Upcoming Events
Ari & Mia
Saturday, May 16, 7:00 pm, The Allen Center
Ari & Mia create striking, expressive music that blends Southern and Northeastern fiddle traditions with the early American songbook, weaving original compositions with older influences into a sophisticated and captivating sound that echoes Appalachian homes, rural dance floors, and concert halls. Since 2008, the sisters have toured across the U.S., Canada, and Australia; both are graduates of the New England Conservatory’s Contemporary Musical Arts program and have shared stages with artists like Sarah Jarosz, while performing at renowned venues and festivals.
Award-winning songwriters and composers, Mia won the John Lennon Songwriting Contest (folk category) for Across the Water, and Ari earned recognition from the Women Composers Festival of Hartford for her string quartet Out of the Flowers. Their latest album, Sew the City, premiered on Billboard to critical acclaim, and their upcoming release, Learning Your Name, is now available for preorder.
Allison Eldredge & Pei-Shan Lee
Sunday, May 17, 3:00 pm, The Allen Center
Cellist Allison Eldredge has been sharing her artistry with audiences as soloist and receiving acclaim that, “She plays with the agility of a Puma. One could hear singing voices come from within her instrument…a true performer, with a great feel for drama." – Het Leidsch Dagblad, Amsterdam.
Pianist Pei-Shan Lee's playing has been praised in Strad Magazine as "glittering… sensuous, tender, and luminous," The Boston Musical Intelligencer writes of her "gorgeous tone and color range...and monumental orchestral sonorities," The Boston Globe calls her "dynamic," The Washington Post hails her as a "consummate" artist, and the Maine Classical Beat commends her gift for "holding it all together… as the composer directing from the piano."
Marking the 200th anniversary of Beethoven’s death, Eldredge and Lee will perform his cello sonatas—works celebrated for their emotional depth, technical brilliance, and bold, innovative structures. Don't miss this stunning evening of brilliant classical music at its best.
The Black Feathers
Saturday, June 6, 7:30 pm, The Allen Center
The ability to write songs that are both modern and ancient is a rare thing. The Black Feathers, made up of Ray Hughes and Sian Chandler, are two such talents. They first became aware of the magic between them while collaborating on several musical projects, becoming The Black Feathers and life partners in 2012. Americana, Folk, and Acoustic Indie Rock sensibilities coexist comfortably in their musical world, with Hughes’ guitar work buoying the kind of harmonies often only heard in family bands. Their music quickly draws the interest of listeners, but it is their stage chemistry that will keep them riveted.
“Once in a blue moon, the whole soars far above the sum of its parts. That’s what happens when The Black Feathers perform live” - Black Mountain News, North Carolina
This Linda Plaut Festival of the Arts program is generously supported by Spark Newton in partnership with The City of Newton.
Meet Our Artistic Director
Allison Eldredge, Artistic Director and cellist
Heralded that, “Eldredge ‘plays like a dream’” (News and Record) and acclaimed for her “soaring sound” (American Record Guide), Allison Eldredge has been connecting with audiences around the globe with her deep love for beautiful music and people. Following her debut at the Concertgebouw, Het Leidsch Dagblad (Amsterdam) wrote, “Eldredge plays with the agility of a Puma. One could hear singing voices come from within her instrument." Allison gained international attention when Daniel Barenboim invited her to play the Elgar Cello Concerto with him and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in Orchestra Hall. As soloist, she has performed with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields from Queen Elizabeth Hall in London to New York’s Carnegie Hall, with orchestras with such distinguished conductors as Zubin Mehta, Andre Previn, Jaap van Sweden, Charles Dutoit, Leonard Slatkin, Krzysztof Penderecki and Joseph Silverstein. "Eldredge, who has already wowed Chicago Symphony audiences with her unique artistry, was even more dazzling in her rendition of this one-movement concerto (Penderecki).
Following the release of her Faure - Chopin Album (Denon), critics said, “Her nuances are sensuous and enticing, her tone - deep and silky...her sotto voce is so beautiful” (Ongaku no Tomo, Japan). She has released 6 solo albums on labels Pony Canyon, Denon, Arizona Records and RCA Red Label. She has partnered in chamber music with friends and esteemed artists Yo-Yo Ma, Joshua Bell, Gil Shaham, Andre Previn, Shmuel Ashkenasi, Max Levinson, Barry Shiffman and more. In addition to serving as Cherry Street Music Artistic Director, Allison, a Newton resident, is the Allen Center’s Artist in Residence. She has visited over 100 schools to support music education in communities with greater needs. A recipient of an Avery Fisher Career Grant at 19 and Musical America’s “Young Artist of the Year” award, Allison has served on the Faculties of New England Conservatory, Boston String Academy and Harvard University.
Instagram @allison.eldredge.1740
Facebook @allisoneldredgecellist
About Cherry Street Music
Cherry Street Music, The Allen Center's signature music series, has a simple mission: to create a space to meet new people, develop friendships, and find togetherness, passion, and hope through afternoons and evenings of music. Our concerts are less formal with conversation between artists, special guests, and audience members. Attendees will also have an opportunity to experience the visionary educational history and beauty of the 1840 Nathaniel Allen Homestead, now The Allen Center, as our artistic home!
Cellist Allison Eldredge is Founder and Artistic Director of Cherry Street Music.
Follow Cherry Street Music
Make a Donation to Cherry Street Music
See what else is happening at The Allen Center...