The Boston Public Quartet Presents A RADICAL WELCOME: SOURCE CODE

The Boston Public Quartet (BPQ) will present A Radical Welcome: Source Code, a program celebrating the music of five landmark women composers from the late romantic period to the present, at The Strand Theatre on Thursday, May 22nd at 7:30pm. “Pay What You Want” tickets are available at bostonpublicquartet.com.

"We are thrilled to present A Radical Welcome again this year,” said Betsy Hinkle, founder of the Boston Public Quartet. “We encourage the audience to be active participants by joining the musicians in conversations about what they're experiencing through our music- the energy that flows between us as part of that dialogue is extraordinary!”

This year's event is subtitled Source Code, borrowed from Jessie Montgomery's composition of the same name which opens the program. In addition to being Musical America's 2023 Composer of the Year and a Grammy-winning composer, violinist, and educator, Hinkle describes Jessie as “a close friend of the BPQ.”

The five women showcased are French composer Melanie Bonis (1858-1937), Boston's own Amy Beach (1867-1944), along with contemporary composers Peruvian-American Gabriela Lena Frank, Jamaican-British Eleanor Alberga OBE, and Montgomery.

“They have all created pieces that capture both their own voice along with sounds and rhythms influenced by others,” Hinkle continued.  “During the concert, together with the audience, we'll decode what those influences, or sources are.  For example, in Jessie's case, those sources include Alvin Ailey, Langston Hughes and Ella Fitzgerald.” 

Performing at the Strand on May 22nd will be BPQ's Betsy Hinkle and Grant Houston, violin; violist Jason Amos;  cellist Nicholas Johnson and Joy Cline Phinney, piano. They will be joined by flutist DeShaun Gordon King. This year's program features performances in collaboration with students (ranging from primary grades through high school) from two local arts education organizations: Boston-based musiConnects and Brockton's Rose Conservatory.

“Utilizing the entire Strand space, the BPQ and guests will delight the ear, eye, and soul,” explained Hinkle. After Montgomery's Source Code, “the event will flow and the lines between audience and performer will blur, as well as between student and teacher. As audience participation is core to BPQ events, the musicians will moderate conversations with the concertgoers following each piece, exploring where the music comes from and what it means to us.”

The program includes:

• Theme and Variations for Flute and String Quartet by Amy Beach, the first successful American female composer of large-scale art music. Her Gaelic Symphony was premiered by the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 1896. Featuring guest flutist DeShaun Gordon-King
• Piano Quartet in D Major, Op. 124 by Mel Bonis.
• Tres Homenajes (Three Tributes) for Piano Quintet by Gabriela Lena Frank.
• String Quartet No. 2 by Eleanor Alberga OBE, a Jamaican-born composer whose music is deeply influenced by modern dance and who now resides in the United Kingdom.

Founded in 2007, the Boston Public Quartet is dedicated to normalizing the amplification of historically excluded voices in classical music; musicians, composers, students, and audience members. At home performing on a street corner in Mattapan Square, the Kennedy Center in D.C. and the Harvard Musical Association in Boston, the Boston Public Quartet was created to connect, inspire, and innovate as an ensemble-in-residence in Boston's diverse neighborhoods. BPQ will be serving as a resident ensemble at the newly created Phillips Andover summer program "Musical Minds."

DeShaun Gordon-King is known for his soulful tone and mesmerizing phrasing. He has given performances throughout Europe, Asia, and the United States, earning him recognition as a Trevor James Alto Flute artist. DeShaun grew up surrounded by jazz and gospel music and began his classical studies while at Duke University. Inspired by the worlds of music and spirituality, DeShaun is passionate about programming that blends together jazz, gospel, and classical to create unique and healing concert experiences. He is a vocal advocate for new music, especially works by composers of African and Latinx heritage.

MusiConnects is a non-profit organization created to foster youth development and community connection through the craft of string playing. Their accessible education and performance programs build lasting relationships between professional musicians, students, and residents in the Boston neighborhoods of Roslindale and Mattapan.

The Rose Conservatory provides access to exceptional arts education and performance for the Brockton community, fostering creativity, artistic growth, and well-being for individuals of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities.

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