Wednesday, September 10, 2003

WILMINGTON, N.C. – University of North Carolina at Wilmington’s Arts in Action Series will host Turtle Island String Quartet (TISQ) at 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4 in Kenan Auditorium. TISQ’s performance, “Blue in Green: The Legacy of Miles Davis” is a tribute to the late jazz performer. The concert launches UNCW’s eight-part Arts in Action Series.

The performance will feature selections from the best-selling jazz recording of all time, Miles Davis’ legendary Kind of Blue including the popular track “So What.” TISQ will also perform other pieces that exemplify the deep roots from which jazz music grew such as Bill Evans “Blue in Green,” Bronislav Kaper’s “Green Dolphin” and John McLaughlin’s “Mile’s Beyond.” TISQ’s musical stylings fuse the classical quartet esthetics with the 20th century American popular styles.

TISQ was started in 1983 by violinist David Balakrishnan. Since then, they have taken forays into folk and bluegrass styles, swing jazz, be-bop, classical Indian forms, funk and R&B, new age, rock and hip-hop, bossa nova and salsa. Cellist Yo Yo Ma has proclaimed TISQ “a unified voice that truly breaks new ground—authentic and passionate—a reflection of some of the most creative music making today.”

TISQ has become increasingly popular in the United States with recent performances for the Library of Congress, Kennedy Center, and many more. The Los Angeles Times claimed, “This group has set a standard beyond the reach of its few contemporaries.” According to Billboard Magazine “This unique, jazzy four-piece continues to entertain with its distinctive brand of tight, impressive bow-etry in motion.”

BOX OFFICE AND TICKET INFORMATION:

Tickets are $6 for UNCW students and children 12 and under; $12 for UNCW faculty/staff and seniors; and $18 for all others. For tickets, call the Kenan Auditorium box office at 910/962-3500 or 800/732-3643 outside of the Wilmington area. Box office hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday. For more information on TISQ and listings for future Arts in Action performances please visit www.uncw.edu/arts.

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NOTE TO MEDIA: For additional information contact Shannon Hooker at 910/962-7600 or hookers@uncw.edu.