UW Department of Music to Host Drummer Ari Hoenig Oct. 22

World-renowned drummer, composer and educator Ari Hoenig will be in residence at the University of Wyoming Oct. 22-24.

The UW Department of Music’s Jazz Studies program will host his visit.

Hoenig will teach three master classes: Tuesday, Oct. 22, at 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. and Thursday, Oct. 24, at 1 p.m. in the Buchanan Center for the Performing Arts. He will perform with the Wyoming Jazz Ensemble Thursday, Oct. 24, at 7:30 p.m. in the Performing Arts concert hall.

Tickets for the concert cost $12 for the public, $8 for senior citizens and $6 for students. Tickets are available at the Performing Arts box office and the Wyoming Union information desk, by calling (307) 766-6666 or by going online at www.uwyo.edu/finearts.

The Wyoming Jazz Ensemble will premiere Hoenig’s compositions, arranged by Ben Markley, Wyoming Jazz Ensemble director and UW Jazz Studies director.

“Ari has helped to forge a new rhythmic language in modern jazz and, in the process, established himself as a distinct voice in this music,” Markley says.

Hoenig is known for his unusual and intense approach to drumming, emphasizing complex rhythms in direct harmony with other group members, and for elevating drumming as an indispensable part of the performance. He also is known for his unique ability to modify the pitch of a drum by using drumsticks, mallets and parts of his body, such as his hands and elbows. Using this technique, he can play any note in the chromatic scale, virtually any melody and improvise on a chord structure in the same way as any other instrumentalist would.

Hoenig was exposed to classical and folk music at an early age. His father was a choral conductor, and his mother was a violinist. He played both piano and violin as a child, then rock and metal drums as a teen before settling into jazz and improvised music.

He has recorded, written and produced 12 CDs as a leader. He has written and published three educational books, four educational DVDs and a songbook.

Hoenig has performed or recorded with numerous jazz artists, including Richard Bona, Chris Potter, Shirley Scott and Kenny Werner.

For more information, call Kathy Kirkaldie, UW Fine Arts coordinator, at (307) 766-6666 or email kirisk@uwyo.edu.