Buffalo Altar; A Texas Symphony
Performance and Reception
Sunday, June 02, 2013, 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
The Bullock Museum, in association with the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, is proud to present, Buffalo Altar; A Texas Symphony. This unique performance is a collaboration between composer J. Todd Frazier and writer Stephen Harrigan. It was commissioned by The Institute of American Music at The Eastman School of Music and The University of Texas at Austin.
Frazier and Harrigan wanted something that felt alive and contemporary but also visibly connected to Texas’ rich and complex history. In the end, they decided the best way to tell the story of Texas was through the voice of a more-or-less representative Texan, an 81-year-old oilman reminiscing about a long-ago morning in a West Texas canyon that changed his life.
The June 2 performance of Buffalo Altar at the Bullock Museum will feature Barry Corbin, of Urban Cowboy and Northern Exposure fame, as narrator; Marc Sanders, piano; and Charles Robitaille, percussion. The performance will be followed by a conversation moderated by Dr. Don Carleton, executive director of the Briscoe Center, on the creation and future of the piece with Corbin, Harrigan, and Frazier.
The short story, Buffalo Altar, by Stephen Harrigan, is based on an archaeological discovery of bison bones from a hunt at Caprock Canyons State Park, near Canyon, Texas, which revealed evidence of the Folsom culture, dating signs of civilized life in Texas to over 10,000 years ago.
$45 for Bullock Museum Members/$50 for non-Members
Call (512) 936-4649 to reserve your seat.
About the Briscoe Center: The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History is an internationally known historical research center at the University of Texas at Austin. Through stewardship, scholarship, and outreach, the center increases knowledge and fosters exploration of our nation’s past. Researchers who visit the center discover historical treasures such as the prison diary of Stephen F. Austin (1833-1835); the earliest known datable photograph taken in Texas (1849); and the papers of former Texas governors, such as James Stephen Hogg. For more, visit www.briscoecenter.org or call (512) 495-4518.
About the Bullock Museum: The Bullock Texas State History Museum in downtown Austin tells the unfolding story of the history, culture and people of Texas. One of the most popular attractions in Central Texas, the Museum has welcomed more than 5 million visitors since it opened in 2001. The Museum and IMAX Theatre are located at 1800 N. Congress Ave., between the State Capital complex and the University of Texas campus. Admission fees for entrance to museum exhibitions are: $9 for adults; $8 for college students (with valid ID); $7 for seniors/military (with valid ID); $6 for youth ages 4-17, free for ages 3 and under. Museum members may visit for free. For more, visit www.thestoryoftexas.com or call (512) 936-8746.
