With four free concerts and 26 performing artists, FirstWorks Summer Beats reached over 2,800 audience members in Providence and Central Falls. Enjoy highlights from our global journey 🌎 Featured artists: Las Guaracheras (Colombia), Elio Villafranca (Cuba), William Cepeda (Puerto Rico), Khumariyaan (Pakistan), Chachi Carvalho (Rhode Island), Elida Almeida (Cabo Verde).

Video credit: DDL Advertising

Commissioned by FirstWorks, this site-specific performance installation took place over the course of three nights at the historic Grace Episcopal Church in downtown Providence, RI. This new artwork explores three environments through an acoustic vocal ensemble, digital audio manipulation, video projection and dynamic lighting. The experience features a new composition for vocal ensemble by pioneering composer, bandleader, and multi-instrumentalist Kitty Brazelton, drawing text from a guided meditation by Jack Kornfield entitled “Meditation on Letting Go”. Featuring vocalists: Barbara Hill, Teri Kowiak, Eric Christopher Perry, Stephan Griffin, and Nathan Halbur.

Video by MASARY

Watch a behind-the-scenes video about “The Telling,” an extraordinary performance with singers, dancers, piano, and strings that took place in Fall 2022 at WaterFire Arts Center. Hear from Daniel Bernard Roumain and some of his collaborators including vocalist Becky Bass, pianist Melvin Chen, and dancer/choreographer Shura Baryshnikov about their process of creating space for the telling of Black stories embracing the emotional spectrum of sorrow, anger, hope and joy.

You can watch an excerpt from “The Telling,” (Daniel’s work, “Twin Stars: Diamond Variations for Dae’Anna,”)  on FirstWorks’ Virtual Stage.
Video by SteerPVD