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Music to welcome Etienne Charles

The UC Berkeley Department of Music is pleased to announce critically-acclaimed artist, composer, and scholar Etienne Charles who will kick off the Department’s 2019 colloquium series on February 1st. Charles is a world-renown recording artist, composer, arranger, and assistant professor of Jazz Studies at Michigan State University. His talk is titled “Untold Stories: Deepening context and spreading awareness through ethnography and composition” and will take place at 3pm in 125 Morrison Hall on the UC Berkeley campus.

Hailed by The New York Times as “an auteur” and by Jazz Times as a “daring improviser who delivers with heart-wrenching lyricism,” Charles has been lauded for his exciting performances, thrilling compositions, and knack for connecting with audiences.

A native of Trinidad, Charles received early music lessons and encouragement from his family. Following a stint at Fatima College, he studied music at Florida State University and Juilliard School where he earned his Masters degree. Charles’ other accolades include winning the National Trumpet Competition in 2006 and more recently a Guggenheim scholarship. He joined the faculty at Michigan State’s College of Music in 2011.