WoCo Fest 2024 Evolve: Opening Concert
In person: $22-$32 ($10 student) |
Stream: $5
Embark on a musical odyssey at the Opening Concert of WoCo Fest 2024: Evolve! Be dazzled with a world-premiere performance by Thalea String Quartet, a charming Bandoneon and cello duo, and so much more to discover. The opening concert will highlight a vast array of talented DC-based musicians that capture the imagination, with something for the whole family to enjoy.
About the Festival: Discover WoCo Fest 2024: Evolve, an eclectic three day festival celebrating music by women and gender-marginalized composers, produced by Boulanger Initiative and co-presented by Strathmore. Experience the evolution of music spanning centuries, from a Baroque ensemble to a collection of all-new jazz standards, an interactive sound installation, and so much in between. The opening concert will feature some of DC's finest musicians, followed by a day of musical exhibitions, live composer workshops, and transformative discussions. The festival will close out with an electrifying performance by 4x Grammy Award-winning jazz drummer Terri Lyne Carrington.
About WoCo Fest
The Boulanger Initiative's annual multi-day Women Composers Festival, WoCo Fest, features works by women and gender-marginalized composers performed by local and nationally-acclaimed performers.
https://www.boulangerinitiative.org/woco-festAbout Arco & Aire
Located in the Washington D.C. area, this dynamic duo made up of bandoneon and cello plays tangos from its golden era, contemporary tangos, classical music, and collaborates with various artists and directors of different genres and specialties.
https://www.facebook.com/arcoaire/About Be Steadwell
Be Steadwell (they, she, he, be) is a queer pop composer and storyteller from Washington DC. Be composes songs on stage using looping, vocal layering and beat boxing. Be's original music features earnest lyricism, and affirming queer content. Be's goal as a musician is to make other black girlies, introverts, and weirdos feel seen and loved.
https://www.besteadwell.com/About Thalea String Quartet
The Thalea String Quartet brings their signature vibrancy and emotional commitment to dynamic performances that reflect the past, present, and the future of the string quartet repertoire while celebrating diverse musical traditions from around the world. Fueled by the belief that chamber music is a powerful force for building community and human connection, the Thalea String Quartet has performed across North America, Europe, and China, and has appeared at the Kennedy Center, Massey Hall, and Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall. They have shared the stage with luminaries of the chamber music world, including members of the Emerson, Borromeo and St Lawrence String Quartets, and they have performed alongside celebrated artists including Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Caroline Shaw, violist Lawrence Power, acclaimed Canadian band BADBADNOTGOOD, and visionary hip hop artist Jay Electronica.
Committed to shaping and contributing to the future of the string quartet repertoire, the Thalea String Quartet has premiered dozens of new works and have collaborated on new commissions with composers including Paola Prestini, Anthony R. Green, Akshaya Avril Tucker, and Tanner Porter.
Winners of the 2021 Ann Divine Educator Award from the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, the members of the Thalea String Quartet have been celebrated for their innovative approach to education and community engagement. Pioneers of virtual educational programming, TSQ has developed a variety of digital content, including two digital video series for students of all ages and the CHAMPS Virtual Chamber Music Seminar, which brought together students from across North America for an eight-week intensive study of the music of Florence Price, Franz Joseph Haydn, and Antonín Dvořák. The members of the TSQ have presented masterclasses and workshops at institutions across North America, including the Berkelee College of Music, the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami, and San Francisco State University. They have presented lectures and led discussions at institutions including the University of Maryland, Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, and Wayne State Medical School in Detroit, where they presented a workshop on non-verbal communication to first year medical students alongside the Emerson String Quartet.
The Thalea String Quartet is the Doctoral Fellowship String Quartet at the University of Maryland. The quartet has also held fellowship positions at the University of Texas at Austin and the San Francisco Conservatory. They served as Associated Artists at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in Waterloo, Belgium for the 2019-20 season and were the 2019-20 Ernst Stiefel Quartet-in-Residence at the Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts. They were top prize winners at the 2018 Fischoff Competition and 2018 Chamber Music Yellow Springs Competition.
Christopher Whitley (violin) is originally from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Kumiko Sakamoto (violin) is from Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada; Lauren Spaulding (viola) is from San Antonio, Texas, and Titilayo Ayangade (cello) is from Cincinnati, Ohio. Christopher performs on the 1700 "Taft" Stradivari, generously on loan by the Canada Council for the Arts Musical Instrument Bank.
https://www.thaleastringquartet.com/About Tallā Rouge Duo
Tallā Rouge, meaning 'The Red-Gold' in Farsi and French, was established by the fiery Persian-American & Cajun-American violists, Aria Cheregosha & Lauren Spaulding. Tallā Rouge was formed at The Juilliard School in 2020 under the mentorship of Roger Tapping & Karoly Schranz of the Takács Quartet, and the ensemble made their debut virtually with "Music for Food" under the direction of violist Kim Kashkashian. Recognized internationally for their emotional performances, Tallā Rouge has been named NOLA ChamberFest's "Emerging Artists" of the year (2022-2023) by the Catalyst Quartet, has been invited to work with soloist Nobuko Imai, has been awarded first-prize winner in the Frances Walton Competition, and has been named a top prize winner in the International Anton Rubinstein Chamber Music Competition (2022-2023). Tallā Rouge will be a featured ensemble on the 2023 inaugural American Viola Society album and will make their Carnegie Hall debut in June of 2023.
Aria Cheregosha, viola |
Lauren Spaulding, viola
About National Philharmonic Youth Mentorship Program
https://nationalphilharmonic.org/learning-engagement/student-programs/ymp/
About Amanda Gookin, cello
Praised for her "expert technical work" (The Strad), cellist Amanda Gookin "pushes Classical forward" (LA Times) and champions the future of music through the creation and bold performance of new works, and a dedication to education, culture, and community engagement. Her initiative, Forward Music Project, commissions new multimedia works for solo cello that elevate stories of feminine empowerment through raw performances and educational initiatives. Since its inception in 2015, FMP has commissioned 18 new works by such composers as Pamela Z, Paola Prestini, Jessie Montgomery, Angélica Negrón, Jessica Meyer, Allison Loggins-Hull, Kamala Sankaram, and Nathalie Joachim. I Care If You Listen has called the project "a premier example of feminist advocacy done right."
https://www.amandagookin.com/