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Swarmius Redefines Classical Music

Swarmius is a local band composed of classical musicians who challenge the definition of classical music. Swarmius creates a new hybrid genre, which connects classical music with hip-hop, DJ culture,

Swarmius Redefines Classical Music

(Photos: Swarmius performs in studio, Nathan Gibbs/KPBS)

Tom Fudge : Classical music. It's that music that comes from Europe that we have a very strange relationship with in this country. All you have to do is think of adjectives, positive and negative, we use to describe it: high class, inspiring, intellectual, dull, stuffy, anachronistic.

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There are a lot of musicians at our universities that are highly trained in classical music who also recognize that the global community, in fact American alone, has a lot more to offer. So what do we do with this European musical tradition? That's a question that's occurred to the members of the group called Swarmius .

They're classically trained and they are in search of a kind of music that can draw on classical and other traditions.

Guests

  • Joe Waters, composer who performs on laptop computer. 
  • Felix Olschofka, violinist.
  • Todd Rewoldt, saxophonist.

Swarmius

Reading Music

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Joe Waters Conducts

Joe Waters

Felix Olschofka

Todd Rewoldt

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