Department of Music

The McIntire Department of Music will present a colloquium by Fernando Rocha on Friday, September 11th, 2015 at 3:30pm in Old Cabell Hall room 107. This event is free and open to the public.

Fernando Rocha is Professor of Percussion at Federal University of Minas Gerais/Brazil. His doctoral work at McGill University focused on his thesis topic: ‘Works for percussion and computer-based live electronics: aspects of performance with technology.’ He is a Visiting Scholar at UVa this year, working on the project, ‘The concert as a work of art: A holist approach to the creation and performance of a full length solo percussion concert.’ As part of this project, he is particularly interested in exploring collaboration as fundamental to the creative process: with composers / audio artists / video artists.

At this colloquium, Fernando will discuss his expertise as a percussionist and how this can inform the creation of new works and new instruments. He approaches electronics from the performer’s perspective, with attention to instruments’ individual characteristics and context. This has an important influence on his creations, affecting the processes of gestural acquisition and mapping. To illustrate this in practice, Fernando will present some of his past projects, including participating in the McGill Digital Orchestra, performing and creating digital musical instruments such as the T-stick and the hyper-kalimba, and performing the repertoire for percussion and electronics (including many commissions).

Old Cabell Hall is located on the south end of UVA's historic lawn, directly opposite the Rotunda.  (map) Parking is available in the central grounds parking garage on Emmet Street, in the C1 parking lot off McCormick Rd, and in the parking lots at the UVA Corner.  Handicap parking is available in the small parking lot adjacent to Bryan Hall.

All programs are subject to change.

For more information please call the McIntire Department of Music at 434.924.3052.