For Immediate Release - Lawton, OK, Jan. 16, 2003

(NOTE TO BROADCASTERS: Correct pronunciation of musician's name is KAY-ko ah-BAY.)

Noted marimbist to perform at CU, lecture at Percussive Arts Society
 

Music lovers in Lawton and across Southwest Oklahoma are invited to an extremely rare concert performance by legendary marimbist Keiko Abe on Saturday, March 29, at Cameron University. That same weekend, Abe will also give a lecture and demonstration at the Percussive Arts Society Museum. 
 

The Cameron performance, which begins at 7 p.m. in the University Theatre at 27th and A Avenue, is a part of the university's fifth academic festival, "Beyond Borders: Globalization and the Human Experience."The concert will be followed by a reception honoring the musician. 
 

Abe, who in 1993 was the first female inducted into the Percussive Arts Society's Hall of Fame, will give her lecture and demonstration at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 30, at the museum, located at 701 NW Ferris Ave. A reception will follow the event.
 

The accomplishments, virtuosity, and breadth of achievements of this Japanese musician have made her one of the finest percussive arts performers in the world. During Abe's illustrious career, she has risen to the pinnacle of modern performance.
 
 
 

"Because Abe rarely appears in the United States, her concert at Cameron is truly an extraordinary event," said Dr. Lance Janda, the campus coordinator for "Beyond Borders." "It represents a rare opportunity to share in the magic of watching and listening to one of the world's great artists, and she is sure to delight anyone who appreciates great music." 
 

Abe commands an overwhelming repertoire and regularly appears in performances of solo concertos, chamber music and improvisations around the world. She has recorded more than 20 CDs and has in excess of 30 compositions to her credit. The marimbist has taught at more than 70 conservatories and universities worldwide. 
 

Abe is a professor of marimba at the Toho Gakuen School of Music in Tokyo and has performed at more than 40 music festivals since the late 1960s.
 

Sponsors for the Cameron concert include the Oklahoma Humanities Council, the McCasland Foundation, the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, the Percussive Arts Society and the CU Department of Music and Theatre Arts.
 

Abe's Cameron performance, the lecture at the PAS museum and the related receptions are free and open to the public.

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