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Festival of New American Music
About the Festival of New American Music
November 7-14, 2021
The Festival of New American Music brings extraordinary musicians to Sacramento, California, each year to present high-quality performances of a broad body of recently composed or improvised music by some of America’s most exciting artists. This year marks the 44th annual — and second virtual — Festival of New American Music!
Through public concerts, educational events, and outreach, the Festival serves three principal communities: those of the Sacramento State School of Music; the California State University, Sacramento; and the greater Sacramento region.
Committed to making music accessible to all, the Festival offers all of its concerts free of charge to the public.
Questions?
Watch this year’s FENAM online
Due to COVID-19 procedures in effect during the planning stages of this festival, FeNAM will again be presented online in 2021.
All concerts will be streamed on the Sacramento State School of Music's Facebook page.
Gala Concert - November 7
Sunday, 7:00 p.m.
The Festival opens with a Gala concert featuring Imani Winds, Matthew Even Taylor (saxophone/ improvisation), and Citywater, performing the instrumental music of Shawn Okpebholo.
Curtis Bannister - November 8
Monday, 7:00 p.m.
Curtis Bannister performs the vocal works of Shawn Okpebholo. The 2021 recipient of the Actors Equity Foundation Roger Sturtevant Award, Bannister is praised by TimeOut Magazine as “radiating with slowly simmering energy” and as “quiet revelation” by the L.A. TImes as he continues to establish himself as one of the most dynamic and multi-genre performing artists of his generation in theatre, opera, and film.
Matthew Evan Taylor - November 9
Tuesday, 7:00 p.m.
Composer/Improviser and saxophonist Matthew Evan Taylor has been hailed as “a promising new voice” (Miami Herald) and a “risk taker” (Huffington Post) whose music is “insistent and defiant ... envelopingly hypnotic” (Lucid Culture). His multi-faceted performance career has taken him all over the world to work with Grammy, Tony, Emmy and Oscar award winning artists.
Imani Winds - November 10
Wednesday, 7:00 p.m.
Celebrating over two decades of music making, the Grammy-nominated Imani Winds has led both a revolution and evolution of the wind quintet through their dynamic playing, adventurous programming, imaginative collaborations, and outreach endeavors that have inspired audiences of all ages and backgrounds.
"As One" - November 12
Friday, 7:00 p.m.
Baritone Omari Tau and the Chevalier String Quartet perform "As One," a chamber opera with music by Laura Kaminsky and libretto by Mark Campbell and Kimberly Reed. This beautiful and moving work tells the story of a transgender woman as she comes to terms with her gender identity. A Sacramento native, Tau is Co-Founding Artistic Director and Professor of Vocal Music at Cosumnes River College. At home in the operatic and musical theatre worlds, as well as in jazz and pop genres, Mr. Tau has proven a versatile performing artist, educator, and director. As a performing artist, Mr. Tau toured with Disney’s "The Lion King" for nearly nine years, performing the role of Banzai with both the Cheetah and Gazelle companies, which traveled internationally. Named after the 18th-century Black composer Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, the Greater Sacramento-based Chevalier String Quartet champions the music of Black composers.
Faythe Vollrath - November 13
Saturday, 4:00 p.m.
Alumnus Faythe Vollrath and friends present New Harpsichord Works for 2, 3 and 4 harpsichords. Hailed by the Wall Street Journal for her “subtly varied tempo and rhythm that sounds like breathing,” her solo performances include venues such as MusicSources in Berkeley, CA, Gothem Early Music in New York City, and Bruton Parish Church in Colonial Williamsburg, VA.
Local Voices - November 13
Saturday, 7:00 p.m.
Featuring performers and composers based in Sacramento
Transient Canvas - November 14
Sunday, 4:00 p.m.
Boston-based contemporary duo Transient Canvas has been praised as “superb” by the Boston Globe and “disarming” by Cleveland Classical, with the San Francisco Chronicle lauding “the versatile imagination they both display and inspire in others.” Bass clarinetist Amy Advocat and marimbist Matt Sharrock have amassed a varied repertoire of over 80 commissioned works in addition to working with hundreds of student composers from all over the world. They maintain an active touring schedule with recent performances at the Charlotte New Music Festival, Music on the Edge, Composers, Inc., Music at the Forefront, and People Inside Electronics, among others.
Sacramento State Choirs - November 14
Sunday, 7:00 p.m.
The closing concert of this year's Festival will feature the Sacramento State Choirs, under the direction of Dr. Andrew Kreckmann. The program will feature works by Michael Bussewitz-Quarm and Mari Esabel-Valverde.
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