Performances & Projects
Performing is one of my biggest passions to share with an audience whether it be on modern flute, traverso, alto flute or piccolo! Below you will find details about current and past performances, as well as videos of past performances, You will also find information about my current projects: Women in Music, where I showcase incredible works by female composers, and the Amaranti Ensemble, an ensemble of period instruments that also only brings awareness to underappreciated composers and commissions new works for baroque flute and harpsichord.
Interested in collaborating on a future project, concert, or just want to learn more? Contact me here!
Upcoming Performances
“Beyond the drawing room” with Amaranti Ensemble
February 16, 2020 | 2020 Mid-Atlantic Flute Convention | Potomac III Room, Hilton Washington Dulles Airport, Herndon, VA
“Of Water and Clouds” with Ilana Joyce Cady
March 5-7, 2020 | 2020 Music by Women Festival | Mississippi University for Women, Columbus, MS
RESCHEDULED
“Gibraltar: A Clash Between Nations” with Amaranti Ensemble
March 17, 2020 12:15PM | The King's Chapel | 58 Tremont St, Boston, MA 02108
RESCHEDULED
“Gibraltar: A Clash Between Nations” with Amaranti Ensemble
March 21, 2020 4:00PM | Dedham Historical Society & Museum | 612 High St, Dedham, MA 02026
RESCHEDULED
“Gibraltar: A Clash Between Nations” with Amaranti Ensemble
March 22, 2020 2:00PM | Newton Free Public Library, Druker Auditorium | 330 Homer St, Newton, MA 02459
RESCHEDULED
Faculty Chamber Music Recital
March 26, 2020 7:30 PM | Mountain View College |4849 W Illinois Ave, Dallas, TX 75211
"Social Distance Sessions"
April 6, 2020 6:00 PM | Social Distance Sessions Facebook Page
RESCHEDULED “Of Water and Clouds” with Ilana Joyce Cady
April 28, 2020 7:00 PM | The Nottingham Senior Living Community Center |1301 Nottingham Rd, Jamesville, NY 13078
RESCHEDULED “Of Water and Clouds” with Ilana Joyce Cady
April 29, 2020 12:15 PM | St. David’s Episcopal Church |14 Jamar Drive Dewitt, NY 13214
"Baroque Flute @ Lunch"
Monday/Wednesday/Friday/Sunday 12:15PM CST | Live on Instagram Video during COVID-19
“Beyond the drawing room” with Amaranti Ensemble
May 27, 2020 12:00 PM CST| Lumedia Music Works Lunchtime Concert Series | Live on Facebook and YouTube
"Social Distance Sessions"
June 8, 2020 6:00 PM CST| Social Distance Sessions Facebook Page
"Social Distance Sessions"
September 4, 2020 6:30 PM CST| Social Distance Sessions Facebook Page
"Baroque Flute Matinee"
Sundays 2:00 PM CST | Live on Instagram Video during COVID-19
"GurúFest"
September 25 10:00 AM & 8PM CST | Baroque Flute Presentation & Recital | Register to attend the livestream
"First Chair Chats" by UNT Music Library
October 15th 2:00 PM CST | Panelist | Livestream
"TMEA & ATSSB Virtual Preparation Series"
November 20th 1:00 PM CST | North Texas Professors Masterclass | Register to attend
Projects
Women in Music
After studying the standard flute repertoire for years, I was exhausted and bored of always listening to the same pieces performed over and over at every recital and competition I attended. At the start of my doctoral studies, I made it my mission to research and make my performances more meaningful and relevant not only to the audience but to myself. For the past five years, I have studied and designed multiple programs based on works by women composers that are not recognized to this. With these projects, I aim to raise awareness and bring to life marvelous works of music by outstanding women that struggled to get their music heard during their lifetime.
OF WATER AND CLOUDS
The repertoire for this concert celebrates pieces composed women, featuring works by Melanie Bonis, Lili Boulanger, Claire Durand Racamato, Cecile Chaminade, Germaine Tailleferre and Elena Ruehr. The audience will explore and discuss some of the struggles these women had getting their music heard. The stories of the composers and the pieces will expose listeners to the music written by women. With this program, pianist, Ilana Joyce Cady and flutist, Maria Gabriela Alvarado want to bring to life to outstanding repertoire for flute and piano that combines French and American compositional styles by women composers. The program includes a variety of works for flute and piano, solo piano as well as alto flute and piccolo.
Amaranti Ensemble
Originally from North Texas, Amaranti Ensemble is a period instrument chamber ensemble that brings chamber music to audiences across the United States. Amaranti refers to the amaranthus flower, which was fabled in Greek mythology and folklore as being never fading. Our mission in music is to create interesting programs that intersect between music and other humanities, making memorable performances for our audiences. Amaranti focuses on works by composers often overlooked in classical performance as well as commissioning new pieces for the traverso and harpsichord.
BEYOND THE DRAWING ROOM
Amaranti’s program, Beyond the Drawing Room, explores the lives and works of women who succeeded in creating a musical career, despite societal limitations. The pieces featured were composed for the drawing room, a domestic sphere of performance, and were largely popular in their time. Composers such as Joseph Haydn and George Frideric Handel even knew these women, and subscribed to their music. With our harpsichord and flute, we invite our audience to a modern interpretation of an 18th-century drawing room, complete with beautiful and pleasing music.
GUINEVERE’S TALE: THE ONCE AND FUTURE QUEEN
Inspired by the nonfiction literary history book by novelist Nicole Evelina, our project will focus on Queen Guinevere and her evolving portrayal through a millennium of Arthurian legend retellings. The most popular of Arthurian legend (Le Morte d’Arthur by Sir Thomas Mallory) ends publication in 1634, and the legend mostly dies out in literary form before resurfacing in the 19th century. Because of this timeline, there is little musical connection to our ensemble (traverso/harpsichord) that we can reasonably play or transcribe for performance.
With the aim to connect music with other humanities; in this case, the storytelling of Guinevere, and the multitude of literary works written in the Arthurian tradition, the pieces commissioned in this project are musical works that further drive this connection, either through incorporating quotes from various works, or specific character-type pieces on Guinevere and other people she encounters.
For more information, please visit: www.amarantiensemble.com
Videos
Sonata for Flute by Anna Amalia of Prussia
Piéce, Op. 189 by Mel Bonis
Dos Poemas by Pajaro del Agua
El Amolador, para flauta sola by Adina Izarra
Op. 1 No.4 Flute Sonata in D Major - Allegro Moderato by Anna Bon di Venezia
Sonatina for Alto Flute and Piano by Alexandra Harwood