Forging Your Own Path: The importance of staying true to yourself, with violinist Maiani da Silva

A Composer’s Perspective, with Guggenheim Fellow and Berkelle College Professor of Composition Marti Epstein.

Marielisa and Mariesther Alvarez are founders and directors of the Boston String Academy, an El Sistema inspired program that provides a vibrant string orchestra program for inner-city young students, forging social integration through music by creating a path for young people to become sensitive, responsible and creative human beings.

Learn about their rich contributions to the social fabric for young people in the community through music, as well as their experiences with the world-changing El Sistema in Venezuela.

Violin maker Douglas Cox will share his thoughts, based on decades of experience, about evaluating and choosing an instrument, violin care and maintenance, and the fascinating history of violin making. Don’t miss this lecture if you would like to learn more about how your violin was made, how it works, how to care for it, or if you are interested in purchasing a new violin.

Since 1981, Doug has built over 1000 instruments. His instruments have received awards from the Violin Society of America and are played by artists around the world in a wide variety of musical settings.

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“To what degree can I challenge your perception of melody, of tonality, of pulse? Maybe the joy of art is exactly to focus on these less expected pathways, these new directions filled with surprise and excitement.” - Dr. Henrique Eisenmann, contemporary improvisation and jazz pianist/composer.

Dr. Eisenmann will present a lecture on creativity, offering concrete practices for musicians to increase their cultural awareness (including contemporary and world music), artistic freedom, and love of music.

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Violist Tanya Maggi, Dean of Community Engagement and Professional Studies at the New England Conservatory, will present a lecture on community engagement for musicians, using music for social change, and creating impactful partnerships.

An internationally recognized arts educator, Tanya Maggi has worked on community engagement projects around the globe to connect musicians with diverse audiences. Also an accomplished performing musician, she also has performed with numerous orchestras and chamber groups around the country.

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Violinist, composer and community-builder Shaw Pong Liu will share about her work using music for healing, dialogue, and social change, drawing from her experience founding and leading the Code Listen ensemble of Boston Police, teen artists and homicide survivors, and raising dialogue on racism, homicide, and policing.

Violinist and composer Shaw Pong Liu activates dialogue, community-building and healing through multidisciplinary creative collaborations centered on listening. Her ongoing project Code Listen, which began in 2016 under the City of Boston Artist-in-Residence program, uses songwriting and music performance to build relationships between Boston police, teen artists, family members surviving homicide and musicians, to support healing and dialogue around gun violence, racism, and police practices.

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Occupational therapist Kelly Bellinsky will speak about musicians' health, strategies to reduce the risk of injury for violinists and violists, and general advice for a healthy musical career.

Kelly Bellinsky is a senior occupational therapist at the Brigham and Women's Hospital, where she specializes in musicians' health at the BWH Performing Arts Clinic.

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"Meet the Black Composers" is an engaging journey through time and geography focused on the often overlooked and underrepresented voices from the African diaspora. Ashleigh Gordon - an internationally respected violist, advocate of social change through education, and Artistic/Executive Director of the concert and educational series Castle of our Skins - will present her workshop, Meet the Black Composers. This workshop will survey some of the trailblazers – dating from three centuries ago to the present and hailing from three continents – that have continued to shape the classical music world.

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