Progressive Music Center student Brandon Fernandez performed the piece Bolero by Ravel with world renowned percussionist Evelyn Glennie during her recent June concert appearance with the North Carolina Symphony at Cary’s Regency Park in June.
Brandon received the music to Bolero by Ravel about a week before the performance and then rehearsed with Glennie the afternoon of the concert. Many may remember Bolero by Ravel as it was made popular by the movie “10″ with Bo Derek. The piece began with Evelyn on snare and then added each of the 8 students one by one and instruments from the entire orchestra till everyone was playing the repetitive theme.
Evelyn Glennie’s recording career has been as illustrious as her performing and composing career. Evelyn’s first CD, a recording of Bartok’s Sonata for two Pianos and Percussion won her a Grammy in 1988. In 1993 Evelyn was awarded the OBE (Officer of the British Empire). This was extended this year to ‘Dame Commander’ for her services to music, and to date has received approximately 80 international awards.
Evelyn is the first person in musical history to successfully create and sustain a full-time career as a solo percussionist. She has been profoundly deaf – meaning that she has some very limited hearing – since age12. She regularly plays barefoot for both live performances and studio recordings, to better “feel” the music.
Here is a link the concert review by John Lambert http://www.cvnc.org/reviews/2008/062008/Summerfest1.html
