Kinan Azmeh and Dinuk Wijeratne return (Mon Aug 21); Ethiocolor just announced, and more

Long-time favorites and supporters of WCCMA, Syrian clarinetist Kinan Azmeh and Sri Lankan pianist Dinuk Wijeratne will return as a duo for the first time since the pandemic. Their music fuses elements of Arabic and South-Asian vocabulary with classical and jazz music idioms to create a new sonic world. Performing in the outstanding acoustics of the historical Union Church on WCCMA’s beautiful Jesse R. Fillman Steinway means the listener gets an intimate performance that reminds you just why live music is so irreplaceable. The performance will be held on Monday August 21st at 6:30PM at WCCMA at the Union Church in Claremont NH, Tickets are sliding scale/donation. All funds go to support the ongoing presentation of accessible and exceptional live performances and arts education to the wider Claremont region. 

Both Azmeh and Wijerante have long impressive resumes, including performing at Carnegie Hall, working with cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and many accolades and awards. Kinan Azmeh has gained international recognition and awards for his distinctive voice as a composer and a clarinetist across diverse musical genres. Wijeratne’s award-winning boundary-crossing work sees him equally at home in collaborations with symphony orchestras and string quartets, tabla players and DJs. Despite their busy schedules as multi-faceted international performers and musicians Azmeh and Wijeratne have maintained close ties to West Claremont Center for Music and the Arts and Executive Director Melissa Richmond, including serving on WCCMA’s artistic advisory board, composing commissions, and creating educational programming for our innovative arts programming. 

“One of the special things about WCCMA and the artists we present that we forge relationships with is that right here in Claremont we get access to brilliant performers across many genres – the likes of which you see appear in the great venues like Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, and untold numbers of other prestigious venues around the world – and you get to meet them right here in this small intimate space. They are such lovely people and passionate performers. To see them up close is rare and thrilling for music lovers. Kinan and Dinuk are among the most impactful performers to grace this space. What makes the appearance even more special is that many people here locally have been able to have this ongoing relationship with them, whether it’s see them perform and continue to create over the last 14 year, or to work with them through WCCMA’s education programs like the Bach Tree. It is such a gift for us to have them as a part of our musical family here in Claremont” said Executive Director Melissa Richmond.

Art of the Duo: Kinan Azmeh and Dinuk Wijeratne

August 21, 2023 @ 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM at West Claremont Center for Music and the Arts @ Union Church

Back for the first time as a duo since 2019: Award-winning composers and performers Dinuk Wijeratne & Kinan Azmeh fuse elements of Arabic and South-Asian vocabulary with classical and jazz music idioms to create a new sonic world. Tickets are by donation, students free. This event will also be livestreamed. 

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Layale Chaker and Sarafand

September 2, 2023 @ 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM at West Claremont Center for Music and the Arts @Union Church

Acclaimed Violinist/Composer Layale Chaker is joined by her band Sarafand for music at the intersection of classical contemporary music, Jazz, Arabic Music, and improvisation. This concert will be presented in person and via livestream/online. Admission is by donation, students are free. Suggested sliding scale contribution $5-$50

About Layale

Deemed a “Rising Star” by BBC Music Magazine, violinist and composer Layale Chaker was raised on the verge of several musical streams since her childhood. She debuted her musical training at the National Higher Conservatory of Beirut in her native Lebanon, and later went on to pursue her studies at Conservatoire Regional de Paris and the Royal Academy of Music in London, studying under professors such as Mohamed Hashem, Carmen Scripcariu, Jeanne-Marie Conquer and Nicholas Miller. Layale’s musical world lies at the intersection of classical contemporary music, Jazz, Arabic Music, and improvisation. As a violinist and composer, she has received commissions and presented performances and projects around Europe, the Middle-East, North and South America and Asia, and has collaborated with Daniel Barenboim and the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, Ziad Rahbani, Johnny Gandelsman, Holland Baroque, International Contemporary Ensemble, Oxford Orchestra, the New World Symphony, Babylon Orchestra, performing at the London Jazz Festival, Alderburgh Festival, Junger Kunstler Festival Bayreuth, the Lucerne Festival for Contemporary Music, Impuls’ Festival, Beethoven Festival Bonn and Avignon Festival among others, and concert halls such as The Berlin Philharmonic, Abbaye de Royaumont, Hancher Auditorium, The Stone, National Sawdust, the Banff Centre, the Royal Albert Hall and the Wigmore Hall. This season has seen her complete a year-long residency at the radio WQXR, where she premiered a new work with her chamber jazz quintet ; a recording with string quartet ETHEL, to be released in 2023 ; and a first public reading of “Ruinous Gods”, her debut opera in collaboration with Lisa Schlesinger. She is also due to premiere a new work for violin and choir at Morgenland Festival Osnabruck (Germany) with the choral ensemble Capella Amsterdam. Her debut album with her ensemble Sarafand, “Inner Rhyme”, recipient of the AFAC 2018 fund, is dedicated to the sounds, rhythms, rhymes, shapes and forms of Arabic poetry. The album was released on In a Circle Records, and listed as “Top of The World” by Songlines with a 5-star review, rated #2 on NPR 10 Best Releases, #1 for several weeks on the World Charts of iTunes and Amazon Music, and has received praises by the BBC Music Magazine, The New York Times, The Strad, Strings Magazine, Jazz World among others. A 2020-2022 Jerome Hill Fellow and winner of the Silkroad Seeds inaugural 2020 award, Layale is also recipient of the Opera America Dicovery 2022 award, a Nadia et Lili Boulanger 2019 laureate, finalist of the Rolex Mentor & Protege 2018 Prize, the recipient of the Diaphonique Franco-British Commission Prize 2019, the 2018 Arab Fund for Arts and Culture Grant, the Royal Academy of Music 2018 Guinness Award, and the winner of the Ruth Anderson 2017 Competition.

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Ethiocolor

September 12, 2023 @ 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM at WCCMA at Union Church

Join us for Melaka Belay and Ethiocolor’s ecstatic symbiosis of dance and music, of tradition and modernity for the first stop on their US tour. Admission is sliding scale donation: pay what you can: $5-60, students free. Seat is available indoors and on the lawn (bring your own chair for outdoors). Registration for this event in advance is encouraged to ensure seating and timely check in. Livestream/on demand video will be avaialble for this concert. Ethiocolor is part of Center Stage, a public diplomacy initiative of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs with funding provided by the U.S. Government, administered by the New England Foundation for the Arts in cooperation with the U.S. Regional Arts Organizations. General management is provided by Lisa Booth Management, Inc. About Ethiocolor:Founded in 2009 by the charismatic Melaku Belay, who has made his Fendika Cultural Center in Addis Ababa a global gathering place, Ethiocolor draws deeply from the bardic well of Ethiopia’s diverse heritage. Their revelatory practice is an ecstatic symbiosis of dance and music, of tradition and modernity. Nourished by diverse Ethiopian music and dance traditions and cross-cultural exchange, Ethiocolor presents energetic, free-spirited sounds and movements that are at once culturally specific and internationally resonant. Ethiocolor routinely shares the stage with traditional Azmaris and jazz musicians. From this dynamic musical home, Ethiocolor also builds partnerships with international musicians such as the Ex (Dutch punk band) and Large Unit (Norwegian Jazz band). The band regularly tours abroad. Its CDs include Ethiocolor (2014), Birabiro (2016), and Dildiy (upcoming). Melaku Belay received a 2015 French Medal for the Arts, a 2020 Prince Claus Award, and is a 2022 TED Fellow. Lead singer Nardos/Wude Tesfaw is the central character in Stand Up, My Beauty!, a 2021 European film exploring music and gender in Ethiopia.  Invoking ancestral blessings and contemporary experiences, Ethiocolor reveals how Ethiopian music and dance have evolved to transcend time and space. Says Melaku: “We’re here to remind audiences everywhere of our shared human desire and capacity for peace, love, joy, and justice.” They damn near brought the house down with their exuberant, dance-filled live set at the January 2017 globalFEST in New York. – ROOTS WORLD

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Tomorrow 6:30pm! Garifuna Collective (at rain venue)

Garifuna Collective

July 11, 2023 @ 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM at WCCMA @ Union Church

DUE TO THE ANTICIPATED RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS THIS EVENT HAS BEEN MOVED TO THE RAIN LOCATION.

Join us  for the acclaimed Afro-Carribean band. Rain location: Union Episcopal Church. Bring your own chair or blanket. This event is a collaboration with Claremont Parks and Recreation.

There will be a post-concert chat with the artists to learn more about Garifuna Culture.

This program is supported in part by the New England States Touring program of the New England Foundation for the Arts, made possible with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts Regional Touring Program and the six New England state arts agencies. The Garifuna Collective from Belize has begun a New England tour, running June 30th through June 20th including 12 concerts, all in New England, aside from a stop in London Ontario for the prestigious Sunfest. The band, renowned for their captivating performances and powerful celebration of Garifuna culture, has performed on major festival stages around the world, and their upcoming tour includes stops in notably smaller communities across New England including with the West Claremont Center for Music and the Arts in Claremont, NH. Audiences can expect an enchanting journey through Garifuna traditions as the Collective presents their unique sound that spans traditional songs, modern compositions, and vibrant reinterpretations of classic Garifuna melodies. Hailing from the Caribbean coast of Central America, the Garifuna people are descendants of West African, Indigenous Arawak, and Carib peoples, with a rich history of resilience, cultural preservation, and musical expression.The Garifuna language was designated by UNESCO as a “Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity” in 2001. In addition to the inspiring performances, the Garifuna Collective’s tour will offer educational workshops and various opportunities for cultural exchange, fostering a deeper understanding of the Garifuna people, their heritage, and their ongoing contributions to the world of music. The tour was funded in a large part by the New England States Touring program of the New England Foundation for the Arts, made possible with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts Regional Touring Program and the six New England state arts agencies. The NEST Grant has allowed a diverse array of community organizations to host the artists for a tour of free or sliding scale accessible concerts through Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Of the 12 stops on their tour, 7 nonprofit organizations have received support from NEFA to support the tour. _______ “The meeting point where ancient meets modern, this music stretches forward defying the listener to pin it down. Whatever people mean about music being universal, surely that is the perfect demonstration of their argument.” – The Observer (UK). Based in Belize, The Garifuna Collective are one of the most unique Afro-Caribbean bands on the planet. As representatives of the Garifuna people – a separate language and culture group spread across several countries in Central America – they harness the indomitable energy of their African and Indigenous ancestors, generating an irrepressible, positive energy every time they perform. They have created feverish dance floors in over 30 countries across 5 continents and have been part of the most celebrated world music releases of all time, including the critically acclaimed Wátina – recipient of the Womex and BBC World Music Award and voted by Amazon as the Number One World Music Album of All Time.

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Art of the Duo: Kinan Azmeh and Dinuk Wijeratne

August 21, 2023 @ 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM at West Claremont Center for Music and the Arts @ Union Church

Award-winning composers and performers Dinuk Wijeratne & Kinan Azmeh fuse elements of Arabic and South-Asian vocabulary with classical and jazz music idioms to create a new sonic world.

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Coming up:

Layale Chaker and Sarafand
Sept 2nd, 6:30pm

Bassel and the Supernaturals (changed to RAIN LOCATION)

July 4, 2023 @ 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM at WCCMA @ Union Church

UPDATE FOR RAIN CONTINGENCY: Bassel and the Supernaturals will appear at the rain location: West Claremont Center for Music and the Arts at Union Church, 133 Old Church Rd. The July 4th festivities will be held at Monadnock Park on JULY 5TH. It is very helpful if you register in advance just in case we have a big audience (we can’t seat 2500 now!)

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Echoing Stevie Wonder’s rhythm and blues, Jamiroquai’s social justice centered lyricism over jazz-infused funk, and Steely Dan’s seamless amalgam of American music, Bassel & The Supernaturals evoke joy and thoughtfulness in diverse audiences throughout hundreds of cities across North America. In addition to performing in major festivals, performance halls, concert series, and clubs, the group works closely with organizations on events and residencies that build awareness and empathy for Syrian refugees and immigrants. Deeply inspired by Otis Redding, Bassel uses the stage as a vehicle to unite his listeners and share the story of his cultural duality. Bassel & The Supernaturals tells the story of Bassel Almadani’s experience as a first generation Syrian-American using soulful melodies, funk inspired rhythms, and captivating lyrics.

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Garifuna Collective

July 11, 2023 @ 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM at Broad Street Park

Join us at Broad Street Park for the acclaimed Afro-Carribean band. Rain location: Union Episcopal Church.

Tickets are by donation, students are free.

Join us at Broad Street Park for the acclaimed Afro-Carribean band. This event will be live-streamed, but due to the nature of the outdoor venue conditions the concert video could be delayed. Rain location: Union Episcopal Church. Bring your own chair or blanket. This event is a collaboration with Claremont Parks and Recreation. This program is supported in part by the New England States Touring program of the New England Foundation for the Arts, made possible with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts Regional Touring Program and the six New England state arts agencies.

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“The meeting point where ancient meets modern, this music stretches forward defying the listener to pin it down. Whatever people mean about music being universal, surely that is the perfect demonstration of their argument.” – The Observer (UK). Based in Belize, The Garifuna Collective are one of the most unique Afro-Caribbean bands on the planet. As representatives of the Garifuna people – a separate language and culture group spread across several countries in Central America – they harness the indomitable energy of their African and Indigenous ancestors, generating an irrepressible, positive energy every time they perform. They have created feverish dance floors in over 30 countries across 5 continents and have been part of the most celebrated world music releases of all time, including the critically acclaimed Wátina – recipient of the Womex and BBC World Music Award and voted by Amazon as the Number One World Music Album of All Time.

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Art of the Duo: Kinan Azmeh and Dinuk Wijeratne

August 21, 2023 @ 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM at West Claremont Center for Music and the Arts @ Union Church

Tickets are by donation, students free.

Returning as a duo for the first time since 2019, WCCMA Artistic Advisory Board Members and Award-winning composers and performers Dinuk Wijeratne & Kinan Azmeh fuse elements of Arabic and South-Asian vocabulary with classical and jazz music idioms to create a new sonic world. In person and live-streamed.

About Kinan Azmeh

Hailed by critics and audiences alike, winner of Opus Klassik award in 2019 clarinetist and composer Kinan Azmeh has gained international recognition for his distinctive voice across diverse musical genres.

Originally from Damascus, Syria, Kinan Azmeh brings his music to all corners of the world as a soloist, composer and improviser. In addition to his own Arab-Jazz Quartet CityBand and his Hewar trio, he has also been playing with the Silkroad Ensemble since 2012, whose 2017 Grammy Award-winning album “Sing Me Home” features Kinan as a clarinetist and composer.
Kinan Azmeh is a graduate of New York’s Juilliard School as a student of Charles Neidich, and of both the Damascus High institute of Music where he studied with Shukry Sahwki, Nicolay Viovanof and Anatoly Moratof, and Damascus University’s School of Electrical Engineering. Kinan earned his doctorate degree in music from the City University of New York in 2013.
His first opera “Songs for Days to Come” which is fully sung in Arabic, was recently premiered in Osnabruck, Germany in June 2022 to a great acclaim. He has recently been appointed to the National Council for the Arts on a nomination by President Joe Biden.

About Dinuk Wijeratne

Sri Lankan-born Canadian Dinuk Wijeratne is a JUNO and multi-award-winning composer, conductor, and pianist who has been described by the New York Times as ‘exuberantly creative’, by the Toronto Star as ‘an artist who reflects a positive vision of our cultural future’, and by the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra as ‘a modern polymath’. His boundary-crossing work sees him equally at home in collaborations with symphony orchestras and string quartets, tabla players and DJs, and takes him to international venues as poles apart as the Berlin Philharmonie and the North Sea Jazz Festival.

Dinuk made his Carnegie Hall debut while still a student in 2004 as a composer, conductor, and pianist performing with Yo Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble. A second Carnegie appearance followed in 2009, alongside tabla legend Zakir Hussain.

A passionate educator, Dinuk is committed to helping emerging and mid-career classical artists navigate the classical music industry in today’s increasingly complex, diverse, and globalized world. As a Creativity Consultant he serves private clients as well as students of the Banff Centre (Evolution Classical) and Toronto’s Glenn Gould School. His educational guide ‘Define Your Artistic Voice’ was downloaded 150 times from his blog within the first two days of its release. Dinuk also served as Music Director of the Nova Scotia Youth Orchestra for thirteen seasons. He is also the recipient of the Canada Council Jean-Marie Beaudet award for orchestral conducting; the NS Established Artist Award; NS Masterworks nominations for his Tabla Concerto and piano trio Love Triangle; double Merritt Award nominations; Juilliard, Mannes, & Countess of Munster scholarships; the Sema Jazz Improvisation Prize; the Soroptimist International Award for Composer-Conductors; and the Sir John Manduell Prize – the RNCM’s highest student honour. His music and collaborative work embrace the great diversity of his international background and influences.

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