Phillips Collection: Rebeca Omordia – African Pianism
In person: $45 ($25 member)
Stream: $15 ($10 member)
- Rebeca Omordia, piano
Ayo Bankole — Egun Variations
Joseph Hanson Kwabena Nketia — Volta Fantasy
Christian Onyeji — Ufie, Igbo dance
Nabil Benabdeljalil — Nocturne No. 4
Nabil Benabdeljalil — Nocturne No. 5
Nabil Benabdeljalil — Nocturne No. 6
David Earl — Scenes from a South African Childhood ("II. Princess Rainbow")
Fred Onovwerosuoke — Twenty-Four Studies in African Rhythm (selections)
Akin Euba — Yoruba Songs Without Words ("III. L'ore Oke ati petele" & "I. Ore Meta")
Hailed as an "African classical music pioneer" (BBC World Service), London-based pianist and scholar Rebeca Omordia has focused her career on championing the music of African composers. Omordia presents "African Pianism," a deep exploration into the multifaceted and syncretic musical practices of composers from across the continent.
The performance includes music by Nigerian composer Akin Euba, who coined the term "African Pianism" to describe the emergent musical dialogue between African traditional forms and Western notation in the 20th Century, as well as Ghanaian composer Kwabena Nketia, who extended this dialogue by transcribing African rhythms and melodies. Omordia also presents works by a new generation of African composers: Fred Onovwerosuoke from Ghana, who traveled all over Africa gathering musical material; Christian Onyeji from Nigeria, who explores the drumming techniques of the piano inspired by the percussion ensembles from Igboland; Nabil Benabdeljalil from Morocco; and David Earl, who represents the Western classical musical tradition of South Africa.
This event will be broadcast live from the Music Room on November 26 at 4pm Eastern. All registered ticket holders will receive a link directing them to a livestream webpage where the performance can be accessed. Ticket holders will be able to watch this performance "On Demand" for 48 hours following the broadcast time.