SPRING 2022
Cécile McLorin Salvant at Berklee Performance Center
Dear friends, We started the first part of 2022 different from the fall—digitally. Our learning from the 2021/22 season allowed us to navigate an uncertain winter, pivoting seamlessly to online versions of the same performances. We know that there are many reasons why a person may choose to attend our performances digitally, which is why we are continuing to offer this option for many of our performances. Presenting artists virtually has allowed audiences both near and far to experience the joy of live performance. We also know that nothing compares to gathering and sharing the same space as the artist, and we are so glad that many of you have been able to be with us at live performances this season. And for those who enjoy outdoor performances, we are thrilled to bring back Let’s Dance Boston! happening at the Rose Kennedy Greenway in May 2022. This Spring, we are excited to present Solo(s) Together, a Neighborhood Arts commissioning project which started in March and is continuing this month. It’s a project that connects five contemporary composers with four of our local arts partners to premiere new works meant to inspire audiences and an upcoming generation of musicians. We also welcome new and thought-provoking artists to the Series whose work promises to share and uplift the breadth of human experience: stories from different cultures and ethnicities, genders and identities, from around the world, and even from our city’s backyard. The last few months have been a testament to our growth in the 2020/21 season and now: we have learned new skills, embraced change and flexibility, and remained bold in our approach. Our choices to lean into digital performances, renew our commitment to local artists, and work hard to make our company equity-centered are not only key to our artistic initiatives—they are good business as well. As we lay the groundwork for our 2022/23 season, Celebrity Series is grateful to our family of donors and supporters for their unwavering dedication and support. Standing by our work helps us further our mission of presenting artists who will enrich and inspire our community for years to come. With gratitude,
Gary Dunning President and Executive Director
SOLO(S) TOGETHER:
A NEIGHBORHOOD ARTS COMMISSIONING PROJECT This Spring, Celebrity Series of Boston presents Solo(s) Together, a Neighborhood Arts commissioning project featuring new works by five contemporary composers: Nathalie Joachim, Valerie Coleman, Amir Bitran, Paul Desenne, and Daniel Bernard Roumain. The composers were commissioned by Celebrity Series to write a short piece for a quartet that consists of a solo for each musician with an ending that includes all four musicians. Participating Neighborhood Arts ensembles are Hub New Music, Unitas Ensemble conducted by Lina González-Granados, Boston String Academy, and Castle of our Skins. A composer roundtable, moderated by Jonathan Bailey Holland from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee, began the series of concerts and events on March 2. The four performances featuring these works take place in person from March 12-April 23, 2022 in various venues located in Boston. The idea for this new music project was inspired by Associate Director of Community Engagement Robin Baker’s involvement in Celebrity Series' 2019 Public Performance Project, Concert for One. “During the pandemic when live performances for audiences shut down in 2020, Celebrity Series Neighborhood Arts program commissioned five short chamber works dedicated to and premiered by Boston-based musicians,” says Baker. “The format features ‘solo musical miniatures’ which can be performed for recitals, auditions, worship services, or public events, which highlight music by talented local composers of diverse backgrounds.” The participating ensembles, made up of new and returning Neighborhood Arts artists, each recommended composers for the commissioning project. Then, each of the selected composers interpreted the directive of composing “solo musical miniatures” differently, resulting in a diverse and creative set of works. Composer Daniel Bernard Roumain adds, “My new work, ‘Music For Black People,’ is a way to think about when the same music, words, and ideas can come together and form something new and holistic. I took this as an opportunity to think about my work as a composer, as a performer, as an educator, and as an activist.” Each performer has either a more diverse background or has chosen to work to uplift creatives of different genders and identities in their programs: Hub New Music’s concert on March 12 has all recent works written within the last decade, the Neighborhood Arts Flute Quartet’s April 2 concert features all works written by women composers, Unitas Ensemble & Boston String Academy Stringfest’s April 14 concert features works by Latinx composers, and Castle of our Skins’ April 23 concert features works by Black composers. Solo(s) Together hopes to reach a wide audience—with free in-person and streaming options available—and to promote a sense of community and collective mission. We hope you will join us in the spirit of collaboration and creativity of this exciting project. Tony Morales, soloist with Boston String Academy
Zahili Gonzalez Zamora, Castle of our Skins
PARTICIPATING COMPOSERS: Nathalie Joachim Valerie Coleman Amir Bitran Paul Desenne Daniel Bernard Roumain
PARTICIPATING ENSEMBLES: Hub New Music: flutist Michael Avitabile, clarinetist Nicholas Brown, violinist Alyssa Wang, and cellist Jesse Christeson Neighborhood Arts Flute Quartet: Michael Avitabile, Sarah Brady, Fernando Brandão, and Cynthia Meyers Unitas Ensemble: Lina González-Granados, conductor Young musicians of the Boston String Academy Castle of our Skins: soprano Brianna J. Robinson, cellist Francesca McNeeley, pianist David Coleman, flutist DeShaun Gordon-King
Solo(s) Together is made possible in part by support from Celebrity Series' LIVE PERFORMANCE! Arts for All Innovation Funds. The 2021/22 Neighborhood Arts season is generously sponsored by the Stephanie L. Brown Foundation.
A BEHIND THE SCENES LOOK AT THE 2022/23 SEASON Celebrity Series is thrilled to work with guest artistic programmers Hanako Yamaguchi and Bobby Asher to program our upcoming 2022/23 season. Programming a full season of live performances is a challenging and rewarding process that often balances the sacred and the profane: programmers are tasked with crafting a compelling artistic vision for the season while navigating the complex business of presenting live performance—setting dates, deciding venues, and negotiating contracts. The process often involves “finding a formula that’s informed by the programmers’ personal aesthetic, while serving the institution’s aesthetic,” says Bobby Asher. For those who are curious, many of our 2022/23 artists will bring a curatorial eye to their work, crafting thoughtful programs designed to intrigue and inspire. The season will feature artists of diverse backgrounds and include the variety of genres that Celebrity Series audiences have come to know and love.
Stay tuned for updates about our 2022/23 season!
YOUR GIFT
AT WORK:
Celebrity Series returns in person in the 2021-22 Season
It’s time to SHINE! again!
Our 2022 SHINE! gala will have something for everyone! All guests will experience a one-of-a-kind evening of live performances on stage and screen, receive a gourmet dinner provided by The Catered Affair, and gain access to the Celebrity Series’ 2022 Online Auction.
Special ticket pricing for Young Professionals is available! 2022 Celebrity Series SHINE! Gala Andrea and Fred Hoff, Gala chairs The Cyclorama at the Boston Center for the Arts Fri | May 6 | 6:30pm
Learn more and get your SHINE! Gala ticket!
Thanks to your support, Celebrity Series returned to in-person concerts this season, while also offering livestreamed performances for the first time through its digital series, Celebrity Series at Home. Featuring Boston-based Neighborhood Arts artists and international touring artists, our digital programming offered an unparalleled platform for artists with far-reaching impact.
• Hybrid Offerings: Celebrity Series offers something for everyone, regardless of your COVID comfort level. In building our season, Celebrity Series deliberately planned for digital versions of many of our performances to ensure audiences can access great performance art. • Diverse Representation: In the first 20 performances of the season, artists of color represented more than half of the total number of performers. Over the past year, Celebrity Series has committed itself to organizational learning and action in the areas of equity, diversity, and inclusion. We have begun examining our challenges and implementing strategies to better center racial equity in our organizational mission, including holding ourselves accountable through tracking key metrics. Read more about our Racial Equity Plan, and view our metric dashboard, at celebrityseries.org/racial-equity. • Multiple genres: All four of Celebrity Series’ main genres are represented this season. In both our virtual and in-person performances throughout the 2021/22 season, all primary genres consistent with a Celebrity Series season are represented, including Classical, Jazz, Dance, and Contemporary/World/ Americana. For 83 years, Celebrity Series has focused on bringing the world’s most thrilling touring artists to Boston audiences, across all genres. • Neighborhood Arts expands reach: More than 1,500 audience members have engaged with our Neighborhood Arts programs this season, and over 1,200 have engaged with us virtually. This program has truly deepened our relationship with local artists who bring their artistry to audiences online and beyond. • Artist Connections Workshops: Through our Artist Connections, Celebrity Series partners with schools and youth arts groups to offer interactive artistic experiences for 1,500+ participants. Master classes, demonstrations and workshops provide opportunities for students to interact with and learn from Celebrity Series artists in intimate settings. This spring, visionary artist Marc Bamuthi Joseph's “The Just and the Blind” will be accompanied by activities with community organizations centered around supporting individuals and families, including at-risk youth and those who may have incarcerated family members.
Marc Bamuthi Joseph and Daniel Bernard Roumain
20 Park Plaza, Suite 1032 Boston, MA 02116
LOOK INSIDE: YOUR SPRING 2022 NEWSLETTER!
LET’S DANCE BOSTON!
Let’s Dance Boston! is a five-day social dance extravaganza with live bands and expert dance instructors. This wildly popular event is among the largest, free outdoor music and dance parties that Boston has ever experienced! We are thrilled to bring Let’s Dance Boston! back to the Rose Kennedy Greenway in May 2022.
Let’s Dance Boston! Rose Kennedy Greenway May 11 – 15, 2022 Learn more at celebrityseries.org/letsdanceboston Let's Dance Boston! is generously sponsored by Leslie & Howard Appleby, the Barr Foundation through its ArtsAmplified initiative, Amy & Joshua Boger, Stephanie L. Brown Foundation, First Republic Bank, Klarman Family Foundation, and Eleanor & Frank Pao. This event is made possible by support from Celebrity Series' LIVE PERFORMANCE! Arts for All Endowment and Innovation Funds. Additional support provided by Joseph & Kathleen Cefalu. In partnership with the Rose Kennedy Greenway