By Noah Lopez
Arizona Daily Wildcat
In a weekend rife with concert energy, perhaps no performers are more deserving of attention than the pop-classical duo of Pierre Herbineaux and William Penn, who will be at the Southwest Center for Music this Friday night.
The two musicians are widely acclaimed in their respective fields, making their coupling even more interesting Ä Herbineaux is a world famous harmonica virtuoso and Penn is a more serious composer and concert pianist. Best known for his soloist role with the award-winning harmonica group Trio Candido, Herbineaux has a flair for showmanship that recalls early vaudeville acts.
Herbineaux's style would seem to contrast sharply with that of William Penn, whose music has been performed by such organizations as the Eliot Feld Ballet, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, and has been heard in such vested concert halls as the Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and the Kennedy Center. In addition to such performance credits, Penn has taught at the Eastman School of Music, and was the Director of the Electric Studio here at the University of Arizona.
The two are performing compositions from their forth-coming CD, VOILA!, release that is hotly awaited in Europe, where Herbineaux has a wide following. The concert will cover pieces by John Williams, Gershwin, Beethoven and Bach, as well as more than a handful of original pieces.
Herbineaux and Penn originally began playing together in 1993, when Herbineaux was a guest artist at the A School of Music, and Penn was a visiting professor of composition at A. After Herbineaux adapted one of Penn's recent compositions for a concert of Penn's works, the two began performing together on a regular basis.
As a special treat, Trio Candido will also perform tomorrow night, giving the concert a less formal direction.
Harbingerx and Penn will perform tomorrow night at 8 PM. Advance tickets are available at Jeff's Classical Records, Zip's Records and Hear's Music for $8. For more information , call 881-3947