Dr. Blake Tyson, associate professor of percussion at UCA, this week will perform as part of the Sounds of the Cathedral concert series in Stavanger, Norway.
“I feel extremely lucky to have been invited to perform,” Tyson said. “I’m looking forward to making some new friends, seeing a part of the world that I’ve never seen before, and hearing some great musicians perform on the concerts with me.”
The concert series is part of the annual European Cultural Capital program, which is a year-long event that changes locations every year to showcase the artistic ambience of a European city. Tyson will perform three pieces in one of five different cathedrals each night in and around Stavanger. The first piece is titled “Secrets of the Sky and Earth” by Halim El-Dabh. His second piece will be a solo orchestral bell performance called “Stella of Axum,” also by Halim El-Dabh. Tyson’s third performance will be the world premiere of his own most recent composition, “Inside the Shining Stone.” His final performance will be in the Stavanger Domkirke, which was built during the 12th century and is Norway’s oldest cathedral.
Tyson earned his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y. The faculty of the Eastman School also awarded him the prestigious Performer’s Certificate. He received the Master of Music degree from Kent State University in Kent, Ohio, and a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Alabama. He has also studied derabucca with Halim El-Dabh and has devoted intensive study to El-Dabh’s unique notational system for the instrument.