All-female brass ensemble to perform at Purdue in March

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The energetic Norwegian brass ensemble tenThing will perform at Purdue University at 7:30 p.m. March 30 in Stewart Center’s Loeb Playhouse. This performance is presented by Purdue Convocations with support from Sonya and Dale Margerum.

Rewriting centuries’ worth of rules in brass repertoire seems a revolutionary undertaking, but the boundless and boisterous stylistic explorations of tenThing, coupled with impeccable tone, technique and versatility, have transformed this all-female Norwegian brass ensemble into an international sensation. The ensemble takes its name from its erstwhile leader, Norwegian trumpet virtuoso Tine Thing Helseth, whom the BBC dubbed a “Superstar of Tomorrow.” In forming the ensemble with four friends in 2007, Helseth added six more of the finest brass players in Norway.

The ensemble has delighted its native audience with an opening number at the 2011 Norwegian Grammy Awards, enjoyed international festival plays in Germany, China and Italy, and contributed a enthusiastically acclaimed performance to the BBC Chamber Proms series. On its endearingly eclectic album “10,” the ensemble blends original works from Dutch composer Jan Koetsier with transcriptions of traditional works for piano, guitar and orchestra — the pomp of Georges Bizet, the pluck of Ástor Piazzolla, and the playfulness of Kurt Weill. And yet for all the force tenThing brings to tearing down conventions, this ensemble embraces the unparalleled warmth, tenderness, and playfulness of the classical sound — lithe and nimble, lively and lovely. Through its adventurous adaptability, tenThing illustrates the importance of discovering your voice in whatever instrument may call to you.

Tickets are $22-$28 and are available at the Stewart Center box office at 765-494-3933 or 800-914-SHOW. Group tickets are also available to groups of 10 or more. Visit https://purdue.edu/convocations/group-sales/ or call 765-496-1977 for more details.  

Initiated in 1902, Purdue Convocations was one of the first professional performing arts presenters in the United States. Each year, Convocations offers the region 30-40 performances of widely varying genres: Broadway-style shows, theater, dance, children's theater, world music, jazz, and chamber music, along with rock, pop, country and comedy attractions. With a vision for connecting artists and audiences in artistic dialogue and for drawing in academic discourse, Purdue Convocations aims to promote frequent exposure to and familiarity with human cultural expression in a multitude of forms and media.

Source: Abby Eddy, Purdue Convocations director of marketing, 765-494-9712, aeeddy@purdue.edu 

Note to Journalists: Publication-quality photos are available at http://www.convocations.org/press