Vienna Teng featuring The Founders @ ST. MARK'S CATHEDRAL

Vienna Teng returns to the Pacific Northwest with two very special shows featuring her fellow members of the genre-crossing chamber group Founders. Featuring virtuoso trumpeter and composer Brandon Ridenour (Canadian Brass, Julliard faculty); acclaimed violinist, vocalist and composer Ben Russell (Max Richter, American Contemporary Music Ensemble); Grammy-winning saxophonist and composer Andrew Gutauskas (Brass Against, Matrix Resurrections); and renowned world and classical percussionist Yousif Sheronick (Yo-Yo Ma, Branford Marsalis), as well as Vienna’s piano and vocals, the ensemble will perform adventurous new arrangements of Vienna’s music as well as other selections from Founders wide-ranging repertoire.

“I was in a long-distance relationship with music for many years,” jokes songwriter Vienna Teng. “Now we’re finally moving back in together.”

Long-distance, perhaps, but long-running. In 2002, Vienna released her debut album Waking Hour, landing her on NPR’s Weekend Edition, The Late Show with David Letterman, and the top of Amazon’s music charts. Four more albums followed, most recently Aims in 2013, which became the first album to win four Independent Music Awards. She also composed the music for The Fourth Messenger by playwright Tanya ShaTer, which premiered in 2013 and was a featured production in the 2017 New York Musical Theater Festival. Together with Vienna’s captivating live performances and thoughtful online presence, her work has built a devoted following across generations and continents.

Still, other pursuits have always beckoned. A computer science major before she was a recording artist, Vienna is a nerd at heart, as comfortable in spreadsheets as the spotlight. She returned to academia in 2010 to study environmental sustainability, which led to a new career working on climate change, energy and waste issues. She also became a bonus parent to her partner’s two kids, and in early 2020 welcomed a newborn addition to the family - just in time for pandemic lockdown.

“I learned a lot about what it means to hold two truths in your head at the same time, as the saying goes,” Vienna says of that period. “The situation can be dire and full of possibility. Both kindness and fierceness are so very necessary.”

“An idiosyncratic quintet featuring versatile chamber music players who double as singers and songwriters” (The New Yorker), Founders was awarded both First Prize and Audience Choice Award at the 2020 SAVVY Chamber Competition. Merging the talents of conservatory trained musicians in New York City, Founders is re-defining the role of the classical ensemble for the next generation.

Founders began in 2014 through the collaborative efforts of Ben Russell (violin/vocals) and Brandon Ridenour (trumpet/piano). From the beginning, they pioneered bringing the composer back onto the stage, assembling an ensemble of prize-winning performers, writers and arrangers. In 2015 they co-produced their first album, You & Who which the New York Music Daily stated, “Their excellent debut album... is like nothing else out there right now.” In 2018, Founders recorded selected works from their American Excursions program, highlighting composers, folk musics, and poets from American history. The program features the music of Samuel Barber, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, alongside the poetry of E. A. Poe, Gertrude Stein, Emily Dickinson, and Maya Angelou. This multifaceted project celebrates the rich diversity of American culture, while accentuating the unique strength of Founders as a composing ensemble.

Founders passionately advocates training the next generation of musicians to expand their breadth of creative possibilities. Founders are frequently artists in residence at schools where they present various workshops including Crucial Habits for Songwriters/Composers; Innovative Arranging; and The Classical Improvisor. Accentuating the synergy of classical music and everything after it, Founders enjoy sharing their unique take on music with students and audiences worldwide.

All ages, some seating available

Bar w/ ID. Profits to local music & non-profits (thanks to the generosity of our local sponsors)

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An open floor concert experience, quiet picnics welcome. Seating available including chairs, benches, and some floor space around the stage area.

We recommend bringing cushions and even blankets if you'd like. Audience can sit or lay down anywhere around the stage as space allows (floor space is not reserved).

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St Mark's is ADA Accessible. Wheelchair seating area is to the left of stage near the front.(Email [email protected] with questions)

Service animals as defined by the ADA are allowed. Service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities.

We are an all ages venue. Kids 10 & under are free at most Abbey Arts events.**

Please refrain from talking or texting during the show

No cameras with audible shutters or audible sounds allowed.

Quiet picnics only, no outside alcohol allowed

St. Mark's has a pay-to-park lot. More parking information is available here.

• Open seating except reserved front rows chairs & benches.
• To create a "giant living room" effect we offer an unusual concert experience with informal seating on the floor up front surrounding the stage and lots of pews, benches, and chairs around the space.
• We highly recommend you bring blankets and cushions to create a more comfortable experience whether sitting on the floor or seats. Quiet and non-messy snacks/picnics are allowed. No outside alcohol please.
• For best sound, arrive early for center floor area and any area on stage not marked with signage. You can also sit all around the back of the stage if you like but sound will be a bit limited there.

• Please silence all devices. Turn off vibrate, rings, etc. If you need your phone on vibrate for specific reasons, please keep it close to you and not on a hard surface that will distract your neighbor.
• If arriving late, please be advised that ushers may hold doors during each song due to acoustics of the space.
• Please refrain from talking during the show.
• Please enter quietly if the show has already begun.

• NO CAMERAS WITH MECHANICAL SHUTTERS (This goes for Press too unless approved to photograph during applause only.) That means silent digital cameras/photos are ok but we really recommend you enjoy most of the show through your own 'retina screens'.
• You probably get the idea, this isn't a loud party venue. :-)
• Anyone exhibiting loud or disruptive behavior during the event will be asked to leave.

**We are unable to provide a separate soundproof room for viewing this event. These shows are very very pin drop quiet so please consider that when deciding what ages are appropriate. No cry room available at this venue and even voices in the lobby will be heard in the concert space.

• Use #seattlecathedrals and tag @abbeyarts on Instagram or Facebook, @fremontabbey on Twitter

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NONPROFIT 501C3, NON-RELIGIOUS, EST. 2005

Presenting welcoming music, arts & cultural experiences for people of all ages & incomes.

• We support low income families, veterans, and humanitarian nonprofit workers with free event tickets. fremontabbey.org/artsconnect
• Rental info & more: fremontabbey.org/rent
• Concert & events calendar: fremontabbey.org/calendar
• Respect policy: fremontabbey.org/respect
• Volunteer opportunities are available for most shows (include free entry) www.fremontabbey.org/volunteer

Home Venue: Fremont Abbey, 4272 Fremont Ave North, Seattle, WA 98103 / 206-414-8325 Ballard Homestead: 6541 Jones Ave NW, Seattle | + South Park Hall, Woodlawn Hall Greenlake, UHeights Auditorium (UDistrict), St Mark's Cathedral (Capitol Hill), & more

Host or Publisher Abbey Arts Presents