Arts Administration, part of The Department of Art at the University of Virginia, welcomes Professor Bill Cole and the Untempered Ensemble for an Artist-in-Residence program from November 14 – 17, 2022, including concerts at the Memorial to Enslaved Laborers, the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center, and the Dome Room of the Rotunda.

** Canceled **  Tuesday, Nov. 15 at 5:00 pm | Memorial to Enslaved Laborers, UVA Grounds | FREE

Wednesday, Nov. 16 at 7:30 pm | The Jefferson School African American Heritage Center | FREE

Thursday, Nov. 17 at 7:30 pm | The Dome Room of the Rotunda, UVA Grounds | FREE ( this venue may change - please check back on the evening of the event)

The Untempered Ensemble includes members of Indigenous American (Wabanaki and Nipissing), Asian-American, and African-American descent. The musicians play a wide variety of wind, string and percussion instruments from six different continents offering audiences the opportunity to form a world view of sound. The Ensemble is a living embodiment of the oral tradition as members span generations with artists in their 70s and 80s playing alongside those in their 20s and 30s. The Untempered Ensemble, with links to each member, includes:

(Leader) Bill Cole – Asian Double Reeds, Australian Didgeridoo, African Wooden Flute

Joseph Daley – Low Brass

Warren Smith – African, Caribbean and Western Percussion

Taylor Ho Bynum – Cornet, Trumpet, Conch Shell

Ras Moshe Burnette – Saxophones & Flute

Althea SullyCole – West African Kora

Mali Obomsawin – Acoustic Bass

Olivia Shortt - Baritone Saxophone

The Untempered Ensemble is believed to be among the first Guest Artists to perform at the Memorial to Enslaved Laborers. As members of minority communities, the musicians recognize the significance of performing in a space that is dedicated to honoring those whose presence has often been rendered invisible by the retelling of history. The Jefferson School was a Freedmen’s School that opened in 1865 and was the only Black high school in Charlottesville until 1951. Conversely, the Rotunda, and the University as a whole, remained a “Whites Only” space until the late 1950s. The musicians wish to reclaim these historical places and introduce audience members to the power of global music in a modern age.

Each of the three venues has unique acoustical properties and each performance will contain unique pieces composed with those spaces in mind. No concert program will be repeated.

This residency is supported by UVA Arts Council, Office of the Provost and Vice Provost for the Arts, UVA Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, The Department of Art, the Department of Music, the student-run Spectrum Theater, the Charlottesville Jazz Society, the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center, WTJU Radio and by private donations.