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CalArts Presents World Premiere of Barry Schraders Monkey King

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Valencia, California January 14, 2008 -- Schrader's new electronic music work "Monkey King" is based on scenes from the classic Chinese book "Journey to the West", written around 1550 by Wu Cheng-en. Considered one of the great classics of Chinese literature, the book chronicles the adventures of the Monkey King, one of the most fascinating fictional characters ever created. Schrader's music depicts such scenes as Monkey's birth, his underwater journey to the lair of the Dragon King of the Eastern Sea, and Monkey's famous attempt to jump over Buddha's palm.

Also on the program is Schrader's "Wu-Xing - Cycle of Destruction", a work based on the five ancient elements in Chinese tradition: metal, wood, earth, water, fire. This special performance will include live improvisation by harpist Susan Allen and clarinetist William Powell.

Beginning the concert will be Schrader's music from the film "Death of the Red Planet". Created on the Buchla 200 modular synthesizer, this was the first quadraphonic electronic music sound track for a commercial film. Released in 1973, the film seems to have disappeared, and this will be the first time in 35 years that this music has been heard in public.

Barry Schrader has been acclaimed by the "Los Angeles Times" as "a composer born to the electronic medium", named "a seminal composer of electro-acoustic music" by "Journal SEAMUS", and described by "Gramophone" as a composer of "approachable electronic music with a distinctive individual voice to reward the adventurous". "There's a great sweep to Schrader's work that puts it more in line with ambitious large-scale electronic works by the likes of Stockhausen ("Hymnen"), Eloy ("Shanti") and Henry (take your pick), a line that can be traced backwards to Mahler, Bruckner and Beethoven." writes Dan Warburton of the "Paris Transatlantic Magazine". "Computer Music Journal" states "Barry Schrader's music is crafted with infinite patience, critical attentiveness, and meticulous listening. In adhering to these ideals, this music withstands the test of time and stands uniquely in the American electronic music genre." Schrader's compositions for electronics, dance, film, video, mixed media, live/electro-acoustic music combinations, and real-time computer performance have been presented throughout the world. He has been a member of the Composition Faculty of the California Institute of the Arts School of Music since 1971, and has also taught at the University of California at Santa Barbara and the California State University at Los Angeles. His music is recorded on the Opus One, Laurel, CIRM, SEAMUS, Centaur, and Innova labels. His web site is http://www.barryschrader.com/

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