Purdue News

November 17, 2000 Oblivión brings evening of tango music to Purdue WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Oblivión, an evening of tango music by cellist Maya Beiser and pianist Anthony de Mare, will be performed at 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2, in Loeb Playhouse. Admission is $21 for general public, $15 for Purdue students. Tickets can be purchased at Purdue box offices or charge by phone at (765) 494-3933 or (800) 914-SHOW. Oblivión is presented by Purdue Convocations. Israeli-born Beiser has been playing the cello since the age of 12 and made her American debut at 19. After receiving her bachelor’s degree from the Rubin Academy in Tel Aviv, Beiser returned to the United States to study with Aldo Parisot and pursue a master’s degree from Yale University. Beiser has been a featured performer at concert halls across the country, including New York City's Lincoln Center and the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. She has worked with Isaac Stern, Alexander Schneider, Yo-Yo Ma and Joel Krosnick. "I’m not interested in music that alienates anyone," says Beiser, "I want to reach people on an emotional, as well as an intellectual, level." Pianist de Mare began his performing career in the Young Concert Artists program with debuts at the 92nd Street Y in New York City and the Kennedy Center. De Mare has performed at major music festivals worldwide, including the International Bergen Festival in Norway; the Mardi Gras Festival in Sydney, Australia; and the Festival of New American Music in Sacramento, Calif. Also a trained actor, de Mare is known for infusing his piano performances with dialogue. Fanfare magazine called de Mare’s performance "a wonder every listener must hear to believe." Much of the program for Convocations consists of music from "Oblivión," a 1999 album by Beiser and de Mare that features the works of composers Astor Piazzolla and Joaquin Nin. Piazzolla, known as the "father of the modern tango," was born in Argentina in 1921 and taught himself to play the bandoneon (a type of accordion) while growing up during the Depression in New York City. He recorded 50 albums and wrote more than 300 tangos. Quincy Jones, Gary Burton, Grace Jones and The Kronos Quartet have recorded Piazzolla’s music. Nin, father of writer Anais Nin, was born in Havana. He spent much of his career performing Bach and early Spanish works throughout South America and Europe. He produced popular songs for piano and voice, chamber compositions and founded a concert society. The Loeb performance also will include pieces by Osvaldo Golijov, Frederic Rzewski and Fred Hersch. CONTACT: Larry Sommers, Purdue Convocations, (765) 494-5045, lsommers@purdue.edu A publication-quality photograph is available at the ftp site. Photo ID: Beiser.jpeg To the Purdue News and Photos Page