February 18, 2005 Internationally Acclaimed Conductor Hogwood Presents Distinguished Lecture Series Address On Tuesday, March 15

Christopher Hogwood, an internationally acclaimed conductor and musicologist who has released more than 200 recordings of his orchestral performances, will speak Tuesday, March 15, at Boise State University as part of the Distinguished Lecture Series.   Hogwood’s lecture, “The Past is a Foreign Country, They Do Things Differently There,” is at 7 p.m. in the Student Union Jordan Ballroom. The lecture is free and the public is invited. Seating is limited and is available on a first-come basis.   “This is a tremendous opportunity for Treasure Valley audiences to hear a world-class artist talk about the issues and trends affecting music performance,” said Helen Lojek, an English professor and chair of the Distinguished Lecture Series Committee. “Maestro Hogwood’s lecture should be of great interest to everyone who is interested in the arts.”   Hogwood, founder of The Academy of Ancient Music, will discuss the important changes that have occurred in musical perceptions with the advent of the historically informed performance movement, an effort on the part of musicians and scholars to perform works in ways similar to how they were performed when they were originally written. Hogwood will discuss the present dilemmas for performers and listeners, the difficulties of reconciling past practices with present-day economic needs, and the disappearance of interest in amateur music-making or private performance.   The maestro has gained international recognition for his performances of baroque and early classical repertoire with period instruments. For more than 40 years Hogwood has also been performing works of the 20th century, with a particular affinity for the neo-baroque and neo-classical schools, including many works by Stravinsky, Martinu and Entartete. He is particularly interested in Czech music and was awarded the Martinu Medal by the Martinu Foundation in Prague in 1999.   Hogwood is conductor  laureate of the Handel and Haydn Society in Boston,  principal guest conductor of the Verdi Orchestra in Italy and the Kammerorchester Basel in Switzerland, and director of The Academy of Ancient Music. His engagements this season include conducting orchestras in Spain, Italy, Germany, and other locations. His many publications include biographical studies of Haydn, Mozart and Handel, a history of the trio sonata and many editions of keyboard and orchestral music from the 16th century onward. -more-   The student-funded Distinguished Lecture Series brings to campus speakers who have had a significant impact in politics, the arts or the sciences. On Oct. 4, the lecture series will feature religion scholar and author Karen Armstrong. Her lecture is titled “The Battle for God.” More information on the Distinguished Lecture Series is available at http://news.boisestate.edu/dls/   -30-   Contact: Helen Lojek, Department of English, (208) 426-1328, hlojek@boisestate.edu                                                              Media Contact: Janelle Brown, communications and marketing, (208) 426-1790, jbrown2@boisestate.edu