Sunday Platform – The Dream Unfinished: “Music for Mother Earth” Panel and Performance
Sunday, April 21, 2019
11:00 am
At the New York Society for Ethical Culture
2 W 64th St
Ceremonial Hall – 4th floor
Learn more at this official page here…
Admission: Free
Bridging the work of composers and activists who hail from communities impacted by climate change, activist orchestra The Dream Unfinished presents Deep River, a 2019 series of events throughout New York City that use classical music as a platform for dialogue surrounding the under-appreciated intersection of climate and social justice. Kick off our season with us at our launch, hosted by the New York Society for Ethical Culture on April 21st, Earth Day Sunday.
About The Dream Unfinished:
The Dream Unfinished is an activist orchestra. Its mission is to use classical music as a platform to engage audiences in dialogues surrounding social and racial justice. Since 2015, The Dream Unfinished has staged performances throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens, and partnered with organizations such as the Center for Constitutional Rights, Black Women’s Blueprint, African American Policy Forum, and others. Past seasons have centered on police brutality, the #SayHerName movement, the school to prison pipeline, and the current immigration crisis. The Dream Unfinished has people of color in the orchestra, in the music, behind the scenes, and in the audiences. We are an orchestra that looks and sounds like New York City, and through music, explores pressing issues which are affecting our communities.
Panelists: Laura Kaminsky, Eun Lee, Kyle Walker, Emily Kalish
Program:
Harry Burleigh/Samuel Coleridge Taylor/Maud Powell – Deep River
Laura Kaminsky – undercurrent
Roberto Sierra – Sonata para violín y piano (2010) – I. Expresivo, IV. Rítmico
Bios
Laura Kaminsky, “one of the top 35 female composers in classical music” (The Washington Post), frequently addresses issues including sustainability, war, and human rights in her work. “Full of fire as well as ice, (she writes) in an idiom that contrasts dissonance and violence with tonal beauty and meditative reflection. It is strong stuff.” (American Record Guide) With co-librettists Mark Campbell and Kimberly Reed she has created the most widely-produced contemporary opera in the U.S., As One (2014), Some Light Emerges(Houston Grand Opera 2017), and the forthcoming Today It Rains(Opera Parallèle/American Opera Projects 2019). Upcoming: a Piano Quintet for Ursula Oppens and the Cassatt String Quartet; and with Reed, Postville, inspired by the unprecedented and devastating immigration raid there in 2008, for a consortium led by Santa Fe and San Francisco Operas. She is head of composition at the Conservatory of Music/SUNY Purchase.
As a teacher, musician and arts professional, Eun Lee has prioritized socially relevant musical experiences for audiences of all ages. From 2012 to 2016 Eun worked as a teaching artist throughout New York City, and since 2015 has worked as an administrator at institutions such as the Diller-Quaile School of Music and Orchestra of St. Luke’s. She currently serves as a Manager of Learning and Engagement Programs at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute. Eun is also the executive director of The Dream Unfinished, an Activist Orchestra, which she co-founded in 2014. She has been invited to speak on The Dream Unfinished at Chamber Music America, the Kennedy Center, Harvard University, and others.
Emily Kalish, violinist, is committed to bringing audiences thoughtful, imaginative and emotionally honest interpretations of the classical repertoire as well as exciting new works by 21st-century composers. She is a producer and performer for The Dream Unfinished, an activist orchestra which supports NYC-based civil rights organizations through concerts and presentations. She currently holds positions in the Binghamton Philharmonic and Hudson Valley Philharmonic. A dedicated teacher, she is on the faculty of Concordia Conservatory of Music. In 2016 she and James Bergin co-founded Williamstown Orchestra Workshop, an intensive summer workshop for children ages 8-16. Ms. Kalish holds a Bachelor’s degree from the Hartt School in Connecticut, where she studied with Dr. Katie Lansdale, and a Master’s from Manhattan School of Music, where she studied with Burton Kaplan.
Critically-acclaimed pianist Kyle P. Walker has been featured on WNYC, WQXR, NPR, and UNC-TV. Recent performances include his debut solo recital at Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall, The Tantaloona Cave of Australia, and the Lied Center of Kansas. Highlights of this season include concerto, chamber, and solo appearances with the Colour of Music Festival Orchestra, a Lincoln Center appearance alongside Miss America 2019, and a U.S. solo recital tour. He is currently touring a solo performance project entitled Bach to BlackNotes, which features the music of J.S. Bach juxtaposed with music of neglected composers who speak to issues of oppression and inequality. See and hear more of Kyle’s musicianship on Instagram @klassicalkyle and at www.kylewalkerpiano.com.
Presider: Leader Anne Klaeysen
Shared Charity: The Dream Unfinished
