The Musikos Collective and OSLAM Present: To Be Young Gifted and Black.

Taken from writer Lorraine Hansberry’s autobiographical memoir, “To Be Young, Gifted and Black,” this multidisciplinary concert explores the contradictions of Black excellence through live music and multi-disciplinary storytelling.

Directed by Malcolm Bamba & Vera Grace Menafee

A Benefit Concert for War Relief Efforts in Ukraine and The Middle East, Presented by Modern Music Guild and The Musikos Collective, this Sunday at 4:30pm in Warner Hall.

All proceeds will go to Razam for Ukraine and the Alashanem Ya Balady Assocation.

Concert will feature performances by Oberlin Conservatory Students and Faculty, The Modern Music Guild, and members of The Musikos Collective.

Zachary Good and Ross Karre come together for a joint presentation of new works in Fairchild Chapel!

OCTO celebrates October and the number 8!

Concert features octets by Asuka Kakitani, Emma O’Halloren, Benjamin Muir, and George Enescu!

Musikos at Kendal Presents: Early Explorations. A presentation of early music from across the globe!

“On the Blue Shore of Silence” is a work for Violin, Piano, and electronics commissioned by Francesca de Pasquale. On our final concert of the season, this work will be paired with pieces on the topics of “blue” and “silence.”

Come celebrate the Lyrid’s Meteor Shower in the perfect place to watch: an observatory! Oberlin’s Peter’s Obervatory will be the home for our concert, Urania, stemming from the Muse of Astronomy herself.

Musikos returns to Sacred Heart with a collection of chamber music ensembles!

Fools + Coffee is Musikos’ grand April Fools concert at Oberlin’s Slow Train Cafe! This concert will feature a plethora of ensembles, including Oberlin’s Sound Painting Ensemble, a String Quartet, and the world premiere of a Cello Trio by Zola Saadi-Klein.

Oberlin Faculty, Students, and Community come together for a concert to raise funds for those impacted by the recent Kahramanmaras Earthquake in Syria and Turkey. This concert, presented by The Musikos Collective, Oberlin SFP, and Oberlin MSA, will be hosted at the First United Methodist Church and feature works by Syrian + Turkish composers, performed by our community. 

All donations will go towards UNICEF Emergency Relief Fund, Ahbap, and AKUT Search and Rescue and donation tables will be setup at the event for cash, check, and electronic donations. 

The Heaventree of Stars is the feature concert of Musikos’ 2023 Spring Season. This concert will feature over 30 student performers and the world premiere of a work by Cashel Day-Lewis for String Sextet, Harpsichord, and Narrator.

Drew Dansby and Jasper de Boor will be soloing with The Musikos Chamber Orchestra in Schnittke’s Concert Grosso No. 1 for Two Violins and we cannot wait!

Gabriella Smith “The Heaventree of Stars Hung with Humid Nightblue Fruit” for Solo Guitar, with Contact Improv

Cashel Day-Lewis “You Will Not Mind” for String Sextet, Harpsichord, and Narrator

Alfred Schnittke Concerto Grosso No. 1 for Two Violins, Chamber Orchestra, and Prepared Piano

Everything and The Kitchen Sink is Musikos’ first concert in the Spring Semester! This concert combines the forces of Oberlin’s Percussion, Early Music, New Music/Improv, Vocal, Composition, Strings, and Jazz departments into one concert. Featured in this concert is a new work by Zola Saadi-Klein… The Kitchen Sink!

Everything and The Kitchen Sink is Musikos’ first concert in the Spring Semester! This concert combines the forces of Oberlin’s Percussion, Early Music, New Music/Improv, Vocal, Composition, Strings, and Jazz departments into one concert. Featured in this concert is a new work by Zola Saadi-Klein… The Kitchen Sink!

Program:

Andy Akiho “Stop Speaking” for Snare Drum and Backing Track

Dario Castillo Sonata Prima

Isaac Santos and the Creative Music Lab

Intermission

Pauline Oliveros “Tuning Meditation” for vocalists and the audience

Zola Saadi-Klein “The Kitchen Sink” for Trombone, Bassoon, Cello, and Electric Guitar

Soundpainting is a live composing sign language. Oberlin’s Sound Painting is run by Professor Drew Pattison and will be featured at The Slow Train Cafe in our final concert of the Fall semester!

This wild ensemble of Voice, Trumpet, Piano, Cello, Saxophone, Bassoon, and Electric Bass will be led by Drew Pattison in a few pieces all created on the spot.

Musikos returns to Oberlin Sacred Heart Catholic Church for a chamber music recital featuring 17 student-performers! Featured in this performance are string quartets by Mendelssohn, an amazing work by Shulamit Ran, and the brilliant brass quintet of Paquito D’Rivera.

Program:

Shulamit Ran “Bikrat Haderekh, Blessings for the Road”

Felix Mendelssohn String Quartet No. 4 in E Major

Felix Mendelssohn String Qyartet No. 2 in Eb Major

Paquito D’Rivera Brass Quintet

“Music About Music,” explores a set of works that all deal with music, our relationship to it, and what meaning it carries. This concert features the world premiere of two pieces by Aaron Lieberman: “Peter Quince at the Clavier” for voice and piano, and “The Rejoicing Well” for String Trio and Narrator.

Charles Ives: "Down East" and "General William Booth Enters Into Heaven" for Voice and Piano

Leslie Bassett: Nine Duo-Inventions for Two Cellos

Wynton Marsalis: Fiddle Dance Suite

Wallace Stevens (arr. Lieberman): Peter Quince at the Clavier

Aaron Lieberman: The Rejoicing Well for Trio and Narrator

The first concert in Musikos’ 2022/23 Season features 24 student musicians from Oberlin playing three string octets.

This diverse collection of works will include the world premiere of Oberlin composition student Sasha Paris-Carter's "WALLS, NAILS, FACE.”

WALLS NAILS FACE is a tribute to the meditative aspects of pop music, and honors the feminine, queer, and fashion subtexts of such music (as well as the looming shadow of consumerism and industry). I was especially excited to take advantage of all of the dynamic opportunities offered by a string octet, from giant open harmonies to intimate double choir treatment.

-Sasha Paris-Carter

Program:

Sasha Paris-Carter “WALLS, NAILS, FACE”

Dmitry Shostakovich Two Pieces for String Octet

Felix Mendelssohn String Octet

Musikos’ first collaboration with the Sacred Heart Chamber Music Series featured twins Daniel and Amina Knapp and the world premiere of two duos for Violin and Cello by Evan Judson.

“Pantomime” and”Songs from the Valley” are both duos written for Daniel and Amina and will be performed alongside the program:

J.S. Bach Chaconne from Partita for Solo Violin No. 2

Karl Davidoff Cello Concerto in Eminor

Selections from The Danish Quartet’s “Woodworks” and”Last Leaf”

Evan Judson “Pantomime” and “Songs from the Valley”

Our inaugural program, titled Polyhymnia, was a celebration of new music and the world of cello chamber music.

Polyhymnia featured Professor Dmitry Kouzov and the 14 cellists in his studio. Also featured were the world premieres of two new commissions for cello quartet and quintet from Oberlin student composers Aaron Lieberman and Sam Friedman.

Program:

George Crumb Solo Sonata for Cello

Aaron Lieberman “Four Verses of Shenandoah”

Sam Friedman “Wastelands”

Julius Klengel Hymnus fur 12 Celli