upcoming events
a change is gonna come | steamboat springs, co
A Change Is Gonna Come celebrates the rich legacy of American protest songs, from beloved anthems to new commissions. Our arrangements of 1960s classics explore the sonic palette of strings and voice, with nods to the iconic originals as well as today’s cultural landscape, and the sound worlds of film scores, contemporary chamber music, fiddle, gospel, and more. These songs reflect on individual experiences of oppression and call us to join the collective work of liberation. A Change Is Gonna Come confronts our past and present and celebrates the act of protest as one of our most precious rights.
dancing home | newport, ri
Dancing Home explores themes of heritage, belonging, displacement, and resilience through the lens of dance. At the heart of this program is the world premiere of ḥawwāsh by Kareem Roustom. Inspired by the ḥawwāsh, or lead dancer of a traditional dabke dance, this piece allows any musician to lead the ensemble at any given moment, sharing fluid leadership through physical and sonic cues. This program also features Palaver’s arrangement of Bartok’s Romanian Dances, original tunes by Maya French and Jamie Oshima, and Kinan Azmeh’s Syrian Dances, commissioned by Palaver in 2022. Dancing Home celebrates social dance as a meeting place for tradition and innovation, and a vehicle for building resilience, joy, and trust.
summer chamber series | denmark, me
This program explores multiple outlooks on life and chamber music. Described as a “fervent, celebratory investigation into joy itself,” Paul Wiancko’s Lift explodes with adventurous textures that span the full sonic range of the string quartet. The program continues with two short contemplative pieces by Olafur Arnalds, and concludes with Schubert’s epic “Death and the Maiden,” a passionate dance with death that was only published after Schubert’s own death in 1828.
summer chamber series | arundel, me
This program explores multiple outlooks on life and chamber music. Described as a “fervent, celebratory investigation into joy itself,” Paul Wiancko’s Lift explodes with adventurous textures that span the full sonic range of the string quartet. The program continues with two short contemplative pieces by Olafur Arnalds, and concludes with Schubert’s epic “Death and the Maiden,” a passionate dance with death that was only published after Schubert’s own death in 1828.
dancing home | providence, ri
Dancing Home explores themes of heritage, belonging, displacement, and resilience through the lens of dance. At the heart of this program is ḥawwāsh by Kareem Roustom commissioned by Palaver in 2024. Inspired by the ḥawwāsh, or lead dancer of a traditional dabke dance, this piece allows any musician to lead the ensemble at any given moment, sharing fluid leadership through physical and sonic cues. This program also features Palaver’s arrangement of Bartok’s Romanian Dances, original tunes by Maya French and Jamie Oshima, and Kinan Azmeh’s Syrian Dances, commissioned by Palaver in 2022. Dancing Home celebrates social dance as a meeting place for tradition and innovation, and a vehicle for building resilience, joy, and trust
dancing home | cuttyhunk, ma
Dancing Home explores themes of heritage, belonging, displacement, and resilience through the lens of dance. At the heart of this program is ḥawwāsh by Kareem Roustom commissioned by Palaver in 2024. Inspired by the ḥawwāsh, or lead dancer of a traditional dabke dance, this piece allows any musician to lead the ensemble at any given moment, sharing fluid leadership through physical and sonic cues. This program also features Palaver’s arrangement of Bartok’s Romanian Dances, original tunes by Maya French and Jamie Oshima, and Kinan Azmeh’s Syrian Dances, commissioned by Palaver in 2022. Dancing Home celebrates social dance as a meeting place for tradition and innovation, and a vehicle for building resilience, joy, and trust
screen door festival - opening concert | camden, me
Our grand opening concert features many performers appearing throughout the week, including Balourdet Quartet, oboist James Austin Smith, violinist Blake Pouliot, Boyd Meets Girl, pianists Llewellyn Sanchez-Werner, Rachel Breen, and piano duo Jessica Chow Shinn and Michael Shinn, baritone Jesse Blumberg, mezzo soprano Devony Smith, jazz vocalist Vuyo Sotashe, pianist Chris Pattishall, as well as our esteemed resident ensemble, Palaver Strings. This vibrant and multifaceted festival launch begins a journey of creative inspiration and enlightenment that continues throughout the week.
screen door festival - mozart in the morning | camden, me
Join us for the second morning of our five-part journey into the world of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, where insight and performance come together. Guided by Llewellyn Sanchez-Werner, we turn our attention to the piano concertos, works that place Mozart at both the keyboard and the center of the Classical imagination. This session pairs two strikingly different concerti: C Major, K. 415, brimming with poise and vitality, and the darkly expressive D Minor, K. 466, an outlier in Mozart’s catalogue and a favorite of his contemporary Beethoven. Together, they reveal Mozart’s astonishing range within the Classical form, moving deftly between elegance and turbulence. The morning’s program also features Palaver Strings. Zoot coffee and muffins are available before the concert.
screen door festival - vuyo sotashe & chris pattishall | camden, me
In this acclaimed collaboration, South African vocalist Vuyo Sotashe and pianist/composer Chris Pattishall come together for an intimate and soulful evening of music. Mainstays of the New York music scene, Vuyo and Chris have each contributed to a wide range of projects spanning jazz, gospel, theater and film. Acclaimed as a tenor who springs with ease from sonorous depths to the top of an impressive range, Vuyo has performed on prestigious jazz stages across the globe. Chris uses jazz tradition as a jumping off point for experimentation. His debut album Zodiac was praised by The New York Times. The music featured in this very special concert is a quiet invocation of community in turbulent times. Ranging from American masterworks to South African Xhosa hymns, Vuyo, Chris and Palaver Strings bring the healing power of music to Screen Door Festival.
screen door festival - dancing home | camden, me
The Portland-based, GRAMMY-nominated chamber orchestra Palaver Strings has distinguished itself with its spirit of curiosity and eagerness to collaborate across musical genres and traditions. Dancing Home explores themes of heritage, belonging, displacement, and resilience anchored by the rhythms of dance. At the core of the program is ḥawwāsh by Kareem Roustom, a work that reimagines the traditional Middle Eastern dabke dance with a structure that allows any musician to lead. This choreography of trust speaks to the human need for connection and shared agency. From Sidney Boquiren’s poignant A Prayer for Immigrants to Bongani Ndodana-Breen’s Apologia at Umzimvuba, a piece rooted in reflection and justice, the music tells stories of the lives behind each rhythm. The program includes new commissioned works by composers Maya French and Jamie Oshima, alongside folk music from Syria and the Balkans. Dancing Home invites us to move, listen, and expand our definition of home.
screen door festival - season finale | camden, me
The culmination of a week of music-making, dialogue, and a shared journey toward enlightenment, our Season Finale brings together many of the extraordinary artists who have shaped Screen Door Festival 2025. At the heart of the program is the U.S. Premiere of Songs for Judith, a deeply moving work by Canadian composer Matthew Ricketts, setting nine poems by Edna St. Vincent Millay to music. The cycle will be performed by baritone Jesse Blumberg with Balourdet Quartet and the pianist Danny Zalibor. Also featured in this celebratory evening are mezzo-soprano Devony Smith, Palaver Strings, The Westerlies, Vuyo Sotashe, pianist-composer Chris Pattishall, and piano duo Michael Shinn and Jessica Chow Shinn. This final gathering is not only a closing, it is a convergence: of artistic voices, dynamic collaborations, and the open-hearted listening that has defined our time together this summer.
lifesongs project celebration concert | portland, me
Lifesongs Project celebrates the stories of LGBTQ+ people in our local community. Working with professional songwriters and engineers, project participants write and record original songs of love, loss, courage, and affirmation.
photo by feels like media
palaver music center | spring celebration recital
Come hear the entire After-School Strings Program perform solo and chamber music pieces that they have been working towards this year. The recital will culminate in a full performance of all PMC students!
photo by yoon s. byun
palaver music center: spring solo recital for third through fifth grade
Come hear the Palaver Music Center After-School Strings Program 3rd-5th grade students perform their solo pieces and celebrate their achievements and hard work!
photo by yoon s. byun
but there is this | boston, ma
But There Is This explores our journey through life and our quest for meaning, even when it remains elusive. In works by Corigliano, Mustonen, Yoshimatsu, and Shostakovich, fragments of themes and ideas emerge over time, slowly and imperfectly revealing themselves as part of a larger whole. Each piece takes us on a journey through extreme emotions which are rarely resolved, challenging us to perceive beauty in the small details that make up our lives, even when the whole remains unclear. This program reminds us, in the words of Barabara Ras, that “there is the voice you can still summon at will, like your mother’s/it will always whisper, you can’t have it all, but there is this.”
photo by titilayo ayangade
but there is this | portland, me
But There Is This explores our journey through life and our quest for meaning, even when it remains elusive. In works by Corigliano, Mustonen, Yoshimatsu, and Shostakovich, fragments of themes and ideas emerge over time, slowly and imperfectly revealing themselves as part of a larger whole. Each piece takes us on a journey through extreme emotions which are rarely resolved, challenging us to perceive beauty in the small details that make up our lives, even when the whole remains unclear. This program reminds us, in the words of Barabara Ras, that “there is the voice you can still summon at will, like your mother’s/it will always whisper, you can’t have it all, but there is this.”
photo by titilayo ayangade
but there is this - family concert | portland, me
But There Is This explores our journey through life and our quest for meaning, even when it remains elusive. Inspired from a poem by Barbara Ras, this Family Concert will draw upon the relationship between words and music through works by Corigliano, Mustonen, Yoshimatsu, and Shostakovich. Fragments of themes and ideas emerge over time, slowly and imperfectly revealing themselves as part of a larger whole. Each piece takes us on a journey through extreme emotions which are rarely resolved, challenging us to perceive beauty in the small details that make up our lives, even when the whole remains unclear. This program reminds us, in the words of Barbara Ras, that “there is the voice you can still summon at will, like your mother’s/it will always whisper, you can’t have it all, but there is this.”
photo by titilayo ayangade
but there is this | lewiston, me
But There Is This explores our journey through life and our quest for meaning, even when it remains elusive. In works by Corigliano, Mustonen, Yoshimatsu, and Shostakovich, fragments of themes and ideas emerge over time, slowly and imperfectly revealing themselves as part of a larger whole. Each piece takes us on a journey through extreme emotions which are rarely resolved, challenging us to perceive beauty in the small details that make up our lives, even when the whole remains unclear. This program reminds us, in the words of Barbara Ras, that “there is the voice you can still summon at will, like your mother’s/it will always whisper, you can’t have it all, but there is this.”
photo by titilayo ayangade
songbook | los angeles, ca
Featuring acclaimed jazz vocalist Vuyo Sotashe and Grammy-nominated pianist Chris Patishall, Songbook celebrates the rich musical heritage of Sotashe’s home country, South Africa. The program includes traditional folk songs in Zulu, Sepedi, and Xhosa, a string quartet by Bongani Ndodana-Breen, choral works by Michael Moreane and Bheki Mseleku, and originals by Vuyo Sotashe, all presented in fresh arrangements for voice, piano, and strings by Chris Patishall. Songbook explores connections between American jazz, South African traditional music, and European classical music, moving fluidly between traditions in a spirit of exploration and joy.
7:30pm - Chris Votek and Neelamjit Dhillon
8:15 - Palaver, Vuyo Sotashe, Chris Patishall
photo by titilayo ayangade
songbook | las vegas, nv
Featuring acclaimed jazz vocalist Vuyo Sotashe and Grammy-nominated pianist Chris Patishall, Songbook celebrates the rich musical heritage of Sotashe’s home country, South Africa. The program includes traditional folk songs in Zulu, Sepedi, and Xhosa, a string quartet by Bongani Ndodana-Breen, choral works by Michael Moreane and Bheki Mseleku, and originals by Vuyo Sotashe, all presented in fresh arrangements for voice, piano, and strings by Chris Patishall. Songbook explores connections between American jazz, South African traditional music, and European classical music, moving fluidly between traditions in a spirit of exploration and joy.
photo by titilayo ayangade
songbook | las vegas, nv
Featuring acclaimed jazz vocalist Vuyo Sotashe and Grammy-nominated pianist Chris Patishall, Songbook celebrates the rich musical heritage of Sotashe’s home country, South Africa. The program includes traditional folk songs in Zulu, Sepedi, and Xhosa, a string quartet by Bongani Ndodana-Breen, choral works by Michael Moreane and Bheki Mseleku, and originals by Vuyo Sotashe, all presented in fresh arrangements for voice, piano, and strings by Chris Patishall. Songbook explores connections between American jazz, South African traditional music, and European classical music, moving fluidly between traditions in a spirit of exploration and joy.
photo by titilayo ayangade
songbook | new york, ny
Featuring acclaimed jazz vocalist Vuyo Sotashe and Grammy-nominated pianist Chris Patishall, Songbook celebrates the rich musical heritage of Sotashe’s home country, South Africa. The program includes traditional folk songs in Zulu, Sepedi, and Xhosa, a string quartet by Bongani Ndodana-Breen, choral works by Michael Moreane and Bheki Mseleku, and originals by Vuyo Sotashe, all presented in fresh arrangements for voice, piano, and strings by Chris Patishall. Songbook explores connections between American jazz, South African traditional music, and European classical music, moving fluidly between traditions in a spirit of exploration and joy.
photo by titilayo ayangade
songbook | portland, me
Featuring acclaimed jazz vocalist Vuyo Sotashe and Grammy-nominated pianist Chris Patishall, Songbook celebrates the rich musical heritage of Sotashe’s home country, South Africa. The program includes traditional folk songs in Zulu, Sepedi, and Xhosa, a string quartet by Bongani Ndodana-Breen, choral works by Michael Moreane and Bheki Mseleku, and originals by Vuyo Sotashe, all presented in fresh arrangements for voice, piano, and strings by Chris Patishall. Songbook explores connections between American jazz, South African traditional music, and European classical music, moving fluidly between traditions in a spirit of exploration and joy.
photo by titilayo ayangade
songbook | waterville, me
Featuring acclaimed jazz vocalist Vuyo Sotashe and Grammy-nominated pianist Chris Patishall, Songbook celebrates the rich musical heritage of Sotashe’s home country, South Africa. The program includes traditional folk songs in Zulu, Sepedi, and Xhosa, a string quartet by Bongani Ndodana-Breen, choral works by Michael Moreane and Bheki Mseleku, and originals by Vuyo Sotashe, all presented in fresh arrangements for voice, piano, and strings by Chris Patishall. Songbook explores connections between American jazz, South African traditional music, and European classical music, moving fluidly between traditions in a spirit of exploration and joy.
photo by titilayo ayangade
lullaby project celebration concert | portland, me
Lullaby Project is a songwriting partnership between pregnant people, new parents, and professional musicians. Working with professional songwriters and engineers, participants write and record original lullabies for their children.
photo by yoon s. byun
beehive chamber series | rise and shine | portland, me
Rise and Shine celebrates the versatility and power of the viola, the unsung heartbeat and sonic glue of much of the chamber music we love. This unusual program explores the sonic possibilities of the elusive middle voice, through twentieth-century viola quartets by Kenji Bunch and York Bowen, as well as new folk arrangements by Palaver violists Elizabeth Moore and Lysander Jaffe. We will be joined by special guest violist Sam Kelder.
photo by titilayo ayangade
beehive chamber series | rise and shine | boston, ma
Rise and Shine celebrates the versatility and power of the viola, the unsung heartbeat and sonic glue of much of the chamber music we love. This unusual program explores the sonic possibilities of the elusive middle voice, through twentieth-century viola quartets by Kenji Bunch and York Bowen, as well as new folk arrangements by Palaver violists Elizabeth Moore and Lysander Jaffe. We will be joined by special guest violist Sam Kelder.
photo by titilayo ayangade
beehive chamber series | rise and shine | brattleboro, vt
Rise and Shine celebrates the versatility and power of the viola, the unsung heartbeat and sonic glue of much of the chamber music we love. This unusual program explores the sonic possibilities of the elusive middle voice, through twentieth-century viola quartets by Kenji Bunch and York Bowen, as well as new folk arrangements by Palaver violists Elizabeth Moore and Lysander Jaffe. We will be joined by special guest violist Sam Kelder.
photo by titilayo ayangade
SOLD OUT - palaver gathering x scales
join the palaver strings ensemble, friends, and community for drinks, oysters, and a seaside concert at scales followed by a three-course winter meal to support our portland music school and national
performance touring.
there will be no snow date for this event and Scales and Palaver intend to be open for those who can make it!
photo by titilayo ayangade
the palaver gathering is generously sponsored by bangor savings bank, northland enterprises + the CREWE foundation
a warm thank you to our host committee
Amy Yasko + Lionel Derriey / Andrew Marsters / Ann Casady + Peter Pitegoff / Ari + Natalie Solotoff / Arthur + Elaine Robins / Barbara Lamont / Carol + Joe Wishcamper / Carolyn Benthien / Christina Wright + Luther Black / Dana Street / David Lakari / Fritz + Susan Onion / Gates + Caroline Sanford / Jennifer Queally + Richard Entel / Jonny Asen + Annie Reiner / Josué González + Tami Papagiannopoulos / Judy Wei / Kate + Jess Knox / Kathleen Sullivan + Robert Stevens / Ken Spirer + Joan Leitzer / Kerem Durdag / Elizabeth Hays / Margot + Roger Miliken / Max + Christina Monks / Stephanie Cotsirilos / William Black + Jackie Potter
brunch showcase
We are delighted to invite you to the inaugural Classical Brunch Showcase on Sunday, January 12, 2025 in Midtown, NYC. Kick off your APAP week with an exclusive performance showcase:
schedule:
9:00am - Sybarite5 & Curtis Stewart
9:24am - Frisson
9:48am - The Westerlies
10:12am - Arcis Saxophone Quartet
10:36am - Palaver Strings
email eric@arielartists.com to rsvp
sing for your slumber night 2
Join Palaver for Sing for Your Slumber at TOURISTS. This unique program invites touring musicians to enjoy a restful stay in exchange for an intimate, stripped-down performance. It’s a special opportunity to experience live music in a cozy and welcoming setting. Night 2 will feature the full ensemble and special guests - jazz pianist Chris Pattishall and South African vocalist Vuyo Sotashe.
this event is free and open to the public!
photo by titilayo ayangade
sing for your slumber night 1
Join Palaver members (featuring soloists and small ensembles from the group) for Sing for Your Slumber at TOURISTS. This unique program invites touring musicians to enjoy a restful stay in exchange for an intimate, stripped-down performance. It’s a special opportunity to experience live music in a cozy and welcoming setting.
this event is free and open to the public!
photo by titilayo ayangade
palaver music center | winter celebration recital
Come hear the entire After-School Strings Program perform solo and chamber music pieces that they have been working towards this year. The recital will culminate in a full performance of all PMC students!
photo by yoon s. byun
beehive chamber series | outlook | new york, ny
This program explores multiple outlooks on life and chamber music. Described as a “fervent, celebratory investigation into joy itself,” Paul Wiancko’s Lift explodes with adventurous textures that span the full sonic range of the string quartet. The program continues with two short contemplative pieces by Olafur Arnalds, and concludes with Schubert’s epic “Death and the Maiden,” a passionate dance with death that was only published after Schubert’s own death in 1828.
please note music will begin at 8pm. RSVP for location!
photo by titilayo ayangade
beehive chamber series | outlook | portland, me
This program explores multiple outlooks on life and chamber music. Described as a “fervent, celebratory investigation into joy itself,” Paul Wiancko’s Lift explodes with adventurous textures that span the full sonic range of the string quartet. The program continues with two short contemplative pieces by Olafur Arnalds, and concludes with Schubert’s epic “Death and the Maiden,” a passionate dance with death that was only published after Schubert’s own death in 1828.
photo by titilayo ayangade
ready or not revisited | portland, me
Ready or Not Revisited celebrates the groundbreaking visions of women, queer, trans, and nonbinary composers from the medieval period to the present day. This program builds on the concept of Palaver’s 2022 album Ready or Not, which “blew the tent flap open to embrace new contemporary classical fans” (Midwest Record) and left BBC Music Magazine “wanting more.” Repertoire includes wide-ranging selections by Jessie Montgomery, Hildegard von Bingen, inti figgis-vizueta, Tanner Porter, Sato Matsui, Leilehua Lanzilotti, Pétalo Seslar and Lili Boulanger. Ready or Not Revisited disrupts our expectations, challenges our narratives, and uplifts a multitude of voices who have always been here, whether the concert hall was ready or not.
photo by titilayo ayangade
ready or not revisited - family concert | portland, me
Ready or Not Revisited celebrates the groundbreaking visions of women, queer, trans, and nonbinary composers from the medieval period to the present day. This program builds on the concept of Palaver’s 2022 album Ready or Not, which “blew the tent flap open to embrace new contemporary classical fans” (Midwest Record) and left BBC Music Magazine “wanting more.” Repertoire includes wide-ranging selections by Jessie Montgomery, Hildegard von Bingen, inti figgis-vizueta, Tanner Porter, Sato Matsui, Leilehua Lanzilotti, Pétalo Seslar and Lili Boulanger. Ready or Not Revisited disrupts our expectations, challenges our narratives, and uplifts a multitude of voices who have always been here, whether the concert hall was ready or not.
photo by titilayo ayangade
ready or not revisited | cambridge, ma
Ready or Not Revisited celebrates the groundbreaking visions of women, queer, trans, and nonbinary composers from the medieval period to the present day. This program builds on the concept of Palaver’s 2022 album Ready or Not, which “blew the tent flap open to embrace new contemporary classical fans” (Midwest Record) and left BBC Music Magazine “wanting more.” Repertoire includes wide-ranging selections by Jessie Montgomery, Hildegard von Bingen, inti figgis-vizueta, Tanner Porter, Sato Matsui, Leilehua Lanzilotti, Pétalo Seslar and Lili Boulanger. Ready or Not Revisited disrupts our expectations, challenges our narratives, and uplifts a multitude of voices who have always been here, whether the concert hall was ready or not.
photo by titilayo ayangade
ready or not revisited | brooklyn, ny
Ready or Not Revisited celebrates the groundbreaking visions of women, queer, trans, and nonbinary composers from the medieval period to the present day. This program builds on the concept of Palaver’s 2022 album Ready or Not, which “blew the tent flap open to embrace new contemporary classical fans” (Midwest Record) and left BBC Music Magazine “wanting more.” Repertoire includes wide-ranging selections by Jessie Montgomery, Hildegard von Bingen, inti figgis-vizueta, Tanner Porter, Sato Matsui, Leilehua Lanzilotti, Pétalo Seslar and Lili Boulanger. Ready or Not Revisited disrupts our expectations, challenges our narratives, and uplifts a multitude of voices who have always been here, whether the concert hall was ready or not.
music starts at 8:00pm!!
photo by titilayo ayangade
ready or not revisited | putney, vt
Ready or Not Revisited celebrates the groundbreaking visions of women, queer, trans, and nonbinary composers from the medieval period to the present day. This program builds on the concept of Palaver’s 2022 album Ready or Not, which “blew the tent flap open to embrace new contemporary classical fans” (Midwest Record) and left BBC Music Magazine “wanting more.” Repertoire includes wide-ranging selections by Jessie Montgomery, Hildegard von Bingen, inti figgis-vizueta, Tanner Porter, Sato Matsui, Leilehua Lanzilotti, Pétalo Seslar and Lili Boulanger. Ready or Not Revisited disrupts our expectations, challenges our narratives, and uplifts a multitude of voices who have always been here, whether the concert hall was ready or not.
photo by titilayo ayangade