Selections will be announced from the stage.
Internationally acclaimed guitarist, Maria Zemantauski, together with dancer, La Nina and percussionist, Brian Melick, present a program of classics and stunning originals. Embracing the traditional flamenco repertoire for their foundation, they take their audience on a musical journey inspired by a flair for experimentation and pure love of music and dance. As one reviewer wrote, "Zemantauski has continually pushed the boundaries of the possible with her trusty 6-string, blending genres that have little or no business appearing on the same bill, much less in the same song. It's rarely less than electrifying to watch her do it." Along with La Nina and Brian, get ready for an evening of passion, fire, grace - and triple the fun!
Maria Zemantauski, guitar with Brian Melick, percussionist La Nina, dancer
About the Artists
Maria Zemantauski is a nylon-string guitarist and composer whose style is influenced by a variety of musical genres, most notably, Spanish classical, flamenco and American finger style. She has performed in Spain, Italy and across the continental United States to great acclaim. Her albums, Mrs. Laughinghouse (1997), Seeing Red (2000), Under the Lemon Tree (2005), Petty Feet & Mistletoe (2010) and the self-titled, Maria Zemantauski (2018) have received stellar reviews from music critics around the world.
Maria’s programs are a dynamic blend of artistic freedom, innovation and tradition. This is not surprising considering that as a child, she resisted guitar lessons, telling her encouraging parents that she wanted to “discover the instrument on her own without being told what to do.” She believes that the expressive possibilities of the guitar are limitless and pursues her music with passion, confidence and grace.
With a Masters Degree in Cultural Anthropology, she is a relentless promoter of the arts as a vital educational component and an integral part of society. She is highly regarded for combining both performance and sociocultural analysis and is a frequent guest lecturer at colleges and universities nationwide, including the University of San Francisco, University of California at Santa Cruz, Eastman School of Music, Ithaca College School of Music, St. Lawrence University, California State University at San Marcos and The University of Kentucky at Lexington. Her music acan also be heard in the awardwinning documentary, “Radical Harmonies,” an historical perspective of Women’s Music Festivals and “The Heretics,” a documentary film about the Women’s Art Movement of the 1970’s in the USA.
Maria performs extensively as a soloist, with percussionist Brian Melick (aka Uduboy), guitarist/mandolinist, Sten Isachsen, Spanish and flamenco dancer, La Nina, and with the unique and flexible Maria Z Ensemble. She has been the Coordinator of Cultural Affairs at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, NY since 2004 and is on the faculty in the college’s Department of Fine Arts, Theater Arts & Digital Media.
La Nina, a native of Columbia, South America has been teaching and performing flamenco for many years. She studied flamenco dance in NYC and in Granada, Spain. La Nina conducts workshops and performances at various schools and universities and performs often with Maria Zemantauski and Brian Melick in the Capital Region. She teaches flamenco and tap dance at the Elite Dance Academy in Oneonta, New York.
Brian Melick has been professionally involved in music for over 42 years, starting his career at the age of 14. As a recording artist, he has been featured on over 400 releases both for independent as well as major labels. He has four releases under his own name “Percussive Voices,” “uduboy,” “Diverse Element,” and “in Motion.” The first three have also been released as sound libraries for commercial use on several major networks and motion picture organizations such as Discover Channel, The Learning Channel, Disney, Columbia Pictures, and NBC.
As an educator, Brian has developed several participatory programs that explore the world of percussion, the world of edu drum, and creating percussion instruments out of found objects. He has authored two methods: “The How to
Sponsors series spotlighting local artists Performances. Funding support provided by and University Auxiliary Services.
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HOUSE POLICIES
Latecomers will be seated at the discretion of the management and its staff.
The use of photographic or recording devices of any kind during this performance is strictly prohibited.
There is no food or drink allowed in the theatres, nor is smoking allowed in UAlbany buildings.
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To avoid disrupting the performance, kindly disable any noise making electronic devices you may have with you.
Please take time to note the location of the fire exits nearest to you. In the event of an emergency, an announcement will be made from the stage. Please proceed to the nearest exit in an orderly fashion.
Created and produced by the University Art Museum, NYS Writers Institute and UAlbany Performing Arts Center in collaboration with WAMC Public Radio, this popular series features leading figures from a variety of artistic disciplines in conversation about their creative inspirations, their craft and their careers. “Roundtable” host Joe Donahue conducts live on-stage interviews followed by a Q&A with the audience.
