An Evening of Color and Sound

Date: October 6, 2011
Contact: Wupatki Visitor Center, 928-679-2365

Wupatki National Monument Invites You to an Evening of Color and Sound

FLAGSTAFF, AZ - On Friday, October 7^th, cellist Rhonda Rider will perform a solo sunset concert at Wupatki National Monument. The concert will take place from 4:30 PM to 6:00 PM at the Wupatki Visitor Center, overlooking the Painted Desert. Rider, a recent Artist-in- Residence at Grand Canyon National Park, will be performing selections from eleven solo cello compositions that were inspired by the Grand Canyon.

Rider is dedicated to the performance of new music. "The highly versatile sound of the cello is a wonderful medium for [these pieces]" said Rider, "singing at times like a human voice and at others like an ancient instrument from another world." The pieces, which were commissioned for Rider's residency at the Grand Canyon, were composed by Yu-Hui Chang, Marti Epstein , Howard Frazin, Laura Kaminsky, John Kennedy, Emma Lively, Jeffrey Mumford, David Rakowsk, Jan Swafford, Dalit Warshaw, and Andy Vores.

Rider is a founding member of the Naumburg Award winning, Lydian Quartet, and currently a member of the celebrated piano trio, Triple Helix. She has performed at the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Wigmore Hall, Moscow Conservatory, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Symphony Space, and the Library of Congress.

Wupatki National Monument is 37 miles north of Flagstaff via Hwy 89, and can be reached at [phone] and www.nps.gov/wupa. Wupatki National Monument is open daily, except December 25, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. This is a free event, and no reservations are necessary. Seating is limited, please bring a small lawn chair.