2022-23 concert SEASON
JAMES FERNANDO
jazz pianist
with VICTOR PROVOST
steel pan artist
• CONCERT:
Friday, September 16, 2022 at 7:30PM
• EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM
FOR YOUNG MUSICIANS:
Saturday, September 17, 2022 at 10AM
Join us for this intriguing and innovative combination of instruments in an evening of sparkling jazz,
performed by two master artists!
JAMES FERNANDO
Jazz pianist,
2022 Strathmore
Resident Artist
JAMES FERNANDO has been hailed by World Music Report as a “prodigiously gifted composer and virtuoso pianist,” by Jazz Sensibilities as “limitless in his ability to articulate his ideas,” and by Contemporary Fusion Reviews as “creating one of the most amazing musical experiences you’ve ever had.”
Currently a Strathmore Artist in Residence, James’ many accolades include awards from Downbeat Magazine, the National Young Arts Foundation, and first prize at the 9th West Virginia International Piano Competition. In 2017, he participated in the historic Banff International Workshop in Jazz & Creative Music. James studied at Berklee College of Music, where he graduated summa cum laude after three years.
James has performed at venues and festivals across the USA and Canada as a solo artist and as a sideman. A few of the notable artists he has worked with are Chris Cheek, The Mark Zaleski Band, and The Either/Orchestra. In 2018, James collaborated with Mingjia to release his debut album, Extended Layover. In 2019, James released his first album as a solo artist, The Lonely Sailor, to widespread critical acclaim. After releasing Blackbird/Fly in 2021, he teamed up with Matt Lagan to release his fourth album, The Grind, in 2022.
In addition to being a highly sought after pianist and composer, James is a talented educator with an active private studio and he frequently leads masterclasses and workshops. He is currently a jazz piano faculty member at Levine Music in Washington, D.C.
Born and raised on the island of St. John, Virgin Islands, VICTOR PROVOST is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading voices on the unique, and often misunderstood, steelpan. Through appearances at concert halls, clubs, and stages throughout the world, he has developed a reputation as a “dazzling” soloist, crafting an impressive improvisational voice and style. With a strong foundation in Bebop, a contemporary sensibility, and deep roots in Caribbean music, he seamlessly melds and mixes genres. The Washington D.C. City Paper’s “Jazz Percussionist of the Year” six years in a row, his most recent recording, Bright Eyes, debuted at #5 on the iTunes Top 40 Jazz Charts and was met with praise from The Washington Post, Downbeat Magazine, and Jazz Times. Victor has performed and recorded with Jazz luminaries such as Wynton Marsalis, Paquito D'Rivera, Hugh Masekela, Monty Alexander, Joe Locke, Nicholas Payton, Terell Stafford, Dave Samuels, Steve Nelson, Ron Blake, and Wycliffe Gordon, among others.
An Adjunct Professor of Music at George Mason University, Victor also conducts residencies and master classes throughout the United States and the Caribbean. He is also an Arts Ambassador to his hometown of the U.S. Virgin Islands, which honored him with a Special Congressional Recognition in 2014, and to which returns frequently to perform and teach as part of Dion Parson’s community-based arts initiative, the United Jazz Foundation.
victor provost
Acclaimed steel pan artist
THE HILL + SOLOUNIAS DUO
• CONCERT: Friday, October 14, 2022 at 7:30PM
• EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM
FOR YOUNG MUSICIANS AND TEACHERS:
Saturday, October 15, 2022
Renowned pianists Elizabeth Hill and Jason Solounias
join forces for a performance of Maurice Ravel’s spectacular Rapsodie Espagnol, in a rarely-performed version for piano 4-hands - plus performances of exciting works for solo piano!
ELIZABETH HILL A recognized leader in contemporary music advocacy, pianist Elizabeth G. Hill has led and performed in the D.C. area’s most prominent chamber ensembles, and is known for her work as a solo performer, educator, and lecturer. A highly-regarded artist, she has performed lecture-recitals and concerts across the United States and in Europe, including for the Embassy Concert Series in Washington DC, the Center for Jewish History in New York, and the Robert-Schumann-Haus in Zwickau, Germany. She currently performs in numerous ensembles within the Washington, D.C. area, and is the Collaborative Pianist for the National Philharmonic Chorale and Chamber Series.
Elizabeth dedicates much of her career to bridging cultures together through music, and realizes this vision through her leadership within two prominent chamber ensembles within the Washington, D.C. area. Her duo, Meraki, which she co-founded in 2016, focuses on performing culturally essential music, and has performed across the U.S.A. and held residencies at numerous universities. The ensemble recently commissioned and premiered the work “Heloha Okchamali” by Jerod Tate as an honoree of Chamber Music America’s Classical Commissioning Program. Elizabeth is also the pianist for Balance Campaign, a group whose focus lies exclusively on commissioning and performing works by underrepresented composers.
Elizabeth is a private piano teacher in the DC metro-area, where her students have received numerous awards and honors, including acceptance into prestigious music schools across the country. She is also a member of the Collaborative Piano Faculty at the Heifetz International Music Institute.
Originally raised in Anchorage, Alaska, Elizabeth holds degrees from Mary Baldwin College (B.A.), James Madison University (M.M.), and The Catholic University of America (D.M.A. with a specialization in Chamber Music).
ELIZABETH HILL
jason Solounias
Jason Solounias has performed across the United States and Europe, ranging from the Kennedy Center to Southwark Cathedral, including performances at Millennium Stage, the Lincoln Theater, Steinway Society of Puerto Rico, An Die Musik, Duomo di Almalfi, Junior Soto Recital Hall, The Arts Club of Washington, WETA, Church of Epiphany Concert Series, and the Lisner Auditorium. He has collaborated with 6821 Quintet, The Tango Cammerata and has appeared as a soloist with the Trinity Chamber Orchestra and the Pan American Symphony Orchestra.
Solounias holds a Bachelors of Arts from Shepherd University. He received his Masters of Music and Doctorate of Musical Arts from the Catholic University of America under the direction of Jim Litzelman and Jose Ramos Santana.
Solounias has released his debut album under the Sheva Collection featuring the piano music of Heitor Villa-Lobos. The American Record Guide writes that Solounias, “hones in on the orchestral colors in Villa-Lobos’s music and eschews flashy playing in favor of sober purpose”, and, “brings out the intellect and grandeur of the music”. Solounias was a featured performer during the 2019 Experiencing Villa-Lobos festival at the Virginia Commonwealth University and has lectured about the music of Villa-Lobos at New York University. His recording was included in a playlist scoring the 2020 exhibition ‘Sur Moderno’ at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.
Solounias is the Director of the Puerto Rico International Piano Festival, the co-artistic director of the Kosciuszko Foundation Chopin Competition for Young Pianists, the Chopin Piano Academy, assistant to the Tureck International Bach Competition, and has consulted for the Hiiuma Homecoming Music Festival. Solounias is also on the board of the National Bell Festival.
Solounias is a passionate teacher and is currently a faculty member at Levine Music in Washington D.C. and at Opal Music Studio in Alexandria Virginia.
ROCHELLE RICE
• CONCERT: Friday, March 24, 2023 at 7:30PM
• EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM FOR YOUTH: Thursday, March 23
ROCHELLE RICE
Award winning composer, vocalist, and master story teller.
The award-winning vocalist and composer returns to Music from Poplar Hill with a new project titled “TELL HER THIS.” Ms. Rice drew a standing ovation at her first performance for Music from Poplar Hill. Join us in March ‘23 and find out why!
Walking the fine line between jazz, folk, and soul, Rochelle Rice, lives in between the cracks of hard and fast genre rules. As a singer steeped in the music of Lizz Wright and Joni Mitchell, Rice's sound leans heavily on solid lyrics, jazz-influenced harmony, and soaring vocals. Her debut EP, Wonder, released in 2016, (featuring the likes of Brent Birckhead and Mark G Meadows) established her as a singer's singer with beautiful original songs, a sizzling quartet, and lush strings.
Rice's versatility and unique skills opened the door for a long-standing stint with world-renowned, social justice-centered women's group, Sweet Honey In The Rock. Steeped in the rich legacy of the storied group, Rice released her roots music tinged single, “Mountains”, an autobiographical account of the artist’s struggle with anxiety and depression. Carrying the torch of Washington DC's indelible sound, the song features Christie Dashiell, Micah Robinson, and Shacara Rogers. Never one to shy away from self-examination, Rice continues to bare the innermost of herself, making for refined, freeing, and honest music.