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Comprised of musicians from around the globe, Intercultural Journeys explores and celebrates the commonalities and elements of cultural heritage. Udi Bar David, artistic director of Intercultural Journeys and cello player, performs with well-respected Native American flautist, RC Carlos Nakai, and Wu Man, a world renowned Chinese pipa player. The concert is a collection of improvised pieces, and music that hails from each of their cultural heritages.
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Keren Ann draws from international pop, blues, and folk music to create melodies that are subtle and captivating. Her French and English lyrics evoke what she describes as 'the shades of gray,' a nostalgia that acknowledges a fortuitously uncertain future. Born to a Dutch-Javanese mother and a Russian-Israeli father, Keren Ann lived in Israel and Holland before her family settled in Paris. At the age of 9, her parents bought her a guitar where she learned to play songs by Serge Gainsbourg and Joni Mitchell. Having earned several nominations for France's equivalent of the Grammy as a singer, songwriter and guitarist, Keren Ann is a musician in every sense of the word.
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BalletX is redefining ballet for this century. A new Philadelphia dance company, BalletX, integrates athleticism, emotion and intimacy into their performances, while still rooting its practice in the rigorous, classical ballet tradition. Choreographed by Co-Artistic Director of BalletX, Matthew Neenan, Right to Spring embodies the essence of winter giving way to spring when after a long dormancy, the world reawakens and bursts forth with new life. A live band performs onstage with the dancers of BalletX as they artfully dance the metamorphosis from winter to spring.
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The Marian Anderson Award, in partnership with Astral Artistic Services and the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, present the 5th Marian Anderson Prize for Emerging Classical Artists competition. The winners of the Marian Anderson Prize for Emerging Classical Artists perform famous opera arias and songs and show a Philadelphia audience why they are the upcoming opera singers of their generation. The Marian Anderson Prize for Emerging Classical Artists was created to support significantly talented, classically trained singers who are beginning their professional careers. It was inspired by the example of the many individuals who provided vital assistance to contralto and Philadelphia-native, Marian Anderson, as she began her own artistic journey.
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Philadelphia's poet laureate, Ursula Rucker, shares her songwriting talent and mesmerizing voice to an excited audience at the Gordon Theater at Rutgers-Camden. As a poet and performance artist, Ursula has enchanted critics and fans across the globe with her captivating vocals and accessible poetic verse. Ursula has collaborated with an array of recording artists and producers including King Britt, 4 Hero, Jamaaladeen Tacuma, Josh Wink and The Roots.
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Award-winning Orchestra 2001 has grown into one of America's most influential and important cultural institutions since its founding in 1988 as ensemble-in-residence at Swarthmore College. Under the artistic direction of James Freeman, Orchestra 2001 is noted for its adventurous programming and focus on contemporary American music.
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From its African origins to the mountain music of the Appalachians, the banjo's presence in music parallels America's multi-national origins. Banjo players and historians from across the United States convene at the Ethical Society of Philadelphia to perform pieces that span the various genres and styles of banjo music.
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Hailing from Indiana, Natalie has called Philadelphia her home for the last six years. Formerly the lead singer of downtempo electronic group, Daughter Darling, Natalie Walker stepped out to make her own music and hasn't looked back. Walker's clear voice contrasts with a haunting sonic landscape to create songs that are ethereal, reflective, and elegant.
A.J. Racy and the MidEast Ensemble at Swarthmore College
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A.J. Racy, is a performer, composer and Professor of Ethnomusicology at the University of California at Los Angeles. Born in Lebanon, he comes from a well-known family of artists, scholars, and academics. Racy is internationally recognized for his extraordinary musicianship and numerous publications on Arabic music. The concert presents a repertoire of traditional, folk, and popular Arab music as well as original compositions and improvisations.
More Info: Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture »
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Bob Musso's Transonic Band is an improvisational jazz fusion ensemble. Transonic features drummer, Claude Coleman, Jr., and bassist, Dave Dreiwitz, both from the alt-rock group Ween. Legendary Philadelphia jazz saxophone/flute artist Elliott Levin and producer/guitarist Robert Musso bring over 50 years of musical experience to the Transonic band.
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Singer/pianist Marcia Ball works her infectious, intelligent and deeply emotional brand of southern boogie and roadhouse blues at Montgomery County Community College. Over the course of her three-decade career, Ball has earned a huge and intensely loyal following all around the world. Her passionate piano playing and playful vocals fuse New Orleans and Gulf Coast R&B with Austin's deep songwriting tradition into a sound that is, in every sense of the word, moving.
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The psychedelic pop-rock band Dengue Fever features Cambodian singer Chhom Nimol backed by elements of surf-rock, and spy music, and the backing players' indie-rock sound. Brothers Zac and Ethan Holzman, a guitar-playing singer-songwriter and a keyboardist, respectively, re-discovered vintage Cambodian pop and decided to create a band inspired by the music. They found Chhom Nimol, a Cambodian singer with a startlingly beautiful voice who had recently moved to L.A., and formed a group called Dengue Fever.
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Named one of NPR Music's Top 10 Unknown Artists of 2007, Sollee is gaining recognition for his soulful voice and unique cello playing style. On his latest album, Learning to Bend, Ben plucks cello strings and uses percussive bow techniques to create sounds that encompass jazz, bluegrass, and folk.
Ben Sollee performs solo at the First Unitarian Church's sanctuary in Center City, Philadelphia.
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Tamagawa's performances consist of speed, fluidity, and an energy that can only be described as contagious. From one of the best performing arts schools in Japan, the Tamagawa University Taiko Drumming and Dance troupe, led by professor and renowned choreographer, Isaburoh Hanayagi, presents resonating drumming medleys with visually stunning Japanese dance at the Painted Bride Art Center. Taiko drummers carry out intense acrobatic movements while combining theater, music and motion in a high-energy performance. The Tamagawa University troupe is ranked among the top taiko groups in the world.
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Simone Dinnerstein, a classical pianist, performs Mozart's Concerto No. 10 for Two Pianos. In addition to her dramatic and unique playing style, Dinnerstein was most recently celebrated for her interpretation of Johann Sebastian Bach's Goldberg Variations. Noted for her dynamic, eclectic performances, Jennifer Curtis features as the soloist in Ravel's Tzigane with Symphony in C. Ms. Curtis appears regularly as a featured soloist and collaborative chamber musician across the U.S. and abroad.
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Since their first collaboration on a single for a film soundtrack, renowned producer and guitar player, M. Ward and actress Zooey Deschanel went on to record a full-length collection of her demos. Taking up the name She & Him, their first record, Volume One seamlessly combines her elegantly sweet voice with his simplistic and captivating instrumentals.
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Dolce Suono is a chamber music ensemble that is developing a dedicated following in the Philadelphia region. Founded by internationally acclaimed flutist, Mimi Stillman, Dolce Suono means 'sweet sound' in Italian, and originated out of Mimi's study of Dante's Divine Comedy. Ms. Stillman is known for her vibrant and lively performances as a soloist and chamber musician at major concert halls and festivals, including The Philadelphia Orchestra and Philadelphia Classical Symphony. At the First Unitarian Church, Dolce Suono highlights the diversity of American music, from George Gershwin, who mixed Broadway and jazz elements with classical music,to Nino Rota and Albert Hay Malotte, who wrote and composed music for film.
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Thao Nguyen can't help but play the guitar with insatiable talent and intuition. From Falls Church, Virginia, Thao Nguyen, a self-taught musician and graduate from William and Mary College, originally aimed to work in social activism. After performing in cafes all throughout college, Thao began to garner attention for her skillful guitar playing and compactly soulful lyrics. Watch her perform with the Get Down Stay Down at the Electric Factory in Philadelphia.
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Fusing classical, rock, blues, jazz, world music, progressive, as well as the quintessential California musical genre of surf music, California Guitar Trio's stunning virtuosity has earned them an enthusiastic following. Paul Richards of Salt Lake City, Utah, Bert Lams of Brussels, Belgium, and Hideyo Moriya of Tokyo, Japan first met in England at one of Robert Fripp's (of King Crimson) Guitar Craft Courses in 1987. Wanting to continue working together, Bert, Paul and Hideyo met up in Los Angeles and founded the California Guitar Trio in 1991. They've honed their intricate original compositions, surf covers, and classical re-workings into a repertoire that is striking to hear and mesmerizing to watch.
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