Improvisation R.Carlos Nakai and Will Clipman

Описание: From full performance of Cultural Crossroads: Dvorak in America

The improvisation with R. Carlos Nakai and Will Clipman introduces a distinct and intentionally unexpected element into the program. Unlike the notated repertoire, this segment is created in the moment, bringing spontaneity, risk, and surprise into a concert otherwise grounded in composed works.

R. Carlos’s use of Native flute, vocalizing, and speaking/singing in his Native language adds an immediacy and cultural specificity that cannot be fully captured on the page. Will’s entrance from within the audience—gradually making his way to the stage—dissolves the conventional barrier between performers and listeners, briefly turning the entire hall into part of the performance space.

As they join together, the two artists weave Indigenous melodic, rhythmic, and timbral elements into the larger arc of the program. Their interaction extends the project’s theme of “crossroads” by placing improvisation, oral tradition, and Native language alongside string quartet, voice, and European art music. This moment further stretches traditional chamber programming: it foregrounds collaborative creation, highlights non-notated musical practices, and underscores that the cultures invoked in the project are living, evolving traditions rather than purely historical references.


📍 Recorded live
Duke University
November 2025
Glenn Abbey, videographer
Mark Manring, videographer and audio/video editor
www.manring.net