Experience a mesmerizing blend of classical music and captivating storytelling in our upcoming performance!

Join us as we unravel the intricate dynamics of a mother-daughter relationship, exploring both the joys and challenges they face. Immerse yourself in a heartwarming tale of redemption, beautifully told by real life mother and daughter actors who will bring the characters to life on stage.

Let the enchanting melodies of classical music accompany the narrative, heightening the emotions and creating a truly unforgettable experience.

Don't miss this extraordinary fusion of music and storytelling that promises to captivate and resonate with audiences of all ages.

Secure your tickets now and embark on a thought-provoking journey that delves deep into the transformative power of family bonds.

Letters to Mom Program

The Story:

“Letters to Mom” is an original story by Matthew Kent Everett and Jason Rocha. The script is written by Jason Rocha and Dorie Bloodworth.

The Music:

Germaine Tailleferre (1892 - 1983)

“Trio,” for Violin, Cello, and Piano (composed in 1978) - The piece is in four movements: Allegro Animato, Allegro Vivace, Moderato, and Très Animé. Germaine Tailleferre studied at the Paris Conservatory and composed a large amount of music during the height of the impressionist period. Understandably, her music often gets lumped in with the impressionist period. While her harmonic language is certainly impressionistic, her compositional style has elements that are closer to classicism (or “Neo-classicism”) with its rhythmic vitality and balanced structure.

Jessie Montgomery (born 1981)

“Strum,” for String Quartet - First composed in 2006, Montgomery reviews the piece several times, with the final version, which was performed by the Catalyst Quartet in 2012. Montgomery describes the piece: “Originally conceived for the formation of a cello quintet, the voicing is often spread wide over the ensemble, giving the music an expansive quality of sound. Within Strum I utilized texture motives, layers of rhythmic or harmonic ostinati that string together to form a bed of sound for melodies to weave in and out. The strumming pizzicato serves as a texture motive and the primary driving rhythmic underpinning of the piece. Drawing on American folk idioms and the spirit of dance and movement, the piece has a kind of narrative that begins with fleeting nostalgia and transforms into ecstatic celebration.”

”Peace,” for Viola and Piano - “Written just a month after the Great Sadness of the first quarantine orders due to COVID-19, facing the shock felt by the whole globe as well as personal crisis, I find myself struggling to define what actually brings me joy. And I’m at a stage of making peace with sadness as it comes and goes like any other emotion. I’m learning to observe sadness for the first time not as a negative emotion, but as a necessary dynamic to the human experience.” - Jessie Montgomery

Caroline Shaw (born 1982)

“Boris Kerner,” for Cello and Pitched Flower Pots - “Boris S. Kerner lives in Stuttgart and is the author of Introduction to Modern Traffic Flow Theory and Control: The Long Road to Three-Phase Traffic Theory. Many thanks to Hannah and Mike of the brilliant duo New Morse Code for working with me along the way with this piece, which is another in a series of expositions on the curious phrase “the detail of the pattern is movement”. - Caroline Shaw

Minakuo Tokuyama (born in 1958)

“Flying Birds,” for Cello and Piano - The Japanese composer wrote this work in 2017 and dedicated it to her sons, seemingly, as they were leaving “the nest” and entering adulthood.

Rachel Portman (born in 1960)

“Much Loved,” for Cello and Piano - “I was searching to write something very tender and gentle around the notion of love," says Rachel Portman. "Love of the beauty of nature and wildlife, as well as love for human others. It seemed it needed to be very still, which is how it starts and ends and to allow it to be very simple without too many notes - this can be a challenge as it doesn't want to seem simplistic. The music almost holds its breath at the beginning and then gradually releases and opens out as it progresses. The cellist Caroline Dale brings great tenderness and beauty in her playing. I gave this piece as a gift to my daughter Giulia." - Rachel Portman

“Bailey,” for Violin, Viola, Cello, and Piano - The title theme from the movie, “A Dog’s Purpose.” Portman’s score, while offering some rhythmic vitality, is deeply sentimental and tender. The movie is about a dog named, Bailey, who is on a mission to discover his purpose in life.

“Juniper,” for Violin, Cello, and Piano - From her album, “Ask The River,” Portman wrote: “I wrote this collection of pieces throughout 2019. They are the fruit of many years spent being immersed in nature. What can be more inspiring than the green shoots of new beech leaves appearing in the woods with the dappling light reflected in the spring breeze?
These pieces are a personal reflection on the beauty of the earth around us – the trees, flora, rivers, birds, animals and all her gifts to us. I hope you enjoy exploring them as much as I loved being inspired by the natural world.”

“Vianne Sets Up Shop,” for Violin, Viola, Cello, and Piano (from the film, "Chocolat") - This piece depicts the character, Vianne, a free-spirited and vivacious young choclatier, who (ironically) opens a chocolate shop in a small French village…at the beginning of the Lenten season. The spirit of the music is fun, sassy and unconventional…much like the character, Vianne.

Performers:

Janie Petrosino, Actor

Tori Petrosino, Actor

Ingrid Gerling, Violin

Chavdar Parashkevov, Violin

Tanya Burton, Viola

Daniel Saenz, Cello

Matthew Kent Everett, Piano

Zequreia Johnson, Percussion

Tickets can be purchased HERE