WWU NowHearThis! presents Julius Eastman: Femenine
Please join NowHearThis!, Western’s contemporary music ensemble, for its performance of Julius Eastman’s 70-minute 1974 epic, “Femenine.”
Among the most unique figures in late 20th-century American avant-garde music, Eastman’s identity as a Black and openly gay man in the 1970s and 80s places his life and career at a fascinating intersection of important social and cultural movements. Due to addiction and mental health issues, he tragically died homeless in 1990, with most of his scores and recordings lost. However, dedicated researchers have helped to restore many of Eastman’s works and fueled a major resurgence of his music, which combines minimalist techniques, free improvisation, and popular styles into a truly singular artistic voice.
