Philadelphia – Saturday, November 4, 2023

Haskell Small, Celebrated Composer and Pianist, Turns a Life-Altering Stroke into a “Celebration of Healing”

Pianist Small will perform Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations around the United States in his 2023-24 concert tour.

Pianist Haskell Small (www.haskellsmall.com) will tour nine key cities in the US with his program Celebration of Healing, performing Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations. His first official out-of-town stop will be at the American Philosophical Society’s Benjamin Franklin Hall in Philadelphia on Nov. 4th.
In 2021, Composer and Pianist Haskell Small suffered a debilitating stroke that rendered his left hand and foot paralyzed. At the time, Small feared his accomplished professional career would come to an end. Two years later, he is not only playing piano again but set to embark on a nationwide Celebration of Healing tour launching in his hometown of Washington, DC in September. He will be the subject of a documentary film entitled Small Steps directed by Christopher McGuinness to be released later this fall. The trailer can be viewed here.

Haskell Small’s Celebration of Healing: American Philosophical Society’s Benjamin Franklin Hall

427 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19106
Saturday, November 4, 2023, 7PM
Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations
Tickets: Regular: $20 / Students & Seniors: $10 available at https://Haskellphilly.eventbrite.com

Other stops on the tour will include:
September 30, 2023 – Washington, DC – Columbia Heights (House Concert)
October 7, 2023 – Glen Echo Park, DC – Groupmuse (House Concert)
October 18, 2023 – Chevy Chase, MD – Friendship Heights Community Center
November 16, 2023 – Chicago, IL – Epiphany Center for the Arts
November 18, 2023 – Milwaukee, WI – Charles Allis Art Museum
April 7, 2024 – Santa Monica, CA – First Presbyterian Church Santa Monica
April 13, 2024 – San Francisco, CA – Sunset Music and Arts
April 14, 2024 – Berkeley, CA – The Berkeley Piano Club
April 23, 2024 – Seattle, WA – St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
June 5, 2024 – New York City – Weill Recital Hall

More dates to be added

As captured in The Washington Post, Small used his painstaking journey of rehabilitation as a creative muse. Unwilling to stay away from music, he began arranging and performing classical masterworks for his right hand alone, as well as writing and performing a new composition, Diary of a Stroke: The Adventures of Herb and Pete (playful nicknames Small gave to his paralyzed hand and foot). Today, Small’s rehabilitation has further progressed and he has returned to playing with full use of both hands. Small’s Celebration of Healing Tour will not only mark his full recovery, but fulfill his life-long dream of performing Beethoven’s immensely difficult and sublime Diabelli Variations.
“To go from thinking my career might be over, to touring the country with one of the most demanding and sublime works in the repertoire has become a life-saving journey,” says Small. “I’m hoping that my story can resonate with others who have suffered setbacks and offer inspiration that you should never give up on your dreams. Sometimes what seems like a disaster can in fact be an opportunity to grow and challenge yourself in a whole new way.”

More information available at www.haskellsmall.com.

October 25, 2023
with Washington Heights Chamber Orchestra
Rafael Solano, Piano
Luis McDougal, Guitar

On Wednesday, October 25, 2023, at 7:30 PM. at Zankel Hall – Carnegie Hall, violinist and conductor Aisha Syed will join the Washington Heights Chamber Orchestra to take you through an unforgettable voyage of the Seasons by classical composers Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) and Astor Piazzolla (1933-1990). For both composers, their respective “Seasons” mark some of, if not their most, known pieces of work. Piazzolla’s “Estaciones Porteñas” reflect the rich and rhythmical Latin American heritage and sound world through tango in its finest form. The closing portion of the evening will be led by the celebrated Dominican Maestro Rafael Solano (b. 1931) performing his most renowned works including Una Primavera para el Mundo and his iconic Por Amor with Aisha accompanied by guitarist Luis McDougal. 

In a spectacular feat, this concert will feature Dominican violinist Aisha Syed Castro, both conducting and accompanied by the Washington Heights Chamber Orchestra. This 90-minute concert will take place on Wednesday, October 25, 2023, at 7:30 p.m. at the Carnegie Hall – Zankel Hall at 881 7th Ave, New York.  A Special VIP Reception for Sponsors at 5 pm. Also, on this memorable night, the influential Dominican Ambassador Award will be presented to Samuel Collado, President of the National Supermarket Association (NSA), and Lilliam A. Perez Vice President of Government & Community Relations Montefiore Health System & Albert Einstein College of Medicine. 

Tickets, $100-200 ($75 for seniors and students with valid ID), in support of the Dominican Heritage and Culture Society, are available at www.carnegiehall.org, the Carnegie Hall Box Office at 57th Street and Seventh Avenue, or by calling CarnegieCharge at 212-247-7800. 25% off special discount code until October 2, using code ABC43029. For sponsorship opportunities, contact Nathalie Tejada, Development Director, at [email protected] or 646-548-8282.

COMPLETE PROGRAM:

VIVALDI The Four Seasons
PIAZZOLLA Las cuatro estaciones porteñas (The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires)
RAFAEL SOLANO “Una Primavera Para El Mundo”
RAFAEL SOLANO “Por Amor”

The proceeds of this event will benefit the Dominican Heritage and Culture Society, (www.dhcsfoundation.org) a 501c3 established in the United States of America, whose mission is to cultivate and maintain the roots that nurture the culture, history, and traditions of the Dominican people both in the United States and wherever we may travel across the globe. Through our events, we strive to bring cultural enrichment, entertainment, and educational activities regarding the Dominican Diaspora in New York and to empower our youth and emerging Dominican artists by providing economic support through our scholarship program. The Society considers it paramount that we stay connected and bridge the generational gap with our Dominican youth born and raised in New York. This can be accomplished by providing them with an understanding of their rich culture, vibrant art, incredible literature, and country’s history.

Confirmed Sponsors: Dr. Pedro McDougal, Elefterakis & Elefterakis, & Panek, NewYork- Presbyterian Hospital, National Supermarket Association (NSA), Montefiore Einstein, Michelstein & Ashman PLLC, Cass & Peters Law Firm, Maggiano, DiGirolamo & Lizzi P.C., Lynx Medical Management LLC, R.G.V. Adult & Internal Medicine Specialists, P.A., Jesse Barab, Esq., Dr. Jose Peña, Raphaelson & Levine Law Firm, P.C, Krieger, Wilansky & Hupart, Law Office of Michael D. Uysal, Zeremba Brown PLLC, Rica, and Cibao Meat.

The Dominican Heritage and Culture Society (www.dhcsfoundation.org) is a 501c3 nonprofit cultural foundation established in the United States with a mission to cultivate and maintain the roots that nurture the culture, history, and traditions of the Dominican people in the United States and across the globe.

Fundación Madre y Maestra (https://egresados.pucmm.edu.do) is a non-profit entity founded in 1982 whose objective is to obtain resources to be used exclusively for the maintenance and development of activities of academic excellence, research, and extension carried out by the Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM)

Learn more about the artists…
Aisha Syed  (aishasyedcastro.com)
Maestro Rafael Solano (https://www.facebook.com/rafaelsolano.s/)
Luis McDougal (https://www.luismcdougalmusic.com)

Free Events to Be Held September 14-16, 2023 at the Hamilton Park and Cultural Center

SHOWCASES EMERGING AND ESTABLISHED INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS

Featuring Sean Jones, Joel Ross, Jeff Parker, Isaiah Collier, Marques Carroll, Alexis Lombre, Frank Russell, Ernest Dawkins, and many more, this event highlights the many young musicians who have been nurtured over these past 24 years.

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Long an annual tradition, Live the Spirit Residency presents the free 24th Englewood Jazz Festival on September 14, 15, and 16, 2023 at Hamilton Park and Cultural Center at 513 W 72nd St. This year the 3-day festival illuminates emerging and established homegrown artists that demonstrate Live the Spirit Residency’s deep commitment to educating and mentoring the next generation of jazz. Featured artists include pianist Alexis Lombre (performing the World Premiere of her new work Synesthesia, Pt. 1), vibraphonist Joel Ross, recent winner of Downbeat Magazine’s Critics Poll vibraphone category, and saxophonist and Festival Resident Artist Isaiah Collier. These artists have all achieved national and international recognition, thanks to Live the Spirit Residency and its leader Ernest Dawkins’ long-term dedication to music education, mentoring, and inter-generational knowledge exchange.  

The festival will open on Thursday, September 14 with a reprise of Dawkins’ Memory in the Center, an Afro Jazz Opera, originally commissioned and performed for the City’s Made in Chicago series in Millennium Park in 2014. This project reflects the determination and spirit that energized the South African freedom movement led by Nelson Mandela by foregrounding the influential women in Mandela’s life – Winnie Mandela and Graça Machel – through the powerful voice of Chicago’s own Kopano. It will be performed by the Live the Spirit Residency Big Band. “I’m revisiting this work because its message of self-determination as an engine of progress has become even more important for people to hear at this moment,” said Dawkins. This work will also be performed soon at Poetry Africa, in honor of the tenth anniversary of Mandela’s passing.

The Festival Residency has given saxophonist Isaiah Collier’s Chosen Few Ensemble the space and support to advance new musical ideas. Collier says “The experience of being raised in an environment like Chicago where there have been so many opportunities to develop my vision has been pivotal to my success.”

The Young Masters will get a chance to strut while established Chicago artists including bassist Frank Russell, New Horizons with special guest guitarist Jeff Parker, and trumpeter Marques Carroll, who will summit with NY trumpeter Sean Jones, round out this community-centered celebration. 

The festival takes place rain or shine, moving indoors in case of inclement weather. Some seating is provided, but attendees are advised to bring their own chairs, blankets, picnics, and an appetite for the kind of music that uplifts and transforms the human spirit! Further information is available at englewoodjazzfest.org.

Additionally, as part of this event, to honor those whose work has helped shape and strengthen the foundation of jazz in Chicago, the annual Spirit of Jazz Awards will be presented to:

• Wayne Segal, Owner of Jazz Showcase 
• Mashaune Hardy, Associate Director of Partnerships & Strategy, Logan Center
• Pharez Whitted, Director of Jazz Studies, NIU

Sponsors of the Englewood Jazz Festival include WDCB Radio and The Chicago Park District.

Complete schedule: 24th Englewood Jazz Festival @ 513 W 72nd St

• Thursday, September 14, 2023, 6:00 PM
  Ernest Dawkins Live The Spirit Residency Big Band– Memory in the Center, an Afro-opera

• Friday, September 15, 2023, 6:00 PM
  Isaiah Collier and the Chosen Few

• Saturday, September 16, 2023, 11:30 AM-6:00 PM
  11:30 Live the Spirt Residency presents Young Masters. Directed by Ernest Dawkins
  12:30 Alexis Lombre
  1:30 Frank Russell Band
  2:30 New Horizons Ensemble Delmark Allstars w Jeff Parker
  3:35 Spirit of Jazz Awards
  4:00 Joel Ross
  5:00 Trumpet Summit: Marques Carroll / Sean Jones

14 Premieres for Unaccompanied Violin on the MSR Classics label 

“Dan Flanagan is a true Renaissance man… an excellent violinist, versatile enough to serve as a blank canvas (in the best sense) for the diverse styles of all the composers. His generosity and intelligence informed the entire program, and his own compositions affirmed his talent and virtuosity.” -New York Concert Reviews

Featuring  works by composers Edmund Campion, Cindy Cox, Shinji Eshima, Dan Flanagan, Jose Gonzalez Granero, Peter Josheff, Libby Larsen, Linda Marcel, Jessica Mays, Evan Price, James Stephenson, Nathaniel Stookey, and Trevor Weston

Continue reading “Violinist-Composer Dan Flanagan’s newest album: The Bow and the Brush”