Next Stage Arts presents Portland-based string ensemble Palaver Strings, on Friday, November 15 at 7:30 pm at Next Stage Arts, 15 Kimball Hill, in Putney.
“Last time they performed at Next Stage, they opened a new world of musical compositions I’ve never heard – the ensemble is bringing light to the careers of composers living and dead, from around the world,” says Keith Marks, Executive Director of Next Stage Arts. “For sure, any classical music-loving audience member is going to fall in love. What was also apparent was that even for those adventurous music lovers, this is music that is relevant and heartfelt.”
The ensemble’s current program, Ready or Not Revisited, celebrates the groundbreaking visions of women, queer, trans, and nonbinary composers from the medieval period to the present day. This program builds on the concept of Palaver’s 2022 album Ready or Not, which “blew the tent flap open to embrace new contemporary classical fans” (Midwest Record) and left BBC Music Magazine “wanting more.” Repertoire includes wide-ranging selections by Jessie Montgomery, Hildegard von Bingen, inti figgis-vizueta, Tanner Porter, Sato Matsui, Leilehua Lanzilotti, Pétalo Seslar and Lili Boulanger. Ready or Not Revisited disrupts our expectations, challenges our narratives, and uplifts a multitude of voices who have always been here, whether the concert hall was ready or not.
Since 2014, Palaver Strings has made its mark as one of New England’s most innovative chamber ensembles. The ensemble’s Co-Artistic Directors curate artistic programming collaboratively and democratically, rotating project direction and musical leadership. Some musicians also hold administrative roles. Each year Palaver presents a full concert season featuring diverse programming and world-renown collaborators, and offers music instruction to hundreds of students through the Palaver Music Center.
Palaver’s recent and upcoming engagements include appearances at Tanglewood, Carnegie Hall, National Sawdust, and the Kennedy Center, as well as residencies at Rockport Music, Longy School of Music, and Boston Center for the Arts. The ensemble has collaborated with artists such as Kinan Azmeh and Attacca Quartet, and commissioned works from Errollyn Wallen, Kareem Roustom, and Sato Matsui. Palaver’s 2022 album Ready or Not (Azica Records, 2022) received acclaim from The Guardian and left BBC Music Magazine “wanting more.” Our new album A Change is Gonna Come features Nicholas Phan and Farayi Malek on new arrangements of American protest songs. Palaver Strings is proudly represented by Ariel Artists.
Equally committed to education, Palaver launched the Palaver Music Center (PMC) in 2019. PMC programs offer pathways to musical development from birth through adulthood, including Early Childhood Music classes and string instrument lessons taught by Palaver musicians. Our programs seek to address inequities in access to music education, serving Portland families of diverse backgrounds. 60% of our students qualify for low-income subsidies, and 55% are first-generation immigrants, primarily from Angola, Congo, Burundi, and Rwanda. The PMC, located in the Bayside neighborhood where many of our students live, serves as a central community hub for classes, lessons, and rehearsals. Palaver musicians also offer high school and college-level educational programming, including workshops, masterclasses, and a graduate course on Music and Community Engagement at Longy School of Music. In this experiential class, Palaver members guide students through the process of creating a real-life community music project.
