Music Livestream: Reflections of the Arab World
2023-06-04 14:00 - 15:30 (America/Chicago) | Crossing Borders Music Facebook and YouTube livestream
This event may be viewed live at : https://fb.me/e/1dl3NF6F4
After the stream, the event may be viewed at: https://www.facebook.com/CrossingBordersMusic/live_videos/
Hear how Levantine, or “Arab World,” composers combine elements of Arab classical music and Western classical music to reflect their identities and tell their unique stories in this brand new string quartet program! Featuring Egyptian composer Nahla Mattar as a live guest, plus music by Touffic Succar, Elie Kallab, Mahdi Al Mahdi, Arian Abbas, and much more!
The program is free and open to the public.
In collaboration with and support of Dozan World’s efforts to publish music by Levantine composers, this program highlights new publications in the Dozan World catalog. Learn more at dozanworld.com
This program is made possible through support from the Paul M Angell Family Foundation, the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, The MacArthur Funds for Culture, Equity, and the Arts at the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, and by supporters like you. Crossing Borders Music acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council Agency. This project is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.

Late Night at the Galleries | Roots: Haitian String Trios
2023-06-14 18:00 | The Art Center Highland Park, 1957 Sheridan Road, Highland Park, IL, 60035, United States
Hear string trios by Haitian composers “rooted” in the beauty of Haitian culture and its unique history, religion, and folk traditions! Music by Werner Jaegerhuber, Rudy Perrault, Sabrina C D Jean Louis, plus folk song arrangements by Julio Racine celebrate Haiti’s revolutionary freedom-seeking origins, its folk music, its unique religious traditions – and its connection to Chicago through Chicago’s founder, Jean Baptiste Pointe du Sable!

Free and open to the public

Crossing Borders Music at Artists of the Wall Festival
2023-06-18 12:00 | IL
Nisa Pov, roneat aek (and Resident Artist of the National Cambodian Heritage Museum) and Crossing Borders Music string quartet perform live in Rogers Park at the Artists of the Wall Festival.

The 600’ Wall features 160 individual “artist spaces” of various sizes and shapes and runs along the lakefront between Farwell and Morse Avenues. Each year’s art remains on display until May, when the wall is again whitewashed and prepared for the next year’s newly themed art works. And so, began a tradition which has grown into an annual celebration and features live music with free performances by international artists against the backdrop of Lake Michigan.

It’s a true celebration of community, creativity, and music that is kept going by the work of the non-profit Loyola Park Advisory Council.

FREE and open to the public.

Music Livestream: Celebrating Juneteenth!
2023-06-19 19:00 - 20:30 | Crossing Borders Music Facebook and YouTube livestream
This livestream includes premiere videos of new music by The Honourable Elizabeth A. Baker, Jordyn Davis, and Jessica T. Carter, commissioned by Crossing Borders Music! The program also marks the online premiere of the 2021 revised version of String Quartet No. 1 by AJ Isaacson-Zvidzwa. The livestream includes also the online premiere of a beautiful short documentary by Chicago filmmaker Rubye Lane about the project!
“Celebrating Juneteenth!” uses music to to tell stories of the ongoing journey from slavery to justice. It is the brainchild of Crossing Borders Music board member and Strategic Planning Committee Chair Marjorie Adam Clark, who is also co-chair of the Forest Park Juneteenth Committee and Illinois Juneteenth Committee. Juneteenth, Marjorie says, is “a holiday of racial healing.”
This event will be broadcast live on the Crossing Borders Music Facebook and YouTube channels.
Featuring Phyllis Calderon, Rasa Mahmoudian, and Jennifer Leckie, violins; Sixto Franco, viola; and Kailie Holiday and Tom Clowes, cello; Aidan Kranz, cinematrography; Ryan Mac Donald, sound; with special thanks to Mi Ran Choi for their technical support.
“Celebrating Juneteenth!” is supported in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.
This program is made possible in part by the Paul M Angell Family Foundation and City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.
Crossing Borders Music acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.
Image Description: Composer Jordyn Davis in a grey sweater and long white skirt seated in front of a piano, a black and white image of The Honourable Elizabeth A. Baker with her hand on an analog synthesizer by MOOG, and Jessica T. Carter posing with a hand on her hip in a green gown and pearl necklace in what appears to be a cathedral

World Refugee Day - performance by Hamid
2023-06-24 14:45 - 15:30 | Foster Beach Park, 5200 N. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL, 60640, United States
Hamid is a Canadian Rohingya refugee musician. Through World Refugee Day, Crossing Borders Music, and the Field Foundation of Illinois, he’s traveling all the way to Chicago for this special performance!
FREE and open to the public
Bio: https://musicinexile.org/hamid/

We Walk: A Celebration of Black Community
2023-07-08 14:00 | Mandrake Park, 3858 S Cottage Grove Ave, Chicago, IL, 60653, United States
For this project, HAMOC brings its traveling exhibition, We Walk: A Celebration of Black Community back to Mandrake Park in the Bronzeville area for a second year in order to continue providing Haitian, Black and Diasporic art, culture, history and music to the residents of the area. To expand the exhibition’s impact and reach within the community, HAMOC will add 2 live arts performances, including painting and music by Crossing Borders Music, a long time collaborator whose program “Looking Back and Looking Forward” will include a string quartet playing music by Black composers, including a newly commissioned arrangement of music by Thomas “Blind Tom” Wiggins, arranged for Crossing Borders Music by AJ Isaacson-Zvidzwa.

We Walk: A Celebration of Black Community, was originally organized in 2020, in the Uptown neighborhood, in direct response to the Black Lives Matter protests and the disproportionate effect of the Covid-19 Pandemic on the Black community. The exhibition was made up of 19 small thematic exhibits, anchored by trees, created by a diverse, multi-racial group of artists, performers, educators, and contributors from across Chicago. The primary collaborators came from the African-American and Black Diasporic communities, including BILPOC (Black, Indigenous, Latinx, People of Color) led organizations, immigrant groups, small business owners, local historians, cultural experts, artists and activists. The exhibition was an empowering cultural outlet that highlighted positive Black contributions. The success of this 2020 event led to HAMOC transforming “We Walk” into a traveling exhibition.

Crossing Borders Music performance begins at 2:00pm.

This event is FREE and open to the public.

Conciertos en el Jardín Malinalli
2023-07-09 17:00 - 18:00 | 2800 S Ridgeway Ave, Chicago, IL 60623, 2800 S Ridgeway Ave, Chicago, IL, 60623
Free music concerts for the whole family. Conciertos gratis para toda la familia.

Performers:

Friday:
A Flor de Piel
Radio Free Honduras
Ugochi & A.S.E.

Saturday:
A Flor de Piel
David Chiriboga

Sunday:
A Flor de Piel
Zacbe Pichardo
Crossing Borders Music

Late Night at the Galleries | Cambodian Music: The Living Tradition
2023-07-12 18:00 - 20:00 | The Art Center Highland Park, 1957 Sheridan Road, Highland Park, IL, 60035, United States
The Crossing Borders Music String Quartet joins Nisa Pov, Resident Artist of the National Cambodian Heritage Museum and roneat ak (Cambodian xylophone) performer for an amazing night of new arrangements of Cambodian classics! The performance includes beautiful new arrangements made by Crossing Borders Music violinist Rasa Mahmoudian and overseen by Pov for the Cambodian Day of Remembrance. Be one of the first people to ever hear this amazing fusion of Cambodian and European traditional instruments – live and in-person!

Free and open to the public

Crossing Cultures: India and the West (Album Release Performance!)
2023-07-16 14:00 | Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E Washington St, Chicago, IL, 60602, United States
Join Crossing Borders Music for an album release performance with Grammy-nominated sitarist Gaurav Mazumdar, a student of Ravi Shankar, performing the music from our world premiere recording which will have just been released on Ropeadope Records.

This event is FREE and open to the public.

2023-07-20 18:00 - 19:00 | Argyle Night Market, Sheridan and Argyle, Chicago, IL, 60640
Crossing Borders Music performs with Nisa Pov, Resident Artist of the National Cambodian Heritage Museum, at the Argyle Night Market! The market lasts from 5pm-9pm, with Cambodian music from 6pm-7pm. Started in 2013, the Argyle Night Market is an annual event that features local food and retail vendors plus live cultural and musical performances on Thursday evenings each summer. Part market, part street festival, this event is located on Argyle, the city’s first shared street, hosted by Uptown United.
See the full event schedule and details at https://www.facebook.com/events/652582596791968

DisFest: Celebrate Disability Pride Month July 22
2023-07-22 14:00 - 16:00 | Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E Washington St, Chicago, IL, 60602, United States
DisFest: Celebrate Disability Pride Month July 22

Crossing Borders Music will give “pop-up” performances between 2:00pm and 4:00pm. Live audiences will hear music from BOYH (Bringer of Your Hair, piano quintet by Rylan Gleave), music previously performed in collaboration with MOMENTA Dance Company.

Wheelchair access, ASL, Captioning, Audio Description, Quiet Space, and What To Expect Pre-View provided.

Join us anytime throughout the afternoon for fun and entertainment!

Enjoy inclusive arts, short-films, pop-up performances, live music, and kid friendly activities. Come and go as you are!
​
FREE and Accessible Celebration of Disabled Artists & Performers

Open to the public

We Walk: Evanston
2023-07-23 13:00 - 16:00 | Dawes Park, Dawes Park east of Sheridan Rd between Lake Street and Greenwood St (around1413 Sheridan Rd), Evanston, IL, 60201
Join the Haitian American Museum of Chicago (HAMOC) and Crossing Borders Music for the third-annual, one-day outdoor exhibition “We Walk: A Celebration of Black Community” at Dawes Park in Evanston! “We Walk: A Celebration of Black Community” is a program created in 2020 by the Haitian American Museum of Chicago (HAMOC) who invited Crossing Borders Music’s participation in this ongoing, uplifting project.

This community exhibition highlights the excellence and contributions of Black America in the local community and beyond. Featuring presenters with interactive exhibits on topics like Black internationalism, Black history, and more!

Plus, LIVE music from Crossing Borders Music musicians starting at 2PM! Be one of the first to hear AJ Isaacson-Zvidzwa’s brand new string quartet arrangement of music by Thomas “Blind Tom” Wiggins!

Free and open to the public! Stroll through the exhibition with us!

Taking place at Dawes Park east of Sheridan Rd between Lake Street and Greenwood St (around 1413 Sheridan Rd), Evanston, IL
This project is partially supported by a grant from the Evanston Arts Council, an agency supported by the City of Evanston, Illinois Arts Council Agency, and the National Endowment for the Arts. This project is partially supported by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, the MacArthur Funds for Culture, Equity, and the Arts at the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, and the Paul M Angell Family Foundation. Crossing Borders Music acknowledges the support of the Illinois Arts Council Agency.
Pictured: Artist Lowell Thompson at a previous “We Walk” in front of a poster of his Colored Wheel sculpture, credit Haitian American Museum of Chicago

Crossing Borders Music at Thirsty Ears Festival
2023-08-05 16:00 - 17:00 | 1758 W Wilson Ave, Chicago, IL 60640-4515
ACM’s Thirsty Ears Festival is Chicago’s only classical music street festival! Crossing Borders Music will perform Saturday Aug 5, 4:00pm-5:00pm.

For two days Wilson street between Hermitage and Ravenswood are closed to feature stellar ensembles and soloists performing music from Beethoven to Shostakovich to Reich and everything in between on the main stage.

Thirsty Ears Festival will also have delicious beer and wine, vendor booths, kid-friendly activities and food trucks.

Late Night | Looking Back and Looking Forward: African-American Composers
2023-08-16 18:00 - 20:00 | The Art Center Highland Park, 1957 Sheridan Road, Highland Park, IL, 60035, United States
This program features music by Black American composers of yesterday and today, including “Five Folksongs in Counterpoint” by trailblazing, early 20th century Chicagoan Florence Price – plus a reading of new works by four youth composers from Chicago’s West side! The program will also include “Rara” by Jean “Rudy” Perrault, “Forgotten Royalty” by Jessica T Carter, and “Stand Up (for Breonna Taylor)” by Jordyn Davis – all commissioned by Crossing Borders Music. Plus, hear a world premiere performance of the fun and expressive music of Thomas “Blind Tom” Wiggins arranged for string quartet by AJ Isaacson-Zvidzwa!

FREE and open to the public

World Dumpling Fest 2023
2023-09-09 13:30 - 14:15 | IL
Crossing Borders Music performs with Nisa Pov, Resident Artist of the National Cambodian Heritage Museum, at the World Dumpling Fest 2023 celebration sponsored by Chicago Cultural Alliance. Experience diverse cultures throughout Chicago and the world through performance, art, and DUMPLINGS! Dumplings are served from neighborhood-based ethnic restaurants in and around Chicago and aims to highlight the diversity of cultural and community the city has to offer. Located just off the Logan Square Blue Line Station, this one of a kind event will feature cultural performances, live music, interactive crafts, drinks and of course, dumplings. This is a free event and dumplings are purchased using Tasting Tickets which are available to purchase onsite or via the ticket link (coming soon!).
Music begins at 1:30pm!

We Walk: A Celebration of Black Community
2023-09-16 13:00 - 16:00 | Garfield Park Gold Dome Fieldhouse, 100 N Central Park Ave, Chicago, IL, 60624, United States
Crossing Borders Music performs live music by Black composers at 2PM, and the world premiere performances of music by four teen composers who participated in CBM’s first-ever Young Composers Project summer cohort!
Even better, from 1-4PM the Haitian American Museum of Chicago brings its traveling exhibition, “We Walk: A Celebration of Black Community” to Garfield Park Gold Dome Fieldhouse, 100 N Central Park Ave, in order to continue providing Haitian, Black and Diasporic art, culture, history and music to the residents of the area.
We Walk: A Celebration of Black Community, was originally organized in 2020, in the Uptown neighborhood, in direct response to the Black Lives Matter protests and the disproportionate effect of the Covid-19 Pandemic on the Black community. The exhibition was made up of 19 small thematic exhibits, anchored by trees, created by a diverse, multi-racial group of artists, performers, educators, and contributors from across Chicago. The primary collaborators came from the African-American and Black Diasporic communities, including BILPOC (Black, Indigenous, Latinx, People of Color) led organizations, immigrant groups, small business owners, local historians, cultural experts, artists and activists. The exhibition was an empowering cultural outlet that highlighted positive Black contributions. The success of this 2020 event led to HAMOC transforming “We Walk” into a traveling exhibition.
Crossing Borders Music performance begins at 2:00pm.
This event is FREE and open to the public.

Looking Back and Looking Forward: African-American Composers
2023-10-08 15:00 - 16:30 | Skokie Public Library, 5215 Oakton St, Skokie, IL, 60077, United States
This program features world premiere performances of music by the four youth composers from Chicago‘s West Side who took part in Crossing Borders Music’s inaugural Young Composers Project! Plus, hear music by Black American composers of yesterday and today, including “Five Folksongs in Counterpoint” by trailblazing, early 20th century Chicagoan Florence Price! The program will also include music commissioned by Crossing Borders Music including “Rara” by Jean “Rudy” Perrault, “Forgotten Royalty” by Jessica T Carter, and “Stand Up (for Breonna Taylor)” by Jordyn Davis, and world premiere performances of the fun and expressive music of Thomas “Blind Tom” Wiggins arranged for the Crossing Borders Music string quartet by AJ Isaacson-Zvidzwa!
FREE and open to the public
This event is supported in part by the Skokie Public Library, the Paul M Angell Family Foundation, the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, the Cliff Dwellers Arts Foundation, and by individuals like you.
Location: 5215 Oakton St, Skokie, IL 60077

Cambodian Music: The Living Tradition
2023-10-15 13:00 - 14:00 | National Cambodian Heritage Museum and Killing Fields Memorial, 2831 W Lawrence Ave, Chicago, IL, 60625, United States
As part of the Chicago Architecture Center’s Open House Chicago, Crossing Borders Music joins the National Cambodian Heritage Museum Traditional Music Ensemble for an amazing afternoon of new fusion arrangements of Cambodian classics! The performance includes beautiful new arrangements made for the 2021 Cambodian Day of Remembrance, with remarks by Nisa Pov, Resident Artist of the Cambodian Museum.
This event is supported in part by the Chicago Architecture Center, the Paul M Angell Family Foundation, the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, the Cliff Dwellers Arts Foundation, and by individuals like you.

FREE and open to the public
Location: National Cambodian Heritage Museum, 2831 W Lawrence Ave, Chicago, IL 60625

"Looking Back and Looking Forward: African-American Composers" Musical Performance
2023-11-03 19:00 | lake forest college, 555 N Sheridan Rd, Lake Forest, IL, 60045, United States
In partnership with Crossing Borders Music and Lake Forest College.

Come and join us for a fascinating musical performance at Lake Forest College’s Lily Reid Holt Memorial Chapel being hosted by Crossing Borders Music and co-sponsored by the History Center and Lake Forest College!

This program features music by Black American composers of yesterday and today, including “Five Folksongs in Counterpoint” by trailblazing, early 20th century Chicagoan Florence Price – plus a reading of new works by four youth composers from Chicago’s West side! The program will also include “Rara” by Jean “Rudy” Perrault, “Forgotten Royalty” by Jessica T Carter, and “Stand Up (for Breonna Taylor)” by Jordyn Davis – all commissioned by Crossing Borders Music. Plus, hear a world premiere performance of the fun and expressive music of Thomas “Blind Tom” Wiggins arranged for string quartet by AJ Isaacson-Zvidzwa!

Date: Friday, November 3, 2023
Time: 7:00pm
Location: 555 N Sheridan Rd, Lake Forest
Cost: Free—Suggested donation of $10.00

Register at the link below:
https://lflbhistory.org/looking-back-and-looking-forward-african-american-composers-musical-performance

Mizik Dayiti: Rhythms of Resistance
2023-11-10 19:00 | Rogel Ballroom, Michigan Union, 530 S State St, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, 530 S State St, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, United States
Crossing Borders Music will be traveling to Ann Arbor! In partnership with the University of Michigan Caribbean Students Association, the ensemble will present a program by Haitian composers.
Date: Friday November 10, 2023
Time: 7:00 PM Eastern
Location: Rogel Ballroom, Michigan Union, 530 S State St, Ann Arbor, MI 48109

Mourning, Refuge, and Unity: String Quartets from the Arab World
2023-12-10 14:00 - 15:30 | Harold Washington Library, 400 S State St, Chicago, IL, 60605, United States
Crossing Borders Music shares musical stories of mourning, refuge, and unity through string quartets by composers of the Levant, or “Arab World.”

The program shares music from the Dozan World catalog curated by Palestinian Jordanian Canadian musician Shireen Abu Khader. Dozan World says, “In spite of wars and catastrophes, it is unity that holds people together… Isn’t music a form of this unity?”
The program includes Lawha Arabiya, music in which composer Auge Ziad Abou Zeed “portrays how unfortunate events in the Arab world are faced with unity and strength.” Syrian composer Arian Abbas wrote Refugees Anthem as the international anthem for refugees everywhere. Lebanese composer Elie Kallab wrote Tango al Maboor, Dozan World explains, during “the evacuation of the house and leaving the [al Maboor] neighbourhood, which meant the end of an era of profound experiences that turned into indelible memories.”

Don’t miss this incredibly moving program of mourning, refuge, solace, and unity.
FREE and open to the public!
This program is made possible in part by the Paul M Angell Family Foundation, the Cliff Dwellers Arts Foundation, and the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. Crossing Borders Music acknowledges the support of the Illinois Arts Council Agency. Special thanks to the Harold Washington Library for its gracious hospitality.

"Songs of Peru" with Luis Gálvez
2024-03-10 15:00 - 16:30 | Skokie Public Library, 5215 Oakton St, Skokie, IL, 60077, United States
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!
Thanks to the Skokie Public Library for making this event possible! This season of Crossing Borders Music performances is made possible through the support of the Paul M Angell Family Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the New Music USA Organizational Development Fund, the John R Halligan Fund, and CliffDwellers Foundation. Crossing Borders Music acknowledges the support of the Illinois Arts Council Agency.

Haitian Music for Change (Ashland, Wisconsin)
2024-03-22 19:30 | United Presbyterian Church of Christ of Ashland, Wisconsin
Crossing Borders Music shares music in response to Haiti’s humanitarian crisis, including the world premiere of Incertitudes! and Haiti’s Lecture by Haitian composer Dickens Princivil, commissioned by Crossing Borders Music in November, 2023. The program also includes Rudy Perrault’s “Exodus” string quartet which tells through music the story of Haitians forced to leave their homeland, “Chrysallis devient papillon,” (“Chrysalis Becomes Butterfly”) a metaphor for positive transformation by Sabrina CD Jean Louis, plus hopeful music showing the incredible talents of Haiti’s next generation of musicians, and more!
This concert is presented by the Ashland Chamber Music Society.

Haitian Music for Change
2024-04-20 16:00 - 17:30 | Haitian American Museum of Chicago – HAMOC, 4654 N Racine Ave, Chicago, IL, 60640, United States
Crossing Borders Music shares music in response to Haiti’s humanitarian crisis, including a premiere performance of Incertitudes! and Haiti’s Lecture by Haitian composer Dickens Princivil, commissioned by Crossing Borders Music following the composer’s kidnapping. The program also includes Rudy Perrault’s “Exodus” string quartet which tells through music the story of Haitians forced to leave their homeland, “Strings for Change” by Gifrants which was written in response to US political insecurity and violence, “Chrysallis devient papillon,” (“Chrysalis Becomes Butterfly”) a metaphor for positive transformation by Sabrina CD Jean Louis, plus hopeful music showing the incredible talents of Haiti’s next generation of musicians, and more.

Free and Open to the Public

This season of Crossing Borders Music performances is made possible through the support of the Paul M Angell Family Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the New Music USA Organizational Development Fund, the John R Halligan Fund, and CliffDwellers Foundation. Crossing Borders Music acknowledges the support of the Illinois Arts Council.

Pictured: In front of a light purple brick background, Haitian composer Dickens Princivil wears a black collared shirt and glasses and sports a salt-and-pepper goatee and beard and glasses while looking towards the camera earnestly

Composers with Disabilities and Momenta Dance!
2024-05-11 15:00 - 16:30 | Illinois Rooms, 3rd floor of UIC Student Center East, 750 S Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60607, USA, 750 Halsted St, Chicago, 60607, United States
This Mother’s Day weekend, celebrate the art of composers with disabilities from around the world! This program, presented in collaboration with the UIC Disability Cultural Center, is free and open to everyone. It includes the world premiere of “Consolation of Persephone,” created in collaboration with Momenta Dance Company, with choreography commissioned of Connor Cornelius, music commissioned of Karen Brown, and danced by Ladonna Freidheim and her daughter Hana Javed! Hear also the world premiere of “In B-Flat” by Brazilian composer Andersen Viana, plus music by composers from Haiti, the UK, South Africa, and the US, including music from the amazing talents of Thomas “Blind Tom” Wiggins, arranged for Crossing Borders Music by AJ Isaacson-Zvidzwa!

Momenta Dance Company cultivates and presents repertory and contemporary dance works that strive to educate, innovate and amplify the artistry of students and professionals, inclusive of artists with disabilities. Momenta was founded by Stephanie Clemens, Larry Ippel and James Tenuta in 1983, and in 2003 expanded its repertory to include physically integrated works for dancers with and without disabilities.
Ladonna Freidheim, founder of ReinventAbility, is passionate about inclusion, dance, science, and joy! An award winning leader in the arts, disability inclusion specialist, and formally trained dancer; Ladonna grew up a bun-headed baby ballerina dancing around Chicago. After a degenerative disability ended her ballerina life, she recovered from surgeries with future paralympic athletes who introduced her to disability culture. With the aid of braces and a cane or crutches she is able to navigate the world much of the time, but it is Ladonna’s wheelchair that has restored her dancers soul. She currently performs with the MOMENTA Dance Company. Ladonna is honored to have received a 2023 Leadership in Dance Award and the Rhythm Within Award and has been nominated for 3Arts Awards in dance and education. Ladonna has served on a number of Boards of Directors, currently for See Chicago Dance, and is on the Chicago ArtsEd Leadership Committee.
Hana Angelina Freidheim Javed is a formally trained singer, dancer, and writer who attends the University of Chicago Lab High School. At only 17 years of age, she has performed extensively at the Civic Opera House, Symphony Center, Harris Theater, Navy Pier, Ravinia and Millennium Park music festivals with the Lyric Opera, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, MOMENTA Dance Company, and the Chicago Opera Theater. Hana is the much beloved only child of Ladonna Freidheim, an Irish-Catholic Chicago born arts professional (bio above), and Adil Javed, a Pakistani-Muslim born into abject poverty who immigrated to the US at ten years old, going on to earn both an MD and PhD. Hana’s background and status as a person with a disability (a degenerative condition) inform and enrich her arts practice.

Covid safety: Masking is encouraged, and we will have extra masks available. More masking means more safety for immunocompromised members of our community.

Access information:

CART (live captions) will be available for the program. Contact Tom Clowes at tom@crossingbordersmusic.org/773-442-2195 with any accessibility questions or requests.

The Halsted Street entrance to Student Center East (SCE) is equipped with automatic doors, and the Illinois Rooms are accessible by elevator.
There is a drop-off area in front of SCE on Halsted Street, and a pay parking lot with a number of ADA spots across the street at Halsted and Polk. SCE is closest to the Halsted bus, with the Blue Line and a number of bus routes on Harrison Street nearby.

The nearest restrooms have ADA stalls and are gendered “men” and “women.” Please note that the doors are not automatic. Open-door restrooms and all-gender restrooms with ADA stalls are available in other areas of the building. We’re glad to open doors or direct you to these alternatives.
This season of Crossing Borders Music performances is made possible through the support of the Paul M Angell Family Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the New Music USA Organizational Development Fund, the John R Halligan Fund, and CliffDwellers Foundation. Crossing Borders Music acknowledges the support of the Illinois Arts Council. Generous support provided by the UIC Disability Cultural Center through Cripping the Arts, a University of Illinois Presidential Initiative for Expanding the Impact of the Arts and the Humanities.

Pictured: Momenta Dance Company’s Facebook profile picture of two women wearing flowing white dresses, both in wheelchairs, facing one another with arms gracefully lifted.

“Songs of Peru” with Luis Gálvez
2024-06-09 15:00 - 16:30 | Harold Washington Library, 400 S State St, Chicago, IL, 60605, United States
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!
Free and open to the public!
Thanks to the Harold Washington Library for making this event possible. This season of Crossing Borders Music performances is made possible through the support of the Paul M Angell Family Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the New Music USA Organizational Development Fund, the John R Halligan Fund, and CliffDwellers Foundation. Crossing Borders Music acknowledges the support of the Illinois Arts Council.
Pictured: a black and white photo of tenor Luis Galvez, a Latino man with a mustache sporting a tuxedo and bow tie as he folds his arms and looks seriously towards the camera

Late Night at the Galleries|The Living Tradition
2024-06-12 18:00 - 20:00 | The Art Center Highland Park, 1957 Sheridan Road, Highland Park, IL, 60035, United States

"Celebrating Juneteenth!: Music by African-American Composers"
2024-06-23 16:30 - 18:00 | Skokie Public Library, 5215 Oakton St, Skokie, IL, 60077, United States
In celebration of Juneteenth, Crossing Borders Music’s Wilfred Farquharson, viola, and Tom Clowes, cello, share about their journeys promoting Black American voices in the Western classical music world. They will also perform some of their favorite short pieces, including the world premiere of “A Quiet Lament” by Brittany J Green, and more!
60 minute lecture/recital
Thanks to the Skokie Library for making this event possible. This season of Crossing Borders Music performances is made possible through the support of the Paul M Angell Family Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the New Music USA Organizational Development Fund, the John R Halligan Fund, and CliffDwellers Foundation. Crossing Borders Music acknowledges the support of the Illinois Arts Council.

Richès Dayiti: Rediscovered Haitian Piano Treasures with Marianne Parker
2024-06-29 15:00 - 16:30 | Harold Washington Library, 400 S State St, Chicago, IL, 60605, United States
Haitian composers have written piano music for centuries to show the international community they could write just as beautifully as any European composer, and that Haitian and West African cultural influences were just as worthy of inclusion in piano music. But until now, their works were suppressed in the Western classical music world. Hear Crossing Borders Music pianist Marianne Parker’s sensitive, suave interpretations of her favorites from the Haitian piano music repertoire, which she has tirelessly championed for many years. The performance includes music preserved through the painstaking work of the Société de recherche et de diffusion de la musique Haïtienne (Haitian Music Society).
Free and open to the public!
This is Marianne’s FINAL performance with Crossing Borders Music, and a chance for all of us to honor her astonishing artistry and great contributions to the CBM community over many, many years!
Thanks to the Harold Washington Library for making this event possible. This season of Crossing Borders Music performances is made possible through the support of the Paul M Angell Family Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the New Music USA Organizational Development Fund, the John R Halligan Fund, and CliffDwellers Foundation. Crossing Borders Music acknowledges the support of the Illinois Arts Council.

Late Night at the Galleries|A Global Musical Journey for All Ages
2024-07-10 18:00 - 20:00 | The Art Center Highland Park, 1957 Sheridan Road, Highland Park, IL, 60035, United States
Crossing Borders Music celebrates musical stories of resilience in a performance of string quartet 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!
Free and open to the public!
Pictured: a black and white photo of Florence Price, a light-skinned Black woman wearing earrings and a dark dress, looking reflective in front of a background of handwritten music manuscript
