Courtesy
Grammy-nominated composer and pianist Vijay Iyer will visit the University of Arkansas campus in Fayetteville for two days in mid-February as the McIlroy Family Visiting Professor in the Department of Music.
The Vijay Iyer Trio will perform at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 18, at the Jim & Joyce Faulkner Performing Arts Center. The concert is free and open to the public. Tickets can be reserved by emailing [email protected].
Iyer’s visit will also include a public lecture, titled “I Feel You: Music and Empathy,” at 3 p.m. Friday, Feb. 19 at Giffels Auditorium in Old Main. The lecture is also free and open to the public. No tickets are required.
The 42-year-old Harvard professor has seen much praise over the past few years. Critic Steve Greenly last year called him not only “the most celebrated pianist in jazz” but also said “he may be the most celebrated musician in jazz right now.”
Elizabeth Margulis, music professor and director of the Music Cognition Lab, said Iyer will spend several days working intensively with students while in Fayetteville.
“Vijay Iyer is a pioneering jazz pianist who writes compellingly about music and embodiment,” said Margulis. “Students are ready to be inspired by his innovative musicianship, and the music department is thrilled to be able to offer the community the opportunity to hear him perform and speak live.”
