Grammy-Winning Trumpeter and Composer Terence Blanchard Brings Wayne Shorter-Inspired ABSENCE to Cleveland
Tickets on sale for Oct. 15 concert at Tri-C’s Metropolitan Campus Auditorium
This fall, Tri-C Performing Arts presents trumpeter Terence Blanchard, performing music from his 2021 Blue Note release, ABSENCE, with his quintet the E-Collective and the acclaimed Turtle Island Quartet.
The concert will take place at 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15, at the Metropolitan Campus of Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C®) in Cleveland.
“Terence Blanchard is one of those rare artists who transcends all genres,” said Terri Pontremoli, director of Tri-C JazzFest and Tri-C Performing Arts. “And with all of his work on operas and movie scores, he is still very much at the peak of his powers as a performer.”
On his latest album — the double-Grammy-nominated ABSENCE — Blanchard pays tribute to Wayne Shorter, one of jazz’s greatest composers. Teaming up with his electric ensemble, the E-Collective, he reimagines songs from across Shorter's adventurous catalog and shares songs inspired by the saxophonist.
With his expansive history composing scores for Spike Lee films ranging from When the Levees Broke to Malcolm X to Da 5 Bloods, Blanchard is known for interweaving melodies that create strong backdrops to human stories.
He recently composed his second opera, Fire Shut Up in My Bones, based on the 2014 memoir by celebrated journalist Charles Blow. The Metropolitan Opera premiered a version of the piece in September 2021, making it the first opera by an African American composer to premiere at the Met.
Blanchard’s E-Collective has released three acclaimed records on Blue Note: Breathless (2015); LIVE (2018); and ABSENCE (2021), which features the Turtle Island Quartet.
Since its inception in 1985, the Turtle Island Quartet has been a singular force in the creation of bold, new trends in chamber music for strings. Led by violinist and artistic director, David Balakrishnan, the Grammy-winning group fuses the classical quartet aesthetic with contemporary American musical styles.
Tickets to the Oct. 15 performance at the Metro Campus Auditorium are free for Tri-C students with valid ID, $10 for non-Tri-C students with valid ID and $25 for general admission. They can be purchased at terenceblanchardCLE.eventbrite.com. Free, secure underground parking is available in Lot 5 off Woodland Avenue near E. 30th Street.
This engagement is supported by the Arts Midwest GIG Fund, with additional contributions from the Ohio Arts Council.
Tri-C’s 2022-2023 Performing Arts season features classical piano, jazz and dance, bringing a world-class artistic experience to the Greater Cleveland community. Learn more at tri-c.edu/performingarts.
September 26, 2022
By Anthony Moujaes, 216-987-3068 or anthony.moujaes@tri-c.edu