Arcomusical with Matt Ulery
Arcomusical is a world music chamber ensemble reimagining the Afro-Brazilian berimbau through a repertoire of unique, powerful concert music. Arcomusical formed in 2013 specifically to interpret MeiaMeia, the collaborative composition cycle co-composed by ensemble members Gregory Beyer and Alexis C. Lamb. MeiaMeia became Arcomusical’s first album in 2016, released on Innova Recordings. Arcomusical’s released its second album Spinning in the Wheel in 2019 on National Sawdust Tracks, accompanied by an incredibly beautiful collection of videos produced by Four/Ten Media.

Arcomusical is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with a mission to spread the joy of the Afro- Brazilian berimbau and related African musical bows. Arcomusical’s mission is supported by six pillars of activity: performance, education, composition, publication, research, and community.

What is a musical bow? Although the berimbau is a well-known instrument in Brazil, most people in the United States remain unaware of this instrument family and its elegant beauty and simplicity. Musical bows are the most popular and widespread traditional string instrument found throughout sub-saharan Africa, and the berimbau made its way to Brazil via the Transatlantic slave trade. The berimbau’s closest relatives are found in southern Africa, specifically in the Portuguese speaking countries of Angola and Mozambique.

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“Projeto Arcomusical doesn’t miss a beat. The sextet is so tuned in to one another that at times it becomes difficult (if not impossible) to tell where one instrument ends and another begins. The players are so precise, so blissfully engaged with their instruments and one another that the individual pieces and the individual players melt away, and you begin to discover the uniquely captivating character of the instrument itself.” – Maggie Molloy, Second Inversion

“In a breathtakingly stunning effort, the Projeto Arcomusical ensemble has crafted a work of such unique beauty, I find it difficult to focus my thoughts amidst a flood of adjectives that spring to mind in response to the auditory joyful discovery this CD provides…I find myself without hesitation in offering Projeto Arcomusical the highest recommendation I could humbly fathom.” – N. Scott Robinson, Percussive Notes, May 2017

Date/Time: 
Saturday, April 09, 2022
3:00 p.m. CT

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Ticket Pricing – In Person:
Free and open to the public
*Masks are encouraged at all UWM events.