Crossing Borders Music

Crossing Borders Music Ten Year Celebration Concert
2023-04-15 15:00 - 16:30 (America/Chicago) | The Haitian American Museum of Chicago, 4410 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL, 60640, United States
In collaboration with the Haitian American Museum of Chicago, the Crossing Borders Music string quartet shares a program of music by Haitian composers, presented in response to Haiti’s humanitarian crisis. The program includes Rudy Perrault’s “Exodus” string quartet which tells through music the story of Haitian immigrants and refugees, “Strings for Change” by Gifrants which was written in response to the events of Jan. 6, 2021, “Chrysallis devient papillon,” (“Chrysalis Becomes Butterfly”) a metaphor for transformation by Sabrina CD Jean Louis, plus hopeful music showing the incredible talents of Haiti’s next generation of musicians, and more!

The program marks ten years of sharing music by Haitian composers since Crossing Borders Music’s first-ever performance “Beyond the Headlines: Haiti in Music.”

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.

Suggested donation: $10 per ticket

"Concert Exodus," Haitian Music for Change
2023-03-25 19:30 | Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Montréal, 4750, avenue Henri-Julien, Montreal, Quebec, H2T 2C8, Canada
In collaboration with The Société de recherche et de diffusion de la musique Haitiënne, Crossing Borders presents “Concert Exodus” live in Montreal.

The Crossing Borders Music string quartet shares a program of music in response to Haiti’s current humanitarian crisis. The program includes Rudy Perrault’s “Exodus” string quartet which tells through music the story of Haitian immigrants and refugees, “Strings for Change” by Gifrants which was written in response to the events of Jan. 6, 2021, “Chrysallis devient papillon,” a metaphor for transformation by Sabrina CD Jean Louis, plus the premiere of “Ti pawol” by John Karly Fils Ménard, showing the incredible talents of Haiti’s next generation of musicians, and more!
The program marks ten years of sharing music by Haitian composers since Crossing Borders Music’s first-ever performance “Beyond the Headlines: Haiti in Music.”

Tickets: CAN$40 Click here to reserve your spot!

Live: Haitian Music for Change
2023-03-19 15:00 - 16:30 | Skokie Public Library, 5215 Oakton St, Skokie, IL, 60077, United States
The Crossing Borders Music string quartet shares a program of music in response to Haiti’s current humanitarian crisis. The program includes Rudy Perrault’s “Exodus” string quartet which tells through music the story of Haitian immigrants and refugees, “Strings for Change” by Gifrants which was written in response to the events of Jan. 6, 2021, “Chrysallis devient papillon,” a metaphor for transformation by Sabrina CD Jean Louis, plus the premiere of “Ti pawol” by John Karly Fils Ménard, showing the incredible talents of Haiti’s next generation of musicians, and more!
The program marks ten years of sharing music by Haitian composers since Crossing Borders Music’s first-ever performance “Beyond the Headlines: Haiti in Music.”

Image: Pictured: before a grey background, a headshot of Haitian composer Rudy Perrault posing with hands folded under his chin around a conducting baton, looking at the camera
This program is made possible through support from the Skokie Public Library, 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.

Live: Haitian Music for Change
2023-03-10 14:00 - 15:50 | The Illinois Room, Floor 3 of Student Center East, University of Illinois at Chicago, 750 S. Halsted St., Chicago, 60607, United States
This event will take place in the Illinois Room on the third floor of Student Center East at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
The Crossing Borders Music string quartet meets with students and shares selections of music by Haitian composers, Levantine composers, and more!
This performance and talk with University of Illinois – Chicago music students is also a free event open to the public.
Image: Pictured: before a grey background, a headshot of Haitian composer Rudy Perrault posing with hands folded under his chin around a conducting baton, looking at the camera
This program is made possible through support from the University of Illinois – Chicago, 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

"Reflections of the Arab World" at the Indian Trails Library
2023-02-25 15:00 - 16:30 | Indian Trails Library, 355 Schoenbeck Rd, Wheeling, IL, 60090, United States
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 music by Nahla Mattar, 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
Pictured: Arian Abbas, a Kurdish composer and oud player born in Qamishli, Syria, in 1983 and currently living in Beijing, China, wearing blue pants, a light blue shirt, a thin dark blue jacket, and a red scarf, standing in front of stairs leading up to a building with columns containing Chinese writing

Educational Livestream: Celebrating Black Trailblazers
2023-02-02 15:30 - 16:15 | Streamable Learning
This educational livestream is for grades K-8 students and teachers and open to all Chicago Public Schools teachers and students plus other Streamable Learning subscribers. Registration is required.
This Black history month, Crossing Borders Music celebrates African-American trailblazers in and through music! Using music, we’ll learn about the lives of Chicago’s first non-native resident Jean-Baptiste Pointe DuSable, trailblazing composer Florence Price, and more!
See all Crossing Borders Music Streamable Learning livestreams and register at https://www.streamablelearning.com/app/events/cbm/
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

Iranian Bahá'í Music Livestream: "Celebrating Resilience"
2023-01-22 14:00 - 15:30 | Crossing Borders Music Facebook and YouTube livestream
Highlighting persecution under Iran’s regime and heroic resilience in its face, Crossing Borders Music marks ten years of sharing the music and stories of Bahá’í composers from Iran with this unique livestream program, “Ten Years of ‘Celebrating Resilience: Music by Iranian Bahá’ís.'” Joining the livestream will be composer and Bahá’í Institute for Higher Education alumna Parisa Sabet.
As part of Iran’s systematic persecution of members of the Bahá’í religion, Bahá’ís are banned from attending college or university. In response, Iranian Bahá’ís and their supporters founded the Bahá’í Institute for Higher Education, a grassroots school that holds classes in living rooms. At this school, despite government raids and faculty imprisonment and disappearance, these brave musicians learned and taught music, and continue to share from afar! This livestream shares their inspiring music and stories.
Over the past decade, composer Badie Khaleghian wrote the piece “Hope” for Crossing Borders Music, and composer Farid Javidan wrote the piece “Hamun.” Crossing Borders Music musicians Marianne Parker, piano; Jennifer Leckie, violin; and Tom Clowes, cello will share these pieces of music, as well as “When the Roses Laugh in Full-Blown Beauty” by Parisa Sabet, Nikan Milani’s Piano Trio, and Safa Shahidi’s “Persian Dreams,” specially arranged for Crossing Borders Music by Safa.
This program is made possible thanks to the Paul M Angell Family Foundation, the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, and The MacArthur Funds for Culture, Equity, and the Arts at the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation. Crossing Borders Music acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.
Pictured: In front of a grey background, composer Parisa Sabet sports a sleeveless black dress and a necklace as she looks at the camera and crosses her arms. Credit Aida Sabeti

Ten Years of "Celebrating Resilience: Music by Iranian Bahá'ís"
2022-12-11 15:00 - 16:30 | Skokie Public Library, 5215 Oakton St, Skokie, IL, 60077, United States
Highlighting persecution under Iran’s regime and heroic resilience in its face, Crossing Borders Music marks ten years of sharing the music and stories of Bahá’í composers from Iran with this unique program. As part of Iran’s systematic persecution of members of the Bahá’í religion, Bahá’ís are banned from attending college or university. In response, Iranian Bahá’ís and their supporters founded the Bahá’í Institute for Higher Education, a grassroots school that holds classes in living rooms. At this school, despite government raids and faculty imprisonment and disappearance, these brave musicians learned and taught music, and continue to share from afar! This concert shares their inspiring stories and music.
Over the past decade, composer Badie Khaleghian wrote the piece “Hope” for Crossing Borders Music, and composer Farid Javidan wrote the piece “Hamun.” Crossing Borders Music musicians Marianne Parker, piano; Jennifer Leckie, violin; and Tom Clowes, cello will share these pieces of music, as well as “When the Roses Laugh in Full-Blown Beauty” by Parisa Sabet, Nikan Milani’s Piano Trio, and Safa Shahidi’s “Persian Dreams,” specially arranged for Crossing Borders Music by Safa.
This program is made possible thanks to the Skokie Library, and through support from the Paul M Angell Family Foundation, the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, and The MacArthur Funds for Culture, Equity, and the Arts at the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation. Crossing Borders Music acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council Agency. This project is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.
Pictured: In front of a grey background, composer Parisa Sabet sports a sleeveless black dress and a necklace as she looks at the camera and crosses her arms. Credit Aida Sabeti

Streamable Learning: What Makes Music Special? Part 2: Music and Context
2022-11-29 15:30 - 16:15 | Streamable Learning
This educational livestream is for grades 6-12 students and teachers and open to all Chicago Public Schools teachers and students plus other Streamable Learning subscribers. Registration is required.
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, filled with “special” music by composers from Cambodia, Taiwan, Colombia, and India, we’ll learn how both the music itself and its context make it powerful.
See all Crossing Borders Music Streamable Learning livestreams and register at https://www.streamablelearning.com/app/events/cbm/

New Music Chicago Presents: "From Slavery to Justice: the Ongoing Journey"
2022-11-15 19:30 | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GtrW2x7668
New Music Chicago presents “From Slavery to Justice: the Ongoing Journey.” The program uses music to tell stories of African-American liberation. To celebrate Juneteenth, a historic date that commemorates the emancipation of enslaved people, Crossing Borders Music commissioned new music of The Honourable Elizabeth A. Baker, Jordyn Davis, and Jessica T. Carter. Be one of the first people to hear their amazing works! The program will also include the 2021 revised version of String Quartet No. 1 by AJ Isaacson-Zvidzwa. The program will be the subject of a short documentary by Chicago filmmaker Rubye Lane, and 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.”
Watch free online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GtrW2x7668
The program 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 The MacArthur Funds for Culture, Equity, and the Arts at the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation. 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

Open Boulevards: North Lawndale/We Walk: A Celebration of Black Community
2022-10-16 13:00 - 17:00 | On the boulevard green at 13th and Independence to Douglas Blvd to Central Park
The Haitian American Museum of Chicago will bring its outdoor, community, traveling exhibition to North Lawndale for the second year in the row. 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 primary collaborators of the exhibition 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 is an empowering cultural outlet that highlights positive Black contributions.
Crossing Borders Music will perform at 1PM.
HAMOC is collaborating with Crossing Borders Music, Lawndale Pop Up Spot, the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) and Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) to expand on the exhibition and transform it into a festival-like event.
This event is part of the Chicago Cultural Alliance’s Journey Chicago programming.
Crossing Borders Music’s performance is made possible in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, by the Paul M Angell Family Foundation, The MacArthur Funds for Culture, Equity, and the Arts at the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, and by the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. Crossing Borders Music acknowledges support from 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

Streamable Learning: What Makes Music Special? Part 1: Windows and Mirrors
2022-10-11 15:30 - 16:15 | Streamable Learning
This educational livestream is for grades 6-12 students and teachers and open to all Chicago Public Schools teachers and students plus other Streamable Learning subscribers. Registration is required.
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.
See all Crossing Borders Music Streamable Learning livestreams and register at https://www.streamablelearning.com/app/events/cbm/

We Walk: A Celebration of Black Community
2022-10-09 12:00 - 17:00 | Dawes Park, Dawes Park east of Sheridan Rd between Lake Street and Greenwood St (around1413 Sheridan Rd), Evanston, IL, 60201
Rain can’t keep us away! Join the Haitian American Museum of Chicago (HAMOC) and Crossing Borders Music for the re-scheduled one-day outdoor exhibition “We Walk: A Celebration of Black Community.” “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 scholar Dr. Cranston Knight, scholar Dr. Edward Davis, entrepreneur Brian Osborne, artist Lowell Thompson and more with interactive exhibits on Black internationalism, Black history, Black artists, food, and more!
Plus, LIVE music from Crossing Borders Music musicians throughout the afternoon
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

Cambodian Museum Mahori Ensemble at Global Garden Refugee Training Farm
2022-10-08 17:30 - 18:30 | Global Garden Refugee Training Farm, 4827 N Sacramento Ave, Chicago, IL, 60625
The National Cambodian Heritage Museum’s mahori ensemble will perform Cambodian classics at the Global Garden Refugee Training Farm. At their invitation, our Crossing Borders Music violinist Rasa Mahmoudian will play in the ensemble.
Pictured: the Cambodian Museum mahori ensemble performs with Crossing Borders Music string players at the 2021 Morton Arboretum Destination Asia festival
The event is free and open to the public.
Crossing Borders Music’s participation is supported in part by 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.

Night Out in the Parks: "From Slavery to Justice" at Garfield Park
2022-10-08 13:00 - 14:15 | Garfield Park Gold Dome Fieldhouse, 100 N Central Park Ave, Chicago, IL, 60624, United States
Enjoy beautiful music in the park, and a masterclass with local young musicians! This event, “From Slavery to Justice: the Ongoing Journey” has been re-scheduled because of COVID to Saturday, Oct. 8 at 1pm.
To celebrate Juneteenth, a historic date that commemorates the emancipation of enslaved people, Crossing Borders Music has commissioned new music of The Honourable Elizabeth A. Baker, Jordyn Davis, and Jessica T. Carter. Be one of the first to hear their awesome music!
The event will take place outside the Garfield Park Gold Dome Fieldhouse.
This Night Out in the Parks program is FREE and open to EVERYONE!
This program is a part of the Chicago Park District’s Night Out in the Parks.
Celebrating 10 years, Night Out in the Parks activates parks across the city with robust cultural events – bringing neighbors together to laugh, dance, sing, and engage.
This program made possible in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, by the Paul M Angell Family Foundation, The MacArthur Funds for Culture, Equity, and the Arts at the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, and by the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. Crossing Borders Music acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.
Image description: Sitting on folding chairs outside in the park, Kailie Holliday and Seth Van Embden play cello and viola

Thirsty Ears Festival
2022-08-13 19:00 - 19:50 | Access Contemporary Music, 1758 W Wilson Ave, Chicago, 60640, United States
Crossing Borders Music is proud to participate in Access Contemporary Music’s seventh annual Thirsty Ears Festival: Chicago’s only classical music street festival!
For two days Wilson street between Hermitage and Ravenswood will be closed to feature seventeen stellar ensembles and soloists. Crossing Borders Music’s very own Jennifer Leckie and Marianne Parker will share awesome and diverse music for violin and piano by composers from the Crossing Borders Music repertoire!
Access Contemporary Music will make sure there is delicious beer, vendor booths, kid-friendly activities and food trucks on both days.
Suggested Donation $10
Parking is limited to street parking.
Full event lineup is available at https://acmusic.org/events/thirsty-ears-festival/
Pictured: In front of a white background, Jennifer Leckie, a White woman with blonde hair is smiling in a close-up photo

Cambodian Museum Mahori Ensemble at Destination Asia Festival
2022-08-07 11:00 - 12:00 | Morton Arboretum, 4100 IL-53, Lisle, IL, 60532
The National Cambodian Heritage Museum’s mahori ensemble will perform Cambodian classics at the Destination Asia Festival at the Morton Arboretum. At their invitation, our Crossing Borders Music cellist Tom Clowes will play in the ensemble. The mahori musicians will also be performing Saturday, August 6 in the afternoon.
Check out mortonarb.org/explore/activities/events/destination-asia-festival for complete festival information.
The event is free with admission to the Morton Arboretum. Admission tickets and information are available at buy.acmeticketing.com/events/480/list
Pictured: National Cambodian Heritage Museum and Crossing borders Music musicians performing at the Morton Arboretum in 2021

From Slavery to Justice: the Ongoing Journey
2022-07-17 15:00 - 16:15 | Skokie Public Library, 5215 Oakton St, Skokie, IL, 60077, United States
“From Slavery to Justice: the Ongoing Journey” uses music to tell stories of African-American liberation. To celebrate Juneteenth, a historic date that commemorates the emancipation of enslaved people, Crossing Borders Music commissioned new music of The Honourable Elizabeth A. Baker, Jordyn Davis, and Jessica T. Carter. Be one of the first people to hear their amazing works! The program will also include “Lead Me Home” by Brittany J. Green based on the hymn “Precious Lord” famously sung by Mahalia Jackson, and the 2021 revised version of String Quartet No. 1 by AJ Isaacson-Zvidzwa. The program will be the subject of a short documentary by Chicago filmmaker Rubye Lane, and 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.”
View the event on the library website at http://skokielibrary.info/…/the-ongoing-journey-from…
This program is presented by the Skokie Public Library. The program 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.
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

POSTPONED: Celebrating Juneteenth! at Garfield Park
2022-07-14 11:45 - 13:00 | Garfield Park Gold Dome Fieldhouse, 100 N Central Park Ave, Chicago, IL, 60624, United States
This event has been postponed because of COVID and will be re-scheduled.
“Celebrating Juneteenth!” uses the music of the Crossing Borders Music string quartet to tell stories of the ongoing journey from slavery to justice. To celebrate Juneteenth, a historic date that commemorates the emancipation of enslaved people, Crossing Borders Music has commissioned new music of The Honourable Elizabeth A. Baker, Jordyn Davis, and Jessica T. Carter. Be one of the first to hear their awesome music!
Plus, Crossing Borders Music will be joined by young artist and special guest cellist Kailie Holliday!
The event will take place outside the Garfield Park Gold Dome Fieldhouse. Also outside the dome, 30 minutes before the performance, Crossing Borders Music will give a masterclass to the young music camp students of Chicago West Community Music Center!
This Night Out in the Parks program is FREE and open to EVERYONE!
This program is a part of the Chicago Park District’s Night Out in the Parks.
Celebrating 10 years, Night Out in the Parks activates parks across the city with robust cultural events – bringing neighbors together to laugh, dance, sing, and engage.
This program made possible in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, by the Paul M Angell Family Foundation, the Richard H Driehaus Foundation, and by the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. Crossing Borders Music acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.
Image description: Rasa Mahmoudian, Phyllis Calderon, Tom Clowes, and Seth Van Embden in concert black performing as a string quartet on stage at the Ravinia Festival at a recent performance for middle school students
Photo credit Ravinia Festival

Celebrating Juneteenth! at Buttercup Park
2022-06-21 11:30 - 12:45 | Buttercup Park, 4901 N Sheridan, Chicago, IL, 60640, United States
Be one of the first people to ever hear the healing breaths and sounds of “this is a notice” by the incredible artist The Honourable Elizabeth A Baker, commissioned by Crossing Borders Music in celebration of Juneteenth! Plus, Crossing Borders Music will be joined by young artist and special guest cellist Kailie Holliday! And, we’ve chosen lots of our old favorite tunes, just for you! See you in Uptown!
This Night Out in the Parks/Make Music Chicago program is FREE and open to EVERYONE!
This program is a part of the Chicago Park District’s Night Out in the Parks.
Celebrating 10 years, Night Out in the Parks activates parks across the city with robust cultural events – bringing neighbors together to laugh, dance, sing, and engage.
This program made possible in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, by the Paul M Angell Family Foundation, and by the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. Crossing Borders Music acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.
Image description: Rasa Mahmoudian, Phyllis Calderon, Tom Clowes, and Seth Van Embden in concert black performing as a string quartet on stage at the Ravinia Festival at a recent performance for middle school students
Photo credit Ravinia Festival

Composers with Disabilities and Momenta Dance!
2022-06-12 13:00 - 14:30 | Crossing Borders Music Facebook and YouTube livestream
Join us to revel in the beautiful music of composers with disabilities! This unique program features the world premiere performance of Rylan Gleave’s piano quintet “Boyh (bringer of your hair)” alongside world premiere choreography by Julia Cox, danced by Robby Williams and Connor Cornelius of Momenta Dance Company! In addition to these commissioned works, the program includes music selected from an international call for submissions, including music by composers from Brazil, South Africa, the UK, the US, and Haiti:
“Transcendences” by Siobhan Dyson
“Wi li jou” by Julio Lubin
“Kwazekwamnandi” by Yonela Mnana
“Art Miniatures” by Ryne Siesky
“Nocturne for Cello and Piano” by Zygmund de Somogyi
“In F” by Andersen Viana
This event will be broadcast live on the Crossing Borders Music Facebook and YouTube channels.
Check out these awesome participating artists’ websites:
siobhandyson.com
www.facebook.com/julio.lubin
Yonela Mnana: youtube.com/channel/UCKqH2kcQ69TUNI0J4EeUdTw
momentadances.org
rynejsmusic.com
Zygmund de Somogyi: zdscomposer.co.uk
musicalics.com/en/composer/Andersen-Viana
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.
Featuring Marianne Parker; piano; Rasa Mahmoudian and Jennifer Leckie, violins; Seth Van Embden, viola; and Tom Clowes, cello; with special thanks to Thavary Krouch for her technical support.
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.
We recognize that some artists in this program prefer identity-first language (“disabled artists”), while others prefer person-first language (“artists with disabilities”).
Image Description: Dancer Robby Williams on a dark stage in front of a black curtain leans backwards with his head turned left while reaching his arm to the back of the left wheel of the manual wheelchair he’s using. Photo credit Momenta Dance.

Streamable Learning: Cambodian Music: The Living Tradition
2022-05-11 12:30 - 13:30 | IL
In partnership with the National Cambodian Heritage Museum and Killing Fields Memorial and its Resident Artist Punisa Pov, Crossing Borders Music shares a program of newly arranged Cambodian songs, through which we’ll learn about Cambodian history, culture, and the rich, living tradition of Cambodian arts and music.
This educational livestream is for grades 6-12 students and teachers and open to all Chicago Public Schools teachers and students plus other Streamable Learning subscribers. Registration is required.
See all Crossing Borders Music Streamable Learning livestreams and register at https://www.streamablelearning.com/app/events/cbm/

First Blacks Chicago
2022-04-10 13:00 - 14:30 | Crossing Borders Music Facebook and YouTube livestream
“First Blacks Chicago” is a celebration of Black Chicago trailblazers! “First Blacks Chicago” was created by the Haitian American Museum of Chicago (HAMOC), and in 2019 HAMOC invited Crossing Borders Music’s participation in this ongoing historic project. Be among the first people to hear “Ogou Wa dè Zanj,” (“Ogou, King of Angels”), a new piece we commissioned of Jean Paul Coffy! Coffy is a former lead artist of Boukman Eksperyans, the Grammy-nominated, legendary Haitian roots music group, and he joins on piano!
Hear also the reflective “Nostalgia” by Rudy Perrault, honoring DuSable; the “natif” style of Gifrants’s “Fraternitas! Fraternitas! Dei Patris Nomine,” a musical tribute to Harold Washington; and the elegance and beauty of Sabrina C D Jean Louis’ “La Cité,” a tribute to the legacy of DuSable, and a piece prompted by the work of Chicago’s DuSable Heritage Association. Hear too Rudy Perrault’s “Brother Malcolm” as he imagines, through music, a conversation between Malcolm X and Martin Luther King in response to the inauguration of Barack Obama. Plus, hear the timeless Haitian classics “Ayiti Cheri,” “Choucoune,” and more!
We’re honored to announce that co-hosting the livestream will be Elsie Hector Hernandez, Founder and President of HAMOC! Learn more about HAMOC’s great work at https://hamoc.org/ And, DuSable Heritage Association President Etzer Cantave will join as a guest as well! Learn more about the DuSable Heritage Association at https://www.dusableheritage.com/
Featuring Marianne Parker; piano; Rasa Mahmoudian and Jennifer Leckie, violins; Seth Pae, viola; and Tom Clowes, cello; Aidan Kranz, cinematography; with special thanks to Thavary Krouch for her technical support.
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.
Pictured: a black and white Chicago Tribune photo of Mayor Harold Washington, the first African-American mayor of Chicago with his arms outstretched, wearing a suit and overcoat, leading a large, predominantly African-American crowd down a downtown Chicago street, with one person in the crowd holding a sign saying “Punch 9.” Washington and most people in the crowd are smiling.

Voices of the Proud: LGBT+ Composers
2022-03-27 13:00 - 14:30 | Crossing Borders Music Facebook and YouTube livestream
On the Sunday before Transgender Day of Visibility, join us to celebrate LGBT+ culture with “Voices of the Proud: LGBT+ Composers”! The program features the beauty, love, grief, playfulness, creativity, and pride of music by LGBT+ artists chosen from a call for submissions.
This event will be broadcast live on the Crossing Borders Music Facebook and YouTube channels.
Enjoy Xenia St. Charles Gilbert’s “How to Spot a Trans Woman According to My Neurosurgeon,” performed brilliantly by violist Seth Van Embden, along with the clever wordplay of a voiceover by the composer herself!
Tony Doubek’s “Mind Over Matter” is his own, brand new arrangement of the final movement what he calls his “3 movement piece depicting my experience living with Bipolar II” from his “collection of intensely personal pieces.” It is stunning, intensely beautiful, and hopeful.
Frida V. de la Sota’s “elegía de una pandemia” captures the stillness, mourning, and grief of the almost universal sense of loss during the pandemic.
The livestream will share the world premiere of Rylan Gleave’s “biomimicry” for piano quintet. Rylan took the idea of biomimicry, which he calls “the emulation of natural elements, for the purpose of solving complex human problems” and asks, “What if we apply this idea to music?”
Ethan Soledad’s lush and romantic “In effect it is this: that I love you” was “inspired by a love letter written by renowned WWI poet Wilfred Owen to his colonel, mentor, and fellow poet Siegfried Sassoon. Both literary legends were known for their raw depictions of the war in their poetry with Sassoon serving as a major influence to Owen’s own work. Both were also closeted homosexuals in a time and place where it was criminalized. Even so, the incredible bond the two formed during their time together is so evident in the unrelenting love and admiration that Owen exemplifies in this letter.”
Miguel del Aguila’s exciting and wild “Tamboreño” is a pandemic creation inspired by carnival parades in Miguel’s home town in Uruguay, with electric musical energy!
Leland Harris’s “In the Outside: Queer Dances” finds authentic joy in its playful rhythms!
Featuring Marianne Parker; piano; Jennifer Leckie and Rasa Mahmoudian, violins; Seth Van Embden, viola; and Tom Clowes, cello; Aidan Kranz, cinematography; with special thanks to Thavary Krouch for her technical support.
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.
Pictured: composer Ethan Gonzalez Soledad, sitting outside on a bench in a white button-down shirt and dark pants, posing with a hand behind his head. Photo credit Freddy Velasquez

Streamable Learning: Stories and Music of Resilience
2022-03-01 12:30 - 13:15 | IL
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, 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!
This educational livestream is for K-3 students and teachers and open to all Chicago Public Schools teachers and students plus other Streamable Learning subscribers. Registration is required.
See all Crossing Borders Music Streamable Learning livestreams and register at https://www.streamablelearning.com/app/events/cbm/

First Blacks Chicago
2022-02-07 19:30 - 21:00 | First Congregational Church of Dundee, 900 S 8th St, West Dundee, IL, 60118
Developed over three years with the Haitian American Museum of Chicago and DuSable Heritage Association, Chamber Music on the Fox presents this Crossing Borders Music program honoring Black Chicago trailblazers! The program features a brand new work commissioned of Jean Paul Coffy, a lead artist of the legendary, Grammy-nominated Boukman Eksperyans, featuring Coffy himself on piano! Plus, hear inspiring music by Haitian composers including La Cité by Sabrina C D Jean Louis, commissioned by Crossing Borders Music and the DuSable Heritage Association in honor of Chicago’s first non-native resident, Jean-Baptiste Pointe du Sable; Fraternitas! Fraternitas! Dei Patris Nomine by Gifrants, commissioned by Crossing Borders Music in honor of Chicago’s first African-American mayor Harold Washington; and Brother Malcolm by Jean “Rudy” Perrault which imagines through music a conversation at the inauguration of Barack Obama between Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr!
Tickets available at: www.eventbrite.com/e/168277842557
Pictured: a bust of Jean Baptiste Pointe DuSable

Streamable Learning: What Makes Music Special? Part II: Music and Context
2022-01-26 12:30 - 13:15 | IL
What makes your favorite music “special”? Is it the music itself? The memory of when you first heard it? The context in which you hear it? How do our personal backgrounds affect how we hear music? How can music help us relate to others? This unique program, filled with “special” music from Cambodia, Taiwan, Colombia, and India, explores musical and non-musical elements that make music impactful.
This educational livestream is for grades 6-12 students and teachers and open to all Chicago Public Schools teachers and students plus other Streamable Learning subscribers. Registration is required.
See all Crossing Borders Music Streamable Learning livestreams and register at https://www.streamablelearning.com/app/events/cbm/

Streamable Learning: What Makes Music Special? Part I: Windows and Mirrors
2021-12-13 12:30 - 13:15 | IL
What makes your favorite music “special”? Is it the music itself? The memory of when you first heard it? The context in which you hear it? How do our personal backgrounds affect how we hear music? How can music help us relate to others? This unique program, filled with “special” music from Colombia, Haiti, the UK, and the U.S., explores musical and non-musical elements that make music impactful.
This educational livestream is for grades 6-12 students and teachers and open to all Chicago Public Schools teachers and students plus other Streamable Learning subscribers. Registration is required.
See all Crossing Borders Music Streamable Learning livestreams and register at https://www.streamablelearning.com/app/events/cbm/

"Reflections of the Arab World" livestream
2021-11-21 14:00 - 15:15 | Crossing Borders Music Facebook and YouTube livestream
Watch a livestream of music for string quartet and ‘ūd from the Arab World with special guest, composer Tarek Younis! Crossing Borders Music musicians Rasa Mahmoudian and Tom Clowes will co-host the program which includes Tarek’s brand new “Journey 1” for string quartet, commissioned by Crossing Borders Music! The program also features the online premiere of Issa Boulos’s own brand new arrangements for string quartet and ‘ūd, featuring Issa himself. And, Rasa Mahmoudian’s brand new string quartet arrangement of the “International Refugees Anthem” by Syrian composer Arian Hu of Beijing, China! Works by American composer Mohammed Fairouz, Syrian-French composer Dia Succari, and the seldom-heard String Quartet op. 7 by the exceptional Lebanese composer Toufic Succar, performed off the score provided to Crossing Borders Music by his wife Nenna Bakhtanassar (épouse Succar). This is not a program to miss!
We’d like to honor the diversity of opinions regarding the term “Arab World,” or “Levant.” In particular, we honor Toufic Succar’s request to be known as a “Lebanese composer.”
Watch online on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/495686567132614/posts/4814422215259006/
or on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfnqzw2tQCU
Special thanks to Thavary Krouch for her technical support.
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.
Pictured: Issa Boulos in a white shirt before a black background, holding his ‘ūd in one hand and gesturing with his other raised hand to recognize the audience outside the picture’s frame

Reflections of the Arab World Livestream
2021-10-19 19:30 - 20:10 | YouTube livestream
New Music Chicago presents Crossing Borders Music in music for string quartet from the Arab World! The program marks the online premiere of a string quartet commissioned by Crossing Borders Music of Jordanian composer Tarek Younis! And, the online world premiere of Rasa Mahmoudian’s string quartet arrangement of the “International Refugees Anthem” by Syrian composer Arian Hu of Beijing, China! The program also includes works by American composer Mohammed Fairouz, Syrian-French composer Dia Succari, and the little-known String Quartet op. 7 by the exceptional Lebanese composer Toufic Succar, performed off the score provided to Crossing Borders Music by his wife Nenna Bakhtanassar (épouse Succar). This is not a program to miss!
We’d like to honor the diversity of opinions regarding the term “Arab World,” or “Levant.” In particular, we honor Toufic Succar’s request to be known specifically as a “Lebanese composer.”
Watch the livestream at: https://youtu.be/5EekVZww75Y
This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency. This program is partially supported by a CityArts grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.
Pictured: a black and white photo of Composer Tarek Younis composing indoors with a pen and paper seated at a table in front of a wall with three bright windows
