FIRST FRIDAYS
THE 2020 SEASON
The Music Mansion, 88 Meeting Street, Providence, RI 02906
curated by Zan Berry, Artist in Residence
THE 2020 SEASON
The Music Mansion, 88 Meeting Street, Providence, RI 02906
curated by Zan Berry, Artist in Residence
February 7, 2020 at 8pm
PVD Cello Fest, Night 1
Zan Berry & Adrienne Taylor, cello
PVD Cello Fest, Night 1
Zan Berry & Adrienne Taylor, cello
The Music Mansion will host the first night of the first ever Providence Cello Festival! This unique event will showcase the cello in a variety of genres and styles over the course of three concerts during the weekend. Additionally, a workshop on Saturday, led by jazz cellist, Dave Haughey, will inspire the next generation of aspiring cellists to think outside of the box on their instruments. The festival kicks off with the First Friday concert, featuring artist-in-residence, Zan Berry and Adrienne Taylor.
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Cellist Adrienne Taylor’s unique musical voice is inspired by explorative collaborations in chamber music and across genres and performance mediums. Her work with composers and singer/songwriters as well as her work in film, theater and dance has inspired her to continuously expand her perspective on sound and its relationship to space and time.
Formerly cellist of the Boston Public Quartet, Adrienne has collaborated in performances with innovative music ensembles such as the Kronos Quartet, the Sphinx Virtuosi and Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble. Adrienne has a particular interest in working with composers, and has premiered solo and chamber music works by Jessie Montgomery, Kareem Roustom, Aaron Jackson and Ken Ueno. Adrienne also writes and performs her own music, and she released her debut album, SoLa, in May 2018.
Cellist Adrienne Taylor’s unique musical voice is inspired by explorative collaborations in chamber music and across genres and performance mediums. Her work with composers and singer/songwriters as well as her work in film, theater and dance has inspired her to continuously expand her perspective on sound and its relationship to space and time.
Formerly cellist of the Boston Public Quartet, Adrienne has collaborated in performances with innovative music ensembles such as the Kronos Quartet, the Sphinx Virtuosi and Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble. Adrienne has a particular interest in working with composers, and has premiered solo and chamber music works by Jessie Montgomery, Kareem Roustom, Aaron Jackson and Ken Ueno. Adrienne also writes and performs her own music, and she released her debut album, SoLa, in May 2018.
Providence based cellist and songwriter, Zan Berry, is a passionate and creative musician who weaves together diverse musical interests in his work as a performer and educator. With a ceaseless curiosity for exploring new musical contexts for his instrument and collaborating with local artists across disciplines, Zan strives for a more creative, connected, and diverse arts community in Providence. Zan performs regularly with Verdant Vibes, a new music collective in Providence that brings together artists and musicians creating new work in a variety of genres, acoustic and electronic. As a singer-songwriter, he has participated in the Brown Arts Initiative Songwriters workshop and he recently released his debut EP of original songs, titled Loveblind.
March 6, 2020 at 8pm
Balinese Gamelan and Strings
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Note from Providence musician, Zachary Hazen:
"This concert is an opportunity to combine the two types of music I love most into one night of music. I have been a classical string player as long as I can remember, but I fell in love with Balinese gamelan while living in Oakland, California, and have been lucky enough to travel to Bali a number of times to study the music intensively. Over the summer I was playing a traditional piece on Gender Wayang from the village of Tunjuk, when a friend joined in on violin, reinforcing the left hand melody. The meeting of these two worlds was so beautiful and complemented each other so naturally that I wanted to explore it further, composing new music which combines the things I love most about classical western music and classical/contemporary Balinese music."
Featuring a world premiere by composer I Putu Arya Deva Suryanegara, from Denpasar, Bali, and in collaboration with members of Montreal-based gamelan ensemble Giri Kedaton, this concert will combine traditional pieces reimagined with strings, as well as new contemporary music for Gamelan and strings.
Performers will include:
Ashley Frith- Viola
Kimberly Fang- Violin
Zan Berry- Cello
Zachary Hazen- Viola/Violin/ Gender Wayang
and more!
"This concert is an opportunity to combine the two types of music I love most into one night of music. I have been a classical string player as long as I can remember, but I fell in love with Balinese gamelan while living in Oakland, California, and have been lucky enough to travel to Bali a number of times to study the music intensively. Over the summer I was playing a traditional piece on Gender Wayang from the village of Tunjuk, when a friend joined in on violin, reinforcing the left hand melody. The meeting of these two worlds was so beautiful and complemented each other so naturally that I wanted to explore it further, composing new music which combines the things I love most about classical western music and classical/contemporary Balinese music."
Featuring a world premiere by composer I Putu Arya Deva Suryanegara, from Denpasar, Bali, and in collaboration with members of Montreal-based gamelan ensemble Giri Kedaton, this concert will combine traditional pieces reimagined with strings, as well as new contemporary music for Gamelan and strings.
Performers will include:
Ashley Frith- Viola
Kimberly Fang- Violin
Zan Berry- Cello
Zachary Hazen- Viola/Violin/ Gender Wayang
and more!
April 3, 2020 at 8pm
Christopher Johnson and Verdant Vibes
Christopher Johnson and Verdant Vibes
This interdisciplinary concert experience will feature local spoken word artist, writer, and director, Christopher Johnson, and Providence new music collective, Verdant Vibes. Both Christopher Johnson and Verdant Vibes will perform separate sets of exciting new work, after which Verdant Vibes will collaborate with Christopher performing excerpts from an original play.
May 1, 2020 at 8pm
Songwriters in the Round
Songwriters in the Round
In a fast-paced songwriting showcase, four local songwriters, Kate Mick, Tessa Paige, Ant Savino, and Emily Goldstein will share songs, taking turns with each other. The audience will have the opportunity to give fuel for the performers’ musical inspiration, submitting prompt ideas in the First Fridays concert in April. There will also be opportunities for the audience to learn about each songwriter’s unique creative process in a conversation with the artists.
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Tessa Paige is a Providence-based musician who aims to compose within the singer-songwriter tradition of decades past while exploring themes of present day.
Her sound is nostalgic, warm, and introspective, and her lyrics often tell stories featuring landscapes that influence the narratives. Tessa's debut album, Belong Here, was released in Fall 2019 and features a handful of Providence-based musicians. |
Kate Mick's music manifests light and dark, mostly dark. Her lyrically-driven vocals and strumming banjo create songs that are time-worn yet timeless.
Listen to her 2019 album, "Sugar in Your Teeth" |
Mountainess is the cinematic and deeply lyrical creation of Providence-based musician Emily Goldstein. A confessional poet, a peeling bell, a rain cloud, a haunted house--no matter what you hear, Mountainess holds her ground and rarely says sorry. A project born out of a desire to convey sincerity in a musical realm saturated with wry, distant delivery, Mountainess aims to be present and up close.
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June 5, 2020 at 8pm
The Tenderloin Opera Company and Ashley Frith
The Tenderloin Opera Company and Ashley Frith
The Tenderloin Opera Company and local musician Ashley Frith, will each present sets of work that invite the audience to think about music as a tool for social justice and for better understanding our own connections as human beings.
Tenderloin Opera Company is a theater and music group which aims to tell the story of homelessness in Rhode Island through writing, music, and performance. Each week, TOC hosts writing workshops for homeless members of the Providence community, their friends, and advocates at Mathewson St. Church in downtown Providence. Together the TOC authors, writes music, and performs one opera a year based on stories of homelessness, abuse, addiction, hope, love, and redemption. They also perform often at soup kitchens, shelters, political rallies, and protest events with the aim of supporting and telling the stories of all marginalized people across Rhode Island and beyond. |
Artist and educator, Ashley Frith, is a Resident Musician and Network Fellow with Community MusicWorks in Providence, RI. Her work consists of performing viola, teaching, and developing anti-racism practices. Focusing on self-love practices, her anti-racism work particularly addresses the internalization of racism. Last spring, Ashley was the music director, arranger, and composer for the Trinity Repertory Company’s production of Jose Rivera’s Marisol, directed by Brian Mertes. She is currently developing material for a project with New Victory Theater LabWorks and Off The Page Education in NYC.
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