School of Music’s Guest Artist Series Features Abbie Conant March 9

Wed, 02/05/2020 - 08:58am | By: Mike Lopinto

The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) School of Music presents its Guest Artist Series, featuring Abbie Conant on March 9 at 6 p.m. (lecture) and 8 p.m. (recital) in Marsh Auditorium on the Hattiesburg campus. Conant will also host a master class on March 10 at 11:30 a.m. in the Intermezzo @ Woods Gallery. All events are free and open to the public.

Conant’s lecture is titled: “You Sound Like A Ladies’ Orchestra: My Experiences with Gender Discrimination and How I Have Responded with My Art.”

She is an award-winning performance artist and Juilliard-trained trombonist. Her own experiences with egregious sexism in the Munich Philharmonic inspired Malcom Gladwell’s New York Time’s Bestselling book Blink and comprise its final chapter. A feature film based on Conant’s experiences is also being planned.

“I am excited that we are able to host Abbie Conant on campus. Not only is she one of the pioneers of performance art using the trombone as her vehicle, she is also a top pedagogue and her experiences with gender discrimination has inspired countless young women in their own musical pursuits,” explains Associate Professor of Trombone Dr. Ben McIlwain.

In addition to performing in the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra, she has performed instrumental music theater works with surround sound electronics in more than 150 different cities around the world. In collaboration with composer/husband William Osborne, the pair has also created a new genre of chamber music theatre, having produced five evening-length operas for singing/acting trombone.

“An utterly entertaining evening…this fabulous Abbie Conant…after seeing and hearing the musician Abbie Conant, one gets an idea of what many actresses painfully lack,” stated Süddeutsche Zeitung in a review. “(She’s) an excellent, versatile, talented performance artist, and an outstanding trombonist as well.”

“The USM Committee on Services and Resources for Women enthusiastically welcomes renowned artist Abbie Conant to campus,” said Associate Professor of Psychology and member of the CSRW Dr. Melanie Leuty. “We see her work as crucial in continuing the conversation on gender discrimination in the workplace.”

Conant’s guest artist residency is sponsored by both the School of Music and the Committee on Services and Resources for Women as part of their offerings during the University’s Women’s History Month.

For more information, contact Dr. Ben McIlwain at (601) 266-6103.