Talent Unlimited High School x Sound Off: Side-By-Side Concert & Reception

• Jay Julio, violin
• YoonJung Hwang, violin
• Kayla Williams, viola
• Malachi Brown, cello

From April 3rd to 5th, musical-abolitionist collective Sound Off: Music For Bail will be in residence at Upper East Side public performing arts staple Talent Unlimited High School, combining traditional chamber and orchestral coaching, discussion around equity in the classical music industry, and a world-first side-by-side recording of Thomas "Blind Tom" Wiggins' Water in the Moonlight, arranged by Daniel Bukin, to be released on major streaming platforms.

The quartet of Sound Off musicians includes violinists Jay Julio and YoonJung Hwang, violist Kayla Williams, and cellist Malachi Brown. The residency will conclude with a gala performance at the Julia Richman Education Complex, featuring student speakers, Sound Off's musicians, and Talent Unlimited's own orchestra in chamber and orchestral performances of works by composers of color. Following the show, Talent Unlimited High School will host a reception on-site for audience members and musicians to meet.

Sound Off: Music for Bail is a collective of musicians, activists, and thinkers dedicated to combining music performance with educational work that envisions alternatives to the current state of policing and imprisonment in the U.S.

About Sound Off: Music for Bail

Sound Off: Music for Bail is a POC-led collective of musicians, activists, and thinkers dedicated to combining music performance with educational work that envisions alternatives to the current state of policing and imprisonment in the U.S. Their online programming includes free and low-cost instrument workshops, masterclasses with expert musicians, and concerts that raise funds for cash bail across the country.

About Talent Unlimited High School

https://tuhs.nyc/

About Jay Julio, violin

https://jayjulio.com/

About YoonJung Hwang, violin

https://www.groupmuse.com/musicians/6496-yoonjung-hwang

About Kayla Williams, viola

Violist Kayla Williams is an advocate for music, who hopes to diversify music through her own experiences as a Black woman.

Originally from Florida, Kayla began playing the violin at age four, then at age ten she discovered her true passion—the viola.

As a winner of the 2018 Lynn Concerto Competition, she made her concerto debut performing Bartok’s Viola Concerto. Williams has been the guest of music festivals across a range of music including the Grand Teton Music Festival, the Florida Folk Festival, and will perform at the upcoming Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival during Fall of 2022.

Williams has both live and recorded performances with Grammy Award winner Jon Batiste. Williams earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Viola Performance from the Lynn Conservatory of Music in Boca Raton, Florida and a Master of Music degree in Viola Performance from the Juilliard School in New York City. She is also the recipient of the 2021 Juilliard Career Advancement Fellowship.

Kayla believes music should be accessible to students of all backgrounds. She aspires to create a foundation of her own that will provide access and funding needed to support music programs in underrepresented communities.

About Malachi Brown, cello

Malachi Brown is a cellist and composer born and raised in Norfolk, Virginia. He has studied music composition and cello performance at Old Dominion University and Ithaca College. He is an advocate for collaboration between art mediums and is always eager to tackle a new project if it means adding his own touch to a collaboration. Malachi has composed for the concert stage, animation, and film thus far in his career. He incorporates many combinations of styles in his music but is always rooted in a type of neo-romantic sound. In addition to composing and performing cello, Malachi works as a tennis coach at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, NY. He has taught for 13 years and continues to play competitively. He finds there are so many similarities between tennis and music and enjoys discovering new things about both. He currently resides in New York City.