New York City
Chamber Music Gems
Program
Fantasy in C Major for Violin and Piano D 934, Franz Schubert
Sonata No.1 for Cello and Piano opus 109, Gabriel Fauré
String Quartet no. 3, Vivian Fung
String Sextet from Capriccio, Richard Strauss
Catherine Cho, violin
Kevin Jansson, piano
Natasha Brofsky, cello
Marija Stroke, piano
Hannah Burnett, viola
Clara Abel, cello
Katarina Quartet : Jeanel Liang and Jérôme Chiasson, violins, Celia Morin, viola, Maya Enstad, cello
Admission is free with a suggested donation ($40/adult, $15/student); no tickets or RSVPs are necessary. All proceeds will go to Broadway Community.
Bach, Beethoven, and Sokolović
Program
Sonata for Violin and Continuo in E Major, BWV 1016, JS Bach
Looking at the Moon (For Lucy) (2024), Ana Sokolović
String Quartet in C sharp minor, Opus 131, L van Beethoven
Lucy Shelton, soprano
Laurie Smukler, Coco Mi, violins
Rosemary Nelis, viola
Natasha Brofsky, cello
Chaeyoung Park, piano
Admission is free with a suggested donation ($40/adult, $15/student); no tickets or RSVPs are necessary. All proceeds will go to Broadway Community.
Cello Extravaganza
The Juilliard cello studio of Natasha Brofsky and Juilliard collaborative pianists present Schubert’s Song Cycle “Winterreise” to benefit Broadway Community.
Program
Winterreise, (A Winter's Journey), D 911 Franz Schubert
Song Cycle arranged for cello and piano
Cellists: Kuan Yu Huang, Amanda Vosburgh, Hayden Idson, Irene Lee, Emil Olejnik, I Cheng Liu, Alice Lee, Colin Guan, Andrew Chun, Noa Mogle, Mary Brook Hartmann, Grace Mockus, Javier Hernandez, Miles Goosby, Jacqueline Hager, Brandon Leonard, Lila Holyoke
Pianists: Fengyi Wang, Jarod Yap, Jiwoo Yun, Mei Yin Grace Wong
Admission is free with a suggested donation ($40/adult, $15/student); no tickets or RSVPs are necessary. All proceeds will go to Broadway Community.
Momenta Festival IX: Ives at 150 - Utopia
Utopia
A concert curated by Emilie-Anne Gendron (violin) of the Momenta Quartet, featuring guest artist Adrian Morejon (bassoon).
Program
Georg Philipp Telemann: selections from Fantasias for violin solo
Eun Young Lee: Pax Aeterna for bassoon and string quartet (world premiere)
George Enescu: Ménétrier “Folk Fiddler” for solo violin, from Impressions d’enfance, op. 28
Charles Ives: String Quartet No. 2
About the Momenta Festival
Momenta Festival IX features four diverse chamber music programs, each curated by a member of the quartet. With programs that blend the old and new, the "intriguing programming" (The New York Times) and "striking originality" (I Care If You Listen) of the Momenta Festival have been acclaimed by critics and fans alike.
The ninth edition of the festival celebrates two anniversaries: 150 years of Charles Ives and 20 years of Momenta Quartet. Each night a work by Ives will be performed by the quartet and special guests.
Admission is free with a suggested donation ($40/adult, $15/student); no tickets or RSVPs are necessary. All proceeds will go to Broadway Community.
Momenta Festival IX: Ives at 150 - American Experiments
American Experiments
A concert curated by Michael Haas (cello) of the Momenta Quartet, featuring guest artist Dana Kelley (viola).
Program
Charles Ives: Chorale from String Quartet No. 1
Ives: Scherzo from a Set of 3 Short Pieces
Henry Cowell: String Quartet No. 4 “United”
Timo Andres: Thrive on Routine
Antonín Dvořák: String Quintet in E-flat major Op. 97
About the Momenta Festival
Momenta Festival IX features four diverse chamber music programs, each curated by a member of the quartet. With programs that blend the old and new, the "intriguing programming" (The New York Times) and "striking originality" (I Care If You Listen) of the Momenta Festival have been acclaimed by critics and fans alike.
The ninth edition of the festival celebrates two anniversaries: 150 years of Charles Ives and 20 years of Momenta Quartet. Each night a work by Ives will be performed by the quartet and special guests.
Admission is free with a suggested donation ($40/adult, $15/student); no tickets or RSVPs are necessary. All proceeds will go to Broadway Community.
Bach, Ysaye, Dean, and Beethoven
PROGRAM
Bach Prelude from the E Major Partita
Ysaye from Sonata for Solo Violin, Op. 27, No. 2
Prelude: Obsession
Lun Li, violin
Brett Dean (b.1961) I Starred Last Night, I Shone (2023)
Rebecca Printz, mezzo-soprano; Rosemary Nelis, viola.
Beethoven Quartet op 132
Laurie Smukler, violin
Lun Li, violin
Rosemary Nelis, viola
Natasha Brofsky, cello
Mimosa Chamber Ensemble with Kim Kashkashian and Zhanbo Zheng
The Mimosa Chamber Ensemble—an artist-led ensemble of non-professional musicians from all walks of life—performs their annual spring Music for Food concert on March 16th with a program of Mendelssohn, Hindemith, Suk, and Telemann. All concert proceeds benefit the Broadway Community, which has served NYC’s most vulnerable community members since 1982 with a four-star soup kitchen, a food pantry, on-site medical services, showers, shelter, and more.
PROGRAM
Mendelssohn String Symphony #10 in B Minor
Hindemith Trauermusik for viola and orchestra, Soloist Kim Kashkashian
Telemann Concerto for two violas in G Major, Soloists Kim Kashkashian and Zhanbo Zheng
Suk Serenade for strings in E-flat Major, Op. 6
Music for voice, strings, & piano
Join MFF NYC for a gorgeous and lively concert of Villa-Lobos, Brahms, Debussy, and Simon—all to benefit the Broadway Community!
Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959) - Il Bove (The Bull)
Lucy Shelton, soprano
Natasha Brofsky, cello
Marija Stroke, piano
J. Brahms (1833-1897) - Sonata in e minor for cello and piano opus 38
Allegro non troppo
Allegretto quasi menuetto
Allegro
Natasha Brofsky, cello
Marija Stroke, piano
Heitor Villa-Lobos - Suite for Violin and Voice
1.A menina e a canção
2.Quéro sel alegre: vagoroso e calmo
3.Sertaneja: animado e espiritoso
Lucy Shelton, Soprano
Kobe Malkin, violin
Intermission
Carlos Simon - The Warmth of Other Suns (2019)
Light
Flight
Settle
Ivalas Quartet
Reuben Kebede, violin
Tiani Butts, vioin
Marcus Stevenson, viola
Pedro Sanchez, cello
Claude Debussy (1862-1917) - Sonata in g minor for violin and piano
Allegro vivo
Intermède: Fantasque et léger
Finale: Très animé
Kobi Malkin, vioin
Marija Stroke, piano
A Cello Extravaganza
The outstanding cellists in Natasha Brofsky’s studio fill the resonant sanctuary at Broadway Presbyterian with a concert of Bach suites and Saariaho’s Neiges to benefit the Broadway Community. Note: please make all checks out to Broadway Community.
PROGRAM
Bach - Suite no. 2 in D minor
Alice Lee, Javier Hernandez, Emil Olejnik, Brandon Leonard.
K. Saariaho - Neiges (1998) for cello octet
Natasha Brofsky, Jacqueline Hager, Loa Cho, Lydia Rhea, Dawn Song, Eugene Kim, Miles Goosby, Thomas Lim
Bach - Suite no. 4 in E-flat major
Lila Holyoke, Colin Guan, Hayden Idson, Andrew Chun, Irene Lee, Sasha Lukashuk
Momenta Festival - Earth and Ether
The eighth edition of the Momenta Quartet’s Momenta Festival features four diverse chamber music programs each curated by a member of the quartet. With programs that blend the old and new, the "intriguing programming" (The New York Times) and "striking originality" (I Care If You Listen) of the Momenta Festival have been acclaimed by critics and fans alike. In partnership with Music for Food, the September 30th and October 1st concerts at Broadway Presbyterian will benefit the Broadway Community; the festival continues October 4-5 at the Americas Society. Admission is free and no reservations are needed.
Curated by violinist Emilie-Anne Gendron, Earth and Ether features music that articulates the joy and pain of the human experience while also contemplating what lies beyond. This program includes a world premiere of Elizabeth Brown’s Firmament and a New York premiere of Julian Anderson’s Another Prayer, both for solo violin.
Program:
Elizabeth Brown (b. 1953): Firmament (2023) for solo violin *world premiere, written for Emilie-Anne Gendron
Jeffrey Mumford (b. 1955): …amid still and floating depths (2019) for string quartet
Julian Anderson (b. 1967): Another Prayer (2012) for solo violin *NY premiere
Julián Carrillo (1875-1965): String Quartet No. 2 “à Debussy” (1926)
Momenta Festival - Looking Back
The eighth edition of the Momenta Quartet’s Momenta Festival features four diverse chamber music programs each curated by a member of the quartet. With programs that blend the old and new, the "intriguing programming" (The New York Times) and "striking originality" (I Care If You Listen) of the Momenta Festival have been acclaimed by critics and fans alike. In partnership with Music for Food, the September 30th and October 1st concerts at Broadway Presbyterian will benefit the Broadway Community; the festival continues October 4-5 at the Americas Society. Admission is free and no reservations are needed.
Momenta cellist Michael Haas’ program Looking Back kicks off the festival with works spanning three centuries in which each composer was inspired by musical traditions of the past. Special guest pianist Amy Yang joins the quartet for this concert.
Program:
Han Lash: Suite Remembered and Imagined
Matthew Greenbaum: More Venerable Canons
Franz Joseph Haydn: String Quartet in F minor, Op. 20 No. 5
Robert Schumann: Piano Quintet in E-flat major, Op. 44
The Juilliard Quartet and Friends
Tyson Davis String Quartet No. 2
Dvorak String Quartet in A flat Major, Op. 105
The Juilliard Quartet
Areta Zhulla and Ronald Copes, violins
Molly Carr, viola
Astrid Schween, cello
Roger Tapping Reverberations for string quartet
Sammy Andonian and Valerie Kim, violins
Nicholas Gallitano, viola
Aaron Wolff, cello
Hearing Home, Songbook Creative, & the Chamber Music and Community Engagement Seminar Chamber Orchestra
Continuing our NYC chapter’s Bay Ridge series at Good Shepherd Lutheran, current Juilliard students, faculty, and alumni perform music of Beethoven, Cassarubios, Kodaly and Tchaikovsky to support Good Shepherd Lutheran’s Food Pantry.
Artists:
Hearing Home
Sam Parrini, violin
Lydia Rhea, cello
Songbook Creative
Yubin Kim, violin
Joshua Kim, viola
Lila Holyoke, cello
Chamber Music and Community Engagement Seminar Chamber Orchestra
led by Todd Phillips, violin
(current students, faculty and alums of the seminar)
Brooklyn Youth Arts and Justice: Spring Duos and Delights
String students of Ruth Klukoff perform a program of duos and other chamber music delights to benefit Camp Friendship Brooklyn, which serves hundreds of families every week with produce, pantry items and prepared meals in Park Slope, Brooklyn.
Mimosa plays Mozart, Gershwin, and Shostakovich
The Mimosa Chamber Ensemble—an artist-led ensemble of non-professional musicians from all walks of life—performs their annual spring Music for Food concert this March with a program of Gershwin, Shostakovich, and Mozart, featuring clarinetist Romie de Guise-Langlois. All concert proceeds benefit the Broadway Community, which has served NYC’s most vulnerable community members since 1982 with a four-star soup kitchen, a food pantry, on-site medical services, showers, shelter, and more.
PROGRAM
Mozart, Clarinet Concerto in A Major, Soloist Romie de Guise-Langlois
Gershwin, Lullaby for String Orchestra
Shostakovich, String Quartet No. 8 for String Orchestra
Adolphe, Brahms, Beethoven
Bruce Adolphe Elegy for viola and piano (in memory of Roger Tapping)
Misha Amory, viola
Bruce Adolphe, piano
Brahms Sonata for Violin and Piano in A Major, Op.100
Laurie Smukler, violin
Marija Stroke, piano
Beethoven String Quartet in B-Flat Major, Op. 130
Laurie Smukler and Rannveig Sarc, violins
Brian Hong, viola
Natasha Brofsky, cello
Cello Extravaganza 2022!
Our NYC chapter’s cello extravaganza this year will once again feature the cellists in Natasha Brofsky’s studio in a gorgeous concert to benefit the Broadway Community!
PROGRAM:
Luigi Boccherini - Sonata No. 1 in A, G.13 for cello with 2nd cello
Duncan Patton - The Forest Does Not Weep *world premiere
Quinn Mason - Evening Song
J.S. Bach - Cello Suite No 5 in c minor
ARTISTS:
Loa Cho, Roric Cunningham, Ari Freed, Colin Guan, Lila Holyoke, Ayoun Kim, Evan Lee, Irene Lee, Alexandra Lukashuk, Shinae Ra, Lydia Rhea, Dawn Song
Momenta Festival VII
Momenta Festival VII (September 15-18, each night starting at 7:30pm): Four evenings of adventurously programmed string quartet by members of the Momenta Quartet music to benefit the Broadway Community! Admission is free; all donations will be sent from Music for Food to the Broadway Community.
September 15- Distant Songs
Curated by Michael Haas
In the words of Ukrainian composer Valentin Silvestrov, “Music is, above all, a chant, a song the world sings about itself.” Momenta explores the influence of song and the human voice on this program featuring recent works by Silvestrov and American composers Elizabeth Brown and Shawn Jaeger.
Elizabeth Brown: Just Visible in the Distance (2013)
Valentin Silvestrov: String Quartet no. 3 (2011)
Shawn Jaeger: Thy Wondering Eyes (2010)
September 16- Mexican Independence Day Celebration: Quartets by Historic Mexican Composer Julián Carrillo
Curated by Stephanie Griffin
Momenta continues its deep dive into the fascinating and under-explored world of historic Mexican composers, focussing in this concert on the experimental composer and theorist Julián Carrillo (1875-1965) who developed a theory of microtonal music which he called “The Thirteenth Sound” (Sonido 13). As part of the quartet’s ongoing project to make the world premiere recordings of Carrillo’s complete string quartets for Naxos, Momenta will perform his String Quartets No. 5 (1937), showing his exploration of modal and atonal scale systems, and No. 11 (1962), featuring his groundbreaking foray into microtonality.
Program:
Julián Carrillo: String Quartet No. 5 (1937)
Julián Carrillo: String Quartet No. 11 (1962)
September 17- Horn Fifths
Curated by Alex Shiozaki, with special guests David Byrd-Marrow (French horn) and Nana Shi (piano)
David Byrd-Marrow and Nana Shi join Momenta on this program exploring the horn and its harmonies. Having premiered Hirofumi Mogi’s In Memory of Perky Pat (2021) earlier this year, Momenta is reprising that whimsical piece for string quartet and french horn. Grażyna Bacewicz’s Piano Quintet No. 2 (1965) provides another take on harmony, replacing overtones with quintal harmonies in this angular and virtuosic quintet. To close the evening, we return to the comforting consonance of Johannes Brahms’s Horn Trio, taking us through a full range of emotions without leaning too much into the clash of dissonance.
Hirofumi Mogi: In Memory of Perky Pat (2021) for string quartet and horn
Grażyna Bacewicz: Piano Quintet No. 2 (1965)
Johannes Brahms: Trio for Violin, Horn, and Piano in E-flat Major, Op. 40 (1865)
September 18- Visionary Sounds
Curated by violinist Emilie-Anne Gendron
Momenta presents the world premiere of David Glaser’s String Quartet No. 5 (2022), written for Momenta in memory of Mario Davidovsky, alongside Davidovsky’s intricate Synchronisms No. 9 (1988) for violin and recorded electronic sounds. This exploratory evening also includes Stefan Wolpe’s ephemeral and whimsical set of miniatures, “Twelve Pieces for String Quartet” (1950); and Beethoven’s groundbreaking “Serioso” quartet.
Program:
Stefan Wolpe: Twelve Pieces for String Quartet (1950)
Mario Davidovsky: Synchronisms No. 9 (1988) for violin and recorded electronic sounds
David Glaser: String Quartet No. 5, in memoriam Mario Davidovsky (2022) *world premiere, written for Momenta
Ludwig van Beethoven: String Quartet No. 11 in f minor, Op. 95 “Serioso” (1810)
Momenta Quartet: A Juneteeth Celebration (Momenta Festival VII postponed)
Juneteenth Celebration and CD Release Concert with special guest Hilliard Greene (bassist-composer)
Momenta Quartet performs A Juneteenth Celebration with music by three visionary African American composers: Alvin Singleton, multi-instrumentalist and composer Yusef Lateef, and jazz bass player and composer Hilliard Greene. The concert coincides with the release of the Momenta Quartet's new album "Alvin Singleton: Four String Quartets" (New World Records, rel. May 20, 2022), which features world premiere recordings of Singleton's quartets.
Program
Yusef Lateef: String Quartet no. 3 (2013)
Alvin Singleton: Be Natural for viola, cello and bass (1974)
Hilliard Greene: "Deep River" arranged for string quartet and double bass (world premiere)
Alvin Singleton: String Quartet no. 1 (1967)
Due to COVID, MOMENTA FESTIVAL is postponed to September 15-18
MOMENTA FESTIVAL VII
FOUR NIGHTS
In their seventh annual event, the Momenta Quartet presents four nights of exciting and innovative programs at Broadway Presbyterian Church to benefit the Broadway Community. Each concert has been curated by a different member of the quartet.
June 14 - 17 September 15-18
7:30 PM
September 15: Visionary Sounds
curated by Emilie-Anne Gendron
Ursula Mamlok: Two Bagatelles (1961) for string quartet
Mario Davidovsky: Synchronisms No. 9 (1988) for violin and recorded electronic sounds
David Glaser: String Quartet No. 5, in memoriam Mario Davidovsky (2022) *world premiere, written for Momenta
Julián Carrillo: String Quartet No. 13 (1964)
Ludwig van Beethoven: String Quartet No. 11 in f minor, Op. 95 “Serioso” (1810)
September 16: Horn Fifths
curated by Alex Shiozaki
with special guests Nana Shi (piano) and David Byrd-Marrow (horn)
Hirofumi Mogi: In Memory of Perky Pat (2021) for string quartet and horn
Grażyna Bacewicz: Piano Quintet No. 2 (1965)
Johannes Brahms: Trio for Violin, Horn, and Piano in E-flat Major, Op. 40 (1865)
September 17: Distant Songs
curated by Michael Haas
Elizabeth Brown: Just Visible in the Distance (2013)
Valentin Silvestrov: String Quartet no. 3 (2011)
Shawn Jaeger: Thy Wondering Eyes (2010)
September 18: TBD
Bay Ridge: Glass Cloud, Music Go Around, and Neom
A chamber music concert featuring music by Ishizaki, Dvorak, and Goosens, to benefit the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church food pantry.
To donate to this concert, please visit our donation page, click "donate to a concert," and when prompted in the payment portal, select this concert as the donation purpose.
NYC - Ulysses Quartet
The Ulysses Quartet (Christina Bouey and Rhiannon Banerdt, violins; Colin Brookes, viola; Grace Ho, cello) plays the NYC season finale concert to benefit the Broadway Community.
Program:
L.v. Beethoven - String Quartet in E-flat Major, Op. 74, “Harp”
Franghiz Ali-Zadeh: Reqs (Dance)
—Intermission—
M. Richter (arr. by Christina Bouey): On The Nature Of Daylight
F. Mendelssohn: Quartet in E-flat Major, Op. 44, No. 3
To donate to this concert, please visit our donation page, click "donate to a concert," and when prompted in the payment portal, select this concert as the donation purpose.
The Mimosa Ensemble Plays Webern, Mozart, and Dvorak
The Mimosa Ensemble heralds spring with a gorgeous program this March! This concert will be held at Broadway Presbyterian Church and all donations will benefit the Broadway Community.
To donate to this concert, please visit our donation page, click "donate to a concert," and when prompted in the payment portal, select this concert as the donation purpose.
Program:
Mozart Divertimento in D, K. 136
Webern Langsamer Satz
Dvorak Serenade for Strings in E Major, Op. 22
NYC - Bay Ridge - Mozart & Schumann
NYC’s Brooklyn Bay Ridge series returns with a program of Mozart and Schumann to benefit Good Shepherd’s food pantry.
To donate to this concert, please visit our donation page, click "donate to a concert," and when prompted in the payment portal, select this concert as the donation purpose.
Program:
Mozart Violin Sonata in F Major, K. 377
Catherine Cho, violin
Lydia Brown, piano
Schumann Piano Quartet Op. 47 in E-flat Major
Abigail Hong, violin
Natalie Loughran, viola
Natasha Brofsky, cello
Lydia Brown, piano
NYC - The Juilliard Quartet and Friends - CANCELLED
The Juilliard Quartet plays Ravel Quartet and Dutilleux Quartet “Ainsi la Nuit.” Program will also include the New York premiere of Juilliard Quartet violist Roger Tapping’s “Reverberations” for string quartet. This is the third NYC concert this season to benefit the Broadway Community.
Program:
M. Ravel - String Quartet in F Major
H. Dutilleux - “Ainsi la Nuit”
Roger Tapping - “Reverberations” for String Quartet - New York premiere
Artists:
The Juilliard Quartet
Areta Zhulla and Ronald Copes, violins
Roger Tapping, viola
Astrid Schween, cello
Alice Ivy Pemberton and Sammy Andonian, violins
Rosemary Nelis, viola
Aaron Wolff, cello
Chapter Spotlight No. 5: NYC
An online concert from NYC to benefit the Broadway Community. Premieres here and on YouTube.
NYC - Faure, Still, and Beethoven
The second NYC concert this season to benefit the Broadway Community.
Program:
William Grant Still - From Suite for Violin and Piano - “Mother and Child,” and “Gamin”
Deborah Buck, violin
Marija Stroke, piano
G. Faure - Piano Trio in D minor, Op. 120
Deborah Buck, violin
Coleman Itzkoff, cello
Marija Stroke, piano
L.v. Beethoven - String Quartet in E-flat Major, Op. 127
Laurie Smukler and Rebecca Fischer, violins
Rosemary Nelis, viola
Natasha Brofsky, cello
NYC - A Cello Extravaganza!
A concert by the cello studio of Natasha Brofsky to benefit the Broadway Community.
Program:
Jean Francaix - Aubade for 12 celli
J.S. Bach - Suite No 2 for Solo Cello in D minor, BWV 1008
Grażyna Bacewicz - Quartet for Four Cellos
J.S. Bach - Suite No 3 for Solo Cello in C Major, BWV 1009
Cellists:
David Bender, Natasha Brofsky, Andrew Byun, Loa Cho, Roric Cunningham, Ari Freed, Mizuki Hayakawa, Lila Holyoke, Alex Kim, Hannah Kim, Kristi Kim, Leland Ko, Shinae Ra, Eliana Yang
Homecoming: Jackson Heights Community Concert
Music for Food is excited to present a community concert in partnership with Homecoming NYC, Open Space Music, and The Dream Unfinished as part of Homecoming’s food crawl in Jackson Heights, an event which explores the neighborhood’s incredible diversity and connects participants with the restaurants, food pantries, and organizations serving their communities. This crawl will feature five restaurants that represent the spirit, culture, and vibrancy of Jackson Heights: New York City’s most diverse neighborhood. Each ticket sold will bring business to the partner restaurants and includes a donation to Community Center Services Organization Corp (CSOC). The community concert is free and open to the public, and any additional donations will be sent to CSOC.
Lineup
1:30pm (12pm food crawl) Hyeyung Sol Yoon, violin and Gregory Beaver, cello
2:30pm (1pm food crawl) Hyeyung Sol Yoon, violin and Gregory Beaver, cello
3:30pm (2pm food crawl) Chez Cherie with Jasmine, voice and Joey Chang, piano
4:30pm (3pm food crawl) Chez Cherie with Jasmine, voice and Joey Chang, piano
5:30pm (4pm food crawl) Rafael Leal Ramirez, percussion and Jeffrey Ernst, piano
6:30pm (5pm food crawl) Rafael Leal Ramirez, percussion and Jeffrey Ernst, piano
Artists
Hyeyung Sol Yoon
Hyeyung Sol Yoon (she/her) was a violinist of the Chiara Quartet which celebrated its last season in 2018. They launched “Chamber Music in Any Chamber,” a project that brought the ensemble to over 50 clubs and bars across the U.S. and performed by heart including the Complete String Quartets of Béla Bartók at the Ravinia Festival in 2016. Discography includes recording of Jefferson Friedman’s String Quartets, which was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2011, and Bartók by Heart, the Complete String Quartets of Béla Bartók, released in 2016. She traveled to South Korea in Spring 2019 to research folk practices called madang performances and is the founder of Asian Musical Voices of America (AMVA), a platform to create community among Asians working and creating in classical music in the U.S. and to uplift BIPOC experiences within the field. She is also, along with her husband cellist Gregory Beaver, a co-founder of Open Space Music, a music event series whose mission is to create a multicultural space and fading away boundaries between artists and participants.
Gregory Beaver
Cellist of the Chiara String Quartet for 18 years, Gregory Beaver performed over 500 concerts in concert halls on 3 continents, garnered a Grammy nomination, premiered 40 works, and recorded 7 major albums. In 2016, the quartet presented all 6 of Béla Bartók’s string quartets memorized in a 2 day period at the Ravinia Festival and regularly performed concerts with the quartet by heart. Gregory has composed several works for solo cello, duo, choir, and other ensembles and is working on a requiem for choir and full orchestra addressing gun violence in America. He is also a Senior Software Engineer Braze, Inc., where he exercises creativity in code. He lives with his wife, violinist Hyeyung Yoon, 2 daughters and cat in Jersey City, NJ. He plays on a fine Roman cello made in 1725 by David Tecchler.
Chez Cherie
Chez Cherie is an improvisation-based duo featuring vocalist Jasmine R. Wilson and pianist Joey (Ian-Joe) Chang. Together they perform radically original stories infusing classical music, R&B, spoken word and free jazz. Ardent interdisciplinary artists, Chez Cherie creates extensively with dancers, actors, visual artists, and animators. The multicultural duo thoughtfully interweaves their African American and Asian American heritages to intimately communicate with audiences. In a time when marginalized people can feel especially isolated, Chez Cherie explores creating a space for solidarity and healing through art.
Rafael Leal Ramirez
With over 40 years of experience as a percussionist, drummer, educator, producer and composer, Rafael Leal Ramierez’s musical career has been developed through a diversity of projects in both Colombia and the United States. Throughout his career, he has played, toured, and recorded with the Joe Madrid Jazz Trio, the Bogotá Jazz Ensemble, the groups Noches de Liverpool and Blue Jean Blues, artists such as Pacho Zapata, Jorge Zapata, Edna Rocio, Claudia de Colombia, Oscar Golden, Raul Santi, Gali Galiano in his native country Colombia. Mr. Ramirez has extensive experience teaching at Universidad Pedagógica, Universidad EAN, and Taller Musical Francisco Cristancho, in Bogota. He has conducted workshops at institutions such as The New School, the Colombian Consulate, and the Queens Museum and Flushing Town Hall. He’s currently involved with the educational project, FolkCOLOMBIA Escuela de Danza y Música, an initiative promoting Colombian culture through music and dance, with the support of the nonprofit Center for Traditional Music and Dance in New York City.
Jeffrey Ernst
Born on October 5th, 1967, in West Islip, New York, and currently based out of Briarwood, Queens, Jeff has worked as performer (piano/keboards, vocals), composer and instructor in NY and Berlin, Germany. In addition to attending SUNY at Purchase and Five Towns College, Jeffrey has studied Privately with Reggie Moore, Norman Pors, Michael Cochraine, Cornelia Moore, and Elio Supcic. Jeffrey has performed at the Box Bar (Grand Hyatt Hotel) and the Blu (AIDA cruise lines) in Europe and the Westbury Manor, Sayville Inn and Yer Man’s Pub (Formely Cooper’s Ale house) in NY. After performing over 7 years with Rocmitzvah (around the three- state area, based in Westchester) and two years with the Bay Big Band (based in Lindenhurst/Amityville, Long Island) Jeffrey played 1 & ½ years with Irish entertainer Tommy Flynt, also in the three-state area. Jeffrey has taught at the Day Jams national summer day camps, 2007-2011, in addition to having previously taught in the SUNY Purchase Summer Music Camp, Oceanside music School and Palomba Academy of Music, all in NY.
Our Partners
Homecoming
Homecoming is a community-led organization working to support food security for New Yorkers by driving business to local New York restaurants. We organize restaurant crawls that explore the incredible diversity of Queens neighborhoods and connect them with the food pantries and organizations serving their communities.
Open Space Music
Open Space Music envisions a space where the boundaries between groups of people, including artists and audience, fade away inspiring freedom of expression. We create a village of multiethnic and multicultural groups of people and lift up diverse voices and cultures through their presence in programming and community. Open Space Music was co-founded in 2020 by violinist Hyeyung Sol Yoon and cellist Gregory Beaver as an online concert series that provided connection during physical distancing caused by the pandemic.
The Dream Unfinished
The Dream Unfinished is an activist orchestra. Its mission is to use classical music as a platform to engage audiences in dialogues surrounding social and racial justice. TDU has people of color in the orchestra, in the music, behind the scenes, and in the audiences. We are an orchestra that looks and sounds like New York City, and through music, we explore pressing social issues affecting our communities.