PNEUMA (πνεῦμα) is an ancient Greek word for “breath”, “spirit” or “soul”. This quartet features four improvisers / composers: vocalist Ayelet Rose Gottlieb and clarinetists James Falzone, Francois Houle and Michael Winograd. Pneuma’s sound is kaleidoscopic – many worlds entangled – blending contemporary electro-acoustic turbulent energies with gentle gestures inspired by Klezmer and jazz-infused improvisations. Presenting a poetry infused set, their music is “a globally-informed emotional panoply” (NYC Jazz Record) inspired by the wind.

Funded 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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About Pneuma

PNEUMA (πνεῦμα) is an ancient Greek word for “breath”, “spirit” or “soul”. This quartet features four improvisers / composers: vocalist Ayelet Rose Gottlieb and clarinetists James Falzone, Francois Houle and Michael Winograd. Pneuma’s sound is kaleidoscopic – many worlds entangled – blending contemporary electro-acoustic turbulent energies with gentle gestures inspired by Klezmer and jazz-infused improvisations. Presenting a poetry infused set, their music is “a globally-informed emotional panoply” (NYC Jazz Record) inspired by the wind. They create music “where notes seem to leap off the page and into the air, there to intertwine and dance in magical forms” (World Music Report.)

Pneuma made their premiere at the 2017 Vancouver International Jazz Festival. Their debut album, “Who Has Seen The Wind?” was recently released on the esteemed Canadian label, Songlines Recordings.

Pneuma 
Ayelet Rose Gottlieb (Jerusalem / Montréal) – Voice
James Falzone (Seattle) – Clarinet
François Houle (Vancouver) – Basset Clarinet
Michael Winograd (Brooklyn) – Clarinet

PROGRAM

Saturday, August 20, 2022

Who Has Seen the Wind?
by Christina Rossetti

Who has seen the wind?
Neither I nor you:
But when the leaves hang trembling,
The wind is passing through.
Who has seen the wind?
Neither you nor I:
But when the trees bow down their heads,
The wind is passing by.

Set List*:

1. Alone
   Words: James Joyce
   Music: Ayelet, François & Michael
2. Neither I Nor You
   Music: Ayelet
3. Trembling (What They Did Yesterday Afternoon)
   Words: Warsan Shire
   Music: Ayelet
4. Passing Through (Lament for Harry)
   Music: Ayelet
5. Neither You Nor I (for Ora)
   Music: Ayelet, Udi Horev & Ora Boasson-Horev
6. Bow Down (The Wind Will Take Us)
   Words: Forugh Farrokhzad
   Translation: Ahmad Karimi Hakkak
   Music: Ayelet
7. Passing By (Shape of Tears)
   Words: Mayumi Terada
   Music: Ayelet
8. Who Has Seen the Wind?
   Words: Christina Rossetti
   Music: Michael
9. Wakened By The Scent
   Words: Izumi Shikibu
   Music: James
10. Who Can Say What Loneliness Is
    Words: Izumi Shikibu
    Music: James
11. Ruined House
    Words: Izumi Shikibu
    Music: James
12. This Pine Tree By The Rock
    Words: Ono no Komachi
    Music: James
13. The Last Rose of Summer
    Music & Lyrics: Tom Waits
    Arrangement: François

*changes to the set list will be announced from the stage

By Donation, register/donate online here or at www.PayPal.me/wccma

Praised for their “superb capacity to find the inner heart of everything they play, regardless of era, style, or technical demand” (The International Review of Music), the Tesla Quartet brings refinement and prowess to both new and established repertoire.The Tesla Quartet was formed at The Juilliard School in 2008 and quickly established itself as one of the most promising young ensembles in New York, winning Second Prize at the J.C. Arriaga Chamber Music Competition only a few months after its inception.

PROGRAM

Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) String Quartet in D major, Op. 71 No. 2

• Adagio–Allegro
• Adagio
• Menuet–Trio
• Allegretto

Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904) “Nature Lies Peaceful in Slumber and Dreaming”*

Florence Price (1887-1953) “Drink to Me Only with Thine Eyes”☨

Dvořák “When Your Sweet Glances on Me Fall”*

Price “Shortnin’ Bread”☨

*from Cypresses, B.11
☨from Five Folk Songs in Counterpoint

Jessie Montgomery (b. 1981) Strum

Intermission

Grażyna Bacewicz (1909-1969) String Quartet No. 4

• Andante—Allegro moderato
• Andante
• Allegro giocoso

The Tesla Quartet is Ross Snyder (violin), Michelle Lie (violin), Edwin Kaplan (viola), and Jared Blajian (cello).

About Tesla Quartet

Praised for their “superb capacity to find the inner heart of everything they play, regardless of era, style, or technical demand” (The International Review of Music), the Tesla Quartet brings refinement and prowess to both new and established repertoire. Dubbed “technically superb” by The Strad, the Tesla Quartet has won top prizes in numerous international competitions, most recently taking Second Prize as well as the Haydn Prize and Canadian Commission Prize at the 12th Banff International String Quartet Competition. In 2018, the Tesla Quartet released its debut album of Haydn, Ravel, and Stravinsky quartets on the Orchid Classics label to critical acclaim. BBC Music Magazine awarded the disc a double 5-star rating and featured it as the “Chamber Choice” for the month of December. Gramophone praised the quartet for its “tautness of focus and refinement of detail.” Their second disc on the Orchid Classics label, a collaboration with clarinetist Alexander Fiterstein featuring quintets by Mozart, Finzi, John Corigliano and Carolina Heredia, will be released in October 2019.

Now entering its second decade, the quartet performs regularly across North America and Europe, with recent highlights including their debut at New York’s Lincoln Center, a return to London’s Wigmore Hall, and performances at Stanford University’s Bing Concert Hall as winners of the prestigious John Lad Prize. Other recent international engagements include tours of Brazil, China, and South Korea. Notable festival appearances include the Banff Centre International String Quartet Festival; the Joseph Haydn String Quartet Festival at the Esterházy Palace in Fertőd, Hungary; the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Festival in Germany; and the Festival Sesc de Música de Câmara in São Paulo, Brazil. Having served as the Marjorie Young Bell String Quartet-in-Residence at Mount Allison University in New Brunswick, Canada from 2016-2017, the Tesla Quartet also recently completed a four-year community residency in Hickory, North Carolina that included performances and workshops at local colleges, universities, and in the public school system, as well as a dedicated chamber music series.

The Tesla Quartet was formed at The Juilliard School in 2008 and quickly established itself as one of the most promising young ensembles in New York, winning Second Prize at the J.C. Arriaga Chamber Music Competition only a few months after its inception. From 2009 to 2012, the quartet held a fellowship as the Graduate String Quartet-in-Residence at the University of Colorado-Boulder, where they studied with the world-renowned Takács Quartet. They have also held fellowships at the Aspen Music Festival’s Center for Advanced Quartet Studies, the Britten-Pears Young Artist Program, and the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival.

The Tesla Quartet is Ross Snyder (violin), Michelle Lie (violin), Edwin Kaplan (viola), and Serafim Smigelskiy (cello).

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 regarding love, loss, and the war in Syria. Deeply inspired by Otis Redding, Bassel uses the stage as a vehicle to engage audiences in over 100 different cities across North America.

Bassel and crew will also be offering workshops during this engagement

Rain location: Union Episcopal Church

About Bassel and the Supernaturals

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 regarding love, loss, and the war in Syria.

Deeply inspired by Otis Redding, Bassel uses the stage as a vehicle to engage audiences in over 100 different 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. A substantial portion of their proceeds benefit the Karam Foundation, a 501(c)3 organization focused on building a better future for Syria.

Their sophomore release, Elements (2017), was premiered by Noisey/Vice, and led to their involvement in the nationally-acclaimed SXSW 2017 showcase ‘ContraBanned: #MusicUnites’ featuring artists from the diaspora of countries targeted by the travel ban. They’ve since been featured on PRI, Al Jazeera, Reuters, Paste Magazine, Huffington Post, NowThis, and many others. The album draws inspiration from artists such as Snarky Puppy, Jamiroquai, and Steely Dan’s “Aja.”

Bassel & The Supernaturals has performed in over 300 concerts between 2016-2019 on stages including SXSW, John F. Kennedy Center, Summerfest, and Millennium Park, and supporting internationally touring artists such as Youssou N’Dour, Brother Ali, Aesop Rock, Emancipator, The Dandy Warhols, Sinkane, and many others.

Upon returning from a service trip to Istanbul in September 2019 working with displaced Syrians, Bassel & The Supernaturals released their full-length album, Smoke & Mirrors, in April 2020. “Stepping Back in Time” was featured on Spotify’s official “All Funked Up” playlist and recently surpassed 500,000 streams. The band collaborated with TedX Talks as well on their music video for “Calculated Love” featuring Chicago’s resilient youth in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bassel & The Supernaturals is committed to building a better future for Syria, and for young artists and entrepreneurs all around the world. The group organizes events and residencies with educational, cultural, and charity organizations related to the leader’s cultural heritage and professional experience in logistics management.