spirit" For Garrison Institute 10th Anniversary on October 24 in NYC!

[Samara Shwidock]

PHILIP GLASS CURATES IN THE SPIRIT FOR GARRISON INSTITUTE 10TH ANNIVERSARY

Philip Glass brings to New York a Special Benefit Concert for the Garrison Institute Celebrating Music from the World's Greatest Traditions featuring The Pomerium, Wu Man, Omar Faruk Tekbilek and more!

On October 24th at The Town Hall in New York City

New York, October 16, 2013 - Under the artistic direction of Philip Glass, In the Spirit features an extraordinary exploration of genres, great spiritual and cultural traditions stretching from Tibet and China to Africa, the Middle East, and the West. Glass will be joined by an array of acclaimed musicians to help celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the Garrison Institute. Held on October 24th at The Town Hall in New York City, In The Spirit will help highlight the importance of the Garrison Institute and its mission to the wider public.

Among the many phenomenal presentations set to feature on the night, In The Spirit will proudly host the New York Premiere of Songs of Milarepa, a work by Glass, set to the poems of Milarepa (1052-1135), one of Tibet's most famous saints and poets. In this version, Songs of Milarepa will be performed by prize-winning Nelson Padgett (protégé of Leon Fleisher) and by acclaimed baritone Gregory Purnhagen (Le Belle et la Bete, Galileo Galilei, Monsters of Grace, Einstein on the Beach and Hydrogen Jukebox.) both of whom are part of the Philip Glass Ensemble. Glass will also perform on the night with renown Mandingo musician, Foday Musa Suso. Known for his hypnotic performances of the traditional Mandingo music, Foday Musa Suso will be performing traditional griot (oral historian/praise singer) music.

In the Spirit will also feature The Pomerium vocal ensemble who will be performing a series of five pieces including, among others, Ave Maria (Josquin Desprez ca. 1452-1521), O vos omnes (Carlo Gesualdo 1567-1613) and Thomas Tallis' In eiunio et fletu and Derelinquit impius. The 15-member ensemble have been heralded by the Wall Street Journal as the "most venerable of New York's early music vocal ensembles which early music vocal groups are measured." Riyaaz Qawwali will perform the ecstatic improvisational Sufi vocal tradition made famous in the West by the late Pakistani singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. The Qawwali music dates back to the 13th century, characterized by powerful vocals (similar to gospel in a call-and-response manner).

The night will also feature music from Omar Faruk Tekbilek, one of the finest Turkish musicians performing on the ney (bamboo flute). Accompanied by his son Murat Tekbilek on the frame drum, Omar Faruk will perform mystical Sufi music of the Middle East including Yunus (a classical Sufi song with lyrics by Yunus Emre, a 13th century Sufi poet). And finally, Wu Man, Musical America's 2013 Instrumentalist of the Year and celebrated Chinese pipa virtuoso and interpreter of the Chinese repertoire and contemporary pipa music will be joined by the Scorchio Quartet (a cutting-edge string quartet of the Tibet House Benefit Concerts produced by Philip Glass) to perform traditional Chinese music and original compositions by Philip Glass.

The night will be a wonderful celebration of talented musicians and world music all benefiting the Garrison Institute's mission to help solve pressing social and environmental challenges of our time. Speaking on the Institute, Glass says, "Fifty years from now ...I can't believe the world will be livable without these institutions as they become important places to seed ideas, to develop ideas...places that provide leadership and inspiration."

About the Garrison Institute:
Located on the Hudson River an hour north of New York City, the Institute develops contemplative-based programs that integrate the wisdom from deep reflection with scientific research to help solve the pressing social and environmental challenges of our time.  Working in the fields of climate change, education and trauma, the Institute is dedicated to creating a more compassionate and resilient future through personal and social transformation.

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