Jenny Scheinman is an acclaimed violinist and composer who spent years on the downtown NYC music scene, leading both her own bands, as well as working alongside artists ranging from Lucinda Williams to Lou Reed. The New York Times praised her “distinctive vision of American music, suffused with plainspoken beauty and fortified by country, gospel, and melting-pot folk, along with jazz and the blues.” Moving back to the Pacific Northwest, Scheinman was reawakened to the extraordinary biodiversity of the region known as “The Lost Coast” where she was raised, a stretch of earthquake-prone coastline cut off from the main thoroughfares. This would ultimately inspire Scheinman to write and record All Species Parade, an epic double album featuring guitarists Bill Frisell, pianist Carmen Staaf, and bassist Tony Scherr.

Capacity is limited – seating begins 30 minutes prior to performance start.

Mike Monford is a dynamic jazz musician, saxophonist, composer, jazz historian, and executive producer based in Detroit. He has dedicated over 30 years to practicing, performing, and experimenting with the universal language of Jazz.

Monford has spent the last 10 years touring the world performing with Les Nubians and Marc Cary’s Harlem Sessions. In February 2022, he played at Carnegie Hall with the Autophysiopsychic Millennium, a music collective that studies the music methodology of the late Dr. Yusef Abdul Lateef.

The 11-time Detroit Music Award–winning swing band Planet D Nonet has teamed up with drummer/composer/arranger/vocalist Dr. Leonard King in a tribute to jazz singer Joe Williams. Williams was born in Georgia in 1918, and he grew up on the South Side of Chicago. He sang with big bands, most famously with the Count Basie Orchestra.

After his tenure with the Basie band, Williams had a successful career as a soloist at festivals, in clubs, and on TV. Williams recorded more than 40 albums under his own name as well. This is a unique performance: a tribute to a true original that brings together two top Detroit entities: Dr. / Professor Leonard King and the Planet D Nonet, led by RJ Spangler.

Widely respected for his skills as a pianist and recording artist, Mike Garson is an accomplished composer and educator as well. For many, Garson has been known for his relationship with David Bowie; he made his mark on dozens of albums and traveled the world with him on tour, including Bowie’s first and final public performances in the US.

His reputation for creativity and quality has motivated many artists, including Nine Inch Nails and Smashing Pumpkins, to collaborate on various recording and performance projects with him.

The Surfrajettes are a four-piece instrumental combo from Toronto, Canada. Since forming in 2015, the band has charmed audiences with their clever mix of psychedelic rock and reverb-drenched surf music, sky-high beehives, go-go boots, and eyeliner as thick as their guitar strings.

The Surfrajettes are guitarists Shermy Freeman and Nicole Damoff, bassist Sarah Butler, and drummer Annie Lillis. When not on tour, the group is busy woodshedding in their secret beach hut, debating vintage gear, and daydreaming about performing in a Quentin Tarantino movie.
 

The theme for the 31st season of the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival is “Creative Connections,” and features a captivating mix of artists and repertoire that transcends boundaries of traditional chamber music. “Creative Connections” is a testament to the idea that when musicians from various backgrounds converge, they weave a rich tapestry of our shared human experience.

This festival program will celebrate Pride Month and the contributions of the LGBTQ+ music community.

Artists: The Dolphins Quartet, Hesper Quartet

Program:

• Em Singleton: glint, gleam, glow (world premiere)
• Han Lash: String Quartet No. 2
• George Enescu: String Octet in C major, Op. 7

The theme for the 31st season of the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival is “Creative Connections.” The festival features a captivating mix of artists and repertoire that transcend the boundaries of traditional chamber music. “Creative Connections” is a testament to the idea that when musicians from various backgrounds converge, they weave a rich tapestry of our shared human experience.

Artists

• Han Lash
• Andrew Litton
• Shai Wosner
• Amnis Piano Quartet

Program

• Frank Bridge: Phantasy for Piano Quartet, H.94
• Han Lash: Solo Piano Miniatures
• Dave Brubeck: Points on Jazz

Sponsored by Barbara Heller.

Image: Sound Machine by Sabrina Nelson

Celebrate the rich tapestry of Vietnamese heritage in a dynamic live performance intertwining traditional music, captivating dance, and history. Presented by the Vietnamese American Association of Michigan, this cultural journey promises to ignite your senses and leave you with a deeper understanding of, and appreciation for, Vietnam's vibrant heritage. 

Immerse yourself in a dazzling fashion show where traditional attire celebrates past eras. Feel the rhythm of vibrant dances that celebrate diverse cultures, and indulge your tastebuds with an array of delectable dishes, each carrying a story of its own. 

From the most traditional Ancestors Ceremony to cultural dance and music, the Vietnamese American Association of Michigan shares the story of the Vietnamese War and pays tribute to the Vietnamese veterans who fought alongside the U.S. during World War II. 

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month programs are developed in partnership with the DIA’s auxiliary group Friends of Asian Arts & Cultures. 

In Rivera Court. Capacity is limited. Seating begins at 6:30 p.m. 

Chinese Pipa Master Gao Hong and Syrian oudist Issam Rafea perform music from their 2020 album “From Our World to Yours,” which has received two Gold Medals in from the Global Music Awards. Hong and Rafea are both prolific composers and improvisers.

This collaboration brings sounds from ancient Asian dynasties and the Middle East to present music of great charm and elegance.

Since her debut while still a graduate student at the Tokyo University of Fine Arts and Music, pianist Aki Takahashi has been at the center of new music performances at venues around the world. Well known for her classical musicianship, Takahashi is also lauded for her interpretations of contemporary works by composers such as John Cage, Isang Yun, and her brother Yuji Takahashi.

Her series of Erik Satie concerts in Tokyo during the 1970s triggered a Satie boom throughout Japan, and in 1980 she began a collaboration with American composer Morton Feldman that produced multiple landmark recordings.