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NEW NORM at BronxArtSpace
Bronx Arts Ensemble presents a program of contemporary and historical works for strings by women composers. The concert features Florence Price’s String Quartet in G Major, a lyrical and expressive piece by one of the first Black women in the U.S. to gain national recognition as a composer. inti figgis-vizueta’s branching patterns explores organic transformation through layered textures and extended techniques. Kamala Sankaram’s A Conjuring for Deborah Lipp is a short, meditative trio inspired by ritual and invocation. Caroline Shaw’s Entr’acte, written for string quartet, uses subtle shifts in harmony and form to disrupt and reimagine classical conventions. The program also includes soon, we’ll swim by Elizabeth Gartman, a work commissioned by Bronx Arts Ensemble that reflects on the history and ecology of the Bronx River.
PROGRAM
String Quartet in G Major – Allegro – Florence Price
branching patterns – inti figgis-vizueta
A Conjuring for Deborah Lipp – String Trio – Kamala Sankaram
Entr’acte – Caroline Shaw
soon, we’ll swim – Elizabeth Gartman
PERFORMERS
The Bronx Arts Ensemble String Quartet
Jorge Avila, violin
Sarah Franklin, violin
Nikki Federman, viola
Eliana Mendoza, cello
Honduran-born violinist JORGE ÁVILA has won consistent high praise from The New York Times through his many appearances as a soloist, concertmaster, recitalist, and chamber musician. A recipient of various awards and honors, Jorge received his Green Card under the “Extraordinary Talent” category, later becoming a US citizen. He was awarded first prize at the 2001 Mu Phi Epsilon Music Competition, and the Omar del Carlo Fellowship at Tanglewood Music Center. Jorge is concertmaster of the Ridgefield Symphony, DCINY and Sacred Music in a Sacred Space series, and is a longtime artist member of the Bronx Arts Ensemble. He has appeared as concertmaster with the Stamford, Westfield and Greenwich Symphonies. In 2015 Jorge served as concertmaster of the orchestra appearing with His Holiness, Pope Francis, at a televised Mass held at Madison Square Garden.
SARAH FRANKLIN, violin, has performed with Paul McCartney, Sarah McLachlan, and Skylar Grey. An orchestral performance specialist, Sarah takes the stage regularly at Carnegie Hall, David Geffen Hall, and the Metropolitan Opera House. Ms. Franklin performs with American Symphony Orchestra, American Ballet Theater, the New York Pops, and Albany Symphony, and has served as Principal Second Violin of Distinguished Concerts Orchestra (DCINY). In 2023 she made her Broadway debut playing for Camelot at Lincoln Center Theater. Film credits include Amazon Prime’s Mozart in the Jungle, Boy Erased (Russell Crowe, Nicole Kidman), and Franny (Richard Gere, Dakota Fanning). Ms. Franklin earned her Masters degree from Manhattan School of Music as a student of Curtis Macomber, and her Bachelor of Music from the Oberlin Conservatory, studying with Marilyn McDonald. Sarah taught for eleven years at Third Street Music School Settlement, and for nine years at the Lucy Moses School at Kaufman Center. She currently maintains a private lesson studio on the upper west side, where she resides with her husband and toddler.
NIKKI FEDERMAN is an active performer and teacher in the New York City area. A graduate of Manhattan School of Music’s Orchestral Performance Program, Nikki plays with the American Ballet Theatre Orchestra, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Oratorio Society, and American Symphony, among others. Nikki also frequently performs on Broadway and records for major motion picture soundtracks. Currently a viola and violin instructor at Riverdale Country School, Nikki maintains a large private teaching studio and has taught for numerous outreach programs throughout New York City.
ELIANA MENDOZA has performed extensively as a soloist, chamber musician and orchestral player. She received a Diploma in Performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music. A Winner of the Artists International Competition, she made her solo debut at Weill Recital Hall in New York. Eliana also performed a solo recital on WGBH, National Public Radio in Boston, and reviews from The Enterprise, Brockton, MA have praised her as “…. a total artist…with a fluid touch, an impassioned mood and notable bearing.” Eliana is also a member of the American Symphony Orchestra, American Composers Orchestra and Westchester Philharmonic.
MAP AND DIRECTIONS
ENTRANCE ON SPOFFORD AVENUE
Google Map Location
Public Transportation
Take the 4/5 train to 125th St and transfer to the 6 train to Longwood or Hunts Point Avenue.
The Bx6 can also be taken to Hunts Point Ave/Coster Street.
This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Council and NYC Department of Cultural Affairs’ FY2025 Cultural Development Fund (CDF).
