M y P r o j e c t s
I am a firm believer in the value of music and art, and one of my central missions as an artist is to keep classical music alive and relevant to our contemporary world. This means coming up with ways to perform centuries-old music in fresh, new ways that engage both informed and newly interested, experienced and unexperienced, audiences, that test the boundaries between "art music" and "pop music," and that break the barrier between "art" and "reality." It also means performing less well-known works along with the canonical war horses, and promoting new artists' works and concepts. Finally, it means desegragating performance-centered training from intellectual and cultural training (and thinkers from doers), and working to connect musicians and artists from different cultural and technical backgrounds in favor of encouraging active conversations about old and new modes of artistic expression.
One of the things closest to my heart is Groupmuse, a platform and online social network that enables performers and audiences in cities throughout the U.S. to come together through musical house parties. As an alternative or side-by-side option to big concert hall performance, Groupmuse gives performers and listeners the opportunity to experience a smaller, more intimate artistic space, where art comes off the pedestal and becomes a part of daily life.
For three years now, I have had a rich experience performing at various house concerts and encouraging other performers and music-lovers to sign up for Groupmuse. Becoming a part of this rich community is easy: simply sign up either as a performer, host, or audience member and plan to host, perform at, or attend the next event!
Currently I am working on a project that focuses on connecting different types of artists and thinkers -- musicians, writers, visual artists, composers, non-conformist creators -- and that enables them to share cross-artistic ideas and get inspiration from outside of their primary field. Stay tuned for updates.