GEORGE w/ David Kontak

John Hollenbeck formed GEORGE during the Covid pandemic. He brought together three great musicians/people whom he loved and admired for a long time! Even though most of the members had never met each other, John was confident from knowing them himself, that this group would immediately be, as one of the members calls it, "tight" (which means "very cool" in case you were wondering). Their group sound is firmly planted outside any categories or labels! They remotely recorded a literal "Proof of Concept" in March 2021 and finally met in person in January 2022 in Montreal, Canada where they recorded "Letters to George", which was released on vinyl/cd/digitally on Out Of Your Head Records in January 27, 2023. On August 27th, 2023, GEORGE released "shorts", 4 re-composed remixes based and improvisations from their 1st recording session.

Anna Webber is a flutist, saxophonist, and composer whose interests and work live in the aesthetic overlap between avant-garde jazz and new classical music. She was recently named a 2021 Berlin Prize Fellow and was voted the top “Rising Star” flutist in the 2020 Downbeat Critic's Poll.

Sarah Rossy is a vocalist, keyboardist, composer and producer based in Montreal, Canada. Sarah's practice combines live electronic processing with jazz, folk, and Arabic music to create autobiographical, ethereal, and socially-outspoken soundscapes. Recent themes in Sarah's work include ancestral continua, intergenerational linkage, and community healing. A debut audiovisual album, a tender autobiographical soundscape imagined through a kaleidoscopic electronic jazz lens entitled 'OF WHO WE HAVE BECOME', is set for release in 2024.

Isis Paola Giraldo AKA Chiquita Magic is a latinx artist/producer hailing from Colombia and based in Canada. She uses microtonal synthesizers, her voice, and a drum machine to create a unique sound that can be described as futuristic electro pop with elements of EDM, hip hop, cumbia, funk, reggaeton, choirs & jazz.

Genre-crossing composer/percussionist John Hollenbeck, renowned in both the jazz and new-music worlds, has gained widespread recognition as the driving force behind the unclassifiable Claudia Quintet and the ambitious John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble, groups with roots in jazz, world music, and contemporary composition. He has earned six GRAMMY nominations and has worked with many of the world's leading musicians in jazz including Bob Brookmeyer, Fred Hersch, Tony Malaby, and is well known in new-music circles for his long-time collaboration with Meredith Monk.

David Kontak is an instrument builder, musician, visual artist, and therapist. He lives with his family in Concord, NH.

His early training was in visual arts, and he taught drawing and printmaking at Kent State University in the 80’s and 90’s. He also played upright bass and bass guitar in a variety of jazz and experimental musical ensembles. Around this time, David began to explore homemade instruments to extend the sonic options available to these groups. Soon, he developed a wide range of stringed and percussion instruments.

David performs regularly as a solo artist on his inventions. He places an emphasis on movement, humor, and visual interest in his performances. He is currently working with Composer Andrea Clearfield, Librettist Ellen Frankel, and Artistic Director Dominick DiOrio on a National Endowment for the Arts grant. The project, called “Beyond the Binary,” is a commission for 130-piece chorus and custom percussion instruments. It will debut in May, 2022 in Philadelphia with the renowned Mendelssohn Chorus.

When not involved with musical projects, David works as an Occupational Therapist with a focus on rehabilitation technology. This field of study endeavors to design and build equipment that enhances participation and quality of life. Among other topics, he has presented widely on how to integrate students with disabilities into mainstream music ensembles using custom, adapted instruments.

Doors are at 7pm and music will start around 730. Seating is first come first served, and the show is all ages.

Host or Publisher Nova Arts