Justin DeHart performing in the Walt Disney Concert Hall in LA
Senior Lecturer in Music Performance, Dr. Justin DeHart just returns from the USA after performing in Los Angeles Philharmonic’s Fluxus Festival at Walt Disney Concert Hall on 15th of February.
DeHart was one of ten percussionists premiering a newly composed piece by Ryoji Ikeda for 100 cymbals. The percussionists weave their way through the huge array of various cymbals producing various soft sounds that create a meditative atmosphere. “The piece involved a great deal of concentration and coordination among players. We did not use a conductor and had to memorize each move from instrument to instrument following a cue from each other. It was a kind of slow dance through a grid of cymbals.”
The second half of the program featured fluxes artist Alison Knowles making a huge salad with a team of side chefs, aided by the amplification of chopping vegetables. At the end of the evening, the salad was served to each audience member.
Dr. Justin DeHart is New Zealand’s only full-time University percussion lecturer. From Sacramento, California, DeHart is a GRAMMY-nominated performer of contemporary musical styles from classical to pop, and from world to electronic. Justin is a current member of Los Angeles Percussion Quartet (LAPQ) and his musical resume includes performances with the San Diego symphony, pipa master Wu Man, and various pop legends, including Cheap Trick. His debut solo album entitled Strange Paths on Innova Recordings (works by Brian Ferneyhough, Iannis Xenakis, Michael Gordon and Stuart Saunders Smith) was lauded as “mesmerizing” by Percussive Notes for his “palette of sounds and intricate weaving of lines.” Justin was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship for percussion studies in India and his talents have been featured at concerts around the globe.
Margaret Agnew, Senior External Relations Advisor, University of Canterbury
Phone: +64 3 369 3631 | Mobile: +64 27 254 3949 | margaret.agnew@canterbury.ac.nz
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