The award is supported by SunTrust Bank and is created in partnership with the Arts and Business Council of Greater Nashville; it included a $4,000 grant.

“The award focuses heavily on how an (arts) organization has practiced sound business principles in the creation of an initiative or program…while better serving the community,” said ALIAS Executive Director Jim Robert.

ALIAS was recognized for The GLF Project, the 2010 collaboration with Guggenheim Fellow and composer Gabriela Lena Frank. It included the commission of a new work by Ms. Frank; a recording of the composition and other previously unrecorded works by Frank on the largest classical music label in the world, Naxos; a series of education and outreach engagements; and a trip to the esteemed Shubert Club of St. Paul, Minn.

When a handful of Nashville musicians began talking about creating a regular chamber ensemble series, no one could possibly have predicted the path the organization would take in a short 10-year period.

Our most ambitious goals – recording on a major label and commissioning a work by a major American composer – were achieved by the end of the ninth season, and will be repeated by the end of the 2011-2012 season.

The initial concept of ALIAS was simple: Audiences would respond favorably to excellent musicians playing music they cared about, performing on stage the way they wanted to perform. Since the musicians contribute their own tastes and knowledge to the mix, every program is wildly different, with music covering styles from pre-baroque to modern jazz.

ALIAS quickly gained a reputation for presenting concerts that had something for everyone. People come for the Brahms or Debussy, but leave having enjoyed the music of George Crumb or Edgar Meyer. And vice versa. ALIAS also became known for its partnerships with local educational institutions, with arts groups, and perhaps most importantly, with some of Nashville’s most worthy charitable service organizations.

All of the proceeds from ALIAS’ series concerts go directly to these various nonprofit partners connected to each concert. This is something that has always been important to the musicians of ALIAS, who donate countless hours of practice and rehearsal to prepare for the concerts. They do this for the sake of raising funds and raising the visibility of Nashville’s charities. And they do this because of their dedication to sharing music with the community, and to performing at the highest possible degree of artistry.

As the Artistic Director of ALIAS Chamber Ensemble, I have been exceedingly proud of what these musicians and this organization has accomplished. As a sometimes-administrator, I am unendingly grateful to the many supporters of the ensemble over all these years, especially our tireless volunteer Board of Directors. As a musician in the ensemble, I am gratified to share the stage with such an incredible array of talented and generous artists that I have the privilege of calling colleagues.

As ALIAS Chamber Ensemble enters this benchmark 10th Season, I foresee great things for the next 10 years. Thanks to all those who have been with us thus far – let’s see who we can bring along with us for the next decade!

Zeneba Bowers

ALIAS Chamber Ensemble will join forces with the Nashville Ballet and Watkins College of Art, Design & Film on May 17-19, 2012 to present “Emergence,” the Ballet’s annual showcase of new and emerging talent from across artistic genres.

The collaboration will include a composition by ALIAS Executive Director and musician, Matt Walker.

To be held in the intimate studios of The Martin Center for Nashville Ballet, Emergence will include original dances set to music, film and other interactive elements.

“ALIAS has been wanting to collaborate with the Nashville Ballet for years,” says ALIAS Artistic Director Zeneba Bowers. “This collaboration is particularly exciting because it’s so much more than just playing – we will also be working closely with the choreographers, as they create these new works. It’s an interesting and unusual twist that we are looking forward to.”

Matt Walker, cello

“The Nashville Ballet has asked me to compose a new work for this Emergence series,” says ALIAS cellist Matt Walker. “This a very exciting commission for me as a composer. I’ve already started working on the piece, and meeting with Paul Vasterling (Artistic Director of the Nashville Ballet), who will be creating choreography for my new piece.

“I am honored to work with such an accomplished choreographer and artist.”

To learn more, visit www.nashvilleballet.com.

Nashville Ballet is the largest professional ballet company in Tennessee. As the second largest producing arts organization in the Middle Tennessee area, Nashville Ballet presents a varied repertoire of classical ballet and contemporary works by noted choreographers, including original works by Artistic Director Paul Vasterling. Nashville Ballet and the second company NB2 (a pre-professional training company) serve nearly 70,000 adults and children annually through performances and our outreach and community engagement programming.

Nashville-based Watkins College of Art, Design & Film offers a studio-based curriculum, supported by a strong academic foundation. The faculty and staff are committed to a learning-centered environment that challenges students to engage the mind, train the eye and cultivate talent and skill into an active realization of creative potential. The college is regionally accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and nationally accredited through the National Association of Schools of Art and Design.

Alison Gooding, violin

Q:  How long have you been a member of ALIAS?

A:   I am a founding member of ALIAS and so proud to still be working on great music with our talented and creative musicians. It’s hard to believe we’ve been doing this for 10 years.

Q: What do you like most about being a part of the organization? 

A:  ALIAS enriches my life in so many ways. I really enjoy being able to choose the pieces on which I work, and I love having creative input on the musical interpretation. It’s also very cool to be able to collaborate with composers. I really appreciate being able to talk to someone and know exactly what they envisioned when they were composing a piece.

Q:  The new season – ALIAS’ 10^th anniversary season – is an exciting one. How will you contribute to it?

A: This fall, I will be performing the John Tavener work “Come and do Your will in me” for string quartet and eight female voices; Portara Ensemble will collaborate with ALIAS on the work.  I will also be performing Shostakovich’s 12th String Quartet.  In February, Licia Jaskunas and I will be performing and recording a Kenji Bunch piece – “Luminaria” – for violin and harp. Then, at the close of the season, ALIAS will be collaborating with the Nashville Ballet. My contribution to that will be in the String Quartet “American Dreams” by Peter Schickele.

Q:  The 2011/2012 season marks ALIAS’ 10th anniversary, how has the ensemble grown and changed since its inception?

A:  We have grown so much! The community support we receive is amazing…we have so many volunteers helping us with everything from concert set-up to community outreach. I remember a time when my dad stopped on his way into town to see a concert and picked up the coffee we serve at intermission. Now, we have so much support and assistance that my dad is off the hook!

Q:  What’s ahead for ALIAS?

A:  ALIAS has come so far in our first 10 years. It’s hard to imagine what will come next…how we’ll continue to grow in the next 10. With Delos Records, we are hoping that this will be the first of many recordings we do with them. Also, the collaboration with the Nashville Ballet is very exciting. I hope ALIAS will be involved in other equally unique and challenging projects in the future.

Miss Daisy King

Beyond beautiful artwork and fabulous flowers, ALIAS Chamber Ensemble’s second annual Arts & Flowers also offers plenty of tasty treats!

Vendors at the 2011 Arts & Flowers includes:

• Enchanted Events
• The Cocoa Tree
• Cafe Rakka
• Miss Daisy King
• Sunset Grill
• Marche Artisan Foods
• Sweet 16th
• Lazzaroli Pasta
• Bluegrass Brewing Co.
• West Meade Wine & Liquor Mart

Q: Your floral artistry is known world-wide – from London and Paris to Tokyo and, now, Nashville. Will you share with us a few of your career highlights?

A: Having the honor to design floral décor for so many amazing people, like Princess Diana, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Lena Horne, Lisa Marie Presley, Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban, just to name a few.

Q: At what age did you discover your love of horticulture? What inspired you to pursue a career in creating art with flowers?

A: When I was five years old, being able to garden with my great aunt in Memphis, Tennessee, and seeing the beauty behind her endless grapevines, enormous hedges of gardenias and beautiful arched peach trees. As for creating art with flowers, I discovered a book that was written by my mentor and one of the world’s greatest floral designers, Ronaldo Maia, titled “Decorating with Flowers.” From there I went on to work with him in New York City. The rest is history.

Q: How would you characterize your style?
A: Classically traditional with a modern architectural edge. And “a little bit of country.”

Q: How has your style evolved over the years?
A: From – as a child – gathering blossoms and placing them in an assortment of kitchen ware, including Flintstone jars, sugar troughs and tea pots, on my great aunt’s breakfast table to designing an elaborate wedding in one of the great palaces of Istanbul. With more than 30 years of experience, I serve clients all over the world installing décor for weddings, charity galas, corporate events and private parties.

Q: You participated in last year’s inaugural Arts & Flowers. Will you tell us about your experience?
A: Priceless!

Q: You will, once again, be participating in Arts & Flowers on July 23. Which local artist will you be working with – and can you give us a clue as to what we can expect from the pairing?
A: Mum’s the word…

Learn more about Perri Crutcher and OSHi at http://www.oshiflowers.com.

As a young boy growing up in the Tony Sudekum public housing “projects” of South Nashville, Charles Davis longed for a positive alternative to the negative influences that were ever-present in his community. He desperately wanted to escape the grips of poverty, drugs, crime, violence and welfare dependency that has engulfed the inner city generation after generation.

However, many of the role models of success to which he had been exposed were those who had attained their wealth by either becoming drug pushers, thieves or hustlers; therefore, he felt those “occupations” represented the only possibility of financial security for him as well. Luckily, one infamous night, as Charles was being persuaded by a would-be “mentor” to break in an area warehouse, something deep inside told him there had to be a better way. From that point on, Charles decided he was never again going to let “where he was from” determine “where he was going”. He took control of his destiny and assessed his options for a plan of action that would free him from the downward spiral of poverty. Based on his strengths, he set the goal of becoming a professional basketball player. More importantly, Charles made a vow to God that once he achieved his dream, he would always come back to Nashville’s inner-city to empower others to reach their full potential as well.

For over a decade now, The Charles Davis Foundation has provided programs that enhance the quality of life for thousands of residents of Nashville’s most impoverished areas. These programs include sports camps and leagues, mentoring, job placement and training, tutoring, computer training, drug prevention, character development, HIV/AIDS awareness, survival skills, scholarship, financial aid, guest lectures, cultural exposure and economic development. With the help and support from many concerned individuals, corporations and public agencies, Charles Davis and The Foundation are winning many battles in the war to save our
youth by Giving positive, educational, athletic, cultural & economic empowerment Back To Our Future.”

CLICK HERE for tickets and for details about the show, to be held Saturday, May 21, 2011 at 8 p.m. at Blair School of Music.

ClassicsToday.com review of GABRIELA LENA FRANK Hilos (Threads); Danza da Saqsampillos; Adagio para Amantaní; Quijotadas

Gabriela Lena Frank is the real deal: a modern composer with a personal style, one that manages to integrate a wide range of sounds and performing techniques into a cohesive language that unapologetically includes melody and tonal harmony without ever sounding anachronistic. She clearly manages to remain true to herself, but she doesn’t have to write down to her listeners in order to share her thoughts and feelings. This is just good music.

Hilos is a quartet for clarinet, violin, cello, and piano inspired by Peruvian weaving. The music is colorful, vibrant, and consistently inventive; the Latin element is pervasive, but not cheap, and not overwhelming. Danza de los Saqsampillos is an arrangement for two marimbas of an earlier piano piece, and it sounds like a blast to play; Adagio para Amantaní (for cello and piano) is a soulful meditation inspired by an island landscape in the middle of Lake Titicaca. Quijotadas is a string quartet based on Cervantes’ Don Quixote. Its second movement, Sequidilla para la Mancha, has to be one of the most charming pieces of its kind since the scherzo of Ravel’s Quartet, which it resembles in some ways (lots of pizzicato).

The performances, with the composer’s participation where the piano joins in, and presumably her supervision where it does not, are uniformly excellent, and so are the sonics. A wonderful disc of inventive, fresh, characterful music, plain and simple.

–David Hurwitz

http://www.classicstoday.com/review.asp?ReviewNum=13267

The Alias Chamber Ensemble is arguably the most venturesome classical music group in Nashville. Since its founding in 2002, this outstanding virtuoso ensemble has presented nearly a dozen world-premiere performances. Its wide-ranging programs, moreover, feature everything from little-known Renaissance-era pieces to contemporary works that seemingly owe more to rap than to Rachmaninoff.

Just about the only place Alias hasn’t ventured with its music is the recording studio. At least, that was the case until last month, when Alias released its first album, a CD on the Naxos label devoted to the music of Gabriela Lena Frank.

A California-based composer and pianist, Frank, 38, finds inspiration for her music in her multicultural background. Her mother is a Peruvian of Chinese descent and her father is an American of Lithuanian-Jewish heritage. Not surprisingly, Frank drew on Peru’s rich musical culture to compose three of the four works on Alias’ new CD. The fourth piece pays homage to Cervantes’ 17th century Spanish novel The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha.

Without question, the most ambitious piece on the disc is Hilos…

For the full review at Nashvillescene.com, CLICK HERE.