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After receiving his first master's degree, bassist, composer and researcher Christopher Roberts figured it was time to realize a childhood dream — so he strapped his double bass on his back and took off for Papua New Guinea. He hiked into remote areas, where he played improvisations on Bach for incredulous villagers and received, in exchange, their traditional songs.
Roberts has made a life study of getting to the roots of music. He learned the basis of swing as a young man immersed in a jazz environment; his father toured and recorded with the Stan Kenton Orchestra. Roberts began classical study at age 17 and became a student of David Walter at the Juilliard School in 1978.
While traveling the tropics, he documented the music of the peoples of the Star Mountains, the Southern Highlands, and the Trobriand Islands. Inspired by the natural mode of composing songs in these areas, Roberts returned to Juilliard to study composition with Vincent Persichetti and earned a doctor of musical arts in composition and double bass in 1990.
As a Fulbright scholar in Taiwan, he studied the classical Chinese qin, mastering the reverent eclecticism of the ancient instrument. While there, he also continued his Austronesian research, documenting the music of the indigenous Amis tribe, distant relatives of his friends from the Trobriands. The music of these two peoples is presented on Roberts' CD "Betel Nuts."
He has also published a Chinese-language edition of his monograph on the music of the Star Mountains and was the subject of the documentary film "Songs of a Distant Jungle." As both composer and performer, Roberts draws from his many fields of study by combining a solid respect for tradition with an ear for spontaneity.
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Kailua-Kona, HI
For thousands of years, Pacific Island people have migrated to Hawaii, and among the most precious things they have brought with them has been their music. This Millennial Celebration featured the harmonies, dance rhythms, and rich song culture that combine to form today's "Hawaiian music." The Hawaii project involved musicians of the chorus and orchestra as well as instrumentalists, dancers, and singers versed in the traditions of the many immigrant groups that now call Hawaii home.
learn more about this project
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