'60 x 60' concert at UTC offers 60 60-second compositions

Imagine 60 miniature musical compositions, lasting no more than one minute each, created by musicians from around the world and presented back-to-back in a seamless one-hour event.

Such a concert, called "60 x 60," will be presented Monday by the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga's Music Department, with the support of the Ruth Holmberg Chair in American Music.

Founded by composer Robert Voisey in 2003 and eclectic by nature, "60 x 60" offers an unmatched diversity of styles, making for a high-speed, one-of-a-kind performance.

Performances have been presented in 35 cities, each individualized for the region in which it is performed. Monday's performance, which is coordinated by UTC professor and composer Jonathan McNair, will be unique to Chattanooga.

Each new "60x60" event contains 60 compositions, each 60 seconds in length, that present a slice of what is happening in the contemporary music scene. Selected works are chosen from an international pool of emerging and established composers. They are presented continuously in a one-hour performance synchronized with a large, onstage analog clock.

The New York Times described a performance as "quite mad. But it's this kind of madness that makes the cultural world go round."

The performance will start at 7:30 p.m. in the Roland Hayes Concert Hall of the UTC Fine Arts Center, 752 Vine St. Admission is free.

For more information, call 425-4679, or visit www.utc.edu/Academic/Music/Events.php.