The Music of Francis Schwartz featuring USF faculty members Jay Hunsberger, Calvin Falwell, Jay Coble, Tom Brantley, Andrew Karr, and others as well as a world premiere for brass chamber ensemble. 



Come meet one of the world's leading composers of avante-garde "musical theater" and hear several 

of his compositions including "Wolfgang's Frolics", "Grey Road", and "The Headless Glory of Andre

 Chenier". 



Writing about one of Schwartz's compositions one critic wrote: "It took Francis Schwartz, an

American composer and noted 'polyartist', to open the windows on this occasion to let in a breath of

fresh air. For his Daimon II the performers had to communicate through body language beyond their

particular musical instruments. Rhythmic audible breathing, clapping and stamping added to the

sound picture. Grimacing, including silent screaming, made us aware that what is not articulated in a

given context is as important as what is worked out explicitly and audibly. The audience was drawn

into the performance by Joel Sachs, encouraged to participate with loud breathing and noisy

stamping. Even in its limited way (we remained rather decorous and muted) this was liberating.

Schwartz had opened the door as if to say 'we are here, come in and have some fun. It is not all

doom and gloom inside this ivory dungeon!' This work also leads one to question classical music's

staid conventions, or rituals, of audiences sitting silently in rows, immobile and passively receiving 

earfuls of sound."



Schwartz's powerful "On the State of Children" will be presented by Andrew Karr, horn and Jay

Hunsberger, tuba. Dealing with violence against children spanning the gamut from Nazi atrocities 

through Matthew Shepard this performance (a premiere of this version of the composition) is sure to 

have a profound effect on the audience.