Saturday, March 22

Pedro Sánchez, cello; Tiani Butts + Reuben Kebede, violins; Marcus Stevenson, viola. Photo by Rachel Papo.

With Chamber Music America, Kaatsbaan presents Ivalas Quartet and their program First Light, featuring works by Osvaldo Golijov, Eleanor Alberga, and Ludvig van Beethoven. First Light brings the listener on a journey through the cosmos with works by composers who muse on the origins of our universe and the experience of existing beyond our world. The program closes with Beethoven’s Opus 130, a piece deemed so timeless that a recording was included in the 1977 Voyager craft as a gift to any otherworldly beings it might encounter. First Light premiered at Carnegie Hall.

The program includes:
Osvaldo Golijov: Tenebrae
Eleanor Alberga: String Quartet No. 1
Ludwig van Beethoven: String Quartet No. 13 in B-flat major, Op. 130

Pedro Sánchez, cello; Tiani Butts + Reuben Kebede, violins; Marcus Stevenson, viola. Photo by Rachel Papo.

Hailed by The Strad for playing with “tremendous heart and beauty,” the Ivalas Quartet has been changing the face of classical music since its inception in 2017. With its mission to enrich the classical music world by spotlighting past and present BIPOC composers alongside the standard repertory, the Ivalas Quartet is comprised of violinists Rueben Kebede and Tiani Butts, violist Marcus Stevenson, and cellist Pedro Sánchez. The Quartet is the 2024–2025 Curator/Performing Ensemble of the Schneider Concerts at The New School and were in residence at the University of Colorado-Boulder under the mentorship of the Takács Quartet. They performed in Lincoln Center’s Summer for the City series and, in collaboration with New Latin Wave, the FUTUROS - New Ideas in Composition series.

The national network of ensemble music professionals, Chamber Music America, develops and supports an evolving chamber music field through professional development services, networking events, publications, and grant programs. Founded in 1977 by a small group of musicians determined to create a more sustainable chamber music field, today its membership encompasses musicians, ensembles, presenters, managers, educators, advocates, and others, all representing a wide range of musical styles and traditions, including contemporary and traditional jazz, classical, and folkloric genres.

Thursday, March 20

Join Gaudanse Artistic Director Imani Gaudin as she shares her latest work in progress, mamihlapinatapai. This dynamic new creation explores empowerment, cultural exchange, and human connection through the language of dance and the performing arts. The title, mamihlapinatapai, comes from the Yaghan language of Tierra del Fuego, meaning “a look shared in silence by two people who wish to initiate something, but neither will start.” Recognized by The Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s most succinct word, it encapsulates the essence of unspoken understanding and potential.

Founded in 2020 by Imani Gaudin, Gaudanse is a collective of artists rooted between New York and New Orleans. The company investigates movement languages to create multidisciplinary works that transcend aesthetics, engaging with timely and thought-provoking themes. With a commitment to social impact, Gaudanse sparks conversations that resonate from the deeply personal to the universal.

Saturday, March 22

Pedro Sánchez, cello; Tiani Butts + Reuben Kebede, violins; Marcus Stevenson, viola. Photo by Rachel Papo.

With Chamber Music America, Kaatsbaan presents Ivalas Quartet and their program First Light, featuring works by Osvaldo Golijov, Eleanor Alberga, and Ludvig van Beethoven. First Light brings the listener on a journey through the cosmos with works by composers who muse on the origins of our universe and the experience of existing beyond our world. The program closes with Beethoven’s Opus 130, a piece deemed so timeless that a recording was included in the 1977 Voyager craft as a gift to any otherworldly beings it might encounter. First Light premiered at Carnegie Hall.

The program includes:
Osvaldo Golijov: Tenebrae
Eleanor Alberga: String Quartet No. 1
Ludwig van Beethoven: String Quartet No. 13 in B-flat major, Op. 130

Pedro Sánchez, cello; Tiani Butts + Reuben Kebede, violins; Marcus Stevenson, viola. Photo by Rachel Papo.

Hailed by The Strad for playing with “tremendous heart and beauty,” the Ivalas Quartet has been changing the face of classical music since its inception in 2017. With its mission to enrich the classical music world by spotlighting past and present BIPOC composers alongside the standard repertory, the Ivalas Quartet is comprised of violinists Rueben Kebede and Tiani Butts, violist Marcus Stevenson, and cellist Pedro Sánchez. The Quartet is the 2024–2025 Curator/Performing Ensemble of the Schneider Concerts at The New School and were in residence at the University of Colorado-Boulder under the mentorship of the Takács Quartet. They performed in Lincoln Center’s Summer for the City series and, in collaboration with New Latin Wave, the FUTUROS - New Ideas in Composition series.

The national network of ensemble music professionals, Chamber Music America, develops and supports an evolving chamber music field through professional development services, networking events, publications, and grant programs. Founded in 1977 by a small group of musicians determined to create a more sustainable chamber music field, today its membership encompasses musicians, ensembles, presenters, managers, educators, advocates, and others, all representing a wide range of musical styles and traditions, including contemporary and traditional jazz, classical, and folkloric genres.