World Premiere of The Invisible Girl

The Dancer as... the Invisible Girl
original comic book

The Concord Band’s Winter Concert will be held on March 2, 2024, at the 51 Walden Performing Arts Center, presenting the World Premiere of The Invisible Girl, commissioned by Concord Band flutist Ellen Feldman, who wished to create an adventurous composition of modern music “in appreciation of the Band’s expansion of her musical horizons.”

Feldman and Music Director James O’Dell commissioned talented composer Mason Bynes, who holds a Master of Music in composition from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee, to create the new work for symphonic band. After consultation, Bynes based her composition on a comic book that Feldman created, The Dancer as... the Invisible Girl.

Ellen Feldman
comic book creator

The new musical work, titled The Invisible Girl, reflects Bynes' appreciation of minimalist and Copland-esque music, and comprises three movements: “A Struggle Between Friends,” “The Veiled Woman Revealed,” and “Becoming Visible.”

The third movement incorporates a video, also named after Feldman’s comic book, which was created and produced by Nicole Pierce, who performs the main character of the comic. The video was filmed and edited by Guggenheim and Fulbright recipient, Sam Kauffmann.

Mason Bynes
composer

In her notes to the music score, Bynes writes, “These three movements capture The Invisible Girl’s whirling power and agility, Karisma’s [the Invisible Girl’s nemesis] veiled and vengeful soul, and the coming together of two women whose seemingly polar identities encourage one another’s visibility.”

O'Dell selected additional music in keeping with the evening's theme, Dances! The program includes Robert Russell Bennett’s Suite of Old American Dances, Claude Debussy’s Danse—Tarantelle Styrienne, and George Gershwin’s An American in Paris.

The concert and World Premiere will be held at 7:00 pm, Saturday March 2, 2024, at the 51 Walden Performing Arts Center in Concord, MA. The concert admission is free, with a $20 donation requested. The comic book, The Dancer as... the Invisible Girl, will be available for purchase. More information about the concert and premiere is available at www.concordband.org.

The Concord Band is supported in part by a grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

Melenie Diarbekirian, Artistic Director of the Commonwealth Ballet Company

Melenie Diarbekirian

Melenie Diarbekirian received her early training from Acton School of Ballet, was a member of Commonwealth Ballet Company from 2004-2007, and went on to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Performance from the Boston Conservatory in 2011. She started out her professional career with Urbanity Dance and currently dances with Pantos Project Dance, Luminarium Dance Company, and Turning Key Dance. While in school and throughout her career, she has performed works by prominent choreographers including José Limón, Alwin Nikolais, Thang Dao, Larry Keigwin, and in Reagle Music Theatre’s production of Oklahoma! She has performed in venues such as the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston, the Jacob’s Pillow Inside/Out Stage, events like the APAP Conference in New York City, TEDxCambridge at the Boston Opera House, and many other festivals and colleges along the East Coast. Diarbekirian serves on the faculty at the Acton School of Ballet and guest teaches throughout greater Boston and New England. Diarbekirian previously served as CBC’s Ballet Mistress for five seasons, and is grateful to be in her second year as Artistic Director.

Commonwealth Ballet Company

Commonwealth Ballet delivers artistic and entertaining performances in a welcome, family-friendly style. This company of pre-professional dancers is drawn from across metro-west Massachusetts and, in addition to a much-loved production of The Nutcracker, offers audiences many opportunities to enjoy ballet throughout the year. Commonwealth Ballet develops, fosters and promotes the performance and appreciation of classical and contemporary ballet. CBC endeavors to maintain strong ties with the communities it serves, provides a sustainable educational opportunity for young dancers, and demonstrates the highest level of artistic quality.

Commonwealth Ballet Company performs The Nutcracker

Commonwealth Ballet Company

The Concord Band will present its Holiday Pops! concert at 7:00 pm, Saturday December 9, 2023 at the 51 Walden Performing Arts Center in Concord.

The program features dancers from the Commonwealth Ballet Company of Acton, performing James Curnow’s arrangement The Nutcracker Suite, based on the all-time holiday classic by composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

The Band has moved the starting time to 7:00 pm and invites families to enjoy the concert together.

The program, appealing to all ages, also includes a suite of Celtic Folk Songs, a Hanukah medley, two more delightful Curnow arrangements of traditional music themes, a holiday sing along, and Cambridge composer Leroy Anderson's Sleigh Ride, a perennial audience favorite. There may also be a special visitor!

The concert will have open seating with complimentary refreshments at intermission as well as before and after the concert. Tickets are available from Ticket Stage at ticketstage.com/concordband at $25 for adults and $10 for children.

Additional information about the Concord Band is at www.concordband.org and about the Commonwealth Ballet Company at www.commonwealthballet.org.

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