Exploring the Language of Music

Join us in the Project Space on Saturday, April 29, 2023 at 3:00 pm for a three-part musical performance by cellist Andrew Borkowski, vibraphonist Ben Zucker, and guitarist Matías Homar. Explore the language of music in the context of The Language Within Us exhibition by Michael Mandolfo and Muhammad Zaman.

The concert will begin with classical cello by Andrew Borkowski, Director of Education at Buffalo String Works, and progress to modern and airy vibraphone with Ben Zucker, Chicago-based composer and improviser. Finally, Matías Homar will perform electronically modified folk guitar music from his home region of Salta Argentina. 

This event is free with admission.

About the Musicians

Cellist Andrew Borkowski has performed regularly as a soloist/chamber musician and with orchestras both nationally and internationally. He has played in masterclasses for cellists including Fred Sherry, Eric Bartlett, and Zuill Bailey, and his principal teachers include Jonathan Golove, Marcy Rosen, and Peter Wiley. He was Artistic Director of the Historic Hudson Chamber Music Series from 2016-18, designing and performing programs set in historical landmark buildings throughout the Hudson Valley, as well as the Artistic Director and co-founder of Innovox Contemporary Ensemble, a pierrot + percussion ensemble premiering the works of living, NYC-based composers. Also having played in numerous musical theatre productions, he appeared in NBC’s live broadcast of Jesus Christ Superstar with John Legend, Sara Barielles, and Alice Cooper, recording an album that was also nominated for a Grammy. He is currently the Director of Education for Buffalo String Works, and plays a 1920 Marc Laberte cello made in Mirecourt, France. 

Ben Zucker engages in acts of creative juxtaposition and speculation as a composer, audiovisual artist, and multi-instrumentalist. Acclaimed as a "master of improvisation" (IMPOSE Magazine), and “more than a little bit remarkable” (Free Jazz Blog), they have contributed to experimental music scenes across North America and the UK with “stirring compositions…built on a lifetime of musical curiosity” (Chicago Reader), as well as albums, multimedia situations, and frequent performances on vibraphone, brass, voice, and electronics. Following studies at Wesleyan University (BA), Brunel University London (MA), and Northwestern University (PhD), they currently live in Chicago.

Matías Homar was born in Salta, Argentina where he started studying electric guitar at the age of 14. By the age of 17 he went to the Faculty of Fine Arts at University of La Plata in Buenos Aires. There he started his Bachelor in Composition which he finished with the degree as Professor of Music and Graduate in Composition. He earned his Doctorate in Musical Composition from UB in 2022 and is currently an assistant professor of music at RIT. 

Just before finishing the undergraduate studies he started working as Assistant Professor at the Tonal Musical Language department. While coursing the undergraduate studies Homar also studied electric guitar and composition with private instructors and has participated in many different popular music ensembles, from rock bands to folkloric and jazz bands.

He's made presentations with contemporary music ensembles and has presented works for small ensembles, saxophones, oboe and electroacoustic music. Currently developing interactive devices to control the production and modification of sound.

Since 2014 he has actively participated at an annual composition seminar writing pieces for saxophone and electroacoustic music in La Plata.

As a performer Homar is the other half of the Imaymana dúo taking the role of composer, arranger, guitarist and double-bassist since 2015 and with whom he has released one album (2017) and currently working on the second album. He has participated other ensembles like a ‘modern’ tango band, children music band, a rock band, among other projects.

He has participated since 2016 at the Nordic Saxophone Festival in Aarhus - Denmark where he premiered Disiparse - for saxophone quartet (2016), Fra Nyborg til Odense - for saxophone octet (2017) and Dans av Nordlige Stjerner - for saxophone duet (2018). Recently he wrote works for Hanatsu Miroir Ensemble - Unruly Hassle (2018), Arditti Quartet - Canción al Tolar de Abra Pampa (2019), Ensemble Mise-en, Metamorphosis (2019) and for Current Sax (Norway) - Dans av Hjerter fra Nord (2018) being premiered in March 2019, Landó for electric guitar and live sound and visual effects (2020), La Rosa de Mimbre for Elision Ensemble (2021), Nus Ga Eid for Signal Ensemble (2021), Breathing Reality for brass trío and live electronics (2021).