May 23rd ZALON Program
1. Beth Silver performs traditional Eastern European Jewish music reimagined for cello, from her home in Toronto, ON
2. Mongolian singer, Tamir Hargana, performs two traditional songs “Aduun Sureg” (Mongolian) and “Eki Attar” (Tuvan throat singing) from his home in Chicago, IL
3. Violist Brett Deubner and pianist Allison Brewster Franzetti will perform “Mother Earth” written for Brett by Sicilian composer Maurizio Bignone, performed from Ms. Brewster Franzetti’s home in NJ
4. Rick Treffers will perform from his apartment in Amsterdam an acoustic version of his song “Relief”, and a video of “Time is Really Running Out”
5. Walter Hawkes will perform random acts of ukulele, trombone, and technology from his evil lair/studio in Long Island City, NY
6. Quey Percussion Duo (Gene Koshinski and Tim Broscious) will perform Piru Bole by John Bergamo from Gene's home studio in North East, MD
7. Navajo composer/pianist Connor Chee will perform 3 original works “Coyotes” and Navajo Vocables for Piano Nos. 9 and 12 from his home in Phoenix, AZ
8. Lisa Jeanette (singer-songwriter) will perform original songs from her new album, Jellyfish on the Moon, from her home in West Chester, PA
9. Choreographer Silvana Cardell will present her work Presenting Reconvene, where COVID-19 cannot reach, a dance film on rethinking interactions and shared spaces, from her home in Philadelphia, PA
Performer Bios, Program Information, and Link for Donations
Below you will find links that some of the performers have included where you can buy music and other merchandise, find additional content, or make a donation. Please consider supporting these musicians for donating their time and artistry this evening!
During these trying times for performers, your contributions are greatly appreciated.
For donations please click here, where you could contribute to the most current performance. To donate to specific performers, please see the links under their bios for the Zalon in which they performed.
Donations for the current Zalon will be collected on behalf of all performers by our fiscal sponsor, Crossroads Music. For questions about donations, please contact Gerardo Razumney at Zalon.Donations@AOL.com.
The Zalon is a labor of love. All team members are volunteering their time, including Andrea, who is also covering expenses. You may contribute to cover part of the Zalon expenses, by indicating this on the PayPal donation form.
Beth Silver
Beth Silver is thrilled to be part of a community in which she can thrive on her intuition and creativity. As an involved freelancer based in Toronto, she is admired for her expressive, compelling playing and her abilities to paint in many colors through her instrument and capture character and spontaneity in music - especially amidst interactive chamber settings. A lover of many genres, Beth is equally at home in a traditional classical ensemble as she is in a band arranging and exploring new voices for cello. She has emerged as a leading voice in the world’s klezmer community, adapting traditional klezmer fiddle styles for the cello. Performances with various chamber projects have brought her to festivals around the world and throughout Canada, including with Canada's up-and-coming Ladom Ensemble. She is the recipient of grants from the Canada Council and Ontario Arts Council and her awards include the 2014 Ben Steinberg Musical Legacy Award recognizing musical achievement in the Canadian Jewish community.
Website: www.bethsilvercello.com
Ladom Ensemble: www.ladomensemble.com
Instagram: @bethleora
Paypal: beth.silver@live.ca
Tamir Hargana
Tamir Hargana, now based in Chicago, IL, was born in Hulunbuir, Inner Mongolia and is a world-class performer of Mongolian and Tuvan music. He received his M.A. in World Music Performance from Northern Illinois University in 2017 and received his undergraduate degree from Inner Mongolia University Arts College with a specialty in throat singing (khöömii). He one of the only active performers of khöömii in the United States and is also a multi-instrumentalist, accompanying himself on traditional instruments from Mongolia and Tuva, such as the morin khuur (Mongolian horse-head fiddle), tovshuur (Mongolian plucked lute), doshpuluur (Tuvan plucked lute) and igil (Tuvan fiddle). Tamir has won numerous awards and prizes at throat singing competitions held in Mongolia, Tuva, and in Shilingol, Inner Mongolia, and Manzhouli, China. He has presented concerts, presentations, and workshops across the U.S., Mongolia, Russia, Indonesia, Taiwan, and China.
Website tamirhargana.com
Venmo: @Tamir-Hargana
Brett Deubner and Allison Brewster Franzetti
Violist Brett Deubner is one of the foremost violists of his generation. A sought-after soloist, he has given the viola a new standing in the world of classical music with his virtuosity, commitment to championing new music and his mentoring of this generation’s young artists. Deubner studied at the Eastman School of Music in New York where his principal teachers were Zvi Zeitlin (violin), Martha Katz (viola) and John Graham (viola). After graduating, he landed major orchestra positions, was a founding member of several acclaimed chamber ensembles, was on the string faculty of leading music schools and participated in world renowned festivals. Deubner’s debut with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra premiering Lalo Schifrin’s Triple Concerto resulted in numerous engagements. Deubner has performed with more than 80 orchestras in 11 countries. He has received over 50 viola concertos composed and dedicated to him and has made 20 CDs on various labels such as Naxos, Centaur, Innova and Albany to critical acclaim. His CD release with the Orquesta de Heredia has garnered a 2019 Latin Grammy nomination for “Best Classical CD Recording”. During the 2020-2021 season, Brett will perform with the Bismarck Symphony, the Michigan Philharmonic, the Rigdewood Symphony, the Boston Civic Orchestra, Orlando Contemporary Chamber Orchestra, Berklee College of Music, the Olympia Philharmonic, and the Round Top Festival Institute. A passionate chamber music collaborator, he has performed with Pinchas Zukerman, Joseph Kalichstein, Andre Michel-Schub, Carol Wincenc, the Tokyo Quartet and the Vermeer Quartet among others. He lives in NYC where he is on the string faculty of the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College. In 2017 he received the U.S. Congressional Certificate of Recognition for his commitment to Music and Education. He plays on a viola made for him by Alejandro Bacelar.
2008 GRAMMY® nominee for Best Instrumental Soloist without Orchestra for 20th Century Piano Sonatas on Naxos Records, pianist Allison Brewster Franzetti has received international acclaim from critics and audiences alike for stunning virtuosity and musicality. She has performed with the Brooklyn Philharmonic, Long Island Philharmonic, English Sinfonia, Denver Symphony, Colonial Symphony, Queens Symphony, European Women’s Orchestra, Buenos Aires Philharmonic, Janáček Philharmonic, and the City of Prague Philharmonic. Solo recitals include critically acclaimed débuts at Merkin Hall, New York and Teatro Colón, Buenos Aires, a special performance at the GRAMMY® Salute to Classical Music honoring Lang Lang and Earl Wild, and concerts throughout the United States, Mexico, Europe, Argentina and Japan. She is also a 2002 and 2003 GRAMMY® Award nominee. An accomplished chamber musician, she has collaborated with renowned composers and performers, including Sir James Galway, John Corigliano, Carlos Franzetti, Lowell Liebermann, David Maslanka, Stephen Paulus, Eugenia Zukerman, Julius Baker and Robert White.
https://www.naxos.com/person/Allison_Brewster_Franzetti/40912.htm
Rick Treffers
Rick Treffers is a Dutch singer-songwriter, guitar player and producer, keen on inventing pop melodies in different languages, embedding them in subtly crafted, layered songs. He has a recognizable way of singing and composing and his songs could be categorized somewhere between dream pop, chamber pop and indie folk. In 2016, the German press called him the king of melancholy - or a younger version of Paul McCartney. With his former band Mist, Treffers released many albums and toured across the globe, with his beloved Spain as his main destiny (and second homebase). His brand new record Looking For A Place To Stay is the first album in English that is being released under his own name.
Website: http://www.ricktreffers.com
Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/62ocrWxMpp1d6bNs3sn3bE?si=TbB0ALCCRBuEe2aYR9vHug
https://open.spotify.com/artist/1ZpFnQUO3zl4tjIIGCCncL?si=r42CmxVKS8mzPwGK8DYJGA
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/ricktreffersmusic/
Instagram: @ricktreffers
Twitter: @ricktreffers
J. Walter Hawkes
Originally from Pascagoula, MS, four time Emmy Award-winning composer/trombonist/ukulele player J. Walter Hawkes has been an active performer, composer, and arranger/orchestrator in New York City for a quarter century. He has played and/or recorded with some people you've possibly heard of (Norah Jones, Elvis Costello, Taylor Mac, Madeleine Peyroux) and many more you haven't. It's also very possible that he's freaked out your little kids as Music Director and Lead Composer for "Peg + Cat" (PBS) and has also composed music for "Clifford The Big Red Dog" (Amazon), "Wonder Pets,"(Nick) "Third & Bird,"(BBC/Disney) "Blue's Clues"(Nick).
patirwinjwalterhawkes.bandcamp.com
venmo @jwalterhawkes
Quey Percussion Duo
For more than 17 years, Quey [“Kway”] Percussion Duo has dazzled audiences worldwide with their unmistakable style that blends traditions of Western and non-Western percussion, contemporary, classical, and popular music to create colorful sound worlds that often place focus on interlocking counterpoint and musical multi-tasking. Comprised of members Gene Koshinski and Tim Broscious, QPD has performed throughout the world in music festivals, chamber music series’, art galleries, conventions, professional orchestras, and have engaged in more than 75 university residencies worldwide. As new music advocates, QPD has generated nearly 200 new works written for the duo (or by the duo), many of which become instant “earworms” for audiences and staples in the repertoire for percussionists worldwide. They have recorded on the Naxos, Centaur, and Equilibrium record labels and recently released their album soniChroma on the Innova label. QPD holds the only full-time residency by a percussion duo in the US at the University of Delaware where they co-direct the percussion program, deliver various chamber ensembles, coordinate applied lessons, and present joint studio classes. QPD is endorsed by Pearl/Adams Instruments, Sabian Cymbals, Innovative Percussion, and Remo Drumheads.
Piru Bole is a high-energy and open score work based on Indian drumming concepts where vocal syllables outline the structure of the piece. There is no restriction of instrumentation or number of players and performers use the vocal syllable score to guide them through the piece, making decisions on how they translate those spoken syllables to sounds on their instruments. This performance is one of infinite interpretations and will feature the following instruments: tar, riq, darbuka, cajon, kanjira, bodhrán, bongos, Chinese cymbals, floor tom, and wind chimes.
WEBSITE
CD
https://gene-koshinski.square.site/product/sonichroma-cd-/70?cs=true&cst=custom
https://gene-koshinski.square.site/product/layers-cd-/32?cs=true&cst=custom
https://gene-koshinski.square.site/product/currents-cd-/25?cs=true&cst=custom
SOCIAL MEDIA
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCG9qnnTKX1FRjGqpP9WSofQ
Facebook: Quey Percussion Duo, Gene Koshinski, Tim Broscious
Instagram: Gene Koshinski, Tim Broscious
Connor Chee
Navajo pianist and composer Connor Chee is known for combining his classical piano training with his Native American heritage. Chee made his Carnegie Hall debut at the age of 12 after winning a gold medal in the World Piano Competition. A graduate of the Eastman School of Music and the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music, Chee’s solo piano music is inspired by traditional Navajo chants and songs. Chee has released 3 studio albums of original pieces and piano transcriptions of Navajo music. The Navajo Piano won Best Instrumental Recording at the 16th Annual Native American Music Awards, and his piece “Beginnings” won Best New Age Song. Chee’s most recent release, Scenes from Dinétah, features piano pieces written about elements of Navajo life and culture. It has been accompanied by the release of several music videos filmed on the reservation, directed by Navajo filmmaker Michael Etcitty Jr.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/connorcheemusic
Instagram: http://instagram.com/connorchee
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/connorchee
Website: www.ConnorChee.com
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/606EAclz9bWxTVthLVELZL?si=KITDEkVgTMybK69JB6a28Q
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/connor-chee/
CashApp: $connorchee
PayPal: http://paypal.me/connorchee
Venmo: @Connor-Chee
Lisa Jeanette
After earning a Bachelor of Music in Performance at Temple University in double-bass performance, singer-songwriter Lisa Jeanette dabbled in songwriting for years, until a new roommate in the form of a baby grand piano enabled her muse and the writing hasn’t stopped. She released Jellyfish on the Moon, her second album, on March 1, 2021 to much critical acclaim, and in its first month, the album ranked #4 on the FAI Folk DJ charts. Born and raised in Philadelphia, the youngest of nine, Lisa took to time-sharing her siblings’ guitars. For the past few years, she has been finding her voice and honing her song-writing skills while being coached and mentored by Vance Gilbert and attending Ellis Paul's songwriting retreats. Before the quarantine, Lisa performed at Philadelphia area venues including The Kennett Flash, The Living Room, and Jamey’s House of Music. She also performed at many festivals in 2019 including The Black Bear Festival in Goshen, CT, The Ladybug Festival, Wilmington, DE, Turks Head Fest, The Downingtown Arts Fest, the Wayne Porchfest, and the Chester County Restaurant festival.
Lisa's performance at the 2020 Philadelphia Folk Festival Contest led her to be the first artist booked for the 2021 festival. Her music is available on the major streaming platforms and on her website at lisajeanette.com.
Silvana Cardell
Artistic Director Silvana Cardell is a dancer, choreographer and renowned educator. Her work has been presented across the US and internationally since the mid 90’. Invested in advancing dance in the communities where she lives and works, Cardell has created several organizations. In Argentina, she created EDA Escuela de Danza del Abasto, a three-year professional training sponsored by Secretaria de Cultura de la Nacion and credited by The Board of Private Schools. Along with her husband, architect Pablo Meninato, created Sala Ana Itelman, a performance space sponsored by the Instituto Nacional del Teatro, which showcased year-round avant-garde dance and physical theater national and international productions. She was a founder member of the board of directors of COCOA -Datei, a nonprofit organization devoted to developing the field of dance and independent dance groups in Argentina. In Philadelphia, she extensively collaborated with Manfred Fishbeck in Group Motion Dance Company, Scrap Performance Group, Merian Soto and with theater director Blanka Zizka. She has also created Cardell Dance Theater, a professional ensemble that gathers artists to create innovative and provocative dance performances. Cardell has a strong commitment to create forms of dance that intersect fields and cross boundaries, seeking to create performance that can connect us at deeper levels of consciousness. She was on the faculty at the School of Dance of The University of the Arts from 2005-2009 and has been the Georgian Court University Department of Dance Director and Chair since 2009.
Presenting Reconvene, where COVID-19 cannot reach, a film created rethinking interactions and shared spaces, I created this work for the camera, virtually while also directing dancers under strict social distance safety protocols. The result was a dance created mostly in isolation, without physical contact, and exploring open spaces and underwater. When breathing was at stake, wishing to grasp and share the air again, in Reconvene the air becomes visible, underwater, in the beach breeze and in the movement.
Directed and edited by Silvana Cardell
Music: Oceana, Tenebrae First Movement by composer Osvaldo Golijov
Video footage was created by performers filming with phones and GoPro cameras.
Performers: Ally Ferro, Esmeralda Luciano, Alonzo Magsino, Tiffany Quinby, Tyler Rivera, Courtney Robbins, and Quincy Southerland.
Poems:
1. Derek Walcott, "Love after love". Voice: Quincy Southerland.
2. Tyler Rivera, poem and voice.
3. Hermann Hesse, Siddhartha. Voice: Silvana Cardell
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Learn more about them on our Team Page.