Sphere Ensemble: Mixtape
$40 ($20 community access, $10 student, $5 ages 12 & under)
- Sarah Cranor, violin
- Mary Evans, violin
- Nina Fronjian, violin
- Alejandro Gómez Guillén, violin & conductor
- Edward W. Hardy, violin
- Emily Lewis, violin
- Aimée McAnulty, viola
- Kurt Melendy, double bass
- Erin Patterson, cello
- Jake Saunders, cello
- Veronica Sawarynski, violin
- Allyson Stibbards, viola
- Alex Vittal, viola
- Sarah Whitnah, violin
Margaret Bonds — "III. Troubled Water" from Spiritual Suite (arr. Sphere Ensemble)
Francesco Geminiani / Michi Wiancko — La Follia Variations
Various — Selected works (pop medley; arr. Sphere Ensemble)
Sphere is thrilled to present our 13th season, filled with classical favorites, new arrangements, and diverse composers. Our September concerts will feature Ned Rorem’s String Symphony, plus Margaret Bonds, Michi Wiancko, Geminiani, and a special pop medley you don’t want to miss!
This program will receive 2 performances: Saturday, September 9, 7:30pm at Mercury Cafe in Denver; and Sunday, September 10, 3pm at Broomfield Auditorium.
About Sphere Ensemble
Sphere Ensemble is a 14-piece band made up of string players: violin, viola, cello, and double bass. We prioritize music by composers that are often overlooked in classical music programs. For much of this music, we have to write our own version. We have a group of amazing arrangers who are also players in the group who help create the music we play. From classical to classic rock, from baroque to hip hop, Sphere always chooses music that excites us. Come to a concert, hear more than you expected.
https://www.sphereensemble.org/About Sarah Cranor, violin
About Mary Evans, violin
About Nina Fronjian, violin
About Alejandro Gómez Guillén, violin & conductor
About Edward W. Hardy, violin
Edward W. Hardy (born January 12, 1992) is a critically acclaimed Black and Puerto Rican composer, music director, virtuoso violinist and violist and is one of the foremost exponents of solo violin repertoire for theatrical productions. At the age of 25, "Hardy (was) one of the youngest composers to ever be accepted into the Exploring the Metropolis Con Edison Composer Residency and one of the most prominent composer/ violinists in New York City" – BroadwayWorld. "Edward W. Hardy, who composed the omnipresent music, plays the violin superbly." – The New York Times. He has "Vigor, Control And Expressiveness." – The Post and Courier. Hardy is "Mesmerizing" – Manhattan With A Twist and also performs in a style that is "serene, dreamy, and soulful with velvety panache" – The Millbrook Independent. As the composer, music director and violinist of the smash hit Off-Broadway show The Woodsman Hardy's show was a recipient of the 2016 Obie Award, the 2014 Jim Henson Foundation Grant and was broadcast on PBS stations four separate times, streamed on BroadwayHD and major music producer Jim McElwaine produced Hardy's album The Woodsman Original Off-Broadway Solo Recording, which continues to be sold and streamed in countries such as the United States, Mexico, United Kingdom, Russia, Turkey, France, Hong Kong, Argentina, Ireland, and Germany.
Currently, Edward's discography contains 8 singles, 1 album, and his list of original compositions include works for solo violin, voice, harp, piano, string quartet, string trio, string duo, Latin ensemble, and soundtracks for film and stage. Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts commissioned Edward's song cycle, BORN FREE (Sorrow Home, Lineage, The Struggle Staggers Us, and Southern Song) and premiered the work as part of their 2022 UNTRAPPED series. Also in 2022, Edward's Latin piece Flying – Dancing in Spanish Harlem was performed by Jazz legend Andre Hayward and his band, along with Edward, at the Austin Chamber Music Festival.
Edward has received numerous awards, most recently winning 1st Prize in the 2022 University of Northern Colorado Concerto Competition and 2nd Prize in the 2022 Angie Southard Performance Competition. Edward also has an extensive performance history ranging from solo violin performances for the Congressional Black Caucus/ opening of the African-American Smithsonian Museum, Hublot, MAC Cosmetics, Haute Living, special performances for rap legends 50 Cent, Nas, Justin Bieber, Hailey Bieber, Usher, Russell Westbrook, Kehlani, and legendary hockey player Alexander Ovechkin, to sharing the stage with famous artists such as Itzhak Perlman, Maxim Vengerov, Kygo, André De Shields, Damien Sneed, Regina Carter, Norm Lewis, Joshua Bell, John Blake Jr., Mark O'Connor, Radmila Lolly, Graham Reynolds, the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra, Jeffrey Zeigler, Sandbox Percussion, and the Attacca Quartet. Performance venues include Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Avery Fisher Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, WQXR, The Greene Space, The Apollo Theater, Metropolitan Museum of Art, American Museum of Natural History, Charleston Museum, The Cutting Room, The Public Theater's Joe's Pub, Amanyara, and many others.
Edward is a proud member of Local 802 Musicians Union, Dramatist Guild of America, ASCAP, and is affiliated with the American Composers Orchestra, the Sphinx Organization, Exploring the Metropolis, and the Gateways Music Festival. He is also the founder and artistic director of the Omnipresent Music Festival – BIPOC Musicians Festival, the digital marketing director and artistic advisor of Beethoven in the Rockies: Concert Series, and the senior director of operations and co-founder of the Northern Colorado Center for Arts Entrepreneurship. Master of Music, Aaron Copland School of Music, Queens College CUNY, cum laude, Bachelor of Music, SUNY Purchase, cum laude. Edward is a doctoral candidate/graduate instructor in violin performance at the University of Northern Colorado under the mentorship of Dr. Jubal Fulks.
https://www.edwardwhardy.com/About Emily Lewis, violin
About Kurt Melendy, double bass
About Jake Saunders, cello
About Allyson Stibbards, viola
About Alex Vittal, viola
Alex Vittal Phoenix, AZ native he earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Viola Performance from Arizona State University (2008) and Master of Music degree in Viola Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Colorado–Boulder (2010). Mr. Vittal satisfies his varied musical tastes by performing as a violist with the Steamboat Symphony Orchestra and Opera Steamboat, and is a violist and arranger for traditional Argentine tango music sextet Zero Hour, and violist and arranger with period instrument ensemble, Baroque Chamber Orchestra of Colorado. He is also the Executive Director, violist, and arranger with Sphere Ensemble, a 14 member string ensemble that performs great music from every genre. He has written over 50 arrangements for Sphere of music from Bach to Prince.
Mr. Vittal is very excited to play incredible string quartet music with the Highlands Squared Ensemble (H2E). Mr. Vittal is also a dedicated teacher, active both as a private viola and violin teacher, a chamber music coach, and a teacher/conductor of group classes for beginner and intermediate string players. Dedicated to social justice through music education, Mr. Vittal has spent 10 years working with underserved elementary and middle school students as a Teaching Artist with El Sistema Colorado. In August 2018, he had the distinct honor of conducting Yo-Yo Ma, performing Bach's Air alongside students from El Sistema, in the This Is Home community block party, as part of Ma's 36-city Bach Cello Suites tour.
https://www.h2emusic.org/alex