Christopher Armijo is a verstile musician local to Bloomington, Indiana. He is a performing member of Forgotten Clefs, an ensemble specializing in the civic wind band tradition during the renaissance. In addition, Chris performs regularly with Echoing Air, a baroque chamber ensemble based in Indianapolis. He is also a performing member of Las Aves, a new chamber ensemble dedicated to the performance of late renaissance and early baroque music. Chris can be heard regularly as soloist and chorister at Trinity Episcopal Church (Bloomington) where he also co-directs the Trinity Handbell Choir. He has performed in early music workshops across the country including the Amherst Early Music Festival where he worked with members of the Flanders Recorder Quartet and Tempesta di Mare. He is also a faculty member for Mountain Collegium, an early music workshop that takes place in North Carolina. A diverse musician, Chris also performs on cornetto and modern horn. He is currently a member of the horn section in the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra. BA in Music Columbus State University (Georgia), MM Indiana University Bloomington – Historical Performance Institute.

Pianist for “Three Blind Mice,” is a doctoral piano performance candidate at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. She frequently performs with her husband, Tony Weinstein.

Holds a bachelor’s degree in violin and composition from The Hartt School, a master’s degree in composition from the New England Conservatory and a doctorate in composition from Boston University, where she was a student of Lukas Foss. She has served on the faculty of the Peabody Institute and Interlochen Center for the Arts, and is currently the Music Director of the Musical Arts Youth Organization (MAYO) in Bloomington, IN. She is a guest clinician at schools and regional festivals, and she writes for The Brass Herald. She is the composer of Little Old, Little New, Little Bloom’s, What Do You Hear Chiquilla?

Bandoneonist Ben Bogart’s love for tango began when he first approached the genre through the dance. Once he held a bandoneón, he felt it was the instrument he was meant to play; as a keyboard instrument with reeds, Bogart was attracted to the bandoneón’s timbral qualities. Tango fascinates Bogart through its strong connection to Porteño culture and speech, unique concept of improvisation, as well as its own performance practices.

Ben studied classical music at UC Santa Cruz and jazz at Berklee College of Music before moving to Argentina to pursue the 2-year certificate at the esteemed Orquesta Escuela de Tango Emilio Balcarce in Buenos Aires. He stayed in Argentina for a total of 6 years and studied with the top living bandoneón players and tango musicians.

A co-director and founder of the Argentine Tango group Cuarteto Tanguero, Bogart has been a touring Tango Artist and Educator since 2004. He has performed with Grammy-award winners and nominees as well as other tango experts, including Néstor Marconi, Rodolfo Mederos, Carlos Corrales, Raul Jaurena, Carlos Lazzari, Marcos Madrigal, Pablo Aslan, Ramiro Gallo, and Julián Peralta. Bogart has been featured as bandoneón soloist with the Cincinnati Opera, the Dallas Chamber Orchestra and the Lexington Philharmonic among many others.

Bogart’s educational mission is to eliminate the geographical barriers that restrict the teaching of the bandoneón to the centers of tango production (Argentina and Uruguay). Through his online school Bogart reaches students from Asia, Australia, Europe, and the U.S.A.

Ben performs on "El Chanta."

Was born and raised in Hong Kong and has now lived and traveled to many corners of the world. From her adventures, she has many musical adventures to tell, either as the Argentine Tango pianist with her two bands — Tamango and Cuarteto Tanguero — or as the contemporary pianist-composer classically trained at the Eastman School of Music. She loves to share her music with curious people old and young everywhere — no matter if they are dancing, playing or eating — as long as they are listening with open minds. She takes pride in filling her life with lots of live (tango) music, (tango) dancing, children, traveling and community building. Winnie is the composer and pianist of “Tip of the Iceberg.

of Iraqi and American heritage, was exposed to Arabic music in the suburbs of Chicago, where she grew up attending Iraqi gatherings with her family. At 17, she went to Baghdad with her father and became enchanted by the music of Iraq and the Middle East. As a member of Salaam, she has performed throughout the United States, studying with Hamid Al-Saadi, Munis Sharifov, Mohammed Gomar and Anwar Abudragh. She’s the older sister of Amir El Saffar, is married to percussionist Tim Moore, and is the mother of Jamil and Layla. Dena is the composer and string player for Little Old, Little New, Little Bloom’s, Ya Sadiqi.

Is a composer, performer, who graduated from the National Outdoor Leadership School in his teen years and was in residence with a new theater troupe at Oberlin College, and a music ed major at Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. He is a founding member of the popular Indiana folk trio Metamora, and with them and solo, has made over 15 recordings, on Windham Hill, Rounder, Times Music of India and other labels. Into the Sky, Pleasure and Hymnody of Earth are vocal albums inspired by the writings of Wendell Berry.

His life-long nature-inspired work combines entertainment with mentorship. Dalglish compositions are rooted in folk traditions. Themes are often inspired by a sense of place and celebrate nature. Malcolm is the composer and singer of Phlox of a Feather’s Leaves of Crows.

Has had music performed by the Perrysburg Symphony, Orchestra, North/South Chamber Orchestra, Playground Ensemble, Indiana University Symphonic Band, Metropolitan State University of Denver Symphony Orchestra, Sam Houston State University Percussion Group, University of Iowa Center for New Music Ensemble, and University of Illinois Chamber Orchestra. David studied at the University of Illinois and Indiana University’s Jacobs, earning a D.M. in Composition. David is the composer of Little Old, Little New, Little Bloom’s As I Was Going to St. Ives.

Is currently at Bloomington High School South. He is a member of Sounds of South, Reimagining Opera for Kids, and the Bloomington South Lacrosse Team. Additionally, he studies voice with Dr. Thomas King. In his free time, he enjoys singing, sailing, volunteering and being involved in the Bloomington community. Dexter sings in Que Siri Siri and I Swing U Swing.

Came to the University of Alabama in 1988 on scholarship, with her partner and guitarist Peter Kienle. Initially arriving to the States on a one-way ticket, one suitcase of belongings and one guitar, she has since completed her Doctorate in Music Education and Jazz Studies at IU. Currently faculty in Arts Administration, she authors both, “David Baker – A Legacy in Music,” and the forthcoming, “A Listener’s Guide to Chick Corea.” Monika regularly performs concerts and festivals around the world. Monika is the composer and pianist for Little Old, Little New, Little Bloom’s, My Name is Jazz.

Eunsun "Sunny" Jung is an award-winning Gayageum player. She has performed across countries including France, Belgium, Germany, the U.K., Japan, and the United States. In the U.S., she has performed at various venues, including the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and Symphony Space in New York City. She also presented a successful solo recital in Manhattan. Eunsun is featured on "Building Blocks'" Arirang and San Toki

Are the musicians for “My Name is Jazz” and “C Jam,” created by jazz pianist/ composer Monika Herzig. Jazz Masters is a result of research for her book, “David Baker – A Legacy in Music” (IU Press, 2011). Geared towards primary school children, the interactive presentation by a professional jazz quintet introduces basic elements and historical facts and figures of Indiana jazz history, such as Hoagy Carmichael, the Gennett Recording Studios, the Hampton Family Band, Wes Montgomery and Freddie Hubbard, and improvisation. The Jazz Masters performed Little Old, Little New, Little Bloom’s, My Name is Jazz.

Singers for “What Do You Hear,” “Chiquilla” and “It Takes a Village” was founded in 1980 by Dr. Mary Goetze and Dr. Jean Sinor. The mission of the Indiana University Children’s Choir is to teach young people to value and experience excellent singing through musical activities which develop skills, sharing, self-expression, and personal growth. The choirs rehearse and perform throughout the school year, working with a team of conductors and musicianship teachers, some of whom are nationally recognized in their fields. All four choirs in the program perform in annual winter and spring concerts, as well as in specially arranged performances elsewhere. Advanced units of the choir are often incorporated in the IU Jacobs School of Music concerts and performances, and individual members of the choir have participated in IU opera productions and musicals.

Is lecturer in music in general studies at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. She is a musicologist and pianist whose research, performing activities and teaching focus on the East-West connections in music and music of the Silk Road. Huseynova also serves as the consultant for the Silkroad ensemble founded by Yo-Yo Ma and the Mark Morris Dance Group. Her books, articles and multimedia projects have been published in Azerbaijan, U.S., Germany, France, Netherlands, Russia, and Bulgaria. Dr. Huseynova is the author of four books, including her most recent monograph Music of Azerbaijan: From Mugham to Opera (Indiana University Press, 2016). Her numerous awards include Andrew W. Mellon Foundation grant (2015), Fulbright Fellowship (2007-2008), and a fellowship for the Junior Faculty Development Program (2001-2002), sponsored by the U.S. Department of State. Aida brought us Jahangirov’s arrangement of Gul Achdi, Bahar Oldu and added piano accompaniment and improvisation, typical of Azerbaijani music.

(1921-1992) is one of the most famous composers in Azerbaijan, the country on the crossroads on Europe and Asia. In 1951, Jahangirov graduated from the Baku Music Academy and in 1953, he joined the faculty in the same school. Choral music was the major focus of Jahangirov’s work as composer and educator. He was the chair of the Choral conducting department at the Baku Music Academy (1975-1992), served as the Choral Director at the Azerbaijan State Radio Company (1944-1961) and as the Director of the Ensemble of Song and Dance of Azerbaijan (1960-1965). Jahangirov penned many large-scale works, such as the cantatas “Fuzuli” (1959), “Sabir” (1962) and “Huseyn Javid-59” (1983), all dedicated to the famous poets of Azerbaijan. Jahangirov’s legacy also includes the operas “Azad” (1956) and “The Fate of the Singer” (1978) as well as symphonic and chamber compositions. However, art songs and choral arrangements of the Azerbaijani folk songs that he created are no less important in the panorama of Jahangirov’s oeuvre, as seen in Gul Achdi, Bahar Oldu [Flowers Have Blossomed, Spring Has Come], Azerbaijani folk song arranged by Jahangir Jahangirov (1921-1992).

First hit the streets in the spring of 2009. They dig in to songs and rhythms from WestAfrica, New Orleans, Eastern Europe, and the vastness of Latin America. Now they are busy pushing their new album, Consultation With Tubby. You may hear them moving up the street, in a club, at a wedding or at a funeral. Jefferson St. Parade Band, with Ben Fowler and Josh Olivo, created, recorded and performed, Phlox of a Feather’s Reinvention Parade.

Was born in New York and moved to Bloomington, IN in 2013. He loves reading, chess, and playing his cello. He has two brothers and a dog named Chewy. Serge sings on Little Old, Little New, Little Bloom’s, Hi, Said All the Birds.

Started playing guitar when she was eleven years old, "growing up in New Rochelle, NY, my older brother Tony had left his old nylon-string guitar at home and one day I picked it up, learned three chords from the boy across the street, and was on my way! I had wonderful teachers who didn’t even know they were teaching me, musicians whose guitar styles I absorbed by playing their records over and over to try and figure out their arrangements: Joan Baez, James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, Gordon Bok, Archie Fisher, Tom Paxton, and Doc Watson, among others. In addition, my brother Tony was an invaluable unofficial teacher. From around the age of twelve, when I first started writing songs, until I was in my late twenties, I would send him batches of four or five songs; probably 150 or so altogether over the years. He in turn would write detailed comments back, applauding the use of such and such a harmony line here or warning of the over-use of a particular musical phrase there. He was the one who really kept my guitar on its musical toes. These days I live in Bloomington, IN. I’ve been teaching guitar for many years and since the early 1980’s have traveled around the country performing. When I’m at home I do dishes, shovel snow, work on the house, and teach guitar.” Cindy performed guitar on The Heron and The Dove.

Is based in Stockholm, Sweden, serving as Västerås Sinfonietta’s composer-in-residence. She holds a Master’s in composition from the Royal College of Music in Stockholm, and a BM in composition from IU. After working with Sven-David Sandström at Jacobs, she traveled to the Gotland School of Music Composition. With awards from London’s Alvarez Chamber Orchestra and the Uppsala Composers, her works have been performed by the Swedish Radio Choir, Kammarensemble, and Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra. Molly is the composer of Little Old, Little New, Little Bloom’s Three Blind Mice.

Grew up in Bloomington, Indiana and has performed several shows with the IU Drama Department. He is a regular Oolite, singing alongside Malcolm Dalglish. Brian Kress sang on Phlox of a Feather’s, Leaves of Crows.

Was born in 1955 in New York City. His family moved to Cincinnati, Ohio the following year. In 1976 he graduated from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Oberlin, Ohio. While studying early music and composition there, he came ever more deeply under the spell of traditional music, and for several years he followed these parallel streams with equal energy and dedication. He now leads a varied and rich musical life in Bloomington, Indiana (USA) as a performer, teacher, author, recording artist, record producer and mastering engineer. Since 1989 he has been the music editor of Sing Out! Magazine. Since the early 1970s he has also devoted himself to the traditional fiddle music of his native Midwest and Appalachia, in particular the music of southern Indiana fiddler Joe Dawson (1928-2012).

Larsen’s books on traditional Irish music, published by Mel Bay Publications, have been highly successful, selling over 15,000 copies to date. In 2013 he published 150 Gems of Irish Music for Tin Whistle, 150 Gems of Irish Music for Flute, 300 Gems of Irish Music for All Instruments, and Down the Back Lane: Variation in Traditional Irish Dance Music.

The Lady Lucks are a tight-knit vocal trio from Bloomington, Indiana, that has been praised for its precise harmonies and wonderfully blended unison. While the trio has only been in existence since 2017, Sara Bishop, Priscilla Borges, and Sarah Slover have been singing together for over a decade. The Ladies — all graduates of the renowned Indiana University Jacobs School of Music — share an affinity for complex harmonies and a passion for performing and preserving music from a broad range of genres — from the jazz and popular trio classics brought to fame by groups like The Andrews Sisters and The Boswell Sisters, to early music, folk tunes, modern pop arrangements, original works, and more.

has had works performed by the American Composer’s Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Cabrillo Festival Orchestra, eighth blackbird, the Argento Ensemble, the New York New Music Ensemble, the Del Sol Quartet, ADORNO Ensemble, Chamber Mix, Volti, Thornton Contemporary Music Ensemble, IU New Music Ensemble, Holographic, and pianist Jenny Lin. His awards span the Finale National Competition Contest, ASCAP, The Society of Composers Inc., and the National Federation of Music Clubs. Lindsay is the composer and sound designer of: Little Old, Little New, Little Bloom: I Sing, U Swing and Que Siri, Siri.

Is a Bloomington native and longtime lover of folk music. She writes and performs her own music in the local band Rodeola. “I decided to play this song [Go Tell Aunt Rhody] true to the 1950’s Burl Ives version. I like how he alternated between major and minor chords on the verses, really highlighting how strange and somewhat dark the lyrics are… When playing this upbeat tune [Lightly Row] on the guitar, I started to hear how it could almost sound like a Carter Family song if the melody was picked on top of rhythmic strumming.” Kate sings and performs guitar on “Go Tell Aunt Rhody” and “Lightly Row.”

Performs as singer, drummer or both. Makobi studied ohangla drums, sengenya drums and gonda drums at Kenyatta University where he completed his undergaduate in music education and masters in voice performance. He studied drumming with Barissa Dhidha and Raymond Mackenzie. Other Kenyan instruments he played while at Kenyatta University include the obokano, nyatiti and chivoti. Makobi has played drums for Taifa Mziki, a Kenyan acapella group which he is co-founder and former director. Some of the highlights include drumming for Taifa Mziki during The Kwaya, a reality television choir competition and Taifa Mziki US Tour-2014, where he played drums during concerts and workshops. Makobi has played drums and sung Kenyan music at various events and concerts in at Bloomington IN. including; Giving back to Africa, Taste of East Africa, Lotus Edible and Lotus Blossoms. Other singing credits include: Don Basilio and Don Curzio in Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro, Ferrando in Mozart’s Cosí fan tutte, Second Priest in Mozart’s The Magic Flute, Rev. Horace Adams in Britten’s Peter Grimes and as Gilbert in the ensemble of the musical Hairspray by Marc Shaiman, tenor soloist in Mozart’s Mass in C Minor, Requiem Mass and Coronation Mass, Haydn’s Creation, and Handel’s Messiah. He is a second-year doctoral student at IU’s Jacobs School of Music studying voice with Professor Marietta Simpson. He also works as IU Soul Revue, Road Manager and Camp SOUL, Administrative Assistant at the IU African American Arts Institute. Makobi is the ohangla drummer for Phlox of a Feather’s Kongolo.

Is a soprano, and hails from Los Angeles, California. She specializes in Spanish and Latin-American music as well as late-Romantic and Modern works. Concert credits include performances at the National Council de la Raza, collaboration with members of the Cleveland Orchestra, and repeat engagements with the Cleveland One World Festival. Favorite opera credits include La Contessa (Le nozze di Figaro), Salud (La vida breve), and Lady Billows (Albert Herring). She performs regularly throughout Monroe County and Brown County with Reimagining Opera for Kids, and was recently a featured soloist with the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Alejandro Gómez Guillén. Recipient of the Elly Ameling Award for Excellence in Recital Performance, Ms. Martinez is a 1st year Doctoral Student at the Jacobs School of Music, where she studies with Teresa Kubiak. Martinez is the singer in Little Old, Little New, Little Bloom’s Que Siri Siri, I Sing U Swing, Hi Said All the Birds, Three Blind Mice, As I Was Going to St. Ives, and librettist of What Do You Hear, Chiquilla?

Explores the rock’n’roll side of Blues & Boogie-Woogie piano, celebrating the high-energy dance music of the 1950s with numbers by Louis Jordan, Ray Charles, Professor Longhair, Jerry Lee Lewis, and their ilk. Composed by Ross Martinie-Eiler, the Boogie Three performs “It Don’t Matter How You Dance.” Martinie’s Boogie Three includes Ross Martinie-Eiler, John Valdez (drums) and Joe Donnelly (sax), with special guest, Aaron Comforty.

Is a music Director, anthropologist, pianist, composer and lecturer born in Uruguay to a family of tango and opera aficionados. He was exposed to tango early in life by his maternal grandmother, an accomplished tango dancer. He studied classical piano in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil under Ondine de Mello. Earning a Ph.D. in Cultural Anthropology from IU, he collaborated with the Latin American Music Center as a pianist, composer, arranger and coach, forming BloomingTango and Tangamente. He created Minetti Productions in 2008. Minetti was the pianists and co-composer of Little Old, Little New, Little Bloom’s Quem Diria, Dirié with Adamo Prince.

Sings on Phlox of a Feather’s, Leaves of Crows. Grace performs regularly with Malcolm Dalglish and the Oolites.

Soprano Grace Na is a choral music educator, arranger and accompanist. She studied voice performance with soprano Eugenia Ratti and Roberto Negri in Milan, Italy and performed at Italy, Switzerland and the United States. She graduated from Indiana Jacobs School of Music in Bloomington with a Master of Music Education degree, with emphasis in general and choral music. After completing her studies, she spent her next four years as a choir director at Traders Point Christian Academy for middle and junior high. She is currently a choir accompanist at Clay Middle School in Carmel, Indiana, and while taking on multiple projects focusing on introducing Korean folk music to young singers and educators.

Has served as the director of the IU JSOM’s Musical Beginnings program and has taught elementary general music for over 10 years. She is the music teacher and arts coordinator and Fairview Elementary School Artful Learning the Performing Arts Academy, also serving as Bloomington's Musical Arts Youth Organization's summer director. Her early childhood music training spans methodologies of John Feierabend, Musikgärten, Kodály Method and Orff-Keetman Schulwerk. Her pieces have been performed by the Southwest String Quartet, Tucson Symphony Orchestra, and various Bloomington musicians, both children and professional. She has worked with musicians of great artistry from all over the world. She is the BloomingSongs’ project director, composer of Little Old, Little New, Little Bloom’s Hi, Said All the Birds!, and violinist for Phlox of a Feather’s Min Rose, Min Lilja.

Earned her Bachelor’s degree in flute performance from the University of North Texas in 2006 and a Master’s in the same field from Brigham Young University in 2011. During her time at BYU, she discovered that she preferred the company of children and shifted her focus from performance to music education. Consequently, she went on to gain a second Master’s degree, this time in music education from Indiana University in 2015 and her Kodály certification. Danielle has worked in elementary schools as both a general music instructor and a private flute instructor, and has taught with Musical Beginnings since 2015. When she’s not wrangling her two adorable sons, she is teaching music at Sunday school to children ages 2 to 12, trying to properly master Irish flute, sew costumes, and play Zelda. Last but not least, she is a proud Texan. Priest played flute for Minetti’s/Prince’s, Quem Diria, Dirié

Is a Brazilian guitarist, composer, arranger, author and pedagogue. A true living legend, he is one of the most important names in Brazilian music, having authored music methods (rhythm and aural perception as well as harmony) that are adopted by numerous conservatories and colleges in the country and abroad. The ensemble of his work (methods, songbooks, compositions, recordings, arrangements, and performances) is considered as reference for quality and modernity not only in Brazil, but also around the world. He worked with Alfredo Minetti to compose, Quem Diria, Dirié.

Travis has has twice toured the Gulf Islands of British Columbia by boat on the Sea to Seed Tour, bringing folk music to permaculture farms. He has frequented the west coast playing at house shows and festivals, solo, and with his bands. He is one half of the fantasy-folk duo "Stark Levity" with his good buddy, the epic diva Marya Stark. They makes songs about goblins, faries, babies, and the buddha.

The past three years, Travis has toured nationally with the International Institute of Digital Detoxification's Camp Grounded as the Music Master and director of the Yes-Choir. This is a summer camp for adults, where cell phones, computers, and real names are left at the door. The result is a delightful experience where grown people get to play like children.

Back home in Bloomington, Travis plays and composes for Upfolk with Aaron Comforty and their ever-rotating bandmates. He also has written and directed the street-opera "A Mimicry of Natural Order" and a number of puppet shows and chamber musicals, including "A Show of Hats" and "The Ballad of Thelmar Maria". He is currently working on a peasant opera and helping his three-month-old learn to roll over. He would love to help you on your music adventure.

Liam Ramsey-White (b. 1996) started composing at the age of 12 when asked by his orchestra teacher to write a piece of music in lieu of a music history paper. Currently a 5^th year Composition and Music Education double major at the Jacobs School of Music at Indian University, Liam has studied composition with Don Freund, P.Q. Phan, Claude Baker, and Aaron Travers while continuing his violin studies with Brenda Brenner. In 2017, Liam attended the Midwest Composer’s Symposium where his piece If We Meet was performed. His pieces Moon Halo and Scylla and Charybdis were included in the 2017 and 2018 IU New Voices concert performed by IU Concert Orchestra under the baton of Dr. David Dzubay. Liam also participated in IU’s Kids Compose, a concert series in which local elementary students write melodies and IU composers orchestrate them for a performance by the IU Concert Band.

Is a versatile performer on the viola da gamba whose work ranges from renaissance viol consort to improvising and co-creating new music. She is a member of Alchymy Viols, Les Ordinaires Trio, and also plays with Bourbon Baroque, Catacoustic Consort, Echoing Air, Indianapolis Baroque Orchestra, and Generation Harmonique. She also collaborates and performs regularly with composer/performer Tomás Lozano in his song project on the poetry of Juan Ramón Jiménez. Erica’s most recent recordings, Les Ordinaires, Inner Chambers and contemporary music of Tomas Lozano, Eternal Juan Ramón Jiménez, will be released in 2017.

Active in music education, Erica holds regular workshops on the viola da gamba for string students and has pioneered a multi-media program, Shakespeare’s Ear, with regular tours since 2009. Erica performs both Henry Lawes, “The Lark” and Tobias Hume’s, “Love’s Farewell” on her viola da gamba.

Lyn Rye is a bassist, singer, and composer currently based in Chicago, IL. They released their debut album, "Roots of Rye," in January 2019. In addition to performing as a solo artist, Lyn Rye can be found performing, recording, and touring with artists such as The Salaam-Shalom Music Project (world folk), Al Scorch (alt-country), Ben Burden (hip-hop), Not Lovely (jazz/hip-hop), and Evergreen (jazz). Lyn Rye frequently collaborates with OneBeat, a program funded by the U.S. State Department that brings together artists from around the world to create socially-engaged, original music and tour with performances and educational workshops. Lyn Rye was a Fellow for the U.S. 2017 program and the Balkan 2019 program and traveled to Colombia this summer as part of the OneBeat alumni project Todas Las Puertas. Scapi Magazine writes: "As a versatile bassist who plays with folk, jazz, hip-hop, and rock musicians, Rye is someone who can create genuine newness. Being able to create beats, sing, play bass, and collaborate allows them to escape any boxes threatening to confine their music to genres."

Has delighted audiences for years with its expansive repertoire of Middle Eastern and North African music. Salaam is true to the traditions, informing the uninitiated, and evoking nostalgia in listeners who are familiar with the art form. What sets Salaam apart is the versatility of its musicians, whose deep knowledge of Eastern and Western styles gives them the flexibility to move effortlessly between genres. Iraqi-American band leader Dena El Saffar’s compositions take advantage her own eclectic musical upbringing to create a sound rooted in maqam (the modal system used throughout the Middle East), with tasteful forays into Latin, African, Balkan, Rock, Blues, and Classical styles . It is satisfying to bring this original material to the stage alongside lush compositions of Mohammed Abdel Wahab and the Rahbani Brothers, historic Ottoman Empire-era Peshrevs, anonymous Iraqi songs, and folkloric melodies from Upper Egypt. Salaam, whose name means peace in Arabic, is a musical ambassador for peaceful coexistence. Salaam performed Little Old, Little New, Little Bloom’s Ya Sadiqi, alongside Maria Izzo-Walker.

Is a West-Texan turned mid-Westerner violinist, delighted to be part of the BloomingSongs project. Julia is a long-time collaborator with composer and pianist Winnie Cheung, primarily specializing in tango music. Julia holds a Masters in Arts Administration from Indiana University and a Bachelors in Music Performance from Texas Tech University. When she isn’t playing tango with Winnie and the band Tamango, Julia puts together large-scale festivals and events as the Program & Operations Coordinator at the I.U. Arts & Humanities Council. Her technical training (in classical violin) combined with the emotion and free-flow of tango lets her better connect music with a broad audience – those who love to listen, to dance, or to experience new mediums of art and music. Julia Shannon plays violin on Phlox of a Feather’s Tip of the Iceberg.

Is Associate Dean and senior lecturer at Kabarak University in the School of Music and Performing Arts. He teaches courses in ethnomusicology and African music, including traditional dance, instrumental, and vocal music, as well as courses in composition, harmony and counterpoint. He is a former DAAD Scholar, having undertaken research studies at the universities of Mainz and Hildesheim in Germany. He is an active choral conductor and is a strong advocate of community-based music making as a vehicle towards social change in Kenya. In this regard, he and other music educators from universities in Kenya and the USA have initiated a project called Tunaweza Kimuziki –a music and cultural exchange project that aims to nurture and promote music talents through workshops, online learning, seminars, and performances. Wilson has published in book chapters and peer reviewed journals with research interest in the areas of African music, ethnomusicology, musicology, hymnology, and choral music. In addition, Dr. Shitandi sings, composes, and arranges African indigenous and national songs, and Euro-American classical music; he has also earned an international reputation as an expert in Kenyan drumming and vocal music. Among his choral compositions are ten masses for mixed chorus in Kiswahili and English. He is the director of St. Cecilia Holy Cross Choir in Nairobi, a board member of MUZIKI for Africa and Utafiti Foundation, and a founding member of the Tunaweza Kimuziki initiative. Recently, Dr. Shitandi was appointed Dean of the Nairobi Chapter of the American Guild of Organists. He is also a member of the American Guild of Organists and Choral Directors, Pan African Musical Arts Education, International Council of Traditional Music, Historische Toenetrager Gesellschaft, and Nairobi Choral Music Society. Shitandi is the composer of Phlox of a Feather’s, Kongolo.

Maho Sone Grazzini is a versatile harpsichord soloist and continuo accompanist. Originally from Japan, she holds degrees from Indiana University’s Early Music Institute, where she studied with Elisabeth Wright, Nigel North, and Stanley Ritchie, and from the San Francisco Conservatory, where she studied with Corey Jamason. Her two sons Dario and Ciro are big fans of BloomingSongs, and they are very much looking forward to this program.

Soprano and certified McClosky voice technician, is currently earning her Doctor of Music at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. She received her MM from the University of North Texas and her BM from the University of Massachusetts. Kathryn has been a featured soloist at notable programs such as the in Boston Early Music Festival 2009-2013, Bloomington Early Music Festival 2014 and 2015, Berkeley Early Music Festival 2014, Mountainside Baroque 2011-2016, Florence Voice Seminar (Florence, Italy), Amherst Early Music (New London, CT), Academia D’Amore (Seattle, WA), Indy Baroque, and the Lute Society of America conference.

In Indiana, she has directed several productions such as Purcell Project: A Masquein 2013, Musica Dolcefor Bloomington Early Music Festival 2014, Hildegard von Bingen’s Ordo Virtutum, Heaven versus Earth: A Soul’s Moral Predicament in 2015, and L’Amour au Mois de Mai for BLEMF 2017. She sings alongside Erica Rubis on Phlox of a Feather’s Henry Lawes’, “The Lark.”

Born and raised in Sweden, came to the U.S. to pursue degrees in music education and organ performance. Malin has taught youth all over the world. During her studies at IU, she served as guest director of the IU JSOM’s International Vocal Ensemble and as instructor for IU JSOM’s Musical Beginnings. She contributed four Swedish folk songs, “Min Rose, Min Lilja,” “Tula Hem,” Har du Sett,“ and “Lunka På.”

Aaron Travers was born in Portsmouth, Virginia in 1975. He earned a BM in Composition from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in 1997, as well as a BA in Classics from Oberlin College the same year. He later earned an MA and PhD in Composition from the Eastman School of Music in 2003 and 2005 respectively. His teachers there included Sydney Hodkinson, Christopher Rouse, Steven Stucky and Augusta Read Thomas. Mr. Travers has received numerous awards, including 2nd prize in the 2013 Alexander Zemlinsky Composition Competition from the Cincinnati Conservatory, the 2016 Red Note Music Festival Composition Award. He is winner of the Goddard Lieberson Fellowship and a Charles Ives Scholarship, the Chicago Symphony First Hearing Award, the Barlow Prize from the Barlow Endowment of Brigham Young University, the Lili Boulanger Memorial Fund Award, and the AGO/ECS Publishing Award in Choral Composition.

Mr. Travers has received commissions from the Fromm Foundation, the University of Miami Frost Wind Ensemble, Ars Mobilis, the Third Coast Percussion Quartet, Ensemble Dal Niente, Ensemble 61, the Avion Saxophone Quartet, the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, the Tarab Cello Ensemble, the Barlow Endowment, and the South Dakota Symphony, among others. His works have been performed widely throughout the world, and his music has been featured at such festivals as the World Saxophone Congress at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, the Tanglewood Festival of Contemporary Music, and the Festival de Violoncelle in Beauvais, France. Some of his more recent compositions include an orchestra piece for the Cincinnati Conservatory, a multimedia piece entitled Dark Zone for live ensemble and video projections based on deep sea bioluminescent communication, and a piano concerto based on Argentine Tango for pianist Solungga Liu. His work Sanctuary, based on the militia takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, was performed summer of 2016 at numerous national parks across the country by Music in the American Wild. His recently completed a new work, Hunger, for soprano and string quartet for singer Tony Arnold and the Arneis Quartet, to be premiered in the fall. His most recent work, There are still wild places, a multimedia piece written for the Deviant Septet, will be premiered in 2020 in New York City. Mr. Travers is also a dedicated teacher of composition and theory, teaching at such institutions as Northwestern University, Syracuse University, Loyola University and Hamilton College. He currently serves as Associate Professor of Composition at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University in Bloomington, where he resides with his wife, Winnie, and their two children, Rowan and Linden.

Served as the Graduate Quartet-in-Residence at the Jacobs School of Music, while studying with the Pacifica Quartet. They will also be quartet in residence for the JSoM New Music Ensemble this year, performing contemporary works for string quartet on many NME programs and working with its director, David Dzubay. The quartet was formed in August of 2015 and has been performing in and around Bloomington ever since; other performances include at the Beethovenhaus in Bonn and at the Banff Centre. In the coming months the quartet will be representing IU on a tour of Korea and performing as guest ensemble on NPR’s Performance Today. In addition to working with the Pacifica Quartet, they have been coached by Atar Arad, Mauricio Fuks, Alex Kerr, Peter Stumpf, Mark Steinberg, Richard Lester, Hsin-Yun Yang, Barry Shiffman, Joshua Bell, Martin Beaver and Ani Kavafian. The Vera Quartet performed on Little Old, Little New, Little Bloom’s, Hi Said All the Birds, As I Was Going to St. Ives, and Three Blind Mice.

Is goes to Bloomington High School South. She loves to sing and dance, and she has enjoyed playing piano and performing with Cardinal Stage, BEAT Showchoir, Sounds of South and Malcolm Dalglish and the Ooolites. Lucia sang on Phlox of a Feather’s, Leaves of Crows.

is a regular Cardinal Stage performer, found in The Birthday Feast, appearing as Grace Farrell in Annie, Glinda in The Wizard of Oz, Charlotte in Charlotte’s Web, Mrs. Bucket in Willy Wonka, performing in My Fair Lady, Les Misèrables, and most recently, Frog and Toad. Her stage and theater credits include work with Bloomington Early Music Festival Opera, IU Opera Theater, Bloomington Music Works, and College Light Opera Company. An IU Jacobs School of Music graduate, Maria has performed as a member of and soloist with the Bloomington Chamber Singers, New Art Voices, Voces Novae, early music ensemble Anima Fortis, and Bloomington Pops, as well as with Apollo’s Voice and the Indianapolis Symphony. She is very happy to be involved with BloomingSongs! She is the singer in Little Old, Little New, Little Bloom’s Ya Sadiqi, Que Siri Siri, and I Swing U Swing. She also sang on Phlox of a Feather’s, Leaves of Crows.

Is a singer, pianist, composer, director, conductor, lecturer, and teacher, serving orchestras, opera companies, and choral festivals throughout. He earned a B.F.A. in music from Denison University and studied opera at the Institute for European Studies in Vienna, Austria. He studied African-American History, Music, and Dance at San Francisco State University and learned the business of Gospel Music at Walter Hawkins Corporation. He has both a Masters and Doctorate in Music Education from The Ohio State University. Raymond Wise is the composer and drummer of Little Old, Little New, Little Bloom’s It Takes a Village.

Holds master’s degrees in African Studies and Ethnomusicology from IU. He has performed for U. S. president Bill Clinton, Queen Elizabeth 11, Nelson Mandela, and President Obama—teaching his daughters music and songs in Ghana. He’s performed with the major orchestras throughout the world. His gyil concerto composition, “Gyil Nyog Me Na” in the spring of 2006, at Zankel Hall in Carnegie Hall, is a testimony of his musicianship. Bernard is the Artistic Director of the award winning Saakumu Dance Troupe and the founder and director of the Dagara Music and Arts Center in Accra. He is the composer, singer and gyil performer for Little Old, Little New, Little Bloom’s Kola Per (The Cat and the Mouse) and Nebour Dang (Butterfly). Phlox of a Feather was produced in honor of his musical legacy.

Anna loves to tell stories through music and has been performing and recording her own songs since age 13. She has been recognized as “One to Watch” by Nashville Songwriting Association International. Anna is currently recording her second full-length CD for a 2020 release. In her spare time Anna enjoys playing violin in the Hoosier Youth Philharmonic, and performing with BEAT Amplitude show choir.