World Premiere of Roger Vogel's "Things Fall Apart"

The final chapter of Dr. Roger Vogel's career at the University of Georgia came last spring, when the professor emeritus retired after 36 years of teaching Music Theory and Composition.

On September 6th, however, audiences will be treated to an exciting Epilogue.  Thanks in part to a grant from the Willson Center for the Humanities and Arts, Vogel is returning to the Hugh Hodgson School of Music for Things Fall Apart, a compelling new performance piece including both songs and accompanied narration.

The work will feature bass-baritone Odekhiren Amaize, Associate Professor of Zayed University (Abu Dhabi, UAE), who also commissioned the piece.  Amaize, who was educated in the United States of America and Russia, has served as a Fulbright Senior Scholar, concertized across the world, and recorded five art song albums.  He will be joined by UGA flute professor Angela Jones-Reus, piano professor Martha Thomas, and UGA alumnus Todd Mueller on percussion.

Things Fall Apart is based upon Nigerian author Chinua Achebe's eponymous novel, believed by many to be a modern classic.  The story follows Okonkwo, a village leader in pre-Colonial Africa, and his family as they deal with encroaching modernity.  The ensuing dissolution of familial bonds parallels the societal breakdown experienced when European government and religion slowly start replacing centuries of tradition, leading to a tragic finale.

Things Fall Apart will premiere in the Performing Arts Center's Ramsey Concert Hall at 8pm.  The performance is free and open to the public.