Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island is a non-profit that provides programs and services to immigrants, refugees, and those looking to overcome cultural, educational, economic, and language barriers. Dorcas International has worked to empower newcomers for 100 years now and strives to create a welcoming environment for all who come to settle here in the Ocean State. Thank you to Baha Sadr and the Dorcas team for this on-going collaboration.
Providence Public Library (PPL) is a 146-year-old nonprofit corporation providing free public library services through its rich and historic physical and digital collections, extensive information resources, thought-provoking exhibitions, impactful educational programs, and expert staff. PPL is continually transforming and focused on providing equally transformative experiences for all Rhode Islanders. The Library is actively expanding its reach through statewide collaborations and serving as an open and supportive teaching and learning place where communities can connect, experience, create and achieve, whether in the physical or virtual realms.
Jesse Holstein, violinist and violist, has been a Resident Musician at CMW since 2001. He was a founding member of the Providence String Quartet. Prior to studying with Marilyn McDonald at Oberlin and James Buswell at New England Conservatory, he worked with Philipp Naegele in Northampton, MA. An active recitalist, orchestral and chamber musician, Jesse is currently concertmaster of the New Bedford Symphony. He has performed at the Bravo! Festival, the Montana Chamber Music Festival, the Bay Chamber Concerts, the Worcester Chamber Music Society, The South Coast Chamber Music Series, the Rhode Island Chamber Music Concerts, and the Apple Hill Center for Chamber Music, among others. In 2009 Jesse was a Violin Professeur at L’Ecole de Musique, Dessaix Baptiste in Haiti and is currently on faculty at Brown University. One of his interests is how Buddhist mindfulness practice and meditation intersects with teaching and performing music.
Vocalist Nima Mehri is originally from Iran and grew up in Tehran. In 2019, Mehri moved to the United States to “beautiful Rhode Island.” He has an electrical engineering background, but Mehri’s passion is art; he loves design and architecture and is especially interested in interior design. In 2021, Mehri made steps to pursue his passion and was admitted to Rhode Island School of Design. Mehri says, “Iranian art plays a huge role in my development as a person in general. I adore Iranian traditional music and songs, and I’ve played them on guitar and sung these songs since my teen years. Though I have never formally studied music, it is one of my biggest passions.” Accompanied by the MusicWorks Collective, Mehri performs “Gol-e Sangam,” which means “my stone flower.” This iconic Persian language song is about someone being in love yet facing rejection. “Gol-e Sangam” was first performed in the 1970s based on the lyrics of Iranian poet Bijan Samandar, and is very popular in Iran, Afghanistan and in the region in general and is performed widely and in different versions by many singers. “Gol-e Sangam,” says Mehri, “is a song close to my heart.”
Syrian-American Kareem Roustom is an Emmy-nominated composer whose genre crossing collaborations include music commissioned by conductor Daniel Barenboim and the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, the Kronos Quartet, arrangements for pop icons Shakira and Tina Turner, as well as a recent collaboration with acclaimed British choreographer Shobana Jeyasingh. Roustom has been composer-in-residence at the Grant Park Music Festival in Chicago, the Grand Teton Music Festival in Wyoming, and with the Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen in Germany. For the 2021-2022 season Roustom is composer-in-residence with the Mannheim Philharmonic. Roustom’s music has been performed by ensembles that include the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Minnesota Orchestra, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, the Pittsburgh Symphony, the Boulez Ensemble, the Deutsch Oper Berlin, The Crossing choir, Lorelei Ensemble, A Far Cry, and at renowned festivals and halls such as the BBC Proms, the Salzburg Festival, the Lucerne Festival, Carnegie Hall, the Verbier Festival, the Pierre Boulez Saal in Berlin, the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, and others. Roustom has received many commissions and has also been recorded by the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester (Berlin), and the Philharmonia Orchestra (London).
Vocalist Habib Shah lives in Providence after relocating from Afghanistan. Shah chose to perform the song “Biyaadi dal” because the lyrics tell of “someone missing something, like I miss my country.” This Songs of Refuge collaboration with the MusicWorks Collective is Habib Shah’s first appearance as a vocalist before an audience.
Vocalist Karine Tukhikyan is a refugee from Russia. She and her family were resettled by Dorcas International of Rhode Island in 2020. Tukhikyan loves to sing and play the guitar, and is active in her local Slavic church, saying “Christ and Christianity are the most important part of my life.” Her performance of “Prayer for Ukraine” highlights the concern and caring that Tukhikyan holds for the Ukrainian people, which she underscores by participating in several projects to aid Ukrainian citizens. Learn more here: https://www.facebook.com/baking.for.Ukraine and https://www.instagram.com/baking_for_ukraine/
Our final Sonata Series event of the season features works by two American composers— William Grant Still and George Walker—which may be new to some listeners.
Featuring perfomers Minna Choi, Kamyron Williams, and Andrei Baumann.
George Walker’s Sonata for Cello and Piano is rhapsodic and complex and pushes performers to their limits in musical expression and technique. In contrast, William Grant Still’s Pastorela and Summerland are vignettes of sorts, conveying Still’s musical musings inspired by scenes of wilderness and the landscapes of the American West. Guest artist Andrei Baumann, piano, joins resident musician Minna Choi, violin, and Cello Fellow Kamyron Williams for this program. You won’t want to miss this!
An active soloist, chamber musician, Andrei Baumann has performed extensively in the USA, Europe, Canada and Venezuela. As winner of the 2009 Borromeo String Quartet Guest Artist Award, he performed with the quartet in Jordan Hall on January 29th, 2009. His Carnegie Hall debut at Weill Recital Hall occurred in May 2008 with violinist Lily Francis as part of the Distinctive Debuts series. Other notable performances include a solo recital on the Sundays Live Concert Series at Los Angeles County Arts Museum which was broadcast by KCSN, 88.5 FM, solo recitals at the Crocker Art Museum Classical Music Series in California, performances at Caramoor Festival and with Itzhak Perlman at the Perlman Music Program. Andrei has performed in masterclasses for such distinguished artists as Elisso Wirssaladze, Pavel Gililov, Leon Fleisher, Claude Frank and Marc Durand. Among the numerous festivals he has participated in are Corsi in Sermoneta, Italy; Ost-West Musikfest in Krems, Austria; Internationaler Kammermusikkurs in Böhlen, Germany; Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival in Finland; Banff Centre for the Arts and Orford Arts Centre in Canada; and in the USA, Aspen Music Festival, Perlman Music Program.
Recent performances have included a Mothers Day performance (2017) of the Grieg Piano Concerto with Peter Jaffe and the Auburn Symphony, and numerous chamber music performances with cellist Susan Lamb Cook and friends. Mr. Baumann is a frequent performer at the Mondavi Center, Harris Center, Crocker Art Museum and others venues in Northern California. He also recently released a second album Miroirs, which includes works by Bach, Debussy and Ravel.
Mr. Baumann has a Masters of Music in Piano Performance from New England Conservatory in Boston, a Künstlerischer Ausbildung Diploma from the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Stuttgart, Germany, and a Bachelor of Music degree at the Glenn Gould School of The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, Canada. His most influential teachers have been Andre Laplante, Jamie Saltman and Vivian Hornik Weilerstein.
Mr. Baumann has been a piano faculty member at the Rivers School Conservatory in Weston, MA, Head of the Piano Department at Camp Encore/Coda in Sweden, Maine, and piano faculty at the Sacramento Youth Symphony Summer Chamber Music Workshop. Additionally, he has been a jury member at the A. Ramon Rivera Piano Competition at Rivers School Conservatory in Weston.
Currently living in Providence, RI, Mr. Baumann performs regularly as a soloist and chamber musician with members of Community Music Works. Recent collaborations have included programs with the Newport, RI dance group Island Moving Company. He teaches locally at the Rhode Island Philharmonic Music School.
MINNA CHOI, violin
Minna Choi is part of the “lifer club” at CMW and serves as the Fellowship Program Director. A graduate of Brown University, Minna has been a resident musician since CMW’s opening season and was a founding member of the Providence String Quartet. She earned her Master of Music in Violin Performance from the Hartt School of Music, where she was a winner of the Miami String Quartet competition. Minna has performed with the Boston Philharmonic and Rhode Island Philharmonic, and with the Borromeo, Turtle Island, and St. Lawrence String Quartets and violist Kim Kashkashian. Influential teachers include Eric Rosenblith, Katie Lansdale, and Lois Finkel. Minna’s interest in education began in her undergraduate years while studying the works of John Dewey, and she is passionate about music education as a vehicle for youth development. She lives in Providence with her husband, two girls and a beloved orange tabby cat, and in her spare time enjoys finding new recipes, practicing yoga and exploring RI hikes.
KAMYRON WILLIAMS, cello
Kamyron is Teaching Artist Fellow at CMW. He is originally from Tampa (FL) where his musical training started when his best friend persuaded him to join the middle school orchestra program in order to have a class together. This spontaneous entrance into the orchestra community has since led him to an abundance of opportunities as a performer, collaborator, and educator.While Kamyron has performed on stages across the Midwest and New England, his work with diversity-oriented arts organizations, ensembles, and initiatives has garnered significant attention, in the “American Black Journal” series on PBS and NPR Michigan Radio. After both performing and leading community outreach for the Sphinx Organization, he has dedicated his musical passion to tackling the challenges of equity, attendance, and enthusiasm that classical music still struggles to overcome. Kamyron holds degrees from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music (B.M.) and the University of Michigan School of Music, Theater & Dance (M.M. and Specialist Degree).
Drafting Community MusicWorks’ newest strategic plan was a 12-month process that required inquiry and a clarification of our vision for the future. We began by codifying the deeply held values in which our organization is rooted, and from which all aspects of our work arise:
Listening: Making music is a lifelong pursuit of joy and truth. Its foundation is listening. At CMW, we value listening as a practice of community, a practice of music, a practice of respect.
Equity and Responsiveness: We value the qualities of justice, equity, fairness, and welcoming which are the hallmarks of a culture of belonging.
Creative Practice: We value each individual’s creative capability and contribution – – as musicians, as community members, and as citizens.
Continual learning: We value ongoing, reciprocal learning that is grounded in curiosity, humility, reflection, and open-mindedness.
Love and Respect: We value a community where relationships are of the utmost importance and where people are recognized and honored as individuals with a unique voice.
Community MusicWorks (CMW) creates new roles for musicians as artists, educators, and citizens concerned with the well-being of our communities. Based in the rich context of the vibrant arts scene of Providence, RI since 1997, CMW has strong leadership, deep community connections, healthy finances, and an extensive network of alumni.
Our Strategic Plan for the next five years includes several initiatives that address our physical space, pedagogy and performance activities, our commitment to racial equity, and the deepening of our work in the many concentric circles of learning communities that touch our organization.
Plans to begin construction on a building of our own, the Community MusicWorks Center, represent a major turning point for the organization, and bring with it new possibilities in community building, along with a thoughtful approach to navigating the ways in which this building changes the landscape of our neighborhood.
CMW is nationally recognized and enjoys the camaraderie of like-minded groups around the country and globally. As the classical music field is changing to incorporate a wider range of professional avenues and to make the genre more accessible, responsive, and relevant to diverse audiences, CMW is seen as a forerunner in rethinking classical music’s roles in communities.
As we embark on this new chapter, our work is happening against a backdrop of political divisiveness and deepening inequities, including an ongoing pandemic, that directly impacts our community. Thus, CMW’s longstanding commitment to racial equity work takes on an even greater urgency. We are buoyed by strengthening national discourse around racial justice and have set the course to deepening our own work in this area.
STRATEGIC AREAS OF FOCUS: 2020-2025
#1. OUR PLACE/OUR SPACE: BUILD A CULTURE OF BELONGING
Community MusicWorks is committed to creating a welcoming environment that builds a sense of belonging. This emphasis forms the basis of our teaching, performing, and community building relationships, and guides the creation of our new physical home.
OBJECTIVES
Engage parents, students, and neighbors in the planning of a facility that supports community connection and enhances the neighborhood’s musical life while honoring the history of the land on which it is built.
Create a space that offers opportunities for youth to make music, build connections, and envision powerful futures.
Establish the Community MusicWorks Center as a place for residents of and visitors to Providence to find a supportive and engaging musical community.
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#2. ANTI-RACIST PRACTICE: ADVANCE OUR COMMITMENT TO RACE EQUITY
CMW is committed to race equity and resisting the complicity and perpetuation of racism, especially in the area of classical music training and performance. Through continuous discovery, learning and commitment to the process, our work will address power dynamics as they relate to individual and collective experiences of students, teachers, staff, and the community.
OBJECTIVES
Integrate our commitment to racial equity into our pedagogy and performance.
Identify and undo racist practices by changing systems, organizational structures, policies, practices and attitudes so that power is redistributed and shared equitably.
Work toward an increasingly diverse leadership and teaching staff at CMW.
Define an antiracist framework to support the development of young people across the MusicWorks Network.
CMW is committed to continued learning and sharing regarding the impact, value, and practice of musician residencies in communities. We spark and support conversations around integrating music education, performance, and social justice practice and aim to nurture a diverse and vibrant community of practitioners.
OBJECTIVES
Establish new ways of supporting young professional musicians’ learning in and with CMW.
Support ongoing learning and growth of all staff.
Continue to be a responsive and active participant, convenor, facilitator, and thought leader in the larger field, nationally and internationally.
Share stories of CMW’s programmatic approaches so that people at large are aware of the impact of our programs.
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#4 PEDAGOGY AND PERFORMANCE: AMPLIFY CREATIVE VOICE
CMW’s distinctive pedagogical and performance practices are deeply informed by our commitment to social justice. We support the passions and professional development of our teaching artists, encourage the engagement and technical progress of our students, and deepen our responsiveness to our community and audiences.
OBJECTIVES
Support teachers to build a toolbox of anti-racist pedagogical practices and techniques that support
student agency, with a focus on improvisation and composition.
Engage CMW alumni and other community musicians as teachers, role models and eventually, leaders in the program.
Explore the full range of musical voices in the concert tradition, and apply an anti-racist and anti-oppression lens to our performance planning and practice.
Commission music that integrates performance, pedagogy, social justice goals, and expands the MusicWorks Collective’s concert life through opportunities to perform around and outside New England.
Community MusicWorks is a revolutionary organization.
- Alex Ross The New Yorker
