The University of Tennessee at Martin Ed Sargent Guest Artist Series, formerly known as the Allison Nelson Guest Artist Series, will welcome three national artists during the fall 2019 semester.
Break of Reality, an internationally known cello rock band, will perform at 7:30 p.m., Sept. 23, in the newly renovated UT Martin Fulton Theatre, located inside the Fine Arts Building on the main campus. Break of Reality has performed in sold-out concerts on four continents, and the members were named music ambassadors by the U.S. State Department in 2015. Created at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, the ensemble has released four full-length albums and been featured on television, radio, podcast and other audio platforms.
The Lalo and Friends Salsa Band will perform at 5 p.m., Oct. 5, in the UT Martin quadrangle. Established in 1992, the ensemble, led by percussionist Lalo Davila, has been featured at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention and the National Association of Music Merchants. Big band and dance lessons for attendees will begin at 4:30 prior to the performance, and food trucks featuring Mexican dishes will be available.
This appearance is co-sponsored by the UT Martin Office of Student Life and Multicultural Affairs, the Student Government Association, the Department of Music and the Coleman Family Fund. There is no charge to attend.
Latitude 49, a mixed-chamber ensemble that mixes classical and rock music, will perform at 7:30 p.m., Nov. 18, in the Fulton Theatre. The ensemble, comprised of members from across the United States and Canada, currently holds ensemble-in-residence positions are Princeton University and Baylor University with previous residencies at the University of Michigan, the Kenosha Creative Space and the University of Illinois at Chicago. This performance is co-sponsored by the Paul Meek Library.
Tickets for the Break of Reality and Latitude 49 performances are available online and at the door. General admission tickets are $10 per person, and students in kindergarten and above are $5 each. UT Martin students with valid student ID and children not yet enrolled in kindergarten are admitted free of charge. Tickets are available at utm.edu/musicevents.
The guest artist series is named for UT Martin alum Ed Sargent (’82), of Bolivar. Sargent is a Grammy-nominated producer and has completed many national and international tours. He currently serves as tour manager for Rock and Roll Hall of Fame icon Joan Jett and the Blackhearts and spent 25 years as tour manager and director of operations for the late jazz trumpet player Maynard Ferguson and his orchestra. Sargent’s musical career is directly linked to his time with the UT Martin jazz and concert band while Sargent was a student and artist liaison.
“We are pleased to announce that Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and Queen of Rock and Roll, Joan Jett, is the inaugural donor for the new Ed Sargant Guest Artist Series,” said Dr. Julie Hill, professor and chair of the UT Martin Department of Music. Jett announced a gift to the series during an Aug. 8 concert.
For more information on the UT Martin Department of Music or the Ed Sargent Guest Artist Series, contact the department at 731-881-7402.
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