Dr. Jessica Lindsey, clarinet professor at UNC Charlotte, and special guests perform poetic new music by Black and Latina women composers of the 20th and 21st centuries in a special Charlotte SHOUT concert in the Pianosdrome at Grace Church. In combination with piano, saxophone, and a string quartet, the clarinet will tell stories and paint pictures, ending with a solo bass clarinet performance of Billie Holliday’s “God Bless the Child.” With pianist Judith Porter, saxophonist Ben Still, violinists Kari Giles and Alice Silva, violist Marcus Pyle, and cellist Mira Frisch.
PROGRAM
Las Dolly Sisters for clarinet in b-flat and alto saxophone by Gabriela Ortiz
Two Letters for clarinet, violoncello, and piano by Zenobia Powell Perry
Safety Amongst for solo clarinet by Liz Gre
Seven Singing Butterflies for clarinet and string quartet by Victoria Borisova-Ollas
God Bless The Child for bass clarinet solo, arr. By Eric Dolphy
ARTIST BIOS
Jessica Lindsey has established herself as a dynamic performer and pedagogue, pursuing a career that is equally devoted to both spheres. Her reputation as a clarinetist in both chamber and orchestral settings has seen her perform throughout the United States and as far afield as China and New Zealand. A genuine artist of today’s changing musical landscape, Lindsey is committed to pushing the boundaries of the clarinet; by commissioning new repertoire, championing music by diverse composers, and showcasing works through commercial recordings, performances at festivals, and conferences presentations. Lindsey has championed the music of living composers from a wide variety of backgrounds through two CD projects: Little Spectacle and Set No Limits (Albany Records). Fanfare Magazine described her as, “a master of her instrument, exhibiting wonderful dynamic shading and breath control.” Lindsey actively performs with Spatial Forces Duo, a bass/clarinet duo she co-founded with Christy Banks which has received critical acclaim for its energetic performances of electroacoustic music. In Charlotte, she plays bass clarinet with the Burnt Reeds, a quintet of Charlotte-based reed players (clarinet, oboe, bassoon, saxophone, and bass clarinet) who are dedicated to commissioning and performing repertoire for this emerging configuration of chamber ensemble. As an orchestral player, she has performed with the Lincoln and Omaha symphonies, Fairbanks Symphony Orchestra, Opera Fairbanks, Nebraska Chamber Orchestra, and the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra.
Mira Frisch, Professor of Cello and Director of String Chamber Music at UNC Charlotte, has performed as a recitalist and chamber musician throughout the United States and in Bermuda, Italy, and France. Her recordings as a member of Duo XXI, with violinist Anna Cromwell, were released on the Albany Records label in 2010 and 2014. The ensemble’s performance was called “beautifully played” by American Record Guide and their “precise ensemble playing” was noted by Fanfare Magazine. Frisch can also be heard on the album There Lies the Home, produced by Cantus; Songs of the Fisherman, an opera for tenor, dancer, and chamber ensemble; and Dark Dances, a recording of the chamber music of composer John Allemeier. Frisch has performed as guest principal cellist with the Charleston Symphony, as a section cellist with the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, and with the Madison Park String Quartet. She is a founding member of the Charlotte Strings Collective. Frisch is past-president of the North Carolina Chapter of the American String Teachers Association. She has presented at national conferences of the American String Teachers Association, College Music Society, Music Teachers National Association, and the Society of Composers.
Kari Giles became Assistant Concertmaster of the Charlotte Symphony in 2006. Growing up in western North Carolina, she received both her High School and Bachelor of Music degrees from the North Carolina School of the Arts under the tutelage of Elaine Richey. Giles later earned her Master's Degree in Chamber Music Performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and continued her studies at the University of Minnesota. Her major influences include former Concertmaster of the Minnesota Orchestra Jorja Fleezanis, Robert Mann of the Juilliard Quartet, and Mark Sokol of the Concord Quartet. Giles is passionate about chamber music and new music in particular. A founding member of the Madison Park String Quartet and the Charlotte Strings Collective, she enjoys curating programs that feature local composers, diverse styles, and collaborations with other art forms. Recent performances include a street performance with Your Neighborhood Orchestra at the Boom Festival 2019, Listen! Race Matters as a member of the A Sign of the Times Strings, an evening of eclectic Off the Rails music at Snug Harbor in Charlotte, and a collaboration with the musicians of Aarohan Music for the Festival of India 2019. Her recordings include Songs of the Fisherman and Dark Dances: Compositions by John Allemeier on Albany Records; Reflections on the Firebird, with the Bechtler Ensemble; and a simple sound by To Be Sure. As an educator, Giles maintains a small private studio, serves as adjunct professor of violin at Winthrop University, and coaches with the Youth Orchestras of Charlotte.
Pianist Judith Porter is an instructor of music at Gaston College in Dallas, NC, where she teaches Music Appreciation and Introduction to Jazz. Porter is also active outside the classroom, particularly with the Multicultural Affairs Committee at Gaston College. She served twice as president (2014-2016; 2020-2022) and led the group in bringing a variety of cultural and educational programming to the campus. In 2019-2020, she, along with 11 other teachers from North Carolina, participated in the UNC-Chapel Hill World View Global Music Fellows Program: Integrating Global Music Across the Curriculum with the Music of Abigail Washburn and Wu Fei. This program culminated in the creation of a comprehensive teaching toolkit with background information, lesson plans, learning activities and educator resources designed to integrate global music into K-12 and community college classrooms. The teaching toolkit accompanies the Smithsonian Folkways album Wu Fei and Abigail Washburn, released in April 2020. Porter has toured as pianist and/or musical director for national tours and has appeared as on- camera and voice-over talent for commercials and industrial videos. She is a jazz pianist/singer who performs regularly in the greater Charlotte area. She is also a weekend host on 90.7 WFAE, Charlotte’s NPR News Source.
Marcus R. Pyle is a violist and musicologist and the inaugural Franco Professor of the Humanities and Assistant Professor of Musicology at Davidson College. He is also the Artistic Director of the Davidson Concert Series, presented by WDAV; President of the American Musicological Society, Southeast; and a member of the Charlotte Strings Collective. Pyle holds degrees from New York University, Dartmouth College, The Juilliard School, and the Royal Music Academy in London. He has concertized with the Royal Ballet Sinfonia; has performed at Schoenbrunn Palace, Cadogan Hall, Henry Wood Hall, St. John’s Smith Square, and Royal Festival Hall; and has performed concerts in France, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, and Austria. He has done this while collaborating with conductors such as James Levine, Semyon Bychkov, Sir Colin Davis, Alan Gilbert, Sir Simon Rattle, Leif Segerstam, and Yan Pascal Tortelier. In London he performed with the Kensington Symphony Orchestra, Charities Philharmonia, Brent Symphony Orchestra, Verdandi Camerata, London Arts Orchestra, and the London Shostakovich Orchestra. In the United States he has performed with the Dallas Symphony
Orchestra, Dallas Chamber Orchestra, Clear Lake Symphony, Las Colinas Symphony, Garland Symphony, Symphony Arlington, Juilliard Symphony, and was principal violist of the New Juilliard Ensemble and performed in the movie Annie (2014). Pyle has performed recitals at Lincoln Center and concerts at Carnegie Hall. He has also performed for Kim Kashkashian’s “Music for Food” series in Los Angeles. He was the guest violist performing alongside musicians of the Chamber Musicians of Lincoln Center, Quartet131, and the Sullivan String Quartet.
Violinist Alice Silva was born in Fortaleza, Brazil, where she began her music studies. She transferred to UNC Charlotte where she completed a Bachelor of Music degree studying under distinguished professor David Russell. She was concerto competition finalist at Ohio University where she received a Master’s of Music degree. In 2018 she became a Doctoral candidate at University of Missouri in Kansas City. She regularly freelances with symphony orchestras around the greater Charlotte region and has performed with ensembles such as the Western Piedmont Symphony, Union Symphony, and Charlotte Symphony Orchestra. Silva is a proud member of Charlotte Strings Collective, where she participates in presenting works by Black composers. Outside of playing, she is a reservist in the U.S. Army and a computer programmer.
Saxophonist Ben Still is an active solo and chamber musician throughout the United States. An alumnus of UNC Charlotte, he serves on the faculties of UNC Charlotte and Lenoir-Rhyne University, where he teaches applied saxophone and clarinet, chamber music, and music theory and ear training courses. An avid chamber music advocate, Ben is a founding member and tenor saxophonist of Mirasol Quartet. He has been a prizewinner and finalist in numerous national chamber music competitions, including the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, the American Prize Chamber Music Competition, the ENKOR Chamber Music Competition, the Coleman Chamber Ensemble Competition, the Music Teachers National Association Chamber Winds Competition, and the North American Saxophone Alliance Biennial Quartet Competition. As a soloist, he was a national finalist in the Music Teachers National Association Young Artist Solo Competition and the winner of the Texas Tech University Concerto Competition. Additionally, Ben has performed at North American Saxophone Alliance Biennial and Regional Conferences, the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic (Chicago, IL), and has presented and performed at the International Saxophone Symposium (Fairfax, VA) and Texas Music Educators Association Conference (San Antonio, TX). He has performed with the Lubbock Symphony
Orchestra, the Midland-Odessa Symphony Orchestra, and the Texas Tech University Symphony Orchestra. As a jazz and commercial musician, he has performed with artists such as Rodney Booth, Steve Lippia, John Riley, Bob McChesney, Rich Perry, Jim Riggs, Bill Watrous, and Ethan Helm.
This event is a part of Charlotte SHOUT and is free!