October 26th, Halloween SZALON!

1. Annette Kruisbrink, Dutch guitarist and composer, performs a selection of bizarre, mysterious, and creepy pieces from her monstrous work "Calendar Music, 365 nano pieces for guitar", from a studio in Knokke, Belgium
2. Kārlis Bukovskis performs F. Liszt Mephisto-Waltzer No. 1, S. 514 "Der Tanz in der Dorfschenke", from the Szalon
3. The Valentina Sounds Trio (Valentina Raffaelli, Sara Mingle and Cecilia Ferneborg) performs their latest haunting release "Monsters", and a few spooky arrangements of familiar songs, from the Szalon
4. Kwanyun Lucien Loo performs Lamentatio for Solo Cello by Giovanni Sollima, from the Szalon
5. Keegan Tawa (Armenian Duduk) performs semi-improvised folkloric and original compositions that examine death in varying lights, from celebration to mourning, with Andrea Clearfield, piano, from the Szalon
6. Ruby Fulton performs a mesmerizing and fantastical solo improvisation on violin and pedals, from the Szalon 
7. Genevieve Hahn performs “The Great Train Race” by Ian Clarke and “Rock Hill” by Andrea Clearfield, accompanied by the composer, from the Szalon
8. Soprano and author Heather Antonissen performs with pianist Andrea Clearfield in an transcendent fusion of literature and opera, with an excerpt from Heather’s forthcoming novel In the Absence of Sirens, from the Szalon
9. Darling Damselfly (Sammy Shuster, Lexie Diallo and Dave Marley) perform two elemental songs from their album Galapagos: "Galapagos" and "Birds and Butterflies", from the Szalon
10.Mistress of the Dark, Kimberly Korn with her band, the Chaos (TJ Trifeletti, synth; Kevin Kennedy Zabsonre,bass; Lee Butler, guitar; Rocco Michaluk, drums) perform enchanting and macabre originals and covers, from the Szalon

Annette Kruisbrink

Dutch guitarist and composer Annette Kruisbrink (b. 1958) has built an international reputation with a catalogue of over 465 works, celebrated for their originality and diversity. Her music has won prizes in major composition competitions and is published and performed worldwide. In addition to composing, Kruisbrink is a sought-after teacher and speaker, offering seminars on guitar and composition, and serving on juries at international festivals and competitions. As a performer, she appears both as a soloist and in ensembles, bringing her music to audiences across the globe. She taught contemporary and ethnic music at the Conservatory of Zwolle from 2000 to 2010, and has created an extensive range of teaching materials and guitar methods. Her artistry is represented on 21 CDs and 3 DVDs dedicated entirely to her compositions.

Links:

www.annettekruisbrink.nl
www.youtube.com/annettekruisbrink
annettekruisbrink.bandcamp.com
www.facebook.com/annette.kruisbrink

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Kārlis Bukovskis

Kārlis Bukovskis, 22 year old pianist from Latvia, entered Curtis Institute of Music in 2022, and studies with professor Robert McDonald. Kārlis is John J. Medveckis Fellow.He has participated in concerts and festivals in Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, France, Georgia, United States, Russia, Uzbekistan, and performed with various orchestras - Pskov and Kaunas Symphony Orchestras, and Lithuanian and Uzbekistan National Symphony Orchestras. Kārlis is a winner of many international competitions and awarded with Ministry of Culture of Latvia prize in 2014 and 2016. Summer of 2023 he was a student at Fontainebleau Schools Of Music And Fine Arts and won the first prize at Prix Ravel. He also has participated in prestigious masterclasses, such as masterclass with Yuja Wang, Jonathan Biss, Leif Ove Andsnes, Robert Levine, Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Eliso Virsaladze and Sir András Schiff.

Links:

Website: https://karlisbukovskis.com/
Instagram: @KarlisBukovskis

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Valentina Sounds Trio

Valentina Sounds (Valentina Raffaelli) is an Italian born/Philadelphia based singer-songwriter, performer, voice coach, and music director. Valentina's music is catchy and creative, blending pop melodies with her background in jazz and composition. She will draw you in with her powerful vocals, compelling stage presence and the hypnotic harmonies provided by her fantastic backup singers, Sara and Cecilia

Sara Mingle has been singing with Valentina for over 5 years. She is a musical theater choreographer and teaching artist in Delaware County, as well as an avid knitter.

Cecilia Ferneborg is a Swedish-American singer-songwriter. She combines candid lyrics with a guitar-driven indie-rock sound.

Valentina Sounds has been working towards recording new material, any donations will be highly appreciated 

Links:

www.valentinasounds.com
Venmo: @valentinasounds 
Paypal:  https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/valentinasounds
Socials:  YouTube, Facebook, Instagram

Recordings available everywhere you get your music online

Videos:

Kwanyun Lucien Loo

Kwanyun Lucien Loo, 15, is a Southeast Asian-American cellist and Diploma Candidate at the Curtis Institute of Music, where he studies with Peter Wiley, Yumi Kendall, and Nick Canellakis. At 14 he made his debut with the Curtis Symphony Orchestra at the Kimmel Center’s Marian Anderson Hall, one of the youngest students in Curtis’s 100-year history to do so. A former student of Amy Barston, Kwanyun has undertaken summer studies with Ralph Kirshbaum, Jay Campbell, Phoebe Carrai, and Troels Svane. He has also performed in masterclasses for artists including Sheku Kanneh-Mason, David Geber, and the Takács Quartet. He has appeared as soloist with ensembles including the Ambler Symphony, Main Line Symphony, Lansdowne Symphony, Delaware County Symphony, and Rowan University String Ensemble. A 2024 Heifetz Institute String Scholar Fellow and graduate of the PMAY Artists’ Initiative, Kwanyun serves as both Director of Global Operations and Regional Director (Philadelphia) of the Back to BACH Project, bringing music outreach to schools in his community and worldwide.

Links:

Instagram: @KwanyunLoo
Back to BACH Philadelphia:
https://www.backtobachproject.org/pa-philadelphia
Back to BACH Member sign-up form:
https://forms.gle/WjmfNrcv1GCZaASv7

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Keegan Tawa

Keegan Tawa is a Saxophonist, Duduk player, composer, and engineer from Philadelphia. His unique fusion of engineering and composition gives his music a characteristically futuristic sound. Tawa is a super collaborator, seeking constantly to intersect the skills, backgrounds, and cultures of artists from around the world. His background in Jazz, vocation as an engineer, and passion for storytelling give him a rare and unmistakable approach to composition and sound. Tawa's newest record, "Tessellation," is a global collaboration of 25 artists from Turkey, Iran, Tunisia, Israel, India, China, and the United States. Tessellation is a Jazz album deeply inspired by Pan-Arabic and Persian approaches to melody, featuring a wide array of traditional instrumentation deployed alongside modern, cutting-edge electronics.

Links:

Stream Tessellation
Purchase Records on Bandcamp
Youtube
Instagram

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Ruby Fulton

Composer and musician Ruby Fulton (b. 1981) writes music which invites listeners to explore non-musical ideas through sound. Her musical portfolio includes explorations of mental illness, Buddhism, philosophy, psychedelic research, addiction, and chess strategy; and profiles of iconic popular figures like the artist Jean-Michel Basquiat and musicians Syd Barrett and Whitney Houston. She has collaborated on interdisciplinary projects with thinkers and makers in the sciences and literary, movement and visual arts. She plays violin and trumpet, and teaches music at the College of Southern Maryland.

Links:

Website: www.rubyfulton.com
Inc, Inc, Inc that includes Ruby on violin: https://ikeshark.github.io/inc/
Improvisation track by Inc, Inc, Inc that includes Ruby on violin: https://incincinc.bandcamp.com/track/mute

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Genevieve Hahn and Andrea Clearfield

Genevieve Hahn is a freelance flutist and soprano based in Newark, DE. She graduated summa cum laude with two Master’s degrees, one in Flute Performance and the other in Vocal Performance, from the University of Delaware in 2023. She is currently the Artist-in-Residence at Lower Brandywine Presbyterian Church and is a sought-after vocal and flute soloist at various churches in the tri-state area. She regularly performs leading roles in the Gilbert and Sullivan productions of The Ardensingers and Rose Valley Chorus and Orchestra, such as Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance and Rose Maybud in Ruddigore. This past August, she was an ensemble member in Delaware Valley Opera Company’s production of Dido and Aeneas. She is also an ensemble member with Wilmington Concert Opera and will open their 2026 season with a solo recital in January. She will perform several more recitals at other locations in the months to follow. She enjoys donating her talents to local benefit concerts for causes that are near and dear to her heart. She currently studies voice with her amazing teacher Jessica Beebe.

 Links:

Website: www.genevievehahn.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/genevieve.hahn.395286/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gennahahn/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@genevievehahn9215

Creating deep emotive musical languages that build cultural and artistic bridges, the music of composer Andrea Clearfield is performed widely in the U.S. and abroad. She has been praised by the New York Times for her “graceful tracery and lively, rhythmically vital writing”, the Philadelphia Inquirer for her “compositional wizardry” and “mastery with large choral and instrumental forces”, the L.A. Times for her “fluid and glistening orchestration” and by Opera News for her “vivid and galvanizing” music of “timeless beauty”. She has written 175 works for opera, chorus, orchestra, chamber ensemble, dance and multimedia including a work for The Philadelphia Orchestra. She graduated with a doctorate in Music Composition from Temple University. Dr. Clearfield received a Pew International Residency Award, a Pew Fellowship in the Arts, two Independence Foundation Fellowships, two Fellowships at the Rockefeller's Bellagio Center and a Fellowship at the American Academy in Rome as well as being awarded creative and teaching residencies internationally. She is also Founder, Curator and Host of the Philadelphia Szalon Concert Series, now celebrating 39 Years. In addition, she is active as a pianist, performing and recording with numerous ensembles, including the Court of the Dalai Lama. Andrea is the recent recipient of a 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Musical Fund Society. She is represented by Black Tea Music.

https://www.andreaclearfield.com/

Videos:

Heather Antonissen

Heather Antonissen is a classically trained singer, writer, and storyteller whose artistry bridges the worlds of music and myth. A native of Anchorage, Alaska, she has performed throughout the United States as a concert soloist, opera lead, recitalist, and featured cabaret artist, captivating audiences with her expressive voice, sharp wit, and commanding stage presence. Heather has been featured with Chautauqua Opera, Opera San Jose, Amore Opera, West Bay Opera, Verismo Opera, and more. She is a winner of the NATS regional competition and a finalist in the Pacific Region Metropolitan Opera Competition. Critics have praised her as “a charming singer and actor” with a voice that is “controlled and elegant, fun, fresh—everything a performance should be.” Heather’s one-woman shows—featuring a delightful blend of opera, standards, and sly humor—have also lit up venues in Santa Fe, Dallas, Palm Springs, and San Francisco. 

Alongside her stage career, Heather is a published poet and the author of the forthcoming novel In the Absence of Sirens, which follows a young woman torn between her destiny and her heart. For this performance, she offers an early glimpse into that world—sharing a song drawn from the pages of her book, where music is both spell and sanctuary. Heather’s artistry explores the intimate and the expansive, reminding listeners that the power of voice is more than just sound: it's how we envision, declare, and as a result, become.

www.heatherantonissen.com
Instagram: @singingwildflrw
Facebook and YouTube: Heather Antonissen
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Loungeware-Vol-1-feat-Omar-Rane/dp/B005UWFDKU 

Videos:

Darling Damselfly

Darling Damselfly performs songs about humans and animals in their changing environment, including songs about the wonders of the natural world and the conundrum of coexisting in a delicate balance. Their newest album "Galapagos" was featured in Grid magazine.

Sammy Shuster is a songwriter was born and raised in Philadelphia. She performs in several music projects and has organized and curated many art shows. She is the mother of a beautiful son.

Lexie Diallo started playing the violin when she was five, and picked up the viola sometime after that. She has played in casual string quartets and less casual orchestras in such places as Oregon, Boston, France, and Mt. Airy, and currently resides in West Philadelphia with her son and a growing collection of Transformers action figures.

Dave Marley is a West Philly songwriter and multi-instrumentalist with a melodic, groove-centered approach to folk-rock. In Darling Damselfly, he plays electric bass, acoustic guitar, and piano, with a constant focus on supporting and elevating Sammy’s vocals and Lexie’s viola.

Links:

Bandcamp: https://darlingdamselfly.bandcamp.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darling_damselfly/ 
Article in Grid Philly: https://gridphilly.com/blog-home/2025/01/22/new-album-aims-to-spur-reflection-on-human-interaction-with-natural-world/

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Kimberly Korn and the Chaos

Kimberly Korn and the Chaos (TJ Trifeletti – synth; Kevin Kennedy Zabsonre  - bass; Lee Butler – guitar; Rocco Michaluk – drums) is a South Jersey/Philly based band creating bad ass bitch pop music that attests to overcoming life’s struggles. They incorporate their passion for theatre, dance, music and outrageous fashion into their live shows. Lead singer Kimberly Korn is also a songwriter/producer where her music can be heard on Netflix, Hulu, CBS and Paramount.

Links:

https://linktr.ee/kimberlykornmusic
Facebook

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