Flutist Valerie Coleman and bassoonist Monica Ellis of Imani Winds talk to Noted Endeavors about how Imani became the world-famous group it is today. The only full-time touring American wind quintet, they’ve been together for 17 years, and travel the globe giving concerts while also creating workshops, residencies and performing in special collaborations. With two member composers and their Legacy Commissioning program, Imani Winds is expanding wind quintet repertoire while meaningfully mixing traditional European and American music with that of their own African-American and Latin heritages. Dedicated to education and to mentoring talents of all ages, their summer chamber music festival is one of their most important projects.
Clear Ideas for Raising Capital
Called by Time Out New York “a forward-thinking venue that seeks to showcase disparate musical styles under one roof,” Le Poisson Rouge continues to present cutting edge events as well as traditional classics, pop, jazz and almost any genre of performance you can think of. “The venue is a downright musical marvel,” as the New York Times dubbed it. Its co-founders, David Handler and Justin Kantor, are downright candid in their belief that experiencing music from completely different perspectives in a dynamic environment is a thrilling experience. Judging by the huge volume of concerts and vast number of attendees, audiences agree.
Practical Realities of Making a Living As a Musician
“Here I am, crisscrossing the country in new work, with new collaborators, making new friends,” Daniel Bernard Roumain writes in a November newsletter. He has composed the original score for a unique storytelling experience, produced by NPR Presents, named Water±.
In addition he’s been named co-chair of the 2015 APAP conference, and he’s joined the board of Directors of Creative Capital. DBR shows, according to the Washington Post, “what it means to push boundaries of musical genres to new heights.” An artist with a multitude of ideas who accomplishes them, he’s remarkably generous in sharing his strategies for turning thought into creative action.
Residencies & Outreach: What We Love to Do Most
SHUFFLE Concert has performed all over the United States, in Europe, and recently traveled to Israel for its fourth tour there. Each of the members of this unique group has performed extensively as soloist and collaborative musician throughout the world. The musicians are drawn from Israel, Spain and the United States. Their achievements outside the ensemble are formidable and all of them are dedicated to doing outreach and residencies. The founder of SHUFFLE Concert, Eliran Avni says that outreach to bring the joy of music to young and old is “a crusade” for the group. They have created a special outreach fund to make certain they can do as much outreach as possible.
For-Profit or Not-for-Profit, That is the Question
International prize-winning pianists (and husband-and-wife) Ran Dank and Soyeon Lee, founders of the concert series Music by the Glass, discuss their reasons for wanting to be a not-for-profit organization. They explain, step-by-step, how and why they came to their decision and why it seemed to be the best plan for them. They created their unique series, Music by the Glass, in 2013 to create “an intimate, exhilarating and stimulating musical experience.” We interviewed Soyeon and Ran just a few weeks before their first baby arrived. Noah Lee-Dank is now a happy bouncing baby boy, and MBTG continues to thrive.