Inaugural behind-the-scenes gatherings this fall!

Two significant behind-the-scenes moments occurred in recent weeks. The first of our monthly all-staff meetings gave us an opportunity to officially welcome Gillian, Zan and our new administrator Hannah to the project. It also gave us an opportunity to begin the conversation about how to develop a staff culture that aligns with our mission and values. Alongside juicy discussions exploring the Newport String Project’s approach to building community, equity and access, we anticipate coffee and pastries being a regular feature of these gatherings.

Another milestone occasion was the Newport String Project’s inaugural Board Meeting. Building on the rigorous work of last year’s advisory committee, the project has now transitioned to having its first official board. Newport arts leader, Dominique Alfandre leads this dynamic group including Marilyn Warren, Garry Fischer, Marla Pyle and Heath Marlow.

The meeting enabled us to delve into the nuts-and-bolts details of the Newport String Project’s next organizational phase. It was especially exciting that the board meeting was held at the Newport String Project’s new administrative and rehearsal headquarters. (Check the blog again soon for an update on this exciting big step!)

Season 6 launches at the Newport Art Museum

It has been our great pleasure to launch our concert season at the Newport Art Museum for the last several years. This concert showcased chamber works by Haydn, Shostakovich and Schulhoff. The concert also presented the opportunity to hear Iranian composer Mahdis Golzar Kashani’s Faghaan against the evocative backdrop of The Shape of Birds exhibit, focusing on contemporary art from the Middle east and North Africa.

Photo Credit - Thomas Palmer

New Faces at the Newport String Project - Hannah

We are delighted to introduce the Newport String Project’s first administrator, Hannah Leheny.

Hannah Leheny was born and raised in Providence, Rhode Island. After studying journalism for two years at the University of Connecticut, Hannah came to realize her true passion was in social justice, community building and anti-racist work. Hannah then decided to finish her undergraduate studies at Lesley University in Cambridge, MA, earning a degree in Sociology and Social Change. During this time, Hannah interned at several non-profit organizations that serve homeless and low-income individuals in the Greater Boston area. Connecting with clients, as well as working behind the scenes in administrative roles, were areas in which Hannah thrived, and set the stage for the type of work she would aspire to do for the rest of her life. Moving back to Rhode Island post-grad, Hannah also believes in the importance of being immersed in ones community. She is persistent in keeping tabs on the art, music, grassroots and non-profit organizations in her area. As the newest staff member of the Newport String Project, Hannah is excited and hopeful about her role as Administrator, and looks forward to becoming a part of this invaluable network.  

New Faces at the Newport String Project - Gillian and Zan

It is our great pleasure to introduce our two new Associate Musicians who will be joining the Newport String Quartet this season!

Gillian Gallagher - Associate Musician and Violist with the Newport String Quartet

Violist Gillian Gallagher grew up in Saratoga Springs, NY, and attended the Juilliard School where she received her Bachelor's and Master's degrees studying with Heidi Castleman, Misha Amory, and Hsin-Yun Huang. Gillian made her Weill Recital Hall debut in 2007 as founding violist of the Attacca Quartet, with whom she was awarded the Alice Coleman Grand Prize in the 60th annual Coleman Chamber Ensemble Competition in 2006. Gillian performed with the Attacca Quartet for six years, during which time the quartet studied with the Guarneri, Juilliard, Emerson, Vermeer, Tokyo, and St. Lawrence string quartets. She went on to tour the United States from 2007 to 2014 with violinist and composer Mark O'Connor and cellist Mike Block as violist of the Appalachia Waltz Trio and, later, the O'Connor Quartet. Deeply committed to music education, Gillian has been on the faculty of Boston University's Tanglewood Institute, the Berklee College of Music Summer String Program, Mark O'Connor's Fiddle Camps, Point Counterpoint Chamber Music Camp and New York's Center for Arts Education. Highlights from recent seasons include performances at Carnegie Hall and the NY Phil Biennial as violist of the new music ensemble Hotel Elefant, fiddling in Taylor Mac’s 24-Decade History of Popular Music, and performing the music of composer Ellis Ludwig-Leone as a member of the house band for the dance company BalletCollective. This season’s concerts include performances with the Newport String Project, the Cardamom Quartet, and a premiere of a new work by composer Mary Kouyoumdjian at the Metropolitan Museum of Art with string trio Triune.

Zan Berry - Associate Musician and Cellist with the Newport String Project

Zan Berry, is a passionate and creative musician who weaves together diverse musical interests in his work as a performer and teacher. While he enjoys playing different genres of music, one of Zan’s main focuses is contemporary classical music, and he tries to perform the works of living composers as much as possible.

Zan performs regularly with Verdant Vibes, a new music collective in Providence that brings together artists and musicians creating new work in a variety of genres, acoustic and electronic. He has participated in music festivals, including Bang on a Can, New Music on the Point, and Fresh Inc and has played with members of the JACK Quartet, Bang on a Can All Stars, and Fifth House Ensemble. Additionally, Zan enjoys exploring new sound worlds and mixing genres through experimental folk songs that he writes for cello and voice.

Zan’s creative journey as a performer has also informed his teaching philosophy, making the cultivation of a student’s creative voice a top priority. He has designed several experimental music and improvisation classes for kids and was a featured artist and workshop presenter at the 2018 SPIKE Alternative Cello Festival in Dublin, Ireland. Zan recently completed the Urban Musical Fellowship at Community MusicWorks, a community based non-profit organization in Providence, RI and he is excited to get to know the community at the Newport String Project this fall!

A Farewell and Appreciation

We want to take this opportunity to express our sincere gratitude and appreciation to Ashley and Jaime who will be leaving their positions at the Newport String Project this fall. Their beautiful contributions to the Newport String Project have sealed their places in the ever-expanding NSP family. We are so fortunate to have worked alongside these two very special musicians who enabled us to launch the very first quartet-in-residence at the Newport String Project. The impact of their work and presence will be felt at NSP for many years to come. As they each embark on exciting new chapters of their professional journeys, we send them our love and support and look forward to visits from them in the future!

In addition to launching NSP's very first preschool music class at the MLK Center, Jaime enabled us to offer cello lessons for the first time, designing an exciting curriculum for budding cellists. Jaime will no doubt continue to bring her creativity to her new role at the Meadowbrook Waldorf School. This year, Jaime will also be expanding her teaching practice at the Rhode Island Philharmonic Music School and the Moses Brown school and will be performing with ensembles across the New England region.

With an ever thoughtful approach to her teaching and her students, Ashley brought so much to our educational programs last year. She also played a key role in piloting a new strand of concerts which saw NSP collaborate with local community meals, bringing music to audiences affected by food and housing insecurity. In June, Ashley accepted the MusicWorks Network Fellow position at our parent organization Community MusicWorks. This role will see Ashley visiting youth mentoring and social justice programs across the country. In addition to gathering new practices from these programs, she will be piloting youth workshops that explore the intersection of music, cultural identity and wellbeing.

Thank you, Jaime and Ashley!

Season Opening Concert

On Sunday September 16th at 2pm, the Newport String Project brings a dynamic program of string quartets to the Ilgenfritz Gallery.  Project directors and violinists, Ealain McMullin and EmmaLee Holmes Hicks will be joined by Ethan Wood (viola) and Zan Berry (cello). Don’t miss an unforgettable afternoon of chamber music exploring works by Haydn, Shostakovich, Schulhoff and Mahdis Golzar Kashani.

The concert will open with Haydn’s exuberant String Quartet in C Major, op 20, no 2. The opus 20 quartets (also known as “The Sun Quartets”, after the cover illustration on the first edition) surpassed any that came before in terms of scope, expressive range and musical sophistication. Shostakovich wrote his remarkable third string quartet against the backdrop of World War II and increasing political pressure on artists and scientists. The piece was thought to include coded criticism of Stalin’s regime. The concert will also feature music by Erwin Schulhoff, a Czech composer heavily influenced by jazz and ragtime whose life was cut tragically short by the rise of the Nazi regime in Germany.

To mark the opening weekend of the Newport Art Museum’s Shape of Birds exhibition, the concert will include an evocative piece inspired by Persian folk music, by emerging Iranian composer Mahdis Golzar Kashani.

TICKETS: Museum Members: $10; Non-Members: $15; Newport String Project Supporters: $30.

All tickets include admission to the Museum.

Tickets can be reserved online HERE or by calling the Museum at 401 848 8200

Noted for its eclectic and innovative programming, the Newport String Project is committed to presenting highly expressive performances of masterworks, alongside works by emerging and rarely heard composers in intimate, inclusive settings throughout Newport.

Final student performance party!

Images by Don Farias

Highlights from the Season Finale Concert at the Newport Art Museum

A festive close to season five took place at the Newport Art Museum featuring string quartets by Beethoven and Borodin. Many thanks to Jack Renner for these terrific images.

Highlights from Mother's Day Fiddling Feast at Salvation Cafe

Many thanks to Eric Hovermale for these images

Chamber Music for April

Highlights from the Grower's Market at Newport Vineyard

Many thanks to our friends Jack Renner and Mary Renfrow for these images of the young musicians in action!

Paper Orchestra Concert Highlights

Year-End Appeal

Dear friends,

It has been a remarkable fall at the Newport String Project! Over the summer, we were fortunate to be able to hire two wonderful colleagues, Ashley Frith (viola) and Jaime Feldman (cello). Now with a full complement of four musicians, we are performing and teaching as the Newport String Project’s first quartet-in-residence, the Newport String Quartet. Only three months into our fifth season, we are experiencing the positive impact of this change in many exciting ways.

In sharing the following highlights, it is important to emphasize that these programs are made possible by the generosity of supporters like you. We hope that you will consider making a donation this month to help make possible our fifth year of creating inspiring and accessible musical experiences for all.

Our free after-school music programming at the MLK Center is thriving. With the addition of Ashley and Jaime, our enrollment jumped to 39 students who participate in twice-weekly lessons. For the first time, we can offer cello lessons, meeting our goal of offering instruction in all the instruments of a string quartet. And a Very Young Musicians class, led by Jaime, is engaging an additional 15 preschoolers in a curriculum of movement, dancing and singing.

Due to our increased capacity, more children than ever before are benefitting from one-to-one mentoring, increasing the amount of individual attention for each student. Students are even getting their first taste of chamber music, working together in small groups.

Alongside our busy teaching activities, the Newport String Quartet’s performing life has also had a busy start. From outdoor performances at the Broadway Street Fair to more traditional concerts at the Newport Art Museum and Trinity Church, we are digging into the question of how a string quartet can play a meaningful civic role in Newport.

There is still time to catch the Newport String Quartet in action in 2017: Please join us on Sunday, December 17th at 3pm at the Redwood Library for a vibrant program of works including Mozart’s sublime String Quintet in D Major, K. 593 and Prokofiev’s evocative String Quartet No. 2.

We also want you to know that, behind the scenes, we are hard at work developing plans to bring the Newport String Project into its next phase of organizational development. A five-member advisory committee is supporting us to become our own 501c3 nonprofit organization in 2018, increasing our infrastructure and building a board of directors.

Thank you for your enthusiasm for our work—we appreciate your support so much. Please consider including the Newport String Project in your year-end giving. Donations can be made through our website (www.newportstringproject.org/donate) or mailed to the Newport String Project, 1392 Westminster Street, Providence RI 02909.

With gratitude,
EmmaLee and Ealain
Newport String Project Directors

A season of change and momentum - a reflection from the Directors

Our fifth season has brought many concrete changes - new students, new staff members, new curriculum elements - and as we reflect on the journey since the Newport String Project launched four years ago, we are struck by the more hidden impact of these changes.

This year, we are fortunate to be joined by Jaime and Ashley as Associate Musicians. And while their presence makes a huge difference in lots of public ways - performing as the Newport String Quartet and expanding our student enrollment - we are already noticing the impact in less visible, although still very tangible ways. We see it in the warmth of the interactions between Jaime, Ashley and the families in the program. We also see it though the new games and songs that our students are learning from them. From our perspective as directors, it is also wonderful to have two more people to share teaching stories (and challenges) with - there is simply a sense of having more company for the journey ahead.

Our student enrollment is currently at thirty-nine - a significant increase from the twenty-five students in our first year. What that number doesn't reveal is how the recruitment process has evolved since the program's launch. Parents now have a deeper understanding of what the program has to offer and spread the word with other families. The students are eager for their school friends to join and the "sibling effect" has been a powerful factor in inspiring younger brothers and sisters to get in on the action. There is an increase not just in the numbers of students, but also an increase in the complexity of the learning environment. In the first season, students participated exclusively in group classes. Today students are participating in both individual lessons and group classes. Students are making progress at different rates and in different directions. Providing responsive teaching is demanding, rich work that requires significant planning time. We are also noticing a beautiful deepening of parent engagement. More parents than ever are staying to watch the lessons and are highly motivated to know how they can help their child practice at home.

Perhaps most striking of all has been a shift towards a sense of pattern, routine and ritual. It is especially exciting to see how the students who have been with us since the beginning, are spontaneously making the experience their own. Every Newport String Project day is jam-packed with tiny moments, successes and details that remind us of the importance of embracing the twists and turns of long-term journeys.

Change seems to follow a cycle of happening "bit by bit", seemingly "not at all" and then magically "all at once". This season has a little bit of that "all at once" energy. We hope to continue to share perspectives from students, parents and audience members throughout the year on how the Newport String Project's work is evolving for them. If you would like to support our mission, please consider making a gift through our Donate section.

With best wishes for the holiday season

Ealain and EmmaLee

Newport String Project Directors

Highlights from the Barndance

A huge thanks to our friends at Common Fence Music, St John's on the Point and from the Rhode Island Fiddle Project. It was another roof-raising barndance!

One happy dancer later described it as "a heavenly blend of music, motion and generations." We couldn't agree more!

A Serious Business...

It turns out that learning an instrument is a very serious business.... Sometimes.

Highlights from our Trinity Church concert

Many thanks to Jack Renner for this gallery of images from our Trinity Church concert!

Coming soon - the first community barndance of the season!

Presented in partnership with Common Fence Music and St John's Church! Save the date for the first community barndance of the season on November 12th from 2pm-4pm...

Fifth Annual Paper Orchestra Building Workshop

The happiest of chaos - hard as it is to believe, the FIFTH paper orchestra began its journey last week! This event never fails to be fun-filled mayhem and this year had the added excitement of building cardboard cellos for the first time. As always, it proved to be a fantastic opportunity for the moms, dads and siblings to get in on the action as the newest crop of young musicians begin their journey!

You can never have enough masking tape!

Collaboration is key!

The painting station is definitely a big favorite!

Making paper instruments... and making memories together!

It's gonna be a big year!

Newport String Project Quartet at the Broadway Street Fair

“When the quartet was asked to perform some classical hits and pop tunes at the Broadway Street Fair, i had no idea what reaction to expect. As our first chord drifted through the square, I felt the passing crowds’ curiosity shifting towards our sound. As we continued to play, a small audience grew in front of us, happily applauding after each selection. I noticed children with their parents, and families with their friends smiling at us. Passers-by occasionally stopped to comment, “loving it!” or “keep it going!” I was touched by the appreciation and enthusiasm we received, and honored to be playing on this bright afternoon, in such a beautiful town as Newport. I realized how incredible it was to be giving the community something to enjoy, while we were enjoying the entire process. As we invited our audience to join our musical experience, they further welcomed and enjoyed our music. What had 30 minutes ago been a space of individuals and separate groups, had suddenly united a small crowd of all ages as they experienced music together.”

-Jaime Feldman, cellist