Crossing Borders Music

Cambodian Music: The Living Tradition
2025-06-29 15:00 (America/Chicago) | Skokie Public Library, 5215 Oakton St, Skokie, IL, 60077, United States
Crossing Borders Music joins the National Cambodian Heritage Museum Traditional Music Ensemble for an amazing fusion of Cambodian and European traditional instruments performing Cambodian classics!
The performance features new arrangements made for the Cambodian Day of Remembrance by former Crossing Borders Music violinist Rasa Mahmoudian and overseen by Nisa Pov, Resident Artist of the Cambodian Museum. Pov provides a short introduction to each piece.
Date: Sunday, 29th June
Time: 3pm
Venue: Skokie Public Library, 5215 Oakton St, Skokie, IL 60077
Free and open to the public!

Cambodian Music: The Living Tradition
2025-07-10 18:00 | Argyle Night Market, Sheridan and Argyle, Chicago, IL, 60640
Crossing Borders Music joins the National Cambodian Heritage Museum Traditional Music Ensemble for an amazing fusion of Cambodian and European traditional instruments, performing Cambodian classics!
The performance features new arrangements created for the Cambodian Day of Remembrance by former Crossing Borders Music violinist Rasa Mahmoudian, overseen by Nisa Pov, Resident Artist at the Cambodian Museum. Pov provides a short introduction to each piece.
Date: Thursday, 10th July
Time: 6 pm
Venue: Argyle Night Market, Argyle, Chicago, IL 60640
Free and open to the public!

Chicago Composers: The Next Generation at Ear Taxi Festival
2025-10-05 14:00 - 15:00 | PianoForte, 1335 South Michigan AvenueChicago, IL, 60605United States, 1335 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60605
Chicago Composers: The Next Generation comes to The Ear Taxi Festival this October!
This year’s edition of the festival will highlight over 500 artists in over 50 hours of programming, including large-scale Anchor Performances, Composer Showcases, Taxi Concerts, and Accent Concerts.
“Chicago Composers: the Next Generation” celebrates the work of composers in the Crossing Borders Music Young Composers Project.
In the project, youth from music programs in North Lawndale and Garfield Park receive weekly composition lessons and write a piece for the Crossing Borders Music string quartet. Hear their fresh, new approaches to an age-old genre!
Plus, hear music commissioned by Crossing Borders Music of emerging African-American composers including brand new works by Jessica T Carter and more.
Crossing Borders Music’s Young Composers Project is made possible through support from the Alice M. Ditson Fund of Columbia University, the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, the John R. Halligan Charitable Fund, and the Amphion Foundation.
Crossing Borders Music acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council.

Date: Sunday, October 5, 2025
Time: 2pm – 3pm
Venue: PianoForte, 1335 South Michigan Avenue Chicago, IL, 60605 United States

Purchase your tickets HERE!

Chicago Composers: The Next Generation
2025-10-11 15:00 | Harold Washington Library Center (Grand Lobby), 400 S State St, Chicago, IL 60605, 400 S State St, Chicago, IL, 60605
“Chicago Composers: the Next Generation” shares the world premiere performances of composers in the Crossing Borders Music Young Composers Project. In the project, youth from music programs in North Lawndale and Garfield Park receive weekly composition lessons and write a piece for the Crossing Borders Music string quartet. Hear their fresh, new approaches to an age-old genre, plus the world premiere of “Lost and Found” by Jessica T Carter!
Date: Saturday, October 11th
Time: 3 PM
Venue: Harold Washington Library Center (Grand Lobby), 400 S State St, Chicago, IL 60605
Free and open to the public!
Crossing Borders Music’s Young Composers Project is made possible through support from the Alice M. Ditson Fund of Columbia University, the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, the John R. Halligan Charitable Fund, and the Amphion Foundation.
Crossing Borders Music acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council

"Cuerdas y Cuerpos: Afro-Peruvian Culture Meets Western Strings"
2025-10-19 15:00 - 16:30 | Budlong Woods Branch, Chicago Public Library.5630 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL 60659, Chicago Public Library. 5630 N Lincoln Ave,, Chicago, IL, 60659
Join us for an unforgettable journey where strings and bodies, histories and rhythms cross borders and build bridges.This interactive event, presented in partnership with the Center of Peruvian Arts, shares interactive Afro-Peruvian dance and music, including the powerful Afro-Peruvian holiday tradition “Hatajo de Negritos,” as well as a workshop and performance by the dancers of the Center for the Peruvian Arts, the Crossing Borders Music string quartet, and acclaimed Peruvian singer Luis Galvez, interweaving cultural heritage with contemporary cultural dialogue.

This program is presented through the Chicago Cultural Alliance’s “Journey Chicago” month-long cultural celebration.

Date: Sunday, October 19
Time: 3:00 PM -4:30 PM
Venue: Budlong Woods Branch, Chicago Public Library.5630 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL 60659

ICE Detention Center Performance Preview on WBEZ's "In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons"
2025-11-03 09:40 - 10:00 | IL
Tune in to Chicago’s WBEZ to hear members of Crossing Borders Music discuss their upcoming performance at the Broadview ICE detention center!91.5 FM in Chicago and online at wbez.org

CBM Performance at the Broadview ICE Detention Center
2025-11-03 15:00 - 17:00 | Broadview Ice Detention Center, 1930 Beach Street, Broadview, IL, 60155
Members of the Crossing Borders Music String Quartet will share some of their favorite musical selections of music by composers from suppressed backgrounds around the world at the Broadview ICE detention center. Since CBM is not allowed to enter the facility, the musicians will perform just north of the facility on Beach Street, south of Lexington. Come join us!

Dignity and Hope: String Quartets by Haitian Composers
2026-01-08 16:30 | Fulton Recital Hall, Goodspeed Hall, 4th floor, 1010 E. 59th St, 1010 E. 59th St., Chicago, IL, 60637
In response to Haiti’s humanitarian crisis, Crossing Borders Music shares string quartets by Haitian composers in this moving program of dignity, resilience, resistance, and hope.
The program includes Incertitudes! by Haitian composer Dickens Princivil, commissioned by Crossing Borders Music after Dickens was kidnapped and released. The program also includes Tale from Rudy Perrault’s Exodus string quartet dedicated to all people forced to leave their homeland, Chrysallis devient papillon (“Chrysalis Becomes Butterfly”) which is a metaphor for positive transformation by Sabrina CD Jean Louis, the Haitian classic Choucoune, Daniel Bernard Roumain’s Klap Ur Handz, and more!
Date: Thursday, January 8th
Time: Complimentary tea and cookies are served at 4:15 PM, and the music begins at 4:30 PM.
Venue: Fulton Recital Hall, Goodspeed Hall, 4th floor, 1010 E. 59th St. Chicago, IL 60637
Free and Open to the Public!
This performance is made possible through support from the University of Chicago, the Alice M. Ditson Fund of Columbia University, the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, the John R. Halligan Charitable Fund, and the Amphion Foundation. Crossing Borders Music acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council.

Liminal Encounters: Counternarratives of Rohingya Refugees
2026-01-23 08:30 - 19:00 | Franke Institute for the Humanities, 1100 E 57th St, Chicago, IL, 60637
Liminal Encounters: Counternarratives of Rohingya Refugees, the 3rd Annual Borderlands of Sonic Encounter SymposiumAn International Balzan Prize Project (2023–28) led by Professor Philip V. Bohlman
This interdisciplinary symposium brings together scholars, artists, and practitioners to explore questions of diaspora, statelessness, and borders/borderlands through creative practices and multimedia work centered on Rohingya experiences.
Friday, January 23 features panel discussions and a keynote by Tin Mar Oo.🎶 Composer and performer Hamid will participate in symposium events on this day.
All events are free and open to the public.

Liminal Encounters: Counternarratives of Rohingya Refugees
2026-01-24 09:00 - 15:00 | Rohingya Culture Center, 2740 W Devon Ave, Chicago, IL, Chicago, IL, 60640
As part of the second day of the “Liminal Encounters: Counternarratives of Rohingya Refugees” symposium (Jan 23-24) Crossing Borders Music string quartet will perform along with musician Hamid Ullah during the day event of panel discussions and a workshop, also led by Hamid.
Please note: this performance is in addition to the evening performance on the 24th, Liminal Encounters: A Concert of Rohingya Tarana Songs
This symposium is primarily organized by students and faculty at the University of Chicago in collaboration with the Rohingya Cultural Center of Chicago. It is cosponsored by the UChicago Committee on Southern Asian Studies, Crossing Borders Music, Franke Institute for the Humanities, International Balzan Foundation, the UChicago Department of Music, and the UChicago Department of Race, Diaspora, and Indigeneity.
Date: Saturday, January 24th,2026
Time: 9 AM – 3 PM
Venue: Rohingya Culture Center
All events are FREE and open to the public

Liminal Encounters: A Concert of Rohingya Tarana Songs
2026-01-24 20:00 | Bramble Arts Loft, 5545 N Clark St, 2nd Floor, Chicago, 60640, United States
This concert forms part of a 2-day symposium (Jan 23-24) entitled “Liminal Encounters: Counternarratives of Rohingya Refugees.” It is primarily organized by students and faculty at the University of Chicago in collaboration with the Rohingya Cultural Center of Chicago. It is cosponsored by the UChicago Committee on Southern Asian Studies, Crossing Borders Music, Franke Institute for the Humanities, International Balzan Foundation, the UChicago Department of Music, and the UChicago Department of Race, Diaspora, and Indigeneity.
Date: Saturday, January 24th,2026
Time: 8 PM
Venue: Bramble Arts Loft 5545 N Clark St 2nd Floor, Chicago, IL 60640
Free and open to the public!
RSVP FOR TICKETS! tinyurl.com/liminalencounters

Celebrating Black Trailblazers
2026-02-06 11:10 | IL
Crossing Borders Music celebrates Black trailblazers through this richly interactive, one-of-a-kind music program. Through interactive dialogue and guided listening, students will hear the stories of Jean-Baptiste Pointe DuSable, Florence Price, Rosa Parks, and more come to life through music for string quartet by African-American composers.
This educational livestream is geared towards students in grades 4-8 and is open to all Streamable Learning subscribers. Registration is required.

Date: Friday, Feb 6th
Time: 11:10 AM Central time
Learn more or sign up for a free trial at https://new.streamablelearning.com/

From Exile: Stories and Music of Hope
2026-02-20 19:30 - 21:00 | United Presbyterian-Congregational Church, 214 Vaughn Avenue, Ashland WI, United Presbyterian-Congregational Church, 214 Vaughn Avenue, Ashland, WI
At a time when an unprecedented 100+ million people have been forced from their homes worldwide, the Ashland Chamber Music Society/United Church of Granville presents From Exile: Stories and Music of Hope, a string quartet program of musical stories of hope from immigrant and refugee communities. Fleeing oppression and violence, newcomers are too often scapegoated by the local population in their new homes. In response, the Crossing Borders Music String Quartet will share music of hope and solidarity from displaced people including Haitians, Palestinians, Syrians, Peruvians, and the Rohingya from Myanmar.
The program includes the International Refugees Anthem, the official Olympic anthem for refugees worldwide, by Syrian musician and refugee Arian Abbas and arranged by Rasa Mahmoudian. Tale from Haitian composer Rudy Perrault’s Exodus string quartet tells through music the story of Haitians forced from their homeland, making a dangerous journey in hopes of safety and a better life for the next generation. The melodious strands of “Champa Battambang” (“The Flower of Battambang”) by Cambodian legend Sinn Sisamouth, have become an unofficial anthem for Cambodian refugees in the US, capturing sweet nostalgia mixed with melancholy longing. The Peruvian song of reminiscence “Todos Vuelven” (“Everybody Returns”), the musical immigrant’s journey Immigrés I by Jordanian/Colombian composer Tarek Younis, Tango Al Maaboor by Ellie Kalab written after Kalab was forced to flee his Al Maaboor neighborhood in Lebanon, and brand new Crossing Borders Music arrangements of original songs by Rohingya refugees in refugee camps capture a wide variety of musical perspectives on displacement. Klap Ur Handz by Daniel Bernard Roumain reminds us that a more just world requires action from everyone.
Date: Friday, 20th February
Time: 7:30 PM
Venue: United Presbyterian-Congregational Church, 214 Vaughn Avenue, Ashland WI

From Exile: Stories and Music of Hope
2026-03-08 13:00 | 115 W Broadway, Granville, OH 43023, United States, 115 W Broadway,, Granville, OH, 43023
Crossing Borders Music shares musical stories of hope from diaspora communities in the US and around the world. Featuring string quartet music of displacement and resilience of African Americans, Cambodians, Haitians, Palestinians, and Peruvians.
Free and open to the public.

At a time when an unprecedented 100+ million people have been forced from their homes worldwide, the United Church of Granville presents From Exile: Stories and Music of Hope, a string quartet program of musical stories of hope from immigrant and refugee communities. Fleeing oppression and violence, newcomers are too often scapegoated by the local population in their new homes. In response, the Crossing Borders Music String Quartet will share music of hope and solidarity from displaced people including Haitians, Palestinians, Syrians, Peruvians, and the Rohingya from Myanmar.
The program includes the International Refugees Anthem – the official Olympic anthem for refugees worldwide – by Syrian musician and refugee Arian Abbas and arranged by Rasa Mahmoudian. Tale from Haitian composer Rudy Perrault’s Exodus string quartet tells through music the story of Haitians forced from their homeland, making a dangerous journey in hopes of safety and a better life for the next generation. The melodious strands of “Champa Battambang” (“The Flower of Battambang”) by Cambodian legend Sinn Sisamouth, have become an unofficial anthem for Cambodian refugees in the US, capturing sweet nostalgia mixed with melancholy longing. The Peruvian song of reminiscence “Todos Vuelven” (“Everybody Returns”), the musical immigrant’s journey Immigrés I by Jordanian/Colombian composer Tarek Younis, Tango Al Maaboor by Ellie Kalab written after Kalab was forced to flee his Al Maaboor neighborhood in Lebanon, and brand new Crossing Borders Music arrangements of original songs by Rohingya refugees in refugee camps capture a wide variety of musical perspectives on displacement. Klap Ur Handz by Daniel Bernard Roumain reminds us that a more just world requires action from everyone.
Date: Sunday, March 8th
Time: 1 PM
Venue: 115 W Broadway, Granville, OH 43023, United States

Songs of Peru with Luis Gálvez
2026-04-12 15:00 | Evanston Public Library,1703 Orrington Ave, Evanston, IL 60201,, Evanston Public Library,1703 Orrington Ave,, Evanston, IL, 60201
Honor and celebrate Peru through its songs, dances, and instrumental music as the Crossing Borders Music String Quartet is joined by special guest Peruvian tenor Luis Galvez! Luis sings favorite 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!
Date: Sunday, April 12
Time: 3 PM
Venue: Evanston Public Library,1703 Orrington Ave, Evanston, IL 60201
Free and open to the public!

Cambodian Music: The Living Tradition
2026-05-03 14:00 - 15:00 | Lincolnwood Public Library, 4000 W Pratt Ave, Lincolnwood, IL 60712, 4000 W Pratt Ave Linconwood, Chicago, IL, 60712
Crossing Borders Music is honored to have been invited by the National Cambodian Heritage Museum to create a one-of-a-kind fusion of traditional Cambodian music with European classical instruments and Cambodian traditional instruments.
This unique performance brings together the Cambodian Museum Traditional Music Ensemble and Crossing Borders Music musicians, performing newly arranged Cambodian classics.
These special arrangements, crafted by former Crossing Borders Music violinist Rasa Mahmoudian under the guidance of Cambodian Museum Resident Artist Nisa Pov, debuted at the 2021 Cambodian Day of Remembrance and accompanied Cambodian storytellers. For each piece, Pov provides insightful introductions, enriching the audience’s experience of this unique cultural collaboration.
Date: Sunday, May 3rd
Time: 2-3pm
Venue: Lincolnwood Public Library, 4000 W Pratt Ave, Lincolnwood, IL 60712
Free and open to the public!

Crossing Borders Music: Haitian Flag Day Celebration
2026-05-18 19:00 | Americas Society, 680 Park Avenue,, Americas Society, 680 Park Avenue,, New York, New York, 10065
Crossing Borders Music: Haitian Flag Day Celebration
The Chicago-based string quartet celebrates Haitian Music
On Haitian Flag Day, join us to celebrate Haitian freedom and dignity with string chamber music by Haitian composers. Enjoy theTrio à Rosemène by trailblazing, early twentieth-century Haitian composer Werner Jaegerhuber, who combined Haitian folk melodies and Western compositional techniques to create a style all his own. Originally written for the Borromeo String Quartet, Jean “Rudy” Perrault’s Exodus String Quartet is dedicated to all people forced from their homelands. Haitian-American composer Gifrant’s Rara Kout Dlo Cho, Kout Dlo Frèt captures the spirit of Haitian rara, a lively harvest-time musical processional. Incertitudes! was commissioned of Dickens Princivil by Crossing Borders Music in 2023. Written after Princivil was kidnapped and released, the music honors the experiences of Haitians whose lives have been touched by political insecurity. Finally, “Klap Ur Handz” from Daniel Bernard Roumain’s String Quartet #5 (Rosa Parks) reminds us of the power of joy and collective action on the path to justice.
Registration will open to the public one month before the event. Tickets are free. Email music@as-coa.org with any questions.
Americas Society members can register at any time and enjoy early and reserved seating at the event. Not a member? Join today! Contact membership@as-coa.org for more info.
Program
Werner Jaegerhuber (1900–1953): Trio à Rosemène
Jean “Rudy” Perrault: Exodus String Quartet
Gifrants (b. 1957): Rara Kout Dlo Cho, Kout Dlo Frèt
Dickens Princivil (b. 1961): Incertitudes!
Daniel Bernard Roumain (b. 1971): “Klap Ur Handz” from String Quartet #5 (Rosa Parks)
Date: Monday, May 18th
Time: 7 PM ET
Venue: Americas Society, 680 Park Avenue, New York

Stories and Music of Resilience
2026-05-26 13:10 | IL
Crossing Borders Music celebrates musical stories of resilience through music by composers from around the world. This unique string quartet program features music by composers from Uganda, Argentina, the Soviet Union, the Chickasaw Nation, 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!
This educational livestream is geared towards students in grades 4-8 and is open to all Streamable Learning subscribers. Registration is required.
Date: Tuesday, May 26th
Time: 1:10 PM Central time
Learn more or sign up for a free trial at https://new.streamablelearning.com/

What Makes Music So Special?: Windows and Mirrors
2026-06-05 13:10 | IL
What makes your favorite music “special”? Is it the music itself? The memory of when you first heard it? The way it relates to your life? How do our backgrounds affect how we hear music? How can music help us relate to others? In this unique program, we’ll hear “special” music by composers from Colombia, Haiti, Scotland, and the U.S. and learn how it reflects us and helps us understand others.
This educational livestream is geared towards students in grades 4-8 and is open to all Streamable Learning subscribers. Registration is required.

Date: Friday, June 5th
Time: 1:10 PM Central time
Learn more or sign up for a free trial at https://new.streamablelearning.com/
