Composer Residency with Benet Casablancas and Mercedes Zavala
As part of PostClassical Ensemble's centennial celebration of Manuel de Falla's El retablo de maese Pedro (part of April 2023's Entwined), and with the support of the Sociedad General de Autores de España (SGAE), Spanish composers Mercedes Zavala and Benet Casablancas will enjoy a week of residencies at both Georgetown University and Peabody Conservatory, September 11-15, 2023. The two composers will be working with PCE's Music Director, Angel Gil-Ordóñez, in masterclass and lecture settings with students at both schools. On Friday, September 15 at 12:30pm, their works will be included in a public piano recital by Enriqueta Somarriba hosted by Georgetown University.
Amazing Grace Field Trip-Experience
As part of the seasonal family-concert tradition, Amazing Grace: Music for the Spirit, PostClassical initiated the “Amazing Grace Field-Trip Experience” with the Columbia Heights Educational Campus in 2023. This unique opportunity gave students a chance to engage with various African-American spirituals and John Newton’s Amazing Grace. The goal of the experience is to intertwine history & culture to the performing arts, while giving students a broader foundation for artistic expression through prepared classroom materials and resources for educators.
The 3-day experience began with an initial in-school visit from Music Director Angel Gil-Ordoñéz, to prepare students for the field-trip visit. The field trip to the Kennedy Center’s Terrace Theater offered exceptional learning opportunities to students to experience a concert hall, watch a professional orchestra rehearse, and interact with national and international guest artists, living composers, and PostClassicalmusicians. Angel Gil-Ordoñéz returned after field-trip experience to reflect on their time visiting rehearsal, and lead in-class workshops around their music curriculum.
Half Day In-School Residency
Featuring guest artists from the April season-finale, Entwined: A Double Feature, PostClassical participated in a half-residency at Columbia Heights Educational Campus. The residency interacted with flamenco, guitar, chorus, and orchestra through a school-wide assembly that featured guest artists. It also included opportunities for students to work collaboratively with guest artists in an hour-long workshop around their curriculum.
This residency is part of PostClassical’s Inspiration Initiative, providing interactive workshops, masterclasses, and sectional opportunities to schools.
