Nia Imani Franklin: Presented by Chris Grymes' Open G Series
$20
- Matt Haimovitz, cello
- Lady Jess, violin
- Endea Owens, double bass
- Semiosis Quartet
- Reiko Tsushida, piano
- Mikael Darmanie, piano
- Jerenae Raeford, voice
- Daron Lameek, voice
- Smiley from The X
Missy Mazzoli — Beyond the Order of Things (after Josquin)
Tomeka Reid — Volplaning
Nia Imani Franklin — like air, rising high
Nia Imani Franklin — Burgundy in Autumn
Jessie Montgomery — Strum
Nia Imani Franklin — Manhattan Shower Thoughts
Nia Imani Franklin — Runnin' Band
Nia Imani Franklin — Ample Hills
Nia Imani Franklin — Chrysalis Extended
Sato Matsui — L'Oiseau Solaire
Chris Grymes and Open G Series present composer, performer, and 2019 Miss America Nia Imani Franklin in a concert featuring works from her debut EP, Extended, as well as new and recent music by American women composers. Works will run the gamut from classical abstraction to contemporary pop and R&B, and will feature many of the composers themselves, performing their own music and music of their peers. Franklin has personally selected and curated the works on this concert, representing a varied cast of composers who have inspired her in her own creative life.
With a mastery of styles ranging from R&B to Western classical, Nia Imani Franklin's soulful and eclectic music is a true joy to hear. Her gospel singing background in church contributed to her love for music at a young age, having written her first song at the age of five.
Doors open at 6:30pm; performance begins at 7:30pm.
Please review National Sawdust's COVID-19 safety protocols before attending this event: https://nationalsawdust.org/covid-safety-protocols
About Lady Jess, violin
About Semiosis Quartet
Described by the Boston Musical Intelligencer as "astonishing," Boston-based Semiosis Quartet is quickly gaining a reputation as a dynamic ensemble dedicated to presenting the string quartet repertoire of the 20th and 21st Centuries.
In August 2019, Semiosis appeared at Tanglewood with Bill Barclay and Concert Theatre Works in the initial production of The Chevalier, featuring the music of Joseph Bologne, the Chevalier de Saint-Georges. They have collaborated in live and virtual performances with Nia Imani Franklin, Ogni Suono, Goethe Institut Boston, Infrequent Seams, and others. As the recipient of a grant from the American Music Project, the quartet presented a program of American women composers including Florence Price, Ruth Crawford Seeger, Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, Shelley Washington, and Caroline Shaw. Semiosis continually seeks to expand the quartet repertoire, and has commissioned and premiered works by composers including Curtis Hughes, Aaron Jay Myers, Camila Agosto, and Angela Elizabeth Slater.
The quartet has performed at venues and festivals including National Sawdust, St. Paul's Chapel at Columbia University, Oh My Ears!, the International Alliance for Women in Music Conference, New Music Gathering, the Re:Sound New Music Festival in Cleveland, the Cortona Sessions for New Music, and the Deer Valley Music Festival. Other highlights of past seasons include appearances as part of the Equilibrium Concert Series, the Church of the Advent Library Concert Series, and August Noise JP. Deeply committed to music education, Semiosis is on the faculty at The Boston Conservatory at Berklee's High School Composition Intensive, and has worked closely with student composers, musicians, and faculty at Tufts University, MIT, and Bowling Green State University.
The quartet's name refers to the process of using a message or symbol to communicate. The study of this process crosses the boundaries of linguistics, anthropology, and biological sciences. Likewise, Semiosis Quartet demonstrates how the contemporary string quartet repertoire is a vehicle for a diverse collection of narratives from around the world.
https://www.semiosisquartet.com/