March 23rd Interdisciplinary SZALON:
A Tribute to Manfred Fischbeck

1.   "Winds of Time" written by Manfred Fischbeck and arranged by Laina Fischbeck, is played by ZeWitches and guest artists; Joris Prigent (clavier), Aurel Janin (guitar), Simon Prudhomme (drums), Shawn Dade (bass), Kazimir Fischbeck (poem), video filmed/mounted by Tahin Demiral in the Blue Bass Lounge, Saint Malo de Phily, France

2.   Sarina Khalili's original composition "Nomad (کولی)" performed by pianist Kārlis Bukovskis, guitarist Radomir Romashkov-Danilov, and soprano Jeysla Rosario Santos, at the Szalon in Philadelphia

3.   Cecilia Zabala performs her own compositions with Argentine and South American roots forming an intimate dialog between guitar and voice, from the Szalon

4.   Megan Bridge will share a solo, improvised dance to honor Manfred Fischbeck, performed live at the Szalon

5.   Network for New Music’s Charles Abramovic performs Daniel Asia’s Why (?) Jacob for solo piano, from the Szalon

6.   Cyrano Jett Rosentrater performs a selection of violin music including his original compositions, from the Szalon

7.   Jill Salkin, vocals and Aaron Graves, piano perform “Barcelona Nights” (Benoit/Feather), “Love Me Still” (Hornsby/Khan) and “Bye Bye, Blackbird” (Henderson/Dixon), from the Szalon

8.   Margot Porter, soprano, and Andrea Clearfield, piano, perform "Canyon" and "Rim" from The Rim of Love, composed by Andrea Clearfield to poetry by Manfred Fischbeck, from the Szalon

9.   Andrea Carlson, vocals/guitar and David “Bopdrummer” Yager, drums perform 3 original songs ”It Happened to Me”, “Lost in My Dream”, “Drivin’ Myself Wild for You”, from the Szalon

10. Mike Montrey with Jen Augustine perform “Stained Glass Window Panes”, “Holdin' on to Nothin'“, and “Fortune Teller” off of Love, Time & Mortality, from the Szalon

11. Valentina Sounds Trio (Valentina Raffaelli, Sara Mingle and Molly Hebert-Wilson) performs new originals and covers, from the Szalon

12. Iris Malkin and Daniel Gledhill perform French melodies by Pauline Viardot and Reynaldo Hahn about love and loss, from Iris’s studio in Los Angeles, CA

ZeWitches

ZeWitches (who are they?) Singers, healers, sorcerers ? Original girl's band, they form a union of diverse backgrounds, originating from 4 corners of the planet (Morocco, Réunion Island, United States, Brittany). Their compositions can evoke gospel, the blues, or various traditional polyphonic songs. ZeWitches, women of a melodic and salutary anger, a tribal sound, as if an invitation to open one's way of seeing and hearing. A transcendental sound experience, an unexpected meeting with cultural diversity and a musical celebration of sisters.

www.zewitches.com
ZeWitches — Facebook

Sarina Khalili, Jeysla Rosario Santos, Radomir Romashkov-Danilov, and Kārlis Bukovskis

Sarina Khalili is the first Iranian student in the history of the Curtis Institute of Music. She is a passionate composer who seeks to reflect the purest emotions of the human soul. Taking everything as a source of inspiration, her style explores elements of Iranian folklore, neo-tonalism, and even jazz. She entered the world of music at the age of 6 by playing the piano, followed by singing and creating miniature compositions from an early age. She has received multiple national prizes in music and other areas. In 2017, she won the national gold medal in the Iranian Physics Cup championship, with a focus on acoustic physics. In 2020, she ranked first in the music subgroup of the national arts exam, out of 100,000 contestants, and graduated from the top music department in the country, Tehran University of Art. She then decided to pursue her musical ambitions by studying at one of the most renowned music institutions, Curtis. She is currently a student of Richard Danielpour, Steve Mackey, Jonathan Bailey Holland, Amy Beth Kirsten, and Nick DiBerardino. 

YouTube.com/@Sarina.Khalili

Described by The Inquirer as a “lushed-voiced soprano," Jeysla Rosario Santos is currently pursuing her studies at the Curtis Institute of Music, where she is establishing herself as a versatile and expressive artist. Her performances span a range of classical and contemporary works, including her recent appearance in the East Coast premiere of The Comet / Poppea, where she performed the title role of Poppea. Jeysla's rich Afro-Latina heritage and musical upbringing deeply influence her artistry. Through her work, she strives to honor her cultural roots while bringing fresh perspectives to classical music. She is passionate about exploring diverse musical narratives and championing underrepresented voices in the classical world.

Instagram: @jeyslars 

Radomir Romashkov-Danilov is a Russian-American classical guitarist pursuing his career at the Curtis Institute of Music, where he studies with Jason Vieaux and David Starobin as a Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation fellow. At Curtis, he has performed in solo and chamber music concerts, including a Curtis Opera production in 2024. Radomir has also participated in masterclasses with renowned guitarists such as Franz Halasz, Lukasz Kuropaczewski, and Xavier Jara. Radomir enjoys exploring a wide range of repertoire, from Baroque to contemporary works.

Instagram: @radomir_rd
Guitar Studio Recital - Chris Institue of Music
https://venmo.com/u/quaui

Kārlis Bukovskis, 22-year old pianist from Latvia, currently studies at Curtis Institute of Music with professor Robert McDonald. Kārlis is John J. Medveckis Fellow. He has participated in concerts and festivals in Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, France, Georgia, United States, Russia, Uzbekistan, and performed with various orchestras - Pskov and Kaunas Symphony Orchestras, and Lithuanian and Uzbekistan National Symphony Orchestras. Kārlis is a winner of many international competitions and awarded with Ministry of Culture of Latvia prize in 2014 and 2016. Summer of 2023 he was a student at Fontainebleau Schools Of Music And Fine Arts and won the first prize at Prix Ravel.

He also has participated in prestigious masterclasses, such as masterclass with Yuja Wang, Jonathan Biss, Leif Ove Andsnes, Robert Levine, Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Eliso Virsaladze and Sir András Schiff.

Videos:

Cecilia Zabala

Cecilia Zabala is guitarist, composer, singer and singer-songwriter. She has combined the interpretation and creation of music, with guitar and voice, throughout her entire career, mixing sensitivity, expression, technique and intuition. In her music, styles as different as Argentine folklore, contemporary language, jazz, tango, and Brazilian music intersect. She was the winner of the First National Prize for the Arts 2018 awarded by the Ministry of Culture of Argentina in the "Jazz and Melodic" category. After twenty five years of career, she has released eleven independent albums, one single and one EP published in Argentina Germany and the United States. She has been touring internationally for more than fifteen years, teaching Master Classes and presenting her work at Festivals, Concert Halls and Art Markets in Europe, North America and Latin America.

Website: https://musica.ceciliazabala.com.ar/en/
Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/@CeciliaZabalaok 
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/intl-es/artist/6eqOpzqZRWWVxv31nYX3Ku
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/es/artist/cecilia-zabala/151384182 

For Donations:
Zelle: contacto@ceciliazbala.com.ar
Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/ceciliazabalaok?country.x=US&locale.x=en_US (@ceciliazabalaok)

Social Media: @ceciliazabalaok
Link tree: https://linktr.ee/ceciliazabala?utm_source=linktree_admin_share 

Videos:

Megan Bridge

Megan Bridge is an internationally touring performer, choreographer, educator, and dance researcher based in Philadelphia. She is the co-director of Fidget, an organization for experimental performance. Bridge has presented her choreography at The Philadelphia Museum of Art, FringeArts, and many other venues in Philadelphia, throughout the United States and internationally throughout Germany and Poland as well as in Vienna, Sofia, Bogotá, Tbilisi, Skopje, Rennes, Johannesburg, and Zurich. Bridge holds a BFA in dance from SUNY Purchase, and an MFA in dance from Temple University, where she currently serves as Adjunct Assistant Professor in the dance program. She previously served as Executive Director for thINKingDance (as well as writer and editor), and writes on dance and performance for Philly Artblog. She has published more than 30 articles for thINKingdance.net, as well several articles for the Dance Chronicle, Dance Magazine, and Pointe Magazine. Megan’s next project, a new solo choreographed by Rennie Harris, will premiere in the FringeArts Festival in Philadelphia in September 2025.

Venmo: @megan-bridge-3
Instagram: meganbridge_00
Facebook: /megan.bridge.00/
Website: www.thefidget.org

Video:

Charles Abramovic, Daniel Asia

Charles Abramovic is Chair of Keyboard Studies at Temple University’s Boyer College of Music in Philadelphia, where he has taught since 1988. Mr. Abramovic has performed often with such stellar artists as Midori, Sarah Chang, Robert McDuffie, Viktoria Mullova, Kim Kashkashian, Mimi Stillman and Jeffrey Khaner. His recording of the solo piano works of Delius for DTR recordings has been widely praised. He has recorded for EMI Classics with violinist Sarah Chang, and Avie Recordings with Philadelphia Orchestra principal flutist Jeffrey Khaner. An active participant in the musical life of Philadelphia, he performs regularly with the Dolce Suono Ensemble, Network for New Music, Orchestra 2001, and has frequently been a substitute orchestral pianist with the Philadelphia Orchestra. In 1997 he received the Career Development Grant from the Philadelphia Musical Fund Society, and in 2003 received the Creative Achievement Award from Temple University. Charles Abramovic is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, the Peabody Conservatory, and received his DMA from Temple University.  His teachers have included Natalie Phillips, Eleanor Sokoloff, Leon Fleisher, and Harvey Wedeen.  

Daniel Asia received a B.A. degree from Hampshire College and a M.M. from the Yale School of Music. Asia's works ranges from solo pieces to large-scale multi-movement works for orchestra, including five symphonies. He served on the faculty of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music as Assistant Professor of Contemporary Music and Wind Ensemble from 1981 to 1986. In 1986–88, a UK Fulbright Arts Fellowship and a Guggenheim Fellowship enabled him to work in London as a visiting lecturer at City University. Since 1988, he has been Professor of Composition and head of the composition department at the University of Arizona in Tucson. He conducts the New York-based contemporary chamber ensemble The Musical Elements, which he co-founded in 1977. Asia founded and directs the American Culture and Ideas Initiative.

Network for New Music’s Charles Abramovic performs Daniel Asia’s Why (?) Jacob for solo piano.  Network for New Music (NNM) commissions and performs new musical works by emerging and established artists of all identities. NNM fosters new generations of musicians, composers, and listeners of contemporary music through high-impact and interactive educational and outreach programs. We engage audiences with vibrant and thought-provoking musical experiences that challenge and inspire. NNM proudly presents excellent performances, innovative curation, in-depth education programs, and cross-genre collaborations—all with the purpose of enriching the cultural life of greater Philadelphia. Network engages fully with the rich diversity and cultural history of Philadelphia by encouraging an environment that is inclusive, supportive, and welcoming to all. 

Website: networkfornewmusic.org
Donate to our Annual Fund
Instagram: @networkfornewmusic 
Facebook: facebook.com/networkfornewmusic/

Video:

Cyrano Jett Rosentrater

Cyrano Jett Rosentrater, a composer and violinist from Philadelphia, crafts authentic and compelling musical experiences. A composition student of Dr. Thomas Weaver at the Curtis Institute of Music, Cyrano’s accolades include the 2025 Carnegie Hall NYO Composition Apprenticeship, winning the 2024 National Young Composers’ Challenge, the JW Pepper ISME International Composer Competition, Tanglewood Fanfare composition competition,  ACF Philadelphia Call for Scores, and the inaugural Philadelphia All-City Ballet Music Fellowship. As a violinist of 13 years, he presently studies with Kimberly Fisher of the Philadelphia Orchestra. He is a 2025 YoungArts Violin Winner and a semifinalist of the National Sphinx Competition, performing with groups like the Settlement Ann Newman Quartet and the Tres Voces Piano Trio. Cyrano will be a concertmaster of the 2025 National Pathways Festival Orchestra with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra; he also served as concertmaster of All-City Philadelphia High School Orchestra for several years. He is a From the Top Fellow and his show will be airing soon on NPR. Grateful for his mentors and teachers, Cyrano is committed to “reaching the unreachable stars” through his artistry.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_harmonious_blacksmith/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Handel-Handle

Videos:

Jill Salkin and Aaron Graves

Jill Salkin is a Philadelphia-based singer, who has released three CDs. She studied music at Temple University, and many years later, earned a masters degree in education from Chestnut Hill College. Jill was a teacher with the School District of Philadelphia for 18 years. Her long career as a vocalist has included singing in restaurants, clubs, and festivals. Recently, Jill’s last CD was promoted for airplay on many radio stations across the country and on the internet, including her home-town station, Temple’s WRTI. She has also been featured on WXPN’s, “Sleepy Hollow."

Jill’s website: JillSalkin.com
Facebook: Jill Salkin Music 

Pianist, Aaron Graves, also from Philadelphia, wears a lot of musician hats: composer, arranger, producer, and conductor. Raised in Reidsville, North Carolina, he learned to play various instruments including piano, bass, organ, and drums in the church where his father, a great musician with a musical family, was pastor. At the age of sixteen, Aaron attended The Duke Ellington School for the Performing Arts. He also attended Howard University and the University of the District of Columbia, where he won an endowment, and studied with jazz master Kenny Barron. Aaron has recorded and played with many jazz greats, such as Cassandra Wilson, Grover Washington, Jr., and Donald Byrd

https://www.aarongraves7.com/

Videos:

Margot Porter and Andrea Clearfield

Originally from Wisconsin, soprano Margot Porter has appeared with International Lyric Academy in Vicenza, Italy, Opera Omaha, and Opera Steamboat in Colorado.  Recent roles include Violetta in La Traviata, Madame Lidoine in Dialogues of the Carmelites, and Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte.  Ms. Porter is a third-year DMA student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Vimeo videos: https://vimeo.com/user228665416
Venmo:  https://venmo.com/u/mportz027

Creating deep emotive musical languages that build cultural and artistic bridges, the music of Andrea Clearfield is performed widely in the U.S. and abroad. She has been praised by the New York Times for her “graceful tracery and lively, rhythmically vital writing”, the Philadelphia Inquirer for her “compositional wizardry” and “mastery with large choral and instrumental forces”, the L.A. Times for her “fluid and glistening orchestration” and by Opera News for her “vivid and galvanizing” music of “timeless beauty”. She has written over 175 works for opera, chorus, orchestra, chamber ensemble, dance and multimedia including 17 cantatas. She has been awarded a Pew Center International Residency Award, a Pew Fellowship in the Arts, two Independence Foundation Fellowships, two Fellowships at the Rockefeller's Bellagio Center and Fellowships at the American Academy in Rome, MacDowell, Yaddo and Copland House among others. Dr. Clearfield served on the Composition Faculty at The University of the Arts from 1986-2011. As a pianist, she performed in the Relâche Ensemble for 25 years. She had the honor of performing with the Court of the Dalai Lama. Passionate about building community around the arts, she is founder, curator and host of the Philadelphia SZALON since 1986. She is represented by Black Tea Music. More at www.andreaclearfield.com

Andrea Carlson and David “Bop” Yager

Andrea Carlson hails from Tennessee, California, Texas, Illinois, and Pennsylvania. While a student in Chicago, she began playing in small groups, then with a big band. Earning her degree in Classical Guitar, she is now on the faculty of Philadelphia’s prestigious Settlement Music School. Andrea has written and released numerous award-winning songs (Cryin’, Mysterious Moon, Let Me Cook for You), more than seven albums of Songbook Standards, French Chanson, and Originals. And her sketches and paintings turn heads, too!

David "Bop" Yager started banging pots and pans before he could talk. That was in the Bronx -- actual percussion studies began after moving to New Jersey, then in college in Philadelphia with Armand Santarelli.  His early professional work was rock’n’roll, but from marches to orchestral tympani, latin, country, folk and even tabla, he has tried it.  He brings it all back to jazz: swing, jive, and of course bop!  Joining up with Andrea Carlson in early 2013 was a dream come true, playing swing-centric music with many influences, in many settings. Together they have toured extensively, including shows in seventeen US states and four European countries – this year will mark ten years at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival!

Stream and purchase my songs and albums! - https://andreacarlson.bandcamp.com/  [Seven studio albums to enjoy!]
Attend a live show and say Hello! - https://andreacarlsonmusic.com/home      [Check calendar page for more shows]
There's nothing wrong with tipping! - https://andreacarlsonmusic.com/support    [Thank you so very much!]

Videos:

Mike Monterey

At his core, the introspective 47-year-old Mike Montrey is the prototypical road-worn artist who has lived enough life to pour those experiences into his craft with uncompromising honesty. From passing family members, going through a divorce, having a child, and starting a business running music programs for adults with disabilities, adulthood’s joys and tests have all etched their marks into his soul over the last turbulent decade-plus In terms of legacy, Montrey has been a fixture in the music scene long enough to avoid clichés about musical journeys; his work speaks for itself. His previous collaborations with names like Grammy-winning producers Jim Scott and Marc Swersky brought different flavors to his music. However, with Love, Time & Mortality, Montrey brings us into his most personal songwriting yet.

www.mikemontreyband.com
www.instagram.com/mikemontreyband
www.facebook.com/mikemontreyband
Venmo | @mikemontrey
Paypal: mikemontrey@gmail.com

Valentina Sounds Trio

Valentina Sounds (Valentina Raffaelli) is an award winning Italian born/Philadelphia based singer-songwriter, voice coach and music director. Valentina's music is catchy and creative, blending pop melodies with her background in jazz and composition. She will draw you in with her powerful vocals, compelling stage presence and the hypnotic harmonies provided by her fantastic backup singers, Sara and Molly. 

Sara Mingle is a musical theater choreographer and teaching artist in Delaware County, as well as an avid knitter. Molly Hebert-Wilson studied musical theater at  NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. Since then, she has worked as an actress, musician, singer, voice teacher, and vocal coach for over a decade.

Valentina Sounds has been releasing and recording new songs, any donations will be highly appreciated. 

Venmo: @valentinasounds 
PayPal https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/valentinasounds

Links: 
www.valentinasounds.com
Socials:  Youtube, FB, IG

Recordings available everywhere you stream your music online!

Videos:

Iris Malkin and Daniel Gledhill

Israeli born Mezzo-Soprano Iris Malkin graduated from the Jerusalem Academy of Music with a Master’s Degree in Vocal Performance and an Artist Diploma in Piano - with a Vocal Coaching emphasis. Iris has performed widely in concerts and festivals in Israel, Europe, and the United States, and her performances have been broadcast worldwide. In addition to the mainstream operatic repertoire, Iris has distinguished herself in the world of Hebrew and Jewish works as well as the highly nuanced Spanish song repertoire. Iris has performed under the baton of Pierre Boulez during the 2006 Lucerne Festival, including collaboration with Boulez’ celebrated Ensemble Intercontemporain, and in 2011 was a guest soloist with the Chamber Orchestra of the South Bay. In 2012 she released her CD Cadencia, with songs from England, Spain, and Puerto Rico with award-winning guitarist Edward Trybek. She is the featured soloist on Stig Jonas Pettersson’s 2015 Album The Dracula Letters. Iris is in demand as a vocalist for films, video games and movie trailers. She is a featured soloist on the soundtrack of the film Kill Zone, nominated for Best Original Score at the 2009 Hollywood Music in Media Awards. Iris is on the faculty of the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music. Recently, she was a featured soloist with the LA Jewish symphony, performing works by women composers, including Andrea Clearfield's Women of Valor.
www.irismalkin.com

Daniel Gledhill began studying the piano at the age of 5. Since then, he has become an accomplished pianist, winning 1st prizes on both national and international stages. As a boy, a large part of Daniel’s musical influence came from videogames. The way they were able to portray the complex moods and emotions of simple pixelated characters greatly inspired him and he began composing melodies himself. Since beginning that journey he has developed many styles, but his favorite music to write has always been the lush, sweeping themes found in modern games that introduce the player to new worlds with the promises of grand adventures to come. His education continued at the University of Southern California where he attended the Scoring for Motion Pictures and Television program. Currently he works as a collaborative pianist for the University of California, Los Angeles and the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in Hollywood. He also free-lances as a composer, writing for solo piano as well as small and large orchestral ensembles for film and concert settings.

www.danielgledhill.com