‘Gods and Monsters’ a collaborative and multi-media production

Three Idyllwild Arts Academy faculty members are performing a multi-disciplinary and collaborative production, “Gods and Monsters,” written by Dr. Jeannette Louise Yaryan, composer, pianist, arranger and author, that will be presented in Pasadena.

Joining Yaryan are Marshall Hawkins (jazz faculty) and David Reid-Marr (visual arts chair). “It is an anti-racism piece,” said Yaryan. “This is a concept show that confronts social issues of our time. Although there are works on the program by traditional composers, there is also my own spoken word and musical arranging, as well as a powerful visual art installation [by Reid-Marr].”

On the program, with Yaryan at the keyboard, are works by classical composers J.S. Bach, Beethoven and Debussy. Her own piece, “The Fabrication of Our Lives,” includes Yaryan’s arrangement of L. Allen’s “Strange Fruit” and spoken words by Yaryan featuring bassist Hawkins and artist Reid-Marr.

“Gods and Monsters” concludes with a reading of the 13th Amendment that outlawed slavery after the Civil War.

“Gods and Monsters” was premiered in April 2017 at Idyllwild Arts. Yaryan holds two Masters of Music degrees from the Cleveland Institute of Music. A prize winner for the University of Southern California’s concerto competition, Yaryan performed Liszt’s “Totentanz” with the USC Symphony in 2008.  Yaryan also is a chamber musician as well as a performer, arranger and board member of the Definiens Project, a nonprofit chamber music organization based in Los Angeles.

Hawkins is a longtime IAA jazz faculty member, founder of Jazz in the Pines, bassist, composer and arranger. Reid-Marr, current chair of the IAA Visual Arts Department, works in painting, drawing and sculpture.

“Gods and Monsters” will be performed at Boston Court Performing Arts Center in Pasadena at 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 19, with a pre-concert talk at 7 p.m. Tickets for adults are $10 and for students, they are free. For more information, visit www.bostoncourt.com/events/356/jeanette-louise-yaryan.