Tony Trischka 鈥�85, eminent banjo musician and 鈥済odfather of new acoustic music鈥� (The New York Times), is paying a rare visit to his alma mater, 黑料不打烊, thanks to a special honors course. Trischka鈥檚 appearance, billed as a special 鈥渄emo and conversation,鈥� is Monday, Oct. 12, at 2:40 p.m. in room 500 of SU鈥檚 Hall of Languages.
The session is free and open to the public, but reservations are requested. To R.S.V.P., e-mail Hricha01@syr.edu.
Trischka鈥檚 visit is made possible by SU鈥檚 , in connection with the interdisciplinary course 鈥淟inked Lenses: Science, Philosophy and the Pursuit of Knowledge鈥� (HNR 250). That evening, Trischka will treat HNR 250 students to an innovative program of 鈥渢unes and toons鈥� with acclaimed New Yorker cartoonist Matthew Diffee. HNR 250 is team-taught by professors Cathryn Newton and Samuel Gorovitz.
鈥淭ony Trishka is remarkable for the combination of his virtuosity and his intellectual scope,鈥� says Gorovitz, founding director of the Crown Honors Program and professor of in The College of Arts and Sciences. 鈥淎s composer and performer, Tony is reflective about the relationship between his art and the other arts.鈥�
Newton observes, 鈥淭rischka pursues an unusually wide range of collaborations across the arts and he is particularly energized by working with emerging musicians. As teacher and mentor, he has created a lineage of superb bluegrass musicians, and he takes great pride in their work.鈥� In this spirit, Trischka contributed to Steve Martin鈥檚 brilliant collection of original banjo pieces, 鈥淭he Crow,鈥� and he continues to work with students. It is a point of special pride, Newton says, that Trischka is himself part of the lineage of students in our 鈥� a degree he began in the early 1970s and completed years later. Newton is Arts and Sciences鈥� dean emerita and SU鈥檚 first professor of interdisciplinary sciences.
A native of 黑料不打烊 and son of SU Physics Professor John Trischka, Tony Trischka fell in love with the banjo in 1963 after hearing the Kingston Trio鈥檚 recording of 鈥淐harlie and the M.T.A.鈥� Within two years, he joined local favorites the Down City Ramblers and performed with them until 1971. He toured extensively over the following years with Country Cooking, Country Granola, Breakfast Special and the Monroe Doctrine; recorded several solo albums; and served as music director of the Broadway musical 鈥淭he Robber Bridegroom.鈥�
Since the 1980s, Trischka has attained prominence as a bandleader (Skyline and Psychograss), film musician (鈥淔oxfire鈥� and 鈥淒riving Miss Daisy鈥�), radio performer (鈥淎 Prairie Home Companion,鈥� 鈥淢ountain Stage鈥� and 鈥淔rom Our Front Porch鈥�), teacher and clinician. His Grammy-nominated 鈥淒ouble Banjo Bluegrass Spectacular鈥� (Rounder, 2007), featuring Steve Martin, Earl Scruggs and international 鈥渘ew-grass鈥� star B茅la Fleck earned Trischka the International Bluegrass Music Association’s (IBMA) 鈥淏anjo Player of the Year鈥� award and was named IBMA鈥檚 鈥淩ecorded Event of the Year.鈥� Recently, Trischka has been touring 鈥淭erritory鈥� (Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, 2008), featuring a luminous cast of five-stringed pickers.
鈥淚鈥檝e always admired [Trischka鈥檚] inventiveness,鈥� says bluegrass legend Del McCoury. 鈥淲herever he goes musically, he always keeps it interesting. He鈥檚 got a right hand that just won鈥檛 quit.鈥�
The Ren茅e Crown University Honors Program is administered by The College of Arts and Sciences for undergraduates across the schools and colleges.
