All Classical Radio Names Emily Cole And James Shields As Its 2024/2025 Artists In Residence

All Classical Radio has named violinist Emily Cole and clarinetist James Shields as its 2024/2025 Artists in Residence. The network's Artists in Residence program, one of the first and only artist residencies created by a radio station in the USA, provides opportunities to established and emerging artists for career advancement, radio and community performances, and creative development.

Cole and Shields are esteemed members of the Oregon Symphony and enjoy careers as chamber musicians. They will officially launch their All Classical Radio residency with a special appearance on All Classical Radio's Thursdays @ Three, hosted by Christa Wessel, on October 10, 2024, at 3:00 PM PT.

"All Classical Radio is proud to be a megaphone for the vibrant artists of our communities," says Suzanne Nance, President and CEO of All Classical Radio. "Through our Artists in Residence program, the station is leveraging its unique resources to help support creatives, build portfolios, and advance careers. Emily Cole and James Shields are stellar ambassadors for the program as we begin our fifth decade of community-minded service, serving global audiences from the heart of Portland, Oregon."

"For the first time since the program's launch in 2019, All Classical Radio is thrilled to invite two Artists in Residence for the coming year," says Kristina Becker, the station's Communications & Operations Manager, who oversees the program. "We are honored to celebrate and support Emily and James ̶ a dynamic husband-and-wife duo whose artistic achievements and commitment to music and education are beautifully aligned with All Classical's vision and values."

Participants in All Classical Radio's Artists in Residence program enjoy access to the station's world-class studios, research database, digital music archives, and industry contacts and network. With these powerful tools at their fingertips, artists can develop their portfolios; share their work on All Classical Radio's wide-reaching radio and digital platforms; and deepen their engagement with audiences regionally and around the world. They have ample ability to record and produce in-studio, create digital content, and perform on the air and in the community. Artists also receive a financial award to support their creative and career development.

"I feel deeply honored that All Classical would want me involved with the station community in this capacity," says Cole. "Being given the opportunity to collaborate with James on shared projects on behalf of the station is a dream!"

About planning for a project he hopes to pursue during the residency, Shields adds: "I'd like to focus in part on activities that involve both Emily and me together, for instance, an ongoing composition project that I've been working on which focuses on expanding the repertoire for violin and clarinet."

Earlier this year, All Classical Radio named 16-year-old composer, trombonist, and vocalist Elaina Stuppler as its 2024 Young Artist in Residence, and announced its 2024 Youth Artist Ambassadors: pianist and cellist Cyrus Ngan, 18; bassoonist and clarinetist Katelyn Nguyen, 17; French hornist and koto player Haruka Sakiyama, 17; and classical guitarist Anika Gupta, 16.

Previous Artists in Residence include pianist María García (2022/23), flutist Adam Eccleston (2020/21), and concert pianist Hunter Noack (2019). The station's past Young Artists in Residence include violinist/pianist Amir Avsker (2023) and double bassist Maggie Carter (2022). For the complete list of past artists and to learn more about the AIR and YAIR program, visit allclassical.org/artists-in-residence or contact Kristina Becker.

About James Shields

Clarinetist James Shields joined the Oregon Symphony in 2016 after holding similar positions in the Canadian Opera Company and the New Mexico Philharmonic. A Juilliard graduate, he has appeared as soloist with the Oregon Symphony, New Mexico Philharmonic, and Music in the Mountains (CO), and has performed as guest principal clarinet of the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Malaysian Philharmonic.

A committed and dynamic performer of chamber music, Shields appears regularly with chamber music organizations throughout North America. He is a member of 45th Parallel and Fear No Music and has performed with numerous renowned organizations including Third Angle, Chamber Music Northwest, Serenata of Santa Fe, Taos Chamber Music Group, and Gather NYC.

In addition to his performing activities, James holds a master's degree in Composition and Music Theory from the University of New Mexico and composes regularly. Current composition projects include an ever-increasing set of duos for violin and clarinet as well as other works for clarinet and strings. For the past 16 years, Shields has served as Associate Artistic Director of Chatter, a popular series in New Mexico that performs over 125 chamber music concerts annually. In June of 2024, Shields joined cellist Trevor Fitzpatrick to establish a branch of Chatter in Portland, OR. Building on the success of the Chatter model in New Mexico, Chatter PDX aims to present 50 Sunday morning performances of chamber music and spoken word each year.

About Emily Cole

Violinist Emily Cole has been a member of the Oregon Symphony since 2011. An avid chamber musician, Cole has performed with several Portland-area ensembles including 45th Parallel Universe, Third Angle, fEARnoMUSIC, and Northwest New Music, as well as with Chatter ABQ in New Mexico. She has premiered chamber works by Caroline Shaw, Kenji Bunch, Pierre Jalbert and James Shields.

During the summer months, Cole has performed with the Oregon Bach Festival, Music in the Mountains, Seattle Opera, the Grant Park Festival Orchestra, and the Apollo Music Festival. Cole previously served on the faculty of Lewis & Clark College and has coached young chamber musicians with Portland Summer Ensembles and Seattle's Music Northwest. Cole received a B.M. degree from the University of Texas at Austin, as a student of Brian Lewis, and a master's degree from the University of North Texas, as a student of Emanuel Borok.

About All Classical Radio and its Artists in Residence Program

All Classical Radio's Artists in Residence is an essential component of the station's programming dedicated to equity and inclusivity in the arts. Previous residency activities and recordings have been generously supported by the Regional Arts & Culture Council.

All Classical Radio is an independent, community-funded radio station and multimedia platform with international reach. It is consistently ranked in the United States' top three classical radio stations. The network is recognized for its bold collaborations and outreach, and for broadcasting 98% locally produced programming, including innovative music playlists, interviews, and live broadcasts. Home to the award-winning Recording Inclusivity Initiative and the International Children's Arts Network, All Classical Radio is one of the first classical stations in the nation to name artists in residence and to develop robust youth journalism mentorships. Learn more at www.allclassical.org.

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