Richès Dayiti: Treasures of Haitian Piano Music
2018-02-02 19:00 - 20:30 (America/Chicago) | OH
“Richès Dayiti: Treasures of Haitian Piano Music” provides an intimate look at the mostly unknown beauty of Haitian piano music, unknown to all but a handful of scholars for the last century. The performances’ compositions have been preserved by the Société de recherche et de diffusion de la musique haïtienne (SRDMH) (Society for the Research and Diffusion of Haitian Music) in Montreal, archived by the Laboratory of World Music Research of the Université de Montréal, and prepared into performance editions by Dr. Robert Grenier of SC State University, who will introduce the music with spoken remarks. Pianist Marianne Parker will perform the program, bringing to life the fruits of decades of scholarly work.
The program will include the Haitian méringue-inspired Quatre Danses (Four Dances) by late 19th/early 20th century composer Ludovic Lamothe. Lamothe was known as “Black Chopin” and “The Last of the Romantics” because of his affinity for Chopin, and for his long, romantic-style melodies and lush harmonies. The program also shares Nocturne No. 1 by Carmen Brouard. Brouard was a 20th century piano virtuoso and modernist composer. As a young musician, she attended the Paris Conservatoire. She dedicated her Nocturne #1 to one of her piano students. The three movements of Edmond Saintonge’s Pages Intimes (Intimate Pages) show his emotional and romantic approach to composing. The movements’ titles translate as I. Hopelessness, II. Melancholy, Salon Mazurka, and III. Sentimental Talk. In his Sonate Folklorique en Sol Majeure sur les Chansons Populaires d’Haiti (Sonata on Haitian Folk Songs in G Major), Emile Desamours quotes popular Haitian folk song melodies and incorporates also the syncopated, dancing rhythms of Haitian folk music. Ending the program, François Manigat’s Souvenir de Quinze Jours au Cap Haitien (Memories of Fifteen Days in Cap Haitien) reminisces about two enchating weeks the composer spent on Haiti’s northern coastal city.
The performance will be given by pianist Marianne Parker. Parker is a founding member of the L+M Duo, which performs contemporary music for percussion and piano. Previously, she served as Principal Pianist of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, where she studied under Chicago Symphony Orchestra Principal Pianist Mary Sauer. Ms. Parker previously studied at the Bösendorfer Piano Institute of Vienna under Krassimera Jordan, and with pianists Wei-Han Su, David Northington, and David Brunell.
Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door. Buy tickets at http://www.belenjesuit.org/rocatheater

Exploring Haitian Culture, History, and Religion through Song
2018-02-17 13:00 - 13:30 | Milwaukee Art Museum, 700 N Art Museum Dr, Milwaukee, WI, 53202, United States
Crossing Borders Music performs new Haitian folk song arrangements by composer Julio Racine, exploring the depth of Haitian history, spirituality, and lore through folk song arrangements for violin, cello, and keyboard. The performance will take place in the Haitian art gallery of the Milwaukee Art Museum, and the music will reflect themes found in the art collection. Admission is free with museum entry.

Women Composers Around the World
2018-03-25 15:00 - 16:30 | Skokie Public Library, 5215 Oakton St, Skokie, IL, 60077, United States
In celebration of International Women’s Day, The Skokie Public Library presents Crossing Borders Music in a performance of chamber music by women composers from Taiwan, Venezuela, Haiti, the Chickasaw Nation, Nigeria, and the US! In addition to unforgettable music in many styles, we’ll share the composers’ perspectives on how being a women has affected – or hasn’t affected – their lives in music. The program will include “Yeah… I Hit Like a Girl” by Amanda John, Teresa Carreño’s String Quartet, Yi Yiing Chen’s “The Island, “L’homme durci” and “La fille dans les nuages” (“The Hardened Man”and “The Girl in the Clouds”) from Portraits by Brittany J. Green, Oluchi Edmund‘s “Children of Africa,” and “L’odeur du cafe” (“The Smell of Coffee”) by Sabrina C D Jean Louis.
The concert is free and open the the public.
This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.
This project is partially supported by a grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events.

Women Composers Around the World
2018-03-29 16:00 - 17:30 | Lake Forest Place, 1100 Pembridge Dr, Lake Forest, IL, 60045
In celebration of International Women’s Day, Crossing Borders Music presents this Lake Forest Place performance of chamber music by women composers from Taiwan, Venezuela, Haiti, the Chickasaw Nation, Nigeria, and the US! In addition to unforgettable music in many styles, we’ll share the composers’ perspectives on how being a women has affected – or hasn’t affected – their lives in music. The program will include “Yeah… I Hit Like a Girl” by Amanda John, Teresa Carreño‘s String Quartet, Yi Yiing Chen’s “The Island, “L’homme durci” and “La fille dans les nuages” (“The Hardened Man”and “The Girl in the Clouds”) from Portraits by Brittany J. Green, “Children of Africa” by Oluchi Edmund, and “L’odeur du cafe” (“The Smell of Coffee”) by Sabrina C D Jean Louis Sabibi Jlf.
The concert is free and open the the public and will take place in the Vail Room.
This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.
This project is partially supported by a grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events.

Women Composers Around the World
2018-03-31 19:15 | Plymouth Place Senior Living, 315 N La Grange Rd, La Grange Park, IL, 60526, United States
In celebration of International Women’s Day, Plymouth Place presents Crossing Borders Music in a performance of chamber music by women composers from Taiwan, Venezuela, Haiti, the Chickasaw Nation, and the US! In addition to unforgettable music in many styles, we’ll share the composers’ perspectives on how being a women has affected – or hasn’t affected – their lives in music. The program will include “Yeah… I Hit Like a Girl” by Amanda John, Teresa Carreño‘s String Quartet, Yi Yiing Chen’s “The Island, “L’homme durci” and “La fille dans les nuages” (“The Hardened Man”and “The Girl in the Clouds”) from Portraits by Brittany J. Green, and “L’odeur du cafe” (“The Smell of Coffee”) by Sabrina C D Jean Louis.
This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.
This project is partially supported by a grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events.

Celebrating Resilience: Music by Iranian Bahá'ís
2018-04-13 18:45 - 20:00 | Covenant Village of Northbrook, 2625 Techny Rd, Northbrook, IL, 60062
This special concert shares the music and stories of resilience of Bahá’í composers from Iran! These courageous musicians risked their lives and safety to pursue their musical education in Iran in the face of their government’s systemic persecution of Bahá’ís.
Marianne Parker, piano; Maya Shiraishi, violin; and Tom Clowes, cello will perform works by composers including Nikan Milani, Safa Shahidi, and Farid Javidan.
This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.

Celebrating Resilience: Music by Iranian Bahá'ís
2018-04-22 14:00 - 15:30 | Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E Washington St, Chicago, IL, 60602, United States
This special, fifth-annual concert shares the music and stories of resilience of Iranian Bahá’í musicians! These courageous musicians risked their lives and safety to pursue their musical education in Iran in the face of their government’s systemic persecution of Bahá’ís.
The music will be performed by Fahimeh Mehrabkhani, voice; Marianne Parker, piano; Maya Shiraishi, violin; and Tom Clowes, cello.
The concert is free and open to the public and will take place in the Claudia Cassidy Theater on the second floor of the Chicago Cultural Center.
This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.
This project is partially supported by a grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events.

Untold Beauty of Haiti: a Piano Concert
2018-05-03 18:00 - 19:30 | Symphony Center, 220 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL, 60604, United States
Crossing Borders Music and the CSO African-American Network present “Untold Beauty of Haiti: a Piano Concert”!
The performance will take place at The Club, on the 8th Floor of the Chicago Symphony Center.
The performances’ compositions have been preserved by the Société de recherche et de diffusion de la musique haïtienne (SRDMH) (Society for the Research and Diffusion of Haitian Music) in Montreal, archived by the Laboratory of World Music Research of the Université de Montréal, and prepared into performance editions by Dr. Robert Grenier of SC State University. Pianist Marianne Parker will perform the program, bringing to life the fruits of decades of scholarly work.
The program will include the Haitian méringue-inspired Quatre Danses (Four Dances) by late 19th/early 20th century composer Ludovic Lamothe. Lamothe was known as “Black Chopin” and “The Last of the Romantics” because of his affinity for Chopin, and for his long, romantic-style melodies and lush harmonies. The program also shares Nocturne No. 1 by Carmen Brouard. Brouard was a 20th century piano virtuoso and modernist composer. As a young musician, she attended the Paris Conservatoire. She dedicated her Nocturne #1 to one of her piano students. The three movements of Edmond Saintonge’s Pages Intimes (Intimate Pages) show his emotional and romantic approach to composing. The movements’ titles translate as I. Hopelessness, II. Melancholy, Salon Mazurka, and III. Sentimental Talk. In his Sonate Folklorique en Sol Majeure sur les Chansons Populaires d’Haiti (Sonata on Haitian Folk Songs in G Major), Emile Desamours quotes popular Haitian folk song melodies and incorporates also the syncopated, dancing rhythms of Haitian folk music. Ending the program, François Manigat’s Souvenir de Quinze Jours au Cap Haitien (Memories of Fifteen Days in Cap Haitien) reminisces about two enchating weeks the composer spent on Haiti’s northern coastal city.
Pianist Marianne Parker is a founding member of the L+M Duo, which performs contemporary music for percussion and piano. Previously, she served as Principal Pianist of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, where she studied under Chicago Symphony Orchestra Principal Pianist Mary Sauer. Ms. Parker previously studied at the Bösendorfer Piano Institute of Vienna under Krassimera Jordan, and with pianists Wei-Han Su, David Northington, and David Brunell.
Afterward, continue the celebration of women in music as Katia and Marielle Labèque perform Bruch’s Concerto for Two Pianos with the CSO!
Tickets are $15, or stay for the CSO concert for an unbeatable deal of $40 for the whole evening! Get tickets here!

Celebrating Music from Syria and Egypt
2018-05-06 19:30 - 21:00 | Family Piano Co., 114 S Genesee St Ste 402, Waukegan, IL, 60085, United States
Syrian musicians Issam Rafea, oud, and Omar al Musfi, percussion, join Maya Shiraishi, violin, and Tom Clowes, cello, to celebrate music by composers from Syria and Egypt. The ensemble will present original works composed by Rafea, Sufi-inspired violin solos by Abdo Dagher, and the violin-cello duo of Gamal Abdel-Rahim, whose music combines Egyptian modal scales, rhythms, and melodies with European-inspired harmonies.
***This event is currently open only to Waukegan Chamber Music Society season ticket holders. Individual tickets may go on sale at a later date.
This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.
This project is partially supported by a grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events.

Recovering the Art of Eustasio Rosales, Chicago's First Hispanic Composer
2018-05-27 14:00 - 15:00 | National Shrine of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, 2520 N Lakeview Ave, Chicago, IL, 60614, United States
Enjoy the art of Eustasio Rosales in this performance of his recently rediscovered chamber music, including the world premiere of his violin sonata! Eustasio Rosales was a Colombian immigrant known as Chicago’s first Hispanic Composer, and his music was celebrated in his lifetime, including in performances by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. After his death, though, his music has languished in storage in his grand-daughter’s basement. The concert will premiere recently rediscovered scores from the composer’s granddaughter’s collection, unearthed and performed for the first time in the 83 years since his death! Of special note, the concert will include the world premiere performance of Rosales’ violin sonata, a work Rosales left incomplete and which has been completed by composer and arranger Daniel Fawcett!

In addition to enjoying music no living person has ever heard, audiences will have a chance to meet Rosales’ great-grandson Arlen Parsa, who created the award-winning documentary “The Way to Andina” about the rediscovery of Rosales’ works.

Performers will include members of Mulati Ensemble and Crossing Borders Music.

Free and open to the public.

This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency

This project is partially supported by a grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.

Honoring Refugee Composers
2018-06-10 14:00 - 15:30 | St. James Cathedral, 65 E Huron St, Chicago, IL, 60611, United States
Crossing Borders Music honors refugees around the world in this performance of music written by or about refugees!
Hear the proud “Refugees Anthem” by Moutaz Arian. Be stirred by Tatev Amiryan’s “Tristesse,” a homage to the famous Armenian musician Komitas. The piece expresses Komitas’ pain and sorrow as the Armenian Genocide forced him from his home and caused him to suffer a mental breakdown as he lived in exile for the rest of his life. Hear Ruth Schonthal’s String Quartet “In Memoriam Holocaust.” As an American Holocaust refugee, Schonthal spent much of her life avoiding writing music about the Holocaust so as not to trivialize it. Late in her life, she finally decided to write this piece to encourage its remembrance and memorialize its victims. Mahdis Kashani’s “And the Moses Drowned” is written in memory of Aylan Kurdi and all children who have died in war. Mahdis says, “These children are innocent like Moses, but without any savior.” Zvonimir Nagy’s exquisite “Fall, Leaves, Fall” and Miguel del Aguila’s exciting Presto II round out an intensely stirring program.
This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.
This project is partially supported by a grant from the City of ChicagoDepartment of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.

Artists of the Wall Festival 2018!
2018-06-17 12:00 - 13:00 | Tobey Prinz Beach Park, 1050 W. Pratt Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60626, United States
Crossing Borders Music plays at the Artists of the Wall Festival 2018! Join us as we celebrate musical stories of resilience in a performance of string quartet music by composers from around the world! The hour-long program features music by composers from Uganda, Argentina, the Soviet Union, the Chickasaw Nation, Iran, Taiwan, and the US. Each piece shares a unique story of resilience, whether in the face of personal loss, political oppression, or other people’s incorrect assumptions!

Honoring Refugee Composers
2018-06-21 19:15 - 20:30 | Plymouth Place Senior Living, 315 N La Grange Rd, La Grange Park, IL, 60526, United States
Crossing Borders Music honors refugees around the world in this performance of music written by or about refugees!
Hear the proud “Refugees Anthem” by Moutaz Arian. Be stirred by Tatev Amiryan’s “Tristesse,” a homage to the famous Armenian musician Komitas. The piece expresses Komitas’ pain and sorrow as the Armenian Genocide forced him from his home and caused him to suffer a mental breakdown as he lived in exile for the rest of his life. Hear Ruth Schonthal’s String Quartet “In Memoriam Holocaust.” As an American Holocaust refugee, Schonthal spent much of her life avoiding writing music about the Holocaust so as not to trivialize it. Late in her life, she finally decided to write this piece to encourage its remembrance and memorialize its victims. Mahdis Kashani’s “And the Moses Drowned” is written in memory of Aylan Kurdi and all children who have died in war. Mahdis says, “These children are innocent like Moses, but without any savior.” Zvonimir Nagy’s exquisite “Fall, Leaves, Fall” and Miguel del Aguila’s exciting Presto II round out an intensely stirring program.
This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.

Night Out in the Parks: Music and Stories of Resilience
2018-07-13 18:30 - 19:30 | Buttercup Park, 4901 N Sheridan, Chicago, IL, 60640, United States
Crossing Borders Music, in association with the Chicago Park District’s Night Out in the Parks initiative, presents “Stories and Music of Resilience,” a program of string quartet music by composers from around the world! This family-friendly program features music by composers from Uganda, Argentina, the Soviet Union, the Chickasaw Nation, Iran, Taiwan, and the US. Each piece shares a unique story of resilience, whether in the face of personal loss, political oppression, or other people’s incorrect assumptions!

Night Out in the Parks: Music and Stories of Resilience
2018-07-20 18:30 - 19:30 | Chicago Park District Smith Park, 2526 W Grand Ave, Chicago

Night Out in the Parks: Music and Stories of Resilience
2018-07-21 15:00 - 16:00 | Jesse White Community Center, 412 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL, 60654, United States

Residency at United World College of South East Asia
2018-09-17 08:00 - 2018-09-21 16:00 | United World College of Southeast Asia, 1 Tampines Street 73, 528704, Singapore
Crossing Borders Music will share its “Stories and Music of Resilience” in-school performances, work with K-12 students exploring music and its links to other important subjects and ideas, and perform “Music Sustains Us: Haitian and African-American Spiritual Music,” a concert for all ages featuring arrangements of Haitian and African-American spiritual music by composers Julio Racine and Samuel Coleridge Taylor for keyboard, violin, and cello.

Music Sustains Us: Haitian and African-American Spiritual Music
2018-09-30 14:00 - 15:00 | Buttercup Park, 4901 N Sheridan, Chicago, IL, 60640, United States
With the Buttercup Park Advisory Council, Crossing Borders Music shares Music Sustains Us: Haitian and African-American Spiritual Songs! Hear spiritual songs of Haitians and African-Americans provided solace, resilience, and strength in the face of oppression. These powerful traditional melodies have been arranged by keyboard, violin, and cello by composers Julio Racine and Samuel Coleridge Taylor.

Celebrating Music from Syria and Egypt
2018-10-05 19:30 - 21:00 | Mount Prospect Public Library, 10 S Emerson St, Mount Prospect, IL, 60056, United States
Syrian and American musicians come together to celebrate music by composers from Syria and Egypt for the Mount Prospect Public Library’s Festival Night! The ensemble will present original works composed by Issam Rafea, Sufi-inspired violin solos by Abdo Dagher, and the violin-cello duo of Gamal Abdel-Rahim, whose music combines Egyptian modal scales, rhythms, and melodies with European-inspired harmonies.
Registration required!

Crossing Borders Music at the Arts in the Dark Halloween Parade!
2018-10-20 18:00 - 20:00 | on State St. heading south from Lake to Van Buren, State and Lake, Chicago, IL, United States
Crossing Borders Music is excited to announce its participation with the Haitian American Museum of Chicago-HAMOC in Chicago’s Arts in the Dark Halloween Parade! Hear rara-inspired Haitian string quartets accompany Haitian dancers! See scores of Chicago artists exploring the magic of Halloween in this iconic annual Chicago event!
The parade will start on State Street heading south from Lake to Van Buren.
This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.
This program is partially supported by a grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.

Celebrating Resilience: Music by Iranian Bahá'ís
2018-11-11 15:00 - 16:15 | Presbyterian-Congregational Church, 214 Vaughn Ave, Ashland, WI, 54806, United States
With the Ashland Chamber Music Society, Crossing Borders Music shares this special concert shares music and stories of resilience of Bahá’í composers from Iran in the face of their government’s systematic persecution of members of the Bahá’í religion. Officially barred from attending college or university because of their religion, Iranian Bahá’ís and their Muslim supporters founded the Bahá’í Institute for Higher Education, a grassroots school that holds classes in living rooms and basements. At this school, in the face of government raids and faculty imprisonment and disappearance, these brave musicians learned and taught music. This concert shares their stories and their music.
The Crossing Borders Music piano trio will perform works by composers including Nikan Milani, Badie Khaleghian, and Farid Javidan.
Read more about The Bahá’í Institute for Higher Education and hear Badie Khaleghian’s music here.

Music Sustains Us: Haitian and African-American Spiritual Music
2018-12-12 19:15 - 20:15 | Glacier Hills Senior Living, 1200 Earhart Rd, Ann Arbor, MI, 48105, United States
With Glacier Hills Senior Living, Crossing Borders Music shares Music Sustains Us: Haitian and African-American Spiritual Songs! Hear spiritual songs of Haitians and African-Americans provided solace, resilience, and strength in the face of oppression. These powerful traditional melodies have been arranged by keyboard, violin, and cello by composers Julio Racine and Samuel Coleridge Taylor.

Honoring Refugee Composers
2018-12-16 15:00 - 16:30 | Skokie Public Library, 5215 Oakton St, Skokie, IL, 60077, United States
Crossing Borders Music honors refugees around the world in this performance of music written by or about refugees! The program includes the “Refugees Anthem” by the composer Arian, who is a Syrian refugee currently living in China. Also presented will be string quartet arrangements of the beautiful Al Ayloughs and Shogher Jan by the famous Armenian composer Komitas, followed by Armenian composer Tatev Amiryan’s “Tristesse,” a homage to Komitas. In Amiryan’s piece she expresses Komitas’ pain and sorrow as the Armenian Genocide forced him from his home and caused him to suffer a mental breakdown as he lived in exile for the rest of his life. The program will also Ruth Schonthal’s String Quartet “In Memoriam Holocaust.” As an American Holocaust refugee, Schonthal spent much of her life avoiding writing music about the Holocaust so as not to trivialize it. Late in her life, she finally decided to write this piece to encourage its remembrance and memorialize its victims. Zvonimir Nagy’s exquisite “Fall, Leaves, Fall” and Miguel del Aguila’s exciting Presto II round out an intensely stirring program.
This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.

Exploring Peru through Song and Dance
2019-01-11 19:00 - 20:15 | Global Citizenship Experience Lab School, 9 W Washington St, 4th Floor, Chicago, IL, 60602, United States
Explore Peru through its songs, dances, and chamber music in this concert for string quartet and voice!
Peruvian tenor Luis Galvez will sing favorite Peruvian songs including the original version of “El condor pasa” by Daniel Alomía Robles and “La flor de la canela” (“The Cinnamon Flower”) by Chabuca Granda.
Hear also “Manaña cuando me vaya” (“When I Leave Tomorrow”), the Afro-Peruvian Christmas dance Hatajo de Negritos, the Andean Passacalle “El Huascarán,” the Danza Peruana No. 8 by Armando Guevara Ochoa, and more!
With Carolina Gomez, voice; Caitlin Edwards and Rasa Mahmoudian, violin; Jay Pike, viola; and Tom Clowes, cello.
Suggested donation: $10 at the door
This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.
This program is partially supported by a grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.

First Blacks Chicago
2019-02-07 14:00 - 15:15 | Olive Harvey College – Bruce Cherry Theater, 10001 S Woodlawn Ave, Chicago, IL, 60628, United States
Hear the ground-breaking world premiere of music honoring the legacies of three black Chicago trailblazers: Chicago’s Haitian founder, Jean Baptiste Pointe du Sable; Chicago’s first black mayor, Harold Washington; and the first black president, Barack Obama! The program includes the epic world premiere performances of music commissioned by Crossing Borders Music for the event, including the reflective “Nostalgia” by Rudy Perrault, honoring DuSable; the incredible excitement of Gi Frants’ “Fraternitas! Fraternitas! Dei Patris Nomine,” a musical tribute to Washington; and the elegance and beauty of Sabrina C D Jean Louis’ “La Cité,” a tribute to the legacy of DuSable. Hear too Perrault’s “Brother Malcolm” as he imagines, through music, a conversation between Malcolm X and Martin Luther King on the eve of the inauguration of Obama.

The event is free and open to the public.

First Blacks Chicago is a collaboration between Crossing Borders Music and the Haitian American Museum of Chicago-HAMOC.

The event is generously supported by a grant from The Chicago Community Trust.

This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency

This program is partially supported by a grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.

First Blacks Chicago
2019-02-10 14:00 - 15:15 | Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E Washington St, Chicago, IL, 60602, United States
Hear the ground-breaking world premiere of music honoring the legacies of three black Chicago trailblazers: Chicago’s Haitian founder, Jean Baptiste Pointe du Sable; Chicago’s first black mayor, Harold Washington; and the first black president, Barack Obama! The program includes the epic world premiere performances of music commissioned by Crossing Borders Music for the event, including the reflective “Nostalgia” by Jean “Rudy” Perrault, honoring DuSable; the incredible excitement of Gifrants’s “Fraternitas! Fraternitas! Dei Patris Nomine,” a musical tribute to Washington; and the elegance and beauty of Sabrina C D Jean Louis’ “La Cité,” a tribute to the legacy of DuSable. Hear too Perrault’s “Brother Malcolm” as he imagines, through music, a conversation between Malcolm X and Martin Luther King on the eve of the inauguration of Obama.
In addition to the world premiere performances honoring these towering historical figures, the event will showcase artwork by Chicago-based artists Amanda Sexton and Julio Cesar Montano Montenegro celebrating the three black pioneers, provided by the Haitian American Museum of Chicago.
This event will take place in Preston Bradley Hall at the Chicago Cultural Center and is free and open to the public.
Performers are Marianne Parker, piano; Caitlin Edwards and Kyle Dickson, violins; Jay Pike, viola; and Tom Clowes, cello.
First Blacks Chicago is a collaboration between Crossing Borders Music and the Haitian American Museum of Chicago.
The event is generously supported by a grant from The Chicago Community Trust.
This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.
This program is partially supported by a grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.

Exploring Haitian Spirituality through Music
2019-02-23 13:00 - 13:30 | Milwaukee Art Museum, 700 N Art Museum Dr, Milwaukee, WI, 53202, United States
Explore the amazing and deep spirituality of Haiti in this unique performance of chamber music for string trio by Haitian composers! Learn how the spiritual beliefs of Haitian Vodou led to the founding of the world’s first black republic. Then hear how Haitian spirituality and Vodou music inspired Haitian composer Werner Jaegerhuber’s captivating Trio. Be stirred by Sabrina C D Jean Louis’ heart-felt testament of her deep Christian faith in her piece “Allo Seigneur” (“Hello Lord”). Then hear Fritz Bernardin’s arrangement of the timeless Haitian classic “Choucounne”!
The performance will take place in the Milwaukee Art Museum’s Haitian art collection, one of the largest collections in the region, and will help to interpret the artwork.
Performers are Caitlin Edwards, violin; Jay Pike, viola; and Tom Clowes, cello.
The performance is free after museum general admission.

Exploring Peru through Song and Dance
2019-03-17 15:00 - 16:15 | Skokie Public Library, 5215 Oakton St, Skokie, IL, 60077, United States
Explore Peru’s rich history and culture through its songs, dances, and chamber music in this concert for string quartet and voice! Hear the yearning of oppressed miners seeking freedom as Peruvian tenor Luis Galvez sings the original version of “El condor pasa” by Daniel Alomía Robles. Learn how Chabuca Granda combined European, Andean, and – controversially – African influences and hear her vals criollo, or “Creole waltz,” titled “La flor de la canela” (“The Cinnamon Flower”), a beautiful and timeless classic. Hear the longing of Peruvians abroad yearning for their homeland in César Míro’s “Todos vuelven” “Everybody Returns”). Learn about the Afro-Peruvian song and dance Hatajo de Negritos, a Christian spiritual tradition that sustained spirits and fostered hope and resistance to slavery. Works by Armando Guevara Ochoa, Sadiel Cuentas, Kike Pinto Cárdenas, and more round out an exciting and uplifting program!
With Luis Galvez, voice; Caitlin Edwards and Rasa Mahmoudian, violins; Jay Pike, viola; and Tom Clowes, cello.
This event is free and open to the public.
This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.

African-American Women Composers: Looking Back & Looking Forward | New Music Chicago Impromptu Fest!
2019-03-31 15:00 - 16:30 | Guarneri Hall, 11 E. Adams St., #350a, Chicago, IL, 60603, United States
Crossing Borders Music participates in the New Music Chicago Impromptu Fest 2019!
Honor the past and celebrate the future of African-American women composers as we share their unique perspectives and beautiful music in this concert for string quartet and piano.
Florence Price was a trailblazing composer who lived on Chicago’s South Side. Her Five Folksongs in Counterpoint draw on both traditional spirituals and academic musical training from the New England Conservatory, which she managed to attend only by overcoming a ban on African-American admissions. The granddaughter of slaves and a graduate of Juilliard, Undine Smith-Moore’s Afro-American Suite similarly draws on spirituals as well as the composer’s formal music training to create unique settings of popular melodies. Elizabeth Baker’s Rain on the Cotton Fields explores the juxtaposition of African spiritual traditions emphasizing connection with the land with enslaved African Americans’ forced participation in worship services as performing musicians. Each movement of Brittany J Green’s Portraits draws inspiration from a different poem by the composer’s grandmother, exploring themes of longing, realization, uneasiness, reassurance, solemnity, exposure, bleakness, and beauty. Jordyn Davis’ What Have You Done (Who Are You?) rounds out a captivating program.
With Marianne Parker, piano; Rasa Mahmoudian and Kyle Dickson, violins; Sixto Franco, viola; and Tom Clowes, cello.
Tickets are available online. $10 student tickets available.
This program made possible in part by a grant from the American Music Project (americanmusicproject.net).

This program is partially supported by a CityArts grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.
This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.

Of Folk, Faith, and Fellowship: Exploring Chicago's African-American Women Composers
2019-04-07 14:00 - 15:30 | Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E Washington St, Chicago, IL, 60602, United States
Join pianist and scholar Samantha Ege in exploring the music and lives of four great composers! Florence Price and Margaret Bonds lived and composed on Chicago’s South Side during the remarkable artistic period of the Chicago Black Renaissance in the 1930s. Supported in their friendship in the midst of a thriving arts environment, these trail-blazing women created historic and ground-breaking compositions influenced by African-American folk melodies – especially spirituals. Ege also explores the remarkable music of contemporary composers Dolores White and Regina Harris Baiocchi, and how their friendship has supported them to become strong voices within a community of contemporary composers.
Samantha Ege has written detailed program notes for this program; read them here to learn about the music before you hear it!
The event will take place at Preston Bradley Hall at the Chicago Cultural Center, and is free and open to the public.
The program includes:
Fantasie Negre by Florence Price
Azuretta by Regina Harris Baiocchi
Toccata by Dolores White
Sonata in E minor by Florence Price
Troubled Water by Margaret Bonds

This program is partially supported by a grant from Illinois Humanties.
This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.
This program is partially supported by a grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.
