IMAGINATION BIOGRAPHIES

RZA, composer

Wu-Tang Clan mastermind Robert Diggs, best known as "The RZA" among several other pseudonyms, is one of music's most revered, influential artists and producers. With the group's classic 1993 debut, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), he established their widely imitated core sound, consisting of stark, booming beats and chilling samples (heavily drawing from vintage soul records as well as kung fu movies), setting the backdrop for the crew's gritty, violent narratives.

Following the album's trailblazing success, Diggs produced the first wave of solo releases by his fellow Wu-Tang members. He then returned with the groups highly acclaimed 1997 Grammy Nominated Album – Wu-Tang Forever. Following the worldwide success of the Wu-Tang Forever release, he devoted time to his own solo career, with the goldselling debut by his alter ego Bobby Digital arriving in 1998.

RZA's creative exploration did not stop there. He successfully found his way to scoring multiple film and television works, beginning with his highly acclaimed score for Jim Jarmusch's Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999) and continuing with a lengthy string of soundtracks (Blade Trinity, Kill Bill Volume 1 & 2, The Man with the Iron Fists, and Love Beats Rhymes). Following a BAFTA nomination, RZA continued to compose music for television, earning two Emmy nominations. RZA has recently executive produced the Hulu original series Wu-Tang: An American Saga, which is in its third season.

Tonight, RZA debuts one of his most exciting endeavors, having written and composed A Ballet Through Mud. This world premiere with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra is a never-beforeseen fusion of the Arts – Theatre, Orchestra, Ballet, and Hip Hop.