While most students and faculty at WVU are on spring break, Michael Ibrahim, a saxophone professor in the WVU School of Music, along with pianist Ron Stabinsky, will tour six universities in the Big 12 Conference as part of the Big 12 Faculty Fellowship he was awarded last fall.

The duo will perform at the University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State University, Texas Christian University, Baylor University, the University of Texas at Austin and Texas Tech University.

They will present an adventurous program of contemporary works for saxophone and piano, including “Torus” by New York City-based composers Marcos Balter, “Pendulum III” by Alex Mincek and “This Is This Is This Is,” by Eric Wubbels.

Ibrahim said they will also perform a new work by composer Steven Leffue that was written especially for them; it will receive its world premiere performance on this tour.

Rob Stabinsky is a world-class pianist who specializes in contemporary music and improvisation, and teaches at Wilkes University.

“In addition to performing recitals with Rob, I will be giving master classes at all the universities, and finishing with a performance and master class at WVU,” Ibrahim said.

The tour schedule includes a performance at Oklahoma University on March 23, Oklahoma State University, March 24; Texas Christian University and Baylor University on March 25; the University of Texas at Austion on March 26; Texas Tech University on March 27.

The WVU performance will take place at the Creative Arts Center sometime after spring and will be announced in the coming weeks.

Michael Ibrahim is assistant professor of saxophone and enjoys an active career of solo, chamber, and orchestral work in both contemporary and traditional realms.

He has performed throughout North America, France, Russia, Italy, Germany, Austria, and Holland and has won numerous competitions, including the North American Saxophone Alliance Classical Artist Competition, the Eisenberg-Fried Concerto Competition for Woodwinds, the Coleman Chamber Music Competition, the MTNA Woodwind Collegiate Artist and Chamber Music Competitions, and a Darmstadt Performance Prize for Contemporary Music.

As a freelance performer at the center of New York City’s contemporary classical scene, Ibrahim has worked with Amp Music, Either/Or, Fireworks Ensemble, International Contemporary Ensemble, Manhattan Sinfonietta, PRISM Quartet, Red Light New Music, SEM Ensemble and Wet Ink.

His solo and chamber music performances have taken place in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Merkin Hall, Miller Theater, Symphony Space and the Kitchen.

Dr. Ibrahim studied at the Manhattan School of Music, Bowling Green State University, the Universit� Europ�enne de Saxophone in France, the University of Calgary, and the University of Regina. He has taught at Columbia University, the University of Calgary, and Mount Royal College, and recently received the Outstanding Teaching Award for the School of Music. He has published the book “New Aesthetics in Contemporary Saxophone Music.”

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cl/03/25/15

CONTACT: Charlene Lattea
304-293-4359, Charlene.Lattea@mail.wvu.edu

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