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Center for World Music History and Milestones

The School of Music established the Center in 2006, using a significant gift from the estate of Robert E. Brown. The gift to the University included Brown’s extensive collection of instruments from around the world. Brown’s private collection of recordings, books, paintings and artifacts were also included.

Important milestones and activities

Unofficially the Center began operation in Fall 2006 by inviting the Balinese composer, performer, and teacher I Ketut Gede Asnawa to direct our Balinese gamelan ensembles.
In the Fall of 2007 a project called East-West Ensemble was initiated. The ensemble included a group of hand-picked students and faculty from the School of Music and the Department of Dance. Guest artists from Professor I Ketut Gede Asnawa’s extraordinarily talented family also participated. The ensemble rehearsed intensively for the entire school year. Their hard work was rewarded with a two-week visit to Bali to perform at the Bali Arts Festival in Denpasar.
The Center’s official opening took place in April 2008 with an international symposium on and four days of concerts and workshops. These events featured music and dance from Zimbabwe, South India, Bali, and Puerto Rico (by way of New York City).
In 2008-2009 the Center engaged three more artist-teachers. Renowned djembe master, Moussa Bolokada Conde, taught the
percussion music of the Mande people of Guinea (West Africa). Priscilla Tse, a graduate of the Chinese Music Conservatory in Beijing, taught Chinese instruments. Tabla virtuoso, Subrata Bhattacharya from Calcutta, also taught.