Duo Kayo_2022-23 Biographies (2023–1).pdf

Duo Kayo—Photos for Public Download.zip

Duo Kayo

Take a tour of millennial American music with this wild collection of works by some of the most talented and inspiring voices of the 21st century. With pieces ranging from expansive and richly harmonic, to avant-garde and aleatoric, this program is sure to have something for everyone.

Americana Contemporanea

Homeward Bound

viola and cello

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Mariana Ramirez_2020-21 Biographies.pdf

Introducing the percussion family while demonstrating the instruments. Open with a piece together. Then, one by one, one person describes the snare drum, demonstrating it. The next person can demonstrate a tambourine, relating it to the snare drum, and playing a little on it. We can also discuss the sister instrument of the tambourine, the pandeiro, and its rich cultural history. Next, we can discuss pitched versus unpitched instruments. The next person can introduce the mallet instruments and discuss the origins in Africa and South/Central America. We can end by selecting a few students to come up, one by one, and have a mini lesson on each instrument.

What is Percussion? (Grades 2–6)

Students will be able to learn rhythms and history from countries such as Cuba, Mexico, Ghana, and Russia. They will learn how to play the clave, how to play a valse, how to play a zapateado from Mexico, and songs from Africa.

Rhythms of the World (Middle School)

Mariana Ramirez—Photos for Public Download.zip

Mariana Ramirez

Program 1: The Sounds of the Concrete

Program 2

percussion

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Excelsis Percussion Quartet_ 2021-22 Biographies.pdf

Review all of the above, making a condensed version. Add on more facts about percussion within the different genres of music. For example, the creation of the bass drum pedal in New Orleans as a part of the parade traditions there. Then, its use in jazz music has influenced all the popular genres we listen to today: blues, pop, rock, hip hop, and country. Play an arrangement of a jazz tune and ask the students to listen to specific elements: melody, repetition, bass line, groove. One person can demonstrate hand drums and discuss the rich cultural history of hand drum playing in Africa and South America.Discuss the makeup of the group and our cultural backgrounds, and the role of female percussionists in particular.Students can go up to try the instruments, one by one, or we can do a canon game where one group repeats one rhythm, and the other group repeats another rhythm.

The Role of Percussionists (Grades 7–8)

Review the basics of percussion^ (depending on the level). The discussion of pitched versus unpitched instruments, origins of all the instruments, with demonstrations/performances. The class is significantly more interactive, and students go up to play. They can either play their own pieces if they are percussionists, or we can do call and response and break up the classroom into groups to make “canon.”

Percussion Masterclass (High School)

Excelsis Percussion Quartet—Photos for Public Download.zip

Excelsis Percussion Quartet

This program features the great chamber works of percussion that paved the way for new voices and contemporary masterpieces. Excelsis Percussion believes that sound exploration and expressivity are timeless and ever-expanding. This program simultaneously takes a step into the past while looking toward the possibilities of the future.

An Ode to the Classics

This program celebrates multi-genre music through a juke-box inspired performance of pop music with a classical twist. Combined with elements of surprise and audience participation, this program creates a fun and accessible concert experience for all audiences and age groups.&nbsp;

Excelsis Percussion: Pops!

A blend of multiple styles, cultures, and soundscapes, this enticing program reimagines the classical concert experience through embracing contrast and the vast globality of cross-genre exploration. Excelsis Percussion brings together their different experiences and identities to share one unified program of powerful, multicultural chamber music.

Latitude, Longitude

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Thalea String Quartet_2022-23 Biographies.pdf

Winners of the 2021 Ann Divine Educator Award from the Fischoff Competition, the Thalea String Quartet has been recognized internationally for their innovative approach to education and community engagement. The quartet has developed a wide-range of programming, including presentations for young people with special sensory needs and activities for lifelong learners.&nbsp;

PerformancesThe Thalea String Quartet believes that exposing new audiences to chamber music is one of the most important facets of our work as a quartet. The Thalea has performed for students around the world, from California to China, in classroom, assembly, and small group settings. Building unique and engaging musical experiences for people of all ages is one of the quartet's core values. In addition to demonstrating the rich history of the string quartet repertoire, recent educational programs have been designed to explore topics such as non-verbal communication skills, diversity in Western Classical music, and American history.&nbsp;WorkshopsFor a more “hands-on” learning experience, The Thalea String Quartet offers a variety of workshops for music students of all ages. The Quartet's “Instant Composition” workshop invites students to create original string quartet compositions using graphic scores, story-telling, and teamwork.&nbsp;Masterclasses/ClinicsThe Thalea String Quartet offers masterclasses and clinics for music classes, school orchestras, and instrumental ensembles of all levels. Thalea masterclasses for K-12 students introduce students to the basics of chamber music. Placing special emphasis on listening, non-verbal communication, and rehearsal strategies, the Quartet encourages young students to discover their individual artistic voices in a supportive and fun environment.&nbsp;Offerings for Young People with Special Sensory NeedsIn April 2018, the Thalea helped launch a string program to provide opportunities for music education to individuals with autism of all functionalities. The Quartet worked with pianist Steven Prutsman and Autism Fun Bay Area to create a unique curriculum where children and adults with autism learn violin, viola or cello together with their caregivers. The Thalea String Quartet continues to serve audiences with special sensory needs through teaching and sensory-friendly performances.

K-12 In-Person Offerings

Hello Haydn!All of the Thalea String Quartet's offerings for K-12 students can also be presented virtually. The Thalea's virtual programming can also be supplemented with a variety of original virtual content including their online video series Hello Haydn!Created in 2020 in partnership with the Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts, Hello Haydn! sought to address the challenges of virtual teaching artistry in the midst of a global pandemic. Consisting of a series of five short videos with corresponding response activities, the program invites students to explore the different roles found within a string quartet. These fun, engaging videos use a classic work by Joseph Haydn to demonstrate how four unique individual voices come together to create chamber music magic!This modular program can be adapted to almost any educational setting. In its first iteration, the videos were supplemented with virtual visits from the members of the Thalea String Quartet. The Quartet's follow-up video series Bringing Music to Life! was commissioned by Chamber Music Tulsa in 2021 and was presented to every fourth grader in Tulsa, OK through the Any Given Child Program.&nbsp;Virtual Chamber Music SeminarIn fall of 2020, the Thalea and Austin-based CHAMPS collaborated on a ground-breaking virtual chamber music seminar that brought together young musicians from across the United States and Canada. The seminar dove deep into two fantastic string quartet works and discussed the most important elements of successful string quartet playing, including communication, listening, and teamwork. It was a total blast! At the end of the course, each student created a unique multitrack video that allowed them to perform alongside members of the Thalea String Quartet.

K-12 Virtual Offerings

LecturesIn addition to educational performances, the Thalea String Quartet has presented a number of lecture presentations at collegiate institutions across North America. They have spoken on a number of topics, including diversity in Classical music, discovering and developing your personal artistic voice, and inter-personal communication. They have appeared at Dalhousie University (Nova Scotia), University of Northern Colorado (Greeley), and the Wayne State Medical School, where they presented to first year medical students alongside the Emerson String Quartet.WorkshopsFor collegiate composers, The Thalea's “48 Hour Composition Workshop” challenges young composers to create new works for string quartet in only two days! This week-long workshop includes workshopping sessions, open rehearsals, and a final marathon performance of all the composers’ pieces. The Quartet also offers workshops and discussion sessions on diversity/equity/inclusion in Classical music, and has lead multiple sessions with graduate students at the University of Maryland.&nbsp;MasterclassesCollegiate level masterclasses and clinics encourage young musicians to fearlessly commit to their individual musical voice while supporting and inspiring their colleagues. The Thalea invites students to delve deeply into each musical score, developing their interpretive skills and specific way to communicate their personal and collective musical ideas.&nbsp;Virtual OfferingsAll of the Thalea String Quartet's university offerings are available in virtual form.

University Programs

The Thalea String Quartet believes that the joy of music can be shared with learners of all ages. The quartet offers specific, hands-on programming for adult amateur musicians and lifelong music lovers.&nbsp;Virtual Sight-Reading PartyLet the Thalea be your tour guides through a variety of masterpieces and underappreciated classics of the string quartet. Offering performance tips, historical context, and tricks of the trade, the Quartet invites musicians and music lovers of all ages to play along, follow the score, or just enjoy this virtual sight-reading party. The first iteration of this program, presented in February 2021, was a huge success. This activity can also be offered in-person.&nbsp;Adult Chamber Music SeminarModeled after the CHAMPS Virtual Chamber Music Seminar, this adult seminar currently in development invites adult amateur musicians to dive deep into a specific work of the string quartet canon. With emphasis on contemporary works by diverse composers, this asynchronous course offers adult string players the opportunity to continue to develop their technique, artistry, and collaborative skills.

Lifelong Learners

Thalea String Quartet—Photos for Public Download.zip

Thalea String Quartet

American musical traditions have had a massive global impact. Shaped by the richly diverse people, cultures, and communities that call it home, the musical legacies of the United States have also inspired composers of the Western art music tradition. Legacies explores the influence of American musical legacies on the string quartet repertoire. Gabriella Smith’s Carrot Revolution uses string techniques from bluegrass fiddle music to thrilling effect. Alexander Vittal channels American rock ’n’ roll by way of Liverpool in his richly detailed arrangement of the B-side of the Beatles’ Abbey Road album. Channeling hip hop and the blues, DBR celebrates the life of the great civil rights figure Rosa Parks in his fifth string quartet. Finally, in one of the most revered homages to American music, Dvořák honors the Black spiritual in his most famous work for the string quartet.

Legacies

A Woman's Work

Stories from Around the World

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The Thalea String Quartet continues their collaboration with pianist and Eighth Blackbird founder Lisa Kaplan in performances of Andy Akiho's monumental piano quintet, Prospects of a Misplaced Year. Composed in 2016, he piece is a thrilling blend of driving percussion, colorful timbres, and cinematic atmosphere.Born in Motown, Lisa Kaplan is a pianist specializing in the performance of new work by living composers. Kaplan is also the founding pianist of the four-time Grammy Award-winning sextet Eighth Blackbird. She has won numerous awards, performed all over the country and has premiered new pieces by hundreds of composers, including Andy Akiho, Chen Yi, Derek Bermel, Jennifer Higdon, Amy Beth Kirsten, David Lang, Nico Muhly, George Perle and Steve Reich. Kaplan has had the great pleasure to collaborate and make music with an eclectic array of incredibly talented people, including Mario Batali, Jeremy Denk, Bryce Dessner, Philip Glass, Glenn Kotche, Will Oldham (a.k.a. Bonnie Prince Billy), Gustavo Santaolalla, Robert Spano, Dawn Upshaw, and Michael Ward-Bergeman, to name a few. Recently she has greatly enjoyed and appreciated the opportunity to do some composing and arranging for Eighth Blackbird. Kaplan is a true foodie, gourmet cook, avid reader, crossword and Scrabble addict, enjoys baking ridiculously complicated pastry and loves outdoor adventures. She has summited Mt. Kilimanjaro, braved the Australian outback, stared an enormous elephant in the face in Tanzania’s Ngorogoro Crater, and survived close encounters with grizzly bears in the Brooks Range of Alaska.

Prospects of a Misplaced Year

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Benedict Kloeckner_2021-22 Biographies.pdf

Benedict Kloeckner—Photos for Public Download.zip

Benedict Kloeckner

Robert Schumann’s works for violoncello and piano have accompanied and inspired me ever sinceI started playing the cello. It was our wish to combine works by Schumann with 20th century compositions that shared his spirit of innovation, his love for the music of the past (in particular that of Johann Sebastian Bach) and his efforts to achieve a simplicity of expression&nbsp; a “folk style” that, in its approachability and highest artistic standard, appealed to the public’s interest back then.Schumann’s music is characterized by poetry, sensibility, and sincerity; they are also indispensable elements for Dmitri Shostakovich and Bohuslav Martinů, even if these contrasted sharply with external conditions –perhaps to even counter the disorders of the world with something deeply intimate and human. In keeping with the spirit of Leonard Bernstein,&nbsp; I wish to do justice to the relevance of this music. “This will be our reply to violence: to make music more intensely, more beautifully, more devotedly than ever before.”

Between Nostalgia and Revolution

Inspired by Bach explores the influence of Johann Sebastian Bach, a major influence to many composers, through two of the most beautiful cello sonatas of the repertoire. Mendelssohn is known for being a great advocate of Bach’s music, and in his vibrant, virtuous Cello Sonata, it is especially clear in the slow third movement, which touches the listener as a slow Bach-style chorale and quotes parts of Bach’s chromatic Fantasy and Fugue. It is not known how familiar Beethoven was with Bach’s work, however in his magnificent Cello Sonata, he quotes Bach’s Johannes Passion “es ist vollbracht.” Beethoven’s Cello Sonata then became its own inspiration for many composers, who attempt to echo its perfect instrumental balance and compositorial genius.&nbsp;

Inspired by Bach

Forgotten Romance is a program of works by three great Romantic pianists and composers who didn’t write very much chamber music, but had a particular love for the cello. Sergei Rachmaninov wrote his Cello Sonata after a long personal and artistic crisis, in which he had to fight back his way to mental health and artistic creativity. His Cello Sonata is a journey of the soul –from darkness, struggle, and despair to blazing joy and glory Following a similar journey, Chopin’s Cello Sonata was one of his last works, a complex masterpiece full of poetry, virtuosity, and intensity. The program opens with Liszt’s beautiful and lyrical Romance oubliée and his famous Dream of Love, conveying the composer’s great emotional depth in what&nbsp; Frederic Delius calls “an outburst of the soul.”&nbsp;

Forgotten Romance

Legendary cellist Pablo Casals once said that Johann Sebastian Bach’s 6 Suites for Violoncello “is the quintessence of Bach’s music, and Bach himself the quintessence of all music itself.” Casals made these works famous as one of mankind’s great achievements. They are inspired by fashionable court dances of the time and some musicologists also suspect a connection to biblical stories from the New Testament. Experiencing the complete cycle in one (or optional two) evenings is both an adventure for the listener and a challenge for the interpreter, with both facing some of the most virtuosic, emotionally deep, and musically genius art ever made.

A Dancing Miracle

cello

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Delphi Trio_2021-22 Biographies.pdf

Duration: 45 minutesAn interactive, family-friendly performance for all ages, this program combines musical performance with visual art in a game-like format that allows viewers to join in on the music making.Using graphic notation, a unique way of writing sounds in the form of artistic images, Circle Dash consists of a series of animated “video scores” conceived by composer and educator Danny Clay that lead participants on a journey through a variety of musical landscapes.Audience members are invited to perform along with Delphi Trio using objects not traditionally considered instruments - no musical experience necessary! Along the way, audience members will learn about the basic building blocks of musical composition and explore the process of interpreting and performing music in a hands-on, interactive way. Presentations ofCircle Dash can be done in person or online.Circle Dash is a Delphi commission and an ongoing project.Danny Clay, ComposerDanny Clay is a composer and teaching artist whose work is deeply rooted in curiosity, collaboration, and the sheer joy of making things with people of all ages and levels of artistic experience.Working closely with artists, students, and community members alike, he builds worlds of inquiry, play, and perpetual discovery that integrate elements of sound, movement, theater, and visual design. Children's games, speculative systems, cognitive puzzles, invented notation, found objects, imaginary archives, repurposed media, micro-improvisations, and happy accidents all make frequent appearances in his projects.Recent collaborators include Kronos Quartet, Eighth Blackbird, Third Coast Percussion, Volti, the San Francisco Girls Chorus, Wu Man, Sarah Cahill, Phyllis Chen, and printmaker Jon Fischer. His work has been performed by the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE), the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players (SFCMP), Ensemble Dal Niente, and has been presented by the deYoung Museum, San Francisco Performances, the McEvoy Foundation for the Arts at the Minnesota Street Project, the Grey Area Foundation for the Arts, the Meaney Center for the Arts in Seattle, and university programs throughout the United States. Learn more about Danny at<a href="https://www.dclaymusic.com/"> www.dclaymusic.com</a>.<a href="http://www.delphitrio.com/familyconcert">www.delphitrio.com/familyconcert</a>

Circle Dash

Delphi Trio is passionate about sharing knowledge and educating young artists. All three members of the Trio are devoted teaching artists who feel strongly about the importance of sharing and passing on knowledge to the next generation. In this offering, the Trio works together to coach chamber music, or separately to coach individual instrumentalists on solo or sonata repertoire. The Trio is also available to offer panel discussions and lectures on a variety of topics, including career building, historical performance practice, arts administration, ensemble dynamics, practice psychology, and more.

Masterclasses & Panel Discussions

The members of Delphi Trio love connecting with their audiences on and off the concert stage. In the Q&amp;A and Post-Concert Chat options, the Trio will collaborate with the presenting host to facilitate a formal dialogue between the Trio and the audience. This conversation may consist of the Trio answering audience members’ questions, or delving into discussion topics such as the Trio’s musical upbringings, ideas about particular works, instruments, or anything else that might be of interest. In the Meet &amp; Greet option, the Trio will attend an informal post-concert reception where they can meet and talk with audience members directly. The availability of this option is contingent on appropriate mask policies being enforced.

Q&A/Post-Concert Chat/Meet & Greet

Delphi Trio—Photos for Public Download.zip

Delphi Trio

piano trio

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<h2>Co-Commission a New Triple Concerto</h2>A worldwide celebration is on the horizon! The <a href="https://arielartists.com/artists/delphi-trio/">Delphi Trio</a> seeks co-commissioners for&nbsp;a new triple concerto for violin, cello, and piano by Clarice Assad that celebrates the rebirth of cultural life, of connection, of community.&nbsp;It is&nbsp;a&nbsp;21st-century female response to Beethoven's popular Triple Concerto of 1803. The piece will be designed to work either standing alone or as a companion piece to the Beethoven and will have the same instrumentation:&nbsp;soloists plus one flute, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, timpani, and strings,&nbsp;plus potentially one extra musician.<h3>Join the Commissioning Consortium</h3>The commissioning consortium is led by the San José Chamber Orchestra (SJCO)&nbsp;and Maestra Barbara Day Turner; each co-commissioner is asked to contribute $5,000 toward the composer’s fee and copying costs.&nbsp;The SJCO will give the world premiere of the work on Sunday, March 20, 2022. The work is proprietary in performance to co-commissioners and the Delphi Trio for spring 2022 and fall 2023. Please <a href="mailto:matthew@arielartists.com?subject=Delphi%20Trio%E2%80%94Clarice%20Assad%20Commission">email</a> Matthew Kulas to inquire about co-commissioning the Assad Triple Concerto.<figure class="image"><img src="https://d2k153re4i383a.cloudfront.net/Assad_Clarice_Photo_by_Cynthia_Van_Elk_2_1_1024x681_25e62feab3.jpg"></figure><h3>About Clarice Assad</h3>A powerful communicator renowned for her musical scope and versatility, Brazilian-American Clarice Assad is a significant artistic voice in the classical, world music, pop, and jazz genres, renowned for her evocative colors, rich textures, and diverse stylistic range. A prolific Grammy-nominated composer, with over 70 works to her credit, her work has been commissioned by internationally renowned organizations, festivals, and artists, and are published in France (Editions Lemoine), Germany (Trekel), Criadores do Brasil (Brazil), and in the US by Virtual Artists Collective Publishing. Ms. Assad has released seven solo albums and appeared on or had her works performed on another 30. Her music is represented on Cedille Records, SONY Masterworks, Nonesuch, Adventure Music, Edge, Telarc, NSS Music, GHA, and CHANDOS. As an innovator, her award-winning Voxploration Series on music education, creation, songwriting, and improvisation has been presented throughout the United States, Brazil, Europe, and the Middle East. With her talents sought-after by artists and organizations worldwide, the multi-talented musician continues to attract new audiences both onstage and off.<h3>About the Delphi Trio</h3>The <a href="https://www.delphitrio.com">Delphi Trio</a> is recognized for commanding, compelling performances that draw audiences into their musical world. The Trio prioritizes unity, artistry, vulnerability, and musical risk-taking, creating performances that are infused with spontaneity, humor, and joy. Founded on the principles of community, connection, and artistry, Delphi believe firmly in art’s ability to make a difference in the world and are committed to using their musical platform to bring people together, regardless of background or beliefs. Comprised of three strong women, Delphi Trio works to highlight the presentation of works by female composers alongside the classic piano trio repertoire. Violinist Liana Bérubé, cellist Tanya Tomkins, and pianist Allegra Chapman are based in the San Francisco Bay Area.To inquire about joining the commissioning consortium&nbsp;or to learn more about the&nbsp;<a href="https://arielartists.com/artists/delphi-trio/">Delphi Trio</a>, please email Artist Representative, <a href="mailto:matthew@arielartists.com?subject=Delphi%20Trio%E2%80%94Clarice%20Assad%20Commission">Matthew Kulas</a>.

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Worldwide celebration is on the horizon! The Delphi Trio is pleased to invite co-commissioners&nbsp;to join in creating a new triple concerto for violin, cello, and piano by Clarice Assad celebrating the return of cultural life and connection. The piece will be designed to work either standing alone or as a companion piece to the Beethoven&nbsp;Triple Concerto - a 21st century female response to the famous party piece of 1803.&nbsp;Instrumentation will be the same as in the Beethoven (three soloists plus one flute, two oboes, two&nbsp;clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, timpani, and strings) plus one percussionist.Tentatively titled "The Tale of Mélusine", the new work will follow the medieval French legend of a half-fairy woman betrayed by her mortal husband. The Concerto is 23-25 minutes in length and is performed without breaks between movements.The concerto will be premiered in March, 2022 and will be proprietary in&nbsp;performance to Delphi Trio for one year following the premiere; it will be proprietary in recording&nbsp;to Delphi Trio for two years following the premiere. The commissioning consortium is led by the&nbsp;San José Chamber Orchestra and Maestra Barbara Day Turner; each co-commissioner will&nbsp;contribute $5,000 USD toward the composer’s fee and copying costs.&nbsp;About Clarice AssadA powerful communicator renowned for her musical scope and versatility, Brazilian-American Clarice Assad is a significant artistic voice in the classical, world music, pop, and jazz genres, renowned for her evocative colors, rich textures, and diverse stylistic range. A prolific Grammy-nominated composer, with over 70 works to her credit, her work has been commissioned by internationally renowned organizations, festivals, and artists, and are published in France (Editions Lemoine), Germany (Trekel), Criadores do Brasil (Brazil), and in the US by Virtual Artists Collective Publishing. Ms. Assad has released seven solo albums and appeared on or had her works performed on another 30. Her music is represented on Cedille Records, SONY Masterworks, Nonesuch, Adventure Music, Edge, Telarc, NSS Music, GHA, and CHANDOS. As an innovator, her award-winning Voxploration Series on music education, creation, songwriting, and improvisation has been presented throughout the United States, Brazil, Europe, and the Middle East. With her talents sought-after by artists and organizations worldwide, the multi-talented musician continues to attract new audiences both onstage and off.

Clarice Assad Triple Concerto

Delphi Trio to Commission Clarice Assad Triple Concerto

Tesla Quartet_2022-23 Biographies.pdf

Tesla Quartet—Photos for Public Download-20230223T173623Z-001.zip

Tesla Quartet

string quartet

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“I love these sessions. It's really wonderful to have the opportunity to watch you do this work, and hear your thought processes. I hear and feel the things you're talking about come out in the music, and it's very enlightening (and beautiful).”—Sean<h2>Immerse yourself with the <a href="https://arielartists.com/artists/tesla-quartet/">Tesla Quartet</a>&nbsp;as they explore Béla Bartók's six monumental string quartets&nbsp;for the first time.</h2><figure class="image"><a href="https://youtu.be/fWjCPSTjWpw?t=1083" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://d2k153re4i383a.cloudfront.net/Bartok_Livestream_2536fe57b7.png"></a></figure>&nbsp;<h3>Adopt a Bartók Quartet</h3>Join the <a href="https://arielartists.com/artists/tesla-quartet/">Tesla Quartet</a> this spring on an extraordinary journey! For any concert presenters seeking virtual programming through June 2021, we offer an exclusive invitation from the Tesla Quartet, who have mapped out a deeply personal&nbsp;journey for audience members to learn the six Bartók Quartets alongside them.&nbsp;We are looking for presenters who would each like to adopt a Bartók Quartet and give their community this exclusive learning experience. After a wonderfully successful installment of the first three&nbsp;Bartók Quartets—sponsored by Friends of Chamber Music&nbsp;Troy and the Grand Valley State University&nbsp;Department of Music—we are looking for presenters who would each like to adopt one of the final three&nbsp;Bartók Quartets&nbsp;and give their community this exclusive learning experience.&nbsp;&nbsp;Check out the audience responses below:&nbsp;<hr>“Thank you for inviting your listeners and fans to participate with you. All three of the guest speakers (and your performances, of course) have been wonderful.”&nbsp;—Anonymous"I found the commentaries the most valuable; they illuminated the road Bartók took, and thus the music. Can I comment as well? the playing of the Tesla Quartet is extremely elegant and these quartets were performed beautifully."—Jim"It was exciting to hear a young quartet, relatively speaking, be so enthusiastic about Bartok's quartets. I also learned more about Bartók's life and approach to composing from the guest speakers. The open rehearsals were exciting to see and hear what aspects of the music you go over when actually rehearsing together. Also interesting to hear how musicians try to convey aspects of playing specific music in words."—Sally<hr><h3>&nbsp;</h3><h3>Each Bartók Week</h3>In the Tesla Quartet’s six week Bartók-fest, they are exploring&nbsp;how this music sways their innermost passions, to a depth and at a pace designed to entertain, inform, and engage their listeners. Each week focuses on a single quartet and consist of the following:<ul><li>Day 1 –&nbsp;Live&nbsp;Conversation with an&nbsp;expert:&nbsp;Guests to include:&nbsp;Nicholas Kitchen, first violinist of the Borromeo Quartet; Hungarian violinist Károly Schranz, founding member of the Takács Quartet; and celebrated composer Gabriel Lena Frank.</li><li>Day 2 –&nbsp;Live Open Rehearsal:&nbsp;A behind the scenes look at the Tesla Quartet's rehearsal process.</li><li>Day 3 –&nbsp;Live&nbsp;Performance:&nbsp;The week’s activities will culminate in a live-stream performance of one of the string quartets.</li><li>Audience Participation: Each session will include a Q&amp;A session for the audience to engage with the ensemble and its guests.</li></ul>&nbsp;Dates: May 26-29 – String Quartet No. 4 June 2-5 – String Quartet No. 5 June 9-12 – String Quartet No. 6 &nbsp;<h3>Sponsorships &nbsp;Available!</h3>Each week is sponsored by a performing arts organization from across the United States. For a $5,000 sponsorship, patrons of the sponsoring organizations will receive a subscription for the entire series and will have VIP access to the Q&amp;A sessions and prizes for the sponsored week.&nbsp;&nbsp;<hr>"I've never really enjoyed Bartók. Though I have more recordings of B's quartets than any other, so I guess I have been looking for a way in. The talks with Bartók experts have REALLY helped."—Gary "Sooo good!! I don't know why such dissonance brings me so much joy lol. That last movement is incredible and really ties it all together. Much love Tesla Quartet!"—Doug "This is a wonderful performance, it has it all: lyricism, dance rhythms, unabashed enjoyment of the dissonances, thank you so much. I plan to listen to it often."—Sonia<hr>&nbsp;To inquire about sponsorship or to learn more about the <a href="https://arielartists.com/artists/tesla-quartet/">Tesla Quartet</a>, please email Artist Representative, <a href="mailto:matthew@arielartists.com?subject=Tesla%20Quartet%20Bartok%20Inquiry">Matthew Kulas</a>.

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Tesla Quartet: A Bartók Journey

Akropolis Reed Quintet_ 2022-23 Biographies.pdf

Winner of the 2015 Fischoff Educator Award, Akropolis has engaged more than 40,000 youth during its 13-year history, including an annual, yearlong residency at three high schools in their home Detroit community. As an independent nonprofit they have received grants from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, and many individuals nationwide to support their educational programming, which comprises a noteworthy portion of their activity.&nbsp;Akropolis delivers fast-paced and informative workshops, including its “The Best Story” presentation for elementary schools, featuring a musical reenactment of the Eileen Spinelli children’s book. At the middle and high school level, Akropolis gives performances, coachings, Q&amp;A's, and offers a side-by-side band concerto by Peter Terry.&nbsp;“I am in awe of your genius in this educational arena and excited for all the young lives that you will impact and change because you are first and foremost extraordinary artists who are bringing that excellence and meticulous preparation and execution to the educational arena.”-Kathy Soroka, Allegheny RiverStone Center for Arts Education

K-12 Education

Akropolis believes that "quality" in classical music comes not only from the technical competency of the performers, but of the relevance an artist creates within their community. To do this, Akropolis engages their communities nationwide through experiences informed by the communities they serve. This includes collaborating with community members on new musical works, including&nbsp;so much more, featuring interviews with local business owners, and&nbsp;Sprocket, featuring a rideable percussion bike created by scrap metal artist, Juan Martinez. They commissioned new work from Detroit poet Marsha Music, and in their travels have performed with guest percussionists in several communities.&nbsp;Akropolis has performed at dozens of workplaces during its Detroit Workplace Concert Series, including hospitals, factories, tech companies, and more. They have performed in juvenile&nbsp;detention centers, homeless shelters, development centers, and senior care centers. They have given dozens of outdoor performances at parks and other pop-up locations, including grocery stores and farmers markets. They have given house concerts, backyard concerts, and concerts on river walks and bike paths.&nbsp; &nbsp;Each concert is custom-designed with community input and shaped to reflect the vibrancy of the community.&nbsp;

Community Engagement

Based on Akropolis' 8 year of experience teaching and entrepreneurship and career development, including courses at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre, and Dance and the Michigan State University College of Music, Akropolis created&nbsp;<a href="https://akropolisquintet.org/mastermind/">Akropolis Mastermind</a>&nbsp;in 2019 and since then have engaged 22 early career artists and over 80 participants&nbsp;in this weeklong career development workshop.&nbsp;Please visit&nbsp;<a href="http://akropolisquintet.org/mastermind">akropolisquintet.org/mastermind</a>&nbsp;to read the testimonials from these participants' experiences.&nbsp;At the university level, Akropolis provides customized workshops derived from their Mastermind, including sessions on health and sustainability, marketing/branding, financial planning, project development, and more.&nbsp;Akropolis also delivers inspiring master classes, reads and premieres works by student composers, and has even collaborated with college students in performance.&nbsp;

Akropolis Mastermind (University)

Akropolis Reed Quintet—Photos for Public Download.zip

Akropolis Reed Quintet

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<h3>Ghost Light (def.)&nbsp;</h3>"a small, single bulbed light, usually a floor lamp of some sort, that shines on the dark stage throughout the night when the theater is closed and unoccupied."—Onstageblog.com<hr>&nbsp;The <a href="https://arielartists.com/artists/akropolis-reed-quintet/">Akropolis Reed Quintet</a>'s 4th album,&nbsp;<a href="https://arielartists.com/interdisciplinary-projects/ghost-light/">Ghost Light</a>, released on April 9, 2021 and already hailed by&nbsp;The Wire (U.K.) as "audibly driven by real excitement and a sense of adventure," is now available as a touring program specifically designed to aid presenters in creatively reopening their venues to live audiences with an intentional sense of community. The event will be staged by the Akropolis with intimate lighting and include a ghost light from the presenting venue, or another in the community.<figure class="image"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0WsLf8_hGU" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://d2k153re4i383a.cloudfront.net/Akropolis_Ghost_Light_Playing_1_f896b18e70.jpg"></a></figure>&nbsp;<a href="https://arielartists.com/interdisciplinary-projects/ghost-light/">Ghost Light</a>&nbsp;is a meditation on life, death, and rebirth&nbsp;"performed with faultless detail and refreshing artistry" (I Care if You Listen).&nbsp;It&nbsp;shines a light on the ghosts all around us and grapples with the issues of mortality and our personal and collective history. The concert program includes selections from the&nbsp;<a href="https://arielartists.com/artists/akropolis-reed-quintet/">Akropolis Reed Quintet</a>'s&nbsp;fourth album,&nbsp;<a href="https://akropolisquintet.org/ghostlight/">Ghost Light</a>&nbsp;on New Focus Recordings, including 2018 Pulitzer Prize finalist, Michael Gilbertson, and 2019 Academy of Arts and Letters Award recipient, Stacy Garrop. A masterwork by Jeff Scott telling the history of three razed Black Detroit neighborhoods is accompanied by new poetry written by Detroit historian and author, Marsha Music.&nbsp;<h3>Pure Gold</h3>Celebrating their 12th year and hailed by Fanfare Magazine for their “imagination, infallible musicality, and huge vitality,” the <a href="https://arielartists.com/artists/akropolis-reed-quintet/">Akropolis Reed Quintet</a> was founded in 2009 at the University of Michigan and has won seven national chamber music prizes including the Fischoff Gold Medal and Fischoff Educator Award. The San Francisco Chronicle dubbed the Akropolis’s third album release,&nbsp;The&nbsp;Space Between Us, “pure gold.”&nbsp;To inquire about <a href="https://arielartists.com/interdisciplinary-projects/ghost-light/">Ghost Light</a> or to learn more about the <a href="https://arielartists.com/artists/akropolis-reed-quintet/">Akropolis Reed Quintet</a>, please email Artist Representative, <a href="mailto:matthew@arielartists.com?subject=Akropolis%20Reed%20Quintet%20Inquiry">Matthew Kulas</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

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Stacy Garrop –&nbsp;Rites for the AfterlifeMichael Gilbertson –&nbsp;Kinds of LightNiloufar Nourbakhsh&nbsp;–&nbsp;Firing Squad–&nbsp;Intermission –Theo Chandler –&nbsp;Seed to SnagJeff Scott –&nbsp;Homage to Paradise Valley&nbsp;(poetry by Marsha Music)Akropolis Reed Quintet’s 4th album, Ghost Light, released on April 9, 2021 and already hailed by&nbsp;The Wire, U.K. as “audibly driven by real excitement and a sense of adventure,” is now available as a touring program specifically designed to aid presenters in creatively reopening their venues to live audiences with an intentional sense of community. Mirroring the live stream concert that Akropolis delivered on the album release date, the event will be staged by Akropolis with intimate lighting and include a ghost light from the presenting venue, or another in the community.&nbsp;Featuring five original works commissioned by Akropolis, Ghost Light is a meditation on life, death, and rebirth “performed with faultless detail and refreshing artistry” (I Care if You Listen). The program shines a light on the ghosts all around us and grapples with the issues of mortality and our personal and collective history. Living, learning, and growing in their own bubble for the last 12 months, Akropolis has developed their own, reignited purpose: to bring world class music to everyday people through human connection. As you endeavor to do the same in your community, Ghost Light provides an ideal setting with diverse works from composers Stacy Garrop, Michael Gilbertson, Niloufar Nourbakhsh, Theo Chandler, and Jeff Scott, including original poetry by Detroit artist and historian, Marsha Music.

Ghost Light

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Akropolis Reed Quintet: Ghost Light

<h2>A Call for the Best Artistic Ideas in Classical Music, Focusing on Relevance, Innovative Power, Inclusive Dialogue, Diverse Participation, and Positive Impact&nbsp;</h2><a href="https://arielartists.com/">Ariel Artists</a>&nbsp;announces a new, annual “innovation competitions” format, launched through its innovation platform,&nbsp;<a href="http://arielavant.org/">Ariel AVANT: Connect Forward</a>. The competitions function as an open invitation to classical musicians and chamber ensembles to push forward the evolution of classical music as an art form, with concert presenters, industry thought leaders, and Ariel Artists roster artists all joining forces to identify best ideas in the marketplace and reward them with development time, commissioning support, and performance opportunities. AVANT takes the competition beyond artistic mastery, focusing on relevance, innovative power, inclusive dialogue, diverse participation, and positive impact as metrics of excellence.Ariel Artists founder&nbsp;Oni Buchanan&nbsp;explains, “I founded Ariel Artists in 2009, as a pianist and poet interested in contemporary music and interdisciplinary performance. As a young, unknown artist engaged in non-traditional performance endeavors, I booked concerts for myself from 2003 to 2013, honing my strengths of programming curation, recontextualizing canonical works alongside contemporary repertoire, creating interdisciplinary collaborations, and offering performance residencies. Through those efforts, I built a machine whose infrastructure I realized I could leverage to represent a full roster of artists pursuing innovative work and seeking to engage with communities of people. My impact would be exponentially greater than anything I could achieve as a soloist.Now in its 11th year, Ariel has built wonderful partnerships with artists, concert presenters, and thought leaders across our industry who share our core values of innovation, interdisciplinary connection, and ongoing, participatory dialogue across diverse communities of people. I therefore find myself in the fortunate position of being able to put out a call for ideas to the larger classical music ecosystem, and having a community of support ready to join the initiative. I’m excited to offer the Ariel AVANT platform as a way to invite and reward the best ideas, to facilitate development opportunities for artists creating innovative projects, and to bring people together across our industry to put momentum behind the evolution of classical music as an art form. This is truly an ‘everyone wins’ opportunity, and I am immensely grateful for the participation of our visionary colleagues for whom I have such enormous respect.”&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://arielavant.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/UN_Sustainable-Development-Goals.jpg" alt="This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is UN_Sustainable-Development-Goals.jpg"></figure>The initial Ariel AVANT competition category will be&nbsp;Impact Performance, with an application deadline of June 1, 2020. The&nbsp;Impact Performance&nbsp;prize goes to the most compelling interdisciplinary and/or multimedia performance designed to generate productive conversation and offer positive means of action addressing a social justice issue, particularly one related to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/">United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)</a>&nbsp;prioritized to be achieved by 2030. Applying artists should also propose one or more new works (of at least 10 minutes total) which will be commissioned for the performance itself and integral to its implementation.<hr><h3>Competition Guidelines</h3>In an effort to mitigate implicit bias, the competition will be judged by three tiers of judging panels made up of varying ratios of concert presenters, industry thought leaders, and Ariel roster artists, all from diverse backgrounds. The best ideas win, with four levels of recognition:&nbsp;Grand Prize Winner, Second&nbsp;and&nbsp;Third Place&nbsp;winners, and a&nbsp;Heart&nbsp;winner, an honorable mention for a proposal “with heart.” The grand prize includes a $20,000 touring fund to support five performances with paired engagement events, a $10,000 development and commissioning fund, and a two-week incubation residency for beta testing at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Second and third prizes are honorariums of $3,000 and $2,000, respectively. &nbsp; The AVANT competitions are open to classical music soloists and chamber ensembles of every background, regardless of age, ensemble instrumentation, race, gender identification, sexual orientation, or any other factor.&nbsp; &nbsp; The only eligibility requirements to apply are the following:<ul><li>An active performance history of at least two years</li><li>Established membership of at least two years (in the case of chamber ensembles)</li><li>The total number of touring artists/collaborators (including accompanying technicians) must range from 3-6 people</li><li>Applicants must be able to tour in the United States during the Grand Prize touring period (approximately September through December 2021)</li><li>Commissioned works must be completed and delivered to artists/collaborators well in advance of the Grand Prize touring period</li></ul><h3><a href="http://arielavant.org/competition/impact-performance">FULL COMPETITION GUIDELINES</a></h3>&nbsp;<h3>Impact Performance Competition Timeline:</h3><ul><li>Applications Due:&nbsp;June 1, 2020</li><li>Semi-Finalists Announced:&nbsp;July 2020</li><li>Finalists Announced:&nbsp;August 2020</li><li>Grand Prize Winner Announced:&nbsp;September 2020</li><li>Approximate Touring Period:&nbsp;September – December 2021</li></ul><h3><a href="https://arielartists.us7.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=2cf7a44ee169236786b861340&amp;id=cbb5deecfb">SIGN UP FOR THE AVANT MAILING LIST TO RECEIVE COMPETITION NOTIFICATIONS HERE!</a></h3>

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Ariel Artists Announces New Annual Innovation Competitions

Ariel Artists

<h2>MISSION STATEMENT</h2><h3>We are here because we truly believe that the experience of music offers the “spirits to enforce” and the “art to enchant.”</h3><h3>We aspire to connect the world through that strength of vision and joyous shared exploration.</h3>Founded in 2009 by pianist and poet Oni Buchanan, Ariel Artists is a management company shaped by and designed for the evolving landscape of classical/contemporary music in the 21st century.

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Tesla Quartet: A Bartók Journey

Akropolis Reed Quintet: Ghost Light

Ariel Artists Announces New Annual Innovation Competitions

MISSION STATEMENT

We are here because we truly believe that the experience of music offers the “spirits to enforce” and the “art to enchant.”

We aspire to connect the world through that strength of vision and joyous shared exploration.