Pianist Vijay Iyer backstory unlikely for a musician, who was elected as a jazz musician of the year at critical Downbeat magazine poll, received a grant from the MacArthur Foundation genius and is a professor in the Department of Music at Harvard.
Largely self-taught on piano, he graduated in physics and mathematics at Yale University. At the age of 23, while pursuing his doctorate in physics at the University of California, Berkeley, he took the risky decision to become a professional musician, to the amazement of his parents. He later received an interdisciplinary PhD from Berkeley with a focus on music and body of knowledge, or how the body perceives music.
"I have a bit of a late bloomer was and had to catch up a lot," he said 44-year-old.
non-traditional way of Iyer another unusual project took: a number of cooperation, inspired "A cosmic rhythm with each stroke" with trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith, from the art of the late Indian visual artist Mohamedi, recently of records launched ECM.
"It was a beautiful thing that we could do a duet project with regard to the work of this incredible artist from India is less well known, which should be in the West," Iyer said, interviewed in a gallery where are on drawings lines basic geometric Mohamedi. "His work is very free, elegant and mysterious. It has a lot of order and geometry and pattern, and also a lot of space."
After the 2015-16 Iyer resident artist at the Metropolitan Museum of Art was, the Conservatives have the work of Mohamedi before the opening of an exhibition presented The Met Breuer, a center for modern art museum in the old program headquarters of Whitney Museum of American Art.
The museum commissioned the composition Iyer later with Smith and the duo album in October. learned The title of the suite and its seven sets records in newspapers Mohamedi.
Iyer was particularly impressed by the precise and delicate designs Mohamedi did in his last years as he struggled with a debilitating neurological disease that makes it difficult to hold the pen.
"It is this energy field behind every shot - the cosmic rhythms," he said.
Limor Tomer, concerts and conferences met head, he said Iyer as resident artist chose, not only for his talent as a composer and pianist, but also for his "curiosity" with other artists work.
Iyer was inspired and encouraged by musicians like Anthony Braxton and Smith, who participated for the promotion of creative musicians in the union, formed in the mid-60s to join in Chicago by musicians who avant-garde jazz, contemporary music and the world.
Cooperation with Smith Iyer Iyer said the conviction "help music overcome differences" that His origins are worlds apart. He is the son of Indian immigrants, who grew up in upstate New York and 74 years Trumpeter has its roots in the Mississippi Delta.
"Vijay is a true artist creator, a generous man who is attentive to the feelings and human emotions," Smith, 2013 Pulitzer Prize finalist for his work said civil rights "Ten Freedom Summers."
Golden Iyer Quartet Smith played in 2005-2010 - an experience that he said you were a duo in January 2015 the first time instead of "I stretched in a way that was not really been before.".
For his recent performance three-week stay at the Met Breuer, Iyer "Cosmic Rhythm" created with Smith, but also played with 40 or presented ensembles and soloists. Some of these programs are his trio with bassist Stephan Crump and drummer Marcus Gilmore, who together since of 2004.
Iyer says the project brought "Artists disciplines spanning, ethnic, racial and class, and generations."
"When you consider that all join together in a kind of large cloth, then, what you think of the musical genres that do not make much sense. ... The music may actually not be separated".
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On-line:
http://www.vijay-iyer.com
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