VIC FIRTH ARTIST
GWEN BURGETT THRASHER

Gwendolyn Burgett Thrasher is assistant professor of percussion at the Michigan State University College of Music.

She began her musical career very early, studying piano and violin at the age of two. As a percussionist, Thrasher has maintained a career as an active solo, chamber, and orchestral musician. Thrasher has also performed numerous solo recitals throughout the United States and Japan, and has been a featured soloist with the Eastman Philharmonia and the Interlochen Philharmonic.

Thrasher was winner of the Keiko Abe Prize at the second World Marimba competition in Okaya, Japan, and the top prize winner at the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts’ ARTS competition. She was awarded the performer’s certificate from the Eastman School of Music and has also been the recipient of the Outstanding Young Musician award from the Peabody Conservatory and the Yale Alumni Award.

Thrasher has studied with world-renowned professors Robert van Sice, Keiko Abe, and John Beck. She holds degrees from the Interlochen Arts Academy, Eastman School of Music, Peabody Conservatory, and the Yale School of Music.

 

VIDEO SPOTLIGHT
PASIC 2010 - New Music Showcase Concert

 Idle Fancies by Paul Lansky
  Laughing Matter
Soliloquy
  Tipped Scales
Repetitive Stress
  Split Rails
Hop(3)

Program Notes:

I was very excited when asked to be part of this group to commission a new work from composer Paul Lansky. I am a big fan of all of Lansky's music for percussion. I find his work to be incredibly beautiful, sensitive, and at times very complex. This newest piece Idle Fancies is no exception. Idle Fancies is a collection of six preludes for marimba and small percussion set-up. Movements one, two, four and five include the small percussion instruments and movements three and six are for the marimba alone. The percussion instruments include three wood sounds and two metal sounds. I have chose to use three temple blocks and two amglocken, but the specific instrument selection is at the discretion of the performer. About performing the work, the composer states that "and selection of preludes can be played, and in any order." For this performance I have chosen to perform all six preludes in the order that they appear in the score.

Throughout the piece, one can hear some musical ideas that are reminiscent of Lansky's earlier works. Most obviously the last prelude, Hop(3) is loosely based on his other pieces: Hop for marimba and violin and Hop 2 for marimba solo. It is clear that rhythm and groove are very important (in very different ways) in each prelude. Even though the time signatures stay fairly constant throughout each movement, the smaller rhythmic groupings often change creating the dichotomy of a very grounded, but constantly changing groove. Counterpoint is also an important feature of the many movements. There is often more than one line moving at a time giving the music an interesting and rich texture. I have enjoyed getting to know this wonderful new piece of music and feel very honored to have the opportunity to perform it.

     – Gwen Thrasher

Commissioned by: Svet Stoyanov (Project Coordinator), Thad Anderson, Michael Burritt, Tom Burritt, Ian Ding, Ji-Hye Jung, Ayano Kataoka, Eduardo Leandro, William Moersch, Doug Perkins, Ian Rosenbaum and Gwen Thrasher.

More Spotlight Performances

"Boomslang" by Roshanne Etezady
   

The boomslang snake is a poisonous snake native to sub-Saharan Africa. A tree-dwelling snake, the boomslang strikes quickly and without warning, although it does not usually attack humans unless provoked. It is united by an undulating motive (marked "insidious" in the score) that recurs throughout the piece. It is periodically interrupted by dramatic gestures that mimic serpentine characteristics.

Boomslang was commissioned in 2007 by Gwendolyn Burgett Thrasher and was made possible by a grant from Michigan State University.
Toccata by Anders Koppel
   For Marimba and Vibraphone, Performed with Svet Stoyanov
Bach's Cello Suite 5 in C Minor
   PRELUDE
HIGH
MEDIUM
   ALLEMANDE
HIGH
MEDIUM
   COURANTE
HIGH
MEDIUM
   SARABANDE
HIGH
MEDIUM
   GAVOTTES I & II
HIGH
MEDIUM
   GIGUE
HIGH
MEDIUM
 Gwen discusses her transcriptions of the Bach Cello Suites
MEDIUM




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