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Highlights of the 2022/23 Neighborhood Arts season include:
• 22 live and in-person concerts in Boston and Cambridge neighborhoods; on-demand streaming performances of 10 Neighborhood Arts performances; and five re-released streams of performances from previous Neighborhood Arts seasons
• Premieres of new works and returning commissions by Daniel Bernard Roumain; Michael-Thomas Foumai; Shaw Pong Liu; “Suite Boricua,” a 2019 commission arranged by Aristides Rivas; and a Solo(s) Together reunion performance
• A new series of performances by Latina bandleaders Fabiola Méndez, Verónica Robles, Sheila del Bosque Fuentes, and Patricia Zárate Pérez at Arlington Street Church
• A new percussion duo series with performances by Sandeep Das & Mike Block; Maria Finkelmeier & Tim Hall; and Jonathan Hess & Sonja Tengblad; and a special concert featuring West African-American fusion music by Balla Kouyaté, balafon; Sekou Dembele, djembe; and the Mike Block band
• Stringfests return to the Salvation Army Boston Kroc Center in Dorchester with poet Regie Gibson and Shaw Pong Liu; the Fabiola Méndez Trio with Javier Caballero in a concert of Puerto Rican songs; and a concert of South American works with cellist Aristides Rivas, harpist Eduardo Betancourt, and Carlos Capacho on cuatro
• Haitian choreographer Jean Appolon premieres his latest work, “Traka,” an exploration of how dance, community, and culture are pathways to healing from traumatic events
• Arts for All! community engagement programs embodying the organizational commitment to bringing the arts to everyone and everyone to the arts with concerts and workshops across Boston and Cambridge
• All Neighborhood Arts performances, events, and digital streams are free and open to all
(For Immediate Release, Boston—July 19, 2022) Celebrity Series of Boston announces its 2022/23 Arts For All! Neighborhood Arts season today, with 37 free in-person and streaming events. Taking place throughout Boston and Cambridge, Celebrity Series' signature community engagement program embodies the organizational commitment to bringing the arts to everyone and everyone to the arts.
Robin Baker, Associate Director of Community Engagement, says, “The 2022/23 Neighborhood Arts season features a rich and diverse offering of performances by local artists who inspire and move us, with 22 public performances showcasing 28 professional ensembles and 8 groups of young musicians. Some of the standout themes this season are global percussion artistry and several new works commissioned for the Neighborhood Arts program. This season also brings back our annual Stringfests which pair Dorchester, Roxbury, and South End youth ensembles with professional mentors for powerful artistic and educational experiences.”
Baker continues by saying, “We’re thrilled to be partnering with Ágora Cultural Architects to present a diverse lineup of notable Latina bandleaders Fabiola Méndez, Verónica Robles, Sheila del Bosque Fuentes, and Patricia Zárate Pérez with their ensembles. And we’re excited about our venue partnerships as well, which anchor the program in Dorchester, Roxbury, Back Bay, Cambridge, and the South End, where we return to Union Church. In the new season, we look forward to working with Roxbury’s Black Market Nubian for the first time, where we will present performances that showcase Black artistry and self-expression.”
Celebrity Series’ community engagement programs reach more than 10,000 individuals annually, through master classes with artists in public schools and conservatories, commissioning of new works by award-winning composers to be premiered by local artists and ensembles; hands-on, interactive workshops for youth led by a core group of Boston-area artists; community concerts in Boston neighborhoods; free and discounted tickets to performances; and public performance projects.
Neighborhood Arts programming in 2022/23 is anchored in partnerships with Boston-area artists and ensembles, and showcases the rich diversity of their musical offerings. Since 2012, Neighborhood Arts has brought the joy of live performance to people of all ages and abilities through programming primarily centered in Mattapan, Dorchester, Hyde Park, Roslindale, Roxbury, the South End, Cambridge, and Back Bay neighborhoods.
The dynamic roster of artists performing in 2022/23 includes: Castle of our Skins (Black artistry through music); Fabiola Méndez Sextet (Puerto Rican folk and jazz); Jason Palmer Quintet (jazz); Jean Appolon Expressions (Haitian contemporary dance); Regie Gibson & Atlas Soul Trio (poetry and world-funk); Verónica Robles female mariachi band (Mexican music); Charles Overton & Lucia Lin (harp and violin); compositions by “Solo(s) Together” composers Valerie Coleman, Daniel Bernard Roumain, Nathalie Joachim, Paul Desenne, and Amir Bitran; Balla Kouyaté, Mike Block and Friends (balafon, cello, and cross-cultural works); Shaw Pong Liu & Regie Gibson (spoken word, erhu, and violin); Sandeep Das & Mike Block (tabla and cello); Maria Finkelmeier & Tim Hall (marimba and saxophone); Aristides Rivas, Carlos Capacho, Eduardo Betancourt, and Jorge Arce (cello, cuatro, harp, bombas); Hub New Music (contemporary classical); Jonathan Hess & Sonja Tengblad (percussion and soprano); Sheila del Bosque Fuentes Quartet (contemporary Afro-Cuban music); and Patricia Zárate Pérez Quintet (Chilean folksongs and jazz).
Over 35 community organizations collaborate with Celebrity Series to plan and host hundreds of events, with activities tailored to the partners' needs. In selecting Neighborhood Arts partners, Celebrity Series works with both artist-led and community-based organizations, artistic excellence, diversity of race, and cultural perspective, as well as a commitment to creative engagement with youth, particularly in lower income and under-resourced communities.
Partner schools and community organizations in the 2022/23 season include: 826 Boston, Ágora Cultural Architects, Arlington Street Church, Black Market Nubian, Boston Arts Academy, Boston City Singers, Boston City-Wide String Orchestra, Boston Latin School, Boston Conservatory, Boston String Academy, Bridge to Equity and Achievement in Music (BEAM), Cambridge Rindge & Latin School, City Strings United, Conservatory Lab Charter School, Harvard-Epworth Church, Hurley K-8 School, METCO Inc., Multicultural Arts Center of Cambridge, Sumner Elementary School, Quincy Elementary School, Roxbury Community College, Salvation Army Kroc Center, St. Stephen’s B-Ready Program, Union Church, and others.
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2022/23 NEIGHBORHOOD ARTS PERFORMANCES
All performances are free and open to the public, with general admission seating and no tickets or reservations required. Signing up for reminders and performance information is encouraged; registration will open in August.
The 2022/23 Neighborhood Arts Program is sponsored by the Stephanie L. Brown Foundation.
Castle of our Skins: “Solo(s) Together - Music for Black People” (rescheduled)
Sat | September 10 | 3pm
Arlington Street Church, 25 Arlington Street, Back Bay, Boston, MA 02116
Tickets: Free
This program will also stream on demand September 22 for 3 months
https://www.celebrityseries.org/productions/castle-of-our-skins-music-for-black-people/
Featuring the world premiere of a “Solo(s) Together” work by Daniel Bernard Roumain, this performance by a Castle of our Skins quartet also offers small-ensemble works by Black composers of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.
Fabiola Méndez Sextet: “Afrorriqueña”
Sat | September 17 | 3pm
Arlington Street Church, 25 Arlington Street, Back Bay, Boston, MA 02116
Tickets: Free
This program will also stream on demand September 29 for 3 months
https://www.celebrityseries.org/productions/fabiola-mendez-sextet-afrorriquena/
Groundbreaking cuatro virtuoso Fabiola Méndez returns to the Series with her latest project: her sextet from her recent album, “Afrorriqueña.” The music pays tribute to the African influences in Puerto Rican culture, and the afternoon’s performance starts with “Negrura,” a short film by Fabiola Méndez.
Jason Palmer Quintet
Sat | September 24 | 3pm ‘
Union Church, 485 Columbus Avenue, South End, Boston, MA 02118
Tickets: Free
https://www.celebrityseries.org/productions/jason-palmer-quintet-2022/
The Jason Palmer Quintet returns to Neighborhood Arts for a set of essential jazz inspired by powerful women in American history to the present, with relevant and thoughtful writing from Palmer and brilliant playing from the whole band.
Jean Appolon Expressions: “Traka - Trauma, Haiti, and the Healing Power of Dance”
Sun | October 2 | 7:30pm
Multicultural Arts Center, 41 Second Street, East Cambridge, MA 02141
Tickets: Free
This program will also stream on demand October 13 for 3 months
https://www.celebrityseries.org/productions/jean-appolon-expressions-traka/
“Traka,” the newest work from Cambridge-based Haitian choreographer Jean Appolon, means “Troubles” in Haitian Creole and explores how dance, community, and culture are pathways to healing. Appolon partners with composer and turntablist Val Jeanty, who provides the rhythmic foundation for this heartfelt and thought-provoking work.
Regie Gibson & Atlas Soul Trio
Sat | October 15 | 3pm
Black Market Nubian, 2136 Washington Street, Roxbury, Boston, MA 02119
Tickets: Free
https://www.celebrityseries.org/productions/regie-gibson-amp-atlas-soul-trio-2022/
Sun | October 16 | 3pm
Multicultural Arts Center, 41 Second Street, East Cambridge, MA 02141
Tickets: Free
https://www.celebrityseries.org/productions/regie-gibson-amp-atlas-soul-trio-2022/
Poet Regie Gibson and world-funk-and-more band Atlas Soul once again join forces in a return to the Series for an afternoon of powerful words and music, featuring covers and originals, as well as Gibson’s resonant, dazzling, and thought-provoking wordplay.
Verónica Robles All-Female Mariachi: Día de los Muertos
Sat | October 29 | 3pm
Arlington Street Church, 25 Arlington Street, Back Bay, Boston, MA 02116
Tickets: Free
https://www.celebrityseries.org/productions/veronica-robles-all-female-mariachi/
Iconic Boston arts advocate, community builder, singer, dancer, and choreographer Verónica Robles returns to Neighborhood Arts with her all-female mariachi band to perform selections that celebrate and remember those who have gone before us and bring together the living and the dead.
Charles Overton, harp & Lucia Lin, violin: Selections from “In Tandem” (world premiere by Michael-Thomas Foumai) and other works
Fri | November 4 | 7pm
Harvard-Epworth Church, 1555 Massachusetts Avenue, Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA 02138
Tickets: Free
This program will also stream on demand November 17 for 3 months
https://www.celebrityseries.org/productions/charles-overton-harp-and-lucia-lin-violin/
Sun | November 6 | 4pm
Union Church, 485 Columbus Avenue, South End, Boston, MA 02118
Tickets: Free
https://www.celebrityseries.org/productions/charles-overton-harp-and-lucia-lin-violin/
Harpist Charles Overton returns to Celebrity Series alongside violinist Lucia Lin for the world premiere of the latest installment of Lin’s “In Tandem” commissioning and performance project that aims to break down color barriers in classical music and create opportunities for young fans and young musicians to encounter contemporary music that speaks to them.
“Solo(s) Together” Showcase
Sat | November 12 | 7pm
Harvard-Epworth Church, 1555 Massachusetts Avenue, Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA 02138
Tickets: Free
https://www.celebrityseries.org/productions/solos-together-showcase/
Listen to all of the world premiere works created for the “Solo(s) Together” commissioning project, played together for the first time!
Balla Kouyaté, Mike Block & Friends: “Bamako to Boston - West African and American collaborations”
Sat | November 19 | 3pm
Roxbury Community College Media Arts Center, 1234 Columbus Avenue, Roxbury Crossing, Boston, MA 02120
Tickets: Free
This program will also stream on demand December 1 for 3 months
https://www.celebrityseries.org/productions/balla-kouyate-mike-block-and-friends-bamako-to-boston/
A six-piece band led by Malian percussionist Balla Kouyaté and cellist Mike Block comes together to create a program of joyous, effervescent music that blends West African beats and vocals with bluegrass, funk, and rock.
Stringfest: Shaw Pong Liu and Regie Gibson
Sat | December 3 | 3pm
Salvation Army Kroc Center, 650 Dudley Street, Dorchester, Boston, MA 02125
Tickets: Free
https://www.celebrityseries.org/productions/shaw-pong-liu-and-regie-gibson/
Shaw Pong Liu, a violinist and erhu player known for her groundbreaking educational collaborations and engagement with social issues, teams up with poet and literary performer Regie Gibson for a new duet piece, commissioned by Celebrity Series. The duet piece will be a companion to an earlier erhu-inspired work by Gibson.
Young musicians from City Strings United and Boston City-Wide String Orchestra will perform arrangements of traditional songs that would have been sung by Chinese and Black workers who built the transcontinental railroad. The student musicians will perform Liu’s arrangements of Chinese folksongs as well as work songs and other selections from African American traditions.
Stringfest: Fabiola Méndez Trio
Sat | December 10 | 3pm
Salvation Army Kroc Center, 650 Dudley Street, Dorchester, Boston, MA 02125
Tickets: Free
https://www.celebrityseries.org/productions/stringfest-fabiola-mendez-trio/
Fabiola Méndez makes her first appearance as a Stringfest mentor as she collaborates with young musicians to perform Puerto Rican songs arranged for cuatro, jazz trio, and strings by cellist and conductor Javier Caballero.
Sandeep Das & Mike Block: "Where the soul never dies"
Sat | February 11 | 4pm
Harvard-Epworth Church, 1555 Massachusetts Avenue, Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA 02138
Tickets: Free
https://www.celebrityseries.org/productions/sandeep-das-and-mike-block-where-the-soul-never-dies/
Tabla standout Sandeep Das and innovative cellist Mike Block bring together unexpected elements to speak to profound truths and celebrate Indian and Western musical heritages, creating genuine, eclectic, and soulful works.
Sandeep Das: "Soundscapes of India" with Suhail Yusuf Khan
Sat | February 25 | 3pm
Multicultural Arts Center, 41 Second Street, East Cambridge, MA 02141
Tickets: Free
https://www.celebrityseries.org/productions/sandeep-das-and-suhail-yusuf-khan/
Tabla virtuoso Sandeep Das and Suhail Yusuf Khan, who brings a rock sensibility to India’s traditional stringed sarangi, as they team up to present “Soundscapes of India” along with young musicians from Boston City Singers.
"Finding HOME - Music and Poetry by Maria Finkelmeier & Tim Hall”
Sat | March 18 | 4pm
Harvard-Epworth Church, 1555 Massachusetts Avenue, Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA 02138
Tickets: Free
This program will also stream on demand March 30 for 3 months
https://www.celebrityseries.org/productions/maria-finkelmeier-marimba-amp-tim-hall-sax/
Sun | March 19 | 3pm
Black Market Nubian, 2136 Washington Street, Roxbury, Boston, MA 02119
Tickets: Free
https://www.celebrityseries.org/productions/maria-finkelmeier-marimba-amp-tim-hall-sax/
Saxophonist Tim Hall and percussionist and public artist Maria Finkelmeier team up for “Finding HOME,” a program of self-composed music and improvisations for saxophone and marimba – as well as other percussion, electronics, and poetry – that explores the routes that we take to find home and cultivate community.
Stringfest: Aristides Rivas’ “Suite Boricua,” Boston String Academy, and more!
Sat | March 25 | 3pm
Salvation Army Kroc Center, 650 Dudley Street, Dorchester, Boston, MA 02125
Tickets: Free
This program will also stream on demand April 6 for 3 months
https://www.celebrityseries.org/productions/stringfest-with-boston-string-academy/
Boston String Academy players perform Aristides Rivas’ “Suite Boricua,” reorchestrated for young musicians. Rivas also appears as a cellist alongside Venezuelan cuatro innovator Carlos Capacho, harpist Eduardo Betancourt, to perform originals and South American favorites.
Hub New Music
Sat | April 1 | 3pm
Multicultural Arts Center, 41 Second Street, East Cambridge, MA 02141
Tickets: Free
https://www.celebrityseries.org/productions/hub-new-music-tenth-anniversary/
Hub New Music marks their tenth anniversary with new works by Angélica Negrón and Jessica Meyer, as well as “Amid the Noise,” a youth participation piece by percussionist Jason Treuting, and “Scenes from Surreality,” a work by Boston-based erhu player and violinist Shaw Pong Liu that was originally commissioned for Neighborhood Arts.
BeatSong: Jonathan Hess, percussion & Sonja Tengblad, soprano
Sat | April 15 | 4pm
Harvard-Epworth Church, 1555 Massachusetts Avenue, Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA 02138
Tickets: Free
This program will also stream on demand April 27 for 3 months
https://www.celebrityseries.org/productions/beatsong/
Don’t miss BeatSong, a soprano and percussion duo founded in 2015 by Sonja Tengblad and Jonathan Hess that creates and performs works that celebrate an unlikely pairing: soprano and percussion. Their performances feature contemporary works by Tan Dun, Luciano Berio, Kareem Roustom, Björk, and others.
Sheila del Bosque Fuentes Quartet
Sat | April 22 | 3pm
Arlington Street Church, 25 Arlington Street, Back Bay, Boston, MA 02116
Tickets: Free
This program will also stream on demand May 4 for 3 months
https://www.celebrityseries.org/productions/sheila-del-bosque-fuentes-quartet/
Cuban flutist, composer, and bandleader Sheila del Bosque Fuentes appears with her quartet. Building on a base of Afro-Cuban music with European classical and contemporary jazz elements, del Bosque draws inspiration from all aspects of Cuba, from the sun and sand to the passionate dances to the tiredness and nostalgia and everything in between.
Patricia Zárate Pérez Quintet: "Violetas"
Sat | May 6 | 3pm
Arlington Street Church, 25 Arlington Street, Back Bay, Boston, MA 02116
Tickets: Free
This program will also stream on demand May 18 for 3 months
https://www.celebrityseries.org/productions/patricia-zarate-perez-quintet/
Chilean tenor saxophonist Patricia Zárate Pérez and her quintet will perform selections from their debut album, “Violetas,” a vibrant record that evokes Zárate Pérez’ travels around the world and the colorful characters she has encountered.
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RE-RELEASED STREAMS FROM PREVIOUS SEASONS
In addition to the on-demand streams from the current season, Celebrity Series will re-release five digital performances from previous Neighborhood Arts seasons. These performances will remain live for on demand viewing for three months each:
Jason Palmer Quintet "Holiday Jazz" | November 24, 2022
Sandeep Das & Nino de los Reyes "Rhythm of Life" | January 19, 2023
Neighborhood Arts Cello Quartet "Global Impressions 2022" | February 2, 2023
Claudio Ragazzi Quartet "Tributes & Tangos" | February 16, 2023
Women of the World "Global Voices United" | March 3, 2023
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VENUE SAFETY INFORMATION & COVID-19 PROCEDURES
In the still evolving public health environment, the safety of audiences, artists, and staff remains a top priority. Celebrity Series of Boston’s unwavering commitment to stellar customer service remains unchanged. Transparency and clarity guide audience communications, and ticket holders will receive timely details about ticket reservations and expected experiences in the venues. For more information about safety protocols, visit: celebrityseries.org/safety
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ABOUT CELEBRITY SERIES OF BOSTON
Celebrity Series of Boston was founded in 1938 by pianist and impresario Aaron Richmond. Celebrity Series has been bringing the very best performers – from orchestras and chamber ensembles, vocal and piano music, to dance companies, jazz, and more – to Boston’s major concert halls for 84 years. The Celebrity Series of Boston believes in the power of excellence and innovation in the performing arts to enrich life experiences, transform lives, and build better communities. Through its education initiatives, the Celebrity Series seeks to build a community of Greater Boston where the performing arts are a valued, lifelong, shared experience – on stages, on streets, in neighborhoods—everywhere.
Celebrity Series of Boston is grateful to our 2022/23 Season Sponsors Amy & Joshua Boger, 2022/23 Neighborhood Arts Presenting Sponsor Stephanie L. Brown Foundation, and to the many individuals, corporations, foundations, and government agencies whose generosity supports Arts for All! and helps fulfill our mission to present performing artists who inspire and enrich our community. Individual and institutional supporters include Leslie & Howard Appleby, Barr Foundation through its ArtsAmplified initiative, Stephanie L. Brown Foundation, Amy & Ethan d’Ablemont Burnes, First Republic Bank, Foley & Lardner LLP, Klarman Family Foundation, George & Lizbeth Krupp, Liberty Mutual Foundation, Susanne Marcus Collins Foundation, Massachusetts Cultural Council, National Endowment for the Arts, Eleanor & Frank Pao, The Reopen Creative Boston Fund, administered by the Boston Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture, Schrafft Charitable Trust, Stifler Family Foundation, Yawkey Foundation, U.S. Small Business Administration, Anonymous (3), and many others.
Arts for All! programs are also made possible by support from the LIVE PERFORMANCE! Arts for All Endowment & Innovation Funds of the Celebrity Series of Boston.
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