Celebrity Series of Boston Announces “Celebrity Series at Home” Winter-Spring 2021 Digital Programming
with exclusive streaming performances from around the globe by pianist Sir András Schiff, Emerson String Quartet, folk artists Chris Thile & Aoife O'Donovan, Christian McBride's New Jawn, Dreamers’ Circus string trio, pianist Conrad Tao, and the Tetzlaff Quartet;
streaming concerts by Boston-based artists through the Neighborhood Arts program, featuring the annual Stringfest concert, the debut of harp and vibraphone duo Charles Overton and Julian Loida, and world music;
and a special version of the popular Stave Sessions contemporary music festival featuring a seven-artist lineup performing over four evenings
(For Immediate Release—January 8, 2021) Celebrity Series of Boston announces the continuation of its “Celebrity Series at Home” streaming concert season with a series of 22 paid and free digital concerts in the winter and spring of 2021. Featuring musical trailblazers and Boston-based performing artists, the concerts created exclusively for the Celebrity Series bring world-class artists to streaming stages. Featuring performances from across the globe, streamed live from recital halls and living rooms, this series brings the excitement of live performances into homes around the world.
CELEBRITY SERIES AT HOME: SEVEN-CONCERT STREAMING PACKAGE
Celebrity Series offers a Spring 2021 Streaming Concert Package on select Friday nights with seven brand new concerts curated and performed by artists originally engaged in the 2020-21 season. This series brings new concerts from musical centers such as Zurich, Berlin, Copenhagen, New York, New Jersey, Western Massachusetts, and, of course, Boston – unique events in unique locations to bring you an even broader experience of live performance.
Emerson String Quartet, Chris Thile & Aoife O'Donovan, Christian McBride's New Jawn, and pianist Conrad Tao will all feature a post-performance live chat with the artist(s). Each concert is available for later viewing up to one week after the premiere.
The 7-Performance Bundle with special package pricing is available from January 8, 2021 at 10am ET until mid-February. Enjoy all seven streamed concerts for $105 (only $15 per performance) or purchase performances individually for just $20 each. Donors to Celebrity Series of $100 or more will gain access to the 7-performance series for only $70. Browse the entire series at celebrityseries.org/athome.
Sir András Schiff, piano, performs a streaming concert recorded in Zurich, Switzerland on Friday, February 19, 2021 at 7:30pm ET. This recital will mark his first Celebrity Series digital recital and eighth appearance on the Series, his first since the 2015-16 season. Sponsored by Stephen C. Perry & Oliver Radford.
Bach Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue in D minor, BWV 903
Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 17 in D minor, Opus 31, no. 2 "The Tempest"
Bach Capriccio on the Departure of his Beloved Brother, BWV 992
Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 26 in E-flat Major, Opus 81a “The Farewell”
Schumann Arabeske in C major, Opus 18
Emerson String Quartet performs a streaming concert recorded in Madison, New Jersey on Friday, February 26, 2021 at 7:30pm ET. Honored with nine GRAMMY Awards, three Gramophone Awards, the Avery Fisher Prize, and Musical America’s “Ensemble of the Year” award, a recital by the Emerson String Quartet is not to be missed. The concert is followed by a live Q+A with the Quartet. Sponsored by Sally S. Seaver, PhD.
George Walker Lyric for Strings
Mozart String Quartet in D Major, K.575
Shostakovich String Quartet No. 14
Mandolinist Chris Thile and Boston-born bluegrass/folk vocalist Aoife O'Donovan team up for a streaming concert recorded in North Adams, MA on Friday, March 12, 2021 at 7:30pm ET. The long-time friends and musical collaborators share songs and stories, followed by a live Q+A. Sponsored by Susan & Michael Thonis and Kathleen & Chris Gaffney.
Christian McBride's New Jawn performs a streaming concert recorded in New York City on Friday, March 26, 2021 at 7:30pm ET. The jazz quartet, consisting of bassist Christian McBride, saxophonist Marcus Strickland, trumpeter Josh Evans, and drummer Nasheet Waits follow up the concert with a live Q+A. Sponsored by Leslie & Howard Appleby.
Dreamers’ Circus, the innovative and dynamic trio from Denmark, performs a streaming concert recorded in Copenhagen on Friday, April 9, 2120 at 7:30pm ET. Dreamersʼ Circus are Nikolaj Busk on piano and accordion, Ale Carr on Nordic cittern, and Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen also of the Danish String Quartet, on violin. The ensemble has won five prestigious Danish Music Awards and frequently collaborates with the Danish String Quartet and the Copenhagen Philharmonic. Support provided by the Barr Foundation through its ArtsAmplified initiative.
Conrad Tao, piano, performs a live streaming recital on Friday, April 16, 2021 at 7:30pm ET from Boston, MA at GBH’s Fraser Performance Studio. Tao, the recipient of the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant, and Gilmore Young Artist, returns to the Series for his first solo appearance after debuting in January 2020 in More Forever with dancer Caleb Teicher. The concert is followed by a live Q+A.
Conrad Tao Improvisation with Magnets
John Adams China Gates
Jason Eckardt Echoes’ White Veil
Robert Schumann Kreisleriana
The Tetzlaff Quartet with Christian and Tanja Tetzlaff, Hanna Weinmeister, and Elisabeth Kufferath, formed their string quartet in 1994. Since then, the ensemble has toured frequently in Europe and North America, receiving impressive acclaim. They perform a streaming concert recorded in Berlin, Germany on Friday, April 30 at 7:30pm ET. Sponsored by an anonymous donor. Additional support provided by the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany to Boston.
Beethoven
String Quartet in B-flat Major, Opus 130 with Grosse Fuge, Opus 133
String Quartet in A minor, Opus 132
CELEBRITY SERIES AT HOME: STAVE SESSIONS
Stave Sessions, the annual contemporary music festival presented by the Celebrity Series, highlights musicians who take diverse approaches to their music, integrating musical training and non-conforming styles to deliver performances that defy standard labels.
Stave Sessions unwinds over three evenings in a new streaming festival format from April 21-23 with the full slate of performances receiving a full-run encore presentation on Saturday, April 24. The seven performers included were all slated to perform on Stave Sessions in the spring of 2020 or 2021. A detailed lineup of dates and artists will be announced this March.
Stave Sessions is sponsored by Susan & Michael Thonis and the Barr Foundation through its ArtsAmplified initiative. Additional support is provided by Kathleen & Chris Gaffney, Debra & Michael Raizman, Yukiko Ueno & Eran Egozy, Randolph Hawthorne & Carliss Baldwin, and Marylen Sternweiler.
Stave Sessions Artists:
Cristina Pato is a master of the Galician bagpipes, a classical pianist, and a passionate educator. In 1999, Cristina Pato became the first female gaita player to release a solo album, and has collaborated with artists such as Yo-Yo Ma, Arturo O’Farrill, New York Philharmonic, Paquito D’Rivera, Damian Woetzel, and Lil’ Buck. She serves as Learning Advisor for Silkroad, has been an artist-in-residence at a number of universities, and is the founder of the multidisciplinary Galician Connection Festival. Pato is a whirlwind of artistic vitality and her dynamism and virtuosity make each performance an unforgettable experience.
The Grammy-nominated Spektral Quartet actively pursues a vivid conversation between exhilarating works of the traditional repertoire and those written this decade, this year, or this week.
Kinan Azmeh, clarinetist and composer, has gained international recognition for his rich sound and distinctive compositional voice across diverse musical genres. A native of Syria and a graduate of New York’s Juilliard School, Azmeh has performed with the New York Philharmonic, the Seattle Symphony, the Bavarian Radio Orchestra, the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, the Qatar Philharmonic and the Syrian Symphony Orchestra among others.
Mark Lettieri Quartet, led by Mark Lettieri, the three-time GRAMMY Award-winning guitarist, composer, producer, and instructor, and member of the jazz/world group Snarky Puppy. In demand across multiple musical genres, Lettieri been in the bands of neo-soul icon Erykah Badu and gospel singer Anthony Evans, and recorded with David Crosby, 50 Cent, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, and Adam Levine, among others. The Mark Lettieri Quartet features Wes Stephenson on bass, Jason “JT” Thomas on drums, and Daniel Porter on keyboard.
Meklit is an Ethio-American vocalist, songwriter, composer and cultural activist, making music that sways between cultures and continents. Known for her electric stage presence, innovative take on Ethio-Jazz, and her emotive live shows, Meklit has rocked stages from Addis Ababa to San Francisco, to NYC, London, Montreal, Nairobi, Rome, Zurich, Helsinki, Rio, Cairo, and more. Meklit is a National Geographic Explorer, a TED Senior Fellow and a 2019 Artist-in-Residence at both Harvard University and Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.
Sid Sriram, a singer/songwriter/producer born in Chennai, India, but raised in the United States, represents an intersection of very different worlds. After graduating from Berklee College of Music with a degree in Music Production and Engineering, he began building a style where Tamil, R&B, blues, gospel, pop and Carnatic music clash and blend vibrantly. Sriram’s music is built on a foundation of South Indian Classical (Carnatic) music, with influences from Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway, Jeff Buckley, The Beatles and Luther Vandross.
Sybarite5, a quintet of talented and diverse musicians, takes audiences by storm. From Visconti to Vrebalov and Coltrane to Radiohead, Sybarite5’s eclectic repertoire and commanding performances are turning heads throughout the music world. This program features Iranian santour virtuoso Ehsan Matoori for an evening of new Persian inspired compositions.
CELEBRITY SERIES SHINE! TOGETHER GALA
The 2021 Shine! Together Gala will be held on Thursday, March 4, 2021 at 6:30pm ET. Join the Celebrity Series and co-chairs Reuben Reynolds & Bill Casey for a spectacular evening that will recognize the Celebrity Series’ resilience in the face of one of our most challenging seasons ever. Join us to celebrate the future of the Celebrity Series of Boston during this virtual event. Help support the future of live performance by participating in Celebrity Series’ only fundraising event of the 2020-21 season. Tickets start at $250; for more information visit celebrityseries.org/gala.
CELEBRITY SERIES AT HOME: NEIGHBORHOOD ARTS CONCERTS
Alongside the center-stage streamed performances, Celebrity Series’ Arts for All! Neighborhood Arts program will offer 10 live and streaming performances. This delightful mix of free public concerts by talented local performers across a broad spectrum of genres takes place from local venues around the city such as Futura Productions in Roslindale, and even some artist living rooms for this kaleidoscopic series.
"Freedom & Resilience" Stringfest with Castle of our Skins and Youth Musicians collaborative virtual showcase premieres on Monday, January 18, 2021 at 7:30pm ET. Members of Boston's Castle of our Skins artist collective -- dedicated to advancing Black artistry through music -- team with youth ensembles from City Strings United, Boston Citywide String Orchestra, and Boston String Academy. Each participating youth organization will share works by composers of color from around the globe, including Astor Piazzolla, Bithyah Israel (Founding Executive Director of City Strings United), and Florence Price. Castle of our Skins will perform string quartets by African American composer Valerie Coleman, South African composer Monthati Masebe, and Jamaican-British composer Eleanor Alberga that musically evoke both freedom and resilience. For the finale, youth musicians, educators, and professionals from Castle of our Skins join together to give the world premiere performance of Jessica Mays' “Anthem for Go.” Sponsored by Foley & Lardner LLP.
Fabiola Méndez Trio with vocalist and cuatro player Fabiola Méndez, Juan Maldonado on bass, and Miguel Martínez on percussion perform Latin jazz and Puerto Rican-inspired originals with a modern twist. The live-stream concert takes place on Thursday, January 21, 2021 at 7:30pm ET from Futura Productions.
Castle of our Skins -- a collective of artists dedicated to advancing Black artistry through music -- remembers Dr. King's legacy and his complicated life in a live streaming concert on Thursday, February 4, 2021 at 7:30pm ET from Futura Productions. They will perform Daniel Bernard Roumain's String Quartet No. 2 ("King") and George Walker's Lyric for Strings. Sponsored by Foley & Lardner LLP.
Violinist Alyssa Wang, heard most recently on the Series in her work with Hub New Music, shares a program of solo violin works from her home in a live stream concert on Thursday, February 11, 2021, 7:30pm ET.
Quartet Kalos performs “The Songs We Make,” joyful and reflective songs for their unique instrument combination of marimba, clarinet, cello, and voice. Works include: Maria Finkelmeier’s “Not My Home,” inspired by the individuals she and clarinetist Angela Shankar met during residencies at Rikers Island in New York City, “Solstice” featuring poetry by Kathleen Kraft, Beau Kenyon’s “I Will” with text inspired by Alessandro Scarlatti's "Se Florindo è fedele," and Shankar’s arrangement of “I’ll Fly Away” dedicated to her late father. The live streaming concert is on Thursday, February 25, 2021 at 7:30pm ET from Futura Productions. Sponsored by Foley & Lardner LLP.
Hub New Music returns to Celebrity Series at Home with a program entitled "Listening Local," featuring five world premieres by Shaw Pong Liu, Eric Nathan, Natalie Dietterich, Molly Herron, and Dai Wei. The live streaming concert is on Thursday, March 11, 2021 at 7:30pm ET from Futura Productions.
Charles Overton and Julian Loida: Harp and Vibraphone duo, perform a live streaming concert on Thursday, March 25, 2021 at 7:30pm ET from Futura Productions. The extraordinary duo are frequent collaborators, and they weave their ethereal sounds together in music that crosses and combines styles: ambient, jazz, world, classical, and much more.
Musician Guy Mendilow, whose musical explorations range around the world, from the Ladino music of the Sephardic Jewish Diaspora, to China, South Africa, and beyond -- presents an evening of videos that will include a virtual adaptation of "The Forgotten Kingdom" with sand animation, along with new videos and live recordings from his Ensemble on Thursday, April 8, 2021 at 7:30pm ET.
Women of the World -- four vocalists from around the globe who come together in friendship and music-making -- return to the Series for a performance that celebrates the beauty in the diverse ways that people from cultures all over the world express themselves through song. The live stream concert is on Thursday, April 15, 2021 at 7:30pm ET from Futura Productions. Sponsored by Foley & Lardner LLP.
Verónica Robles and her all-female mariachi band celebrate Cinco de Mayo, Mexico’s national holiday commemorating the nation’s victory over the French at Puebla in 1862. Verónica brings her all-female mariachi band for a lively evening of music and song from this rich Mexican tradition. The recorded performance from the Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts streams on Wednesday, May 5, 2021 at 7:30pm ET.
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To browse the entire series of “Celebrity Series at Home” events, visit: celebrityseries.org/athome
About Celebrity Series of Boston
Celebrity Series of Boston was founded in 1938 by pianist and impresario Aaron Richmond. The 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 82 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 2020-21 Season Sponsors Amy & Joshua Boger, 2020-21 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 help fulfill our mission to present performing artists who inspire and enrich our community. Individual and Institutional supporters include the Barr Foundation through its ArtsAmplified initiative, Leslie & Howard Appleby, Stephanie L. Brown Foundation, The Catered Affair, Susanne Marcus Collins Foundation, Mr. & Mrs. Peter Coxe, Amy & Ethan d’Ablemont Burnes, D.L. Saunders Real Estate Corp., First Republic Bank, Foley & Lardner LLP, George & Lizbeth Krupp, Liberty Mutual Foundation, Massachusetts Cultural Council, National Endowment for the Arts, Outside the Box: A Production of the Boston Arts Summer Institute, Cynthia & John S. Reed Foundation, Royal Little Family Foundation, Stifler Family Foundation, Anonymous, and 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.
Press Contact: Stephanie Janes, (617) 419-0445, stephanie at stephaniejanespr dot com
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