Sept 18: Newport Classical Opens 2026-27 Chamber Series With Multi-Instrumental Quartet Invoke in American Voices

Photos available in high resolution here.

Newport Classical Launches 2026-2027 Chamber Series

Opening Night: Invoke performs "American Voices"
Friday, September 18, 2026 at 7:30pm

"Invoke isn’t your average string quartet. Not content to limit themselves to the typical pair of violins with a viola and cello, they’ve explored the sounds of banjos and mandolins and even their own voices.” –KMFA

Information & Tickets: www.newportclassical.org

Newport, RI – Following its successful 57th annual summer festival, Newport Classical launches its sixth full-season Chamber Series, which features twelve concerts held on select Fridays between September 2026 and June 2027, at the organization's home venue, Newport Classical Recital Hall (42 Dearborn St.). The 2026 Chamber Series Opening Night features multi-instrumental quartet Invoke, performing on Friday, September 18, 2026 at 7:30pm.

Invoke encompasses traditions from across America, including bluegrass, Appalachian fiddle tunes, jazz, and minimalism. Strings Magazine reports that the “remarkable string quartet …simply cannot be contained by any one label.” Fueled by their passion for storytelling, Invoke weaves these styles together in their program American Voices, reflecting on the 250th Anniversary of the United States, featuring some of this nation’s most influential musical figures including William Grant Still, Florence Price, Duke Ellington, and more, alongside original works composed by and for the group. 

Based in Austin, Texas, Invoke is a mainstay of the Austin music scene and a regular at SXSW while also touring nationally, performing at leading venues including Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall, Lincoln Center, Moss Arts Center, Green Music Center, and more. Earlier this year, the group performed with folk legend Judy Collin, pianist Lara Downes, Grammy-winning singer and poet Tarriona “Tank” Ball, and the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir in a special performance of This Land: Reflections on America, presented by Cal Performances. Their 2023 album Evolve & Travel showcased the group’s original works, and was described by All Music as, “An intriguing entry for those wishing to sample the growing interface between classical music and progressive bluegrass.”

Watch Invoke in Sunwalker

Newport Classical's Chamber Series takes place at Newport Classical Recital Hall in downtown Newport, known for its striking architecture and excellent acoustics. The Chamber Series reaffirms Newport Classical's commitment to year-round classical music programming. Audiences are invited to enjoy performances by world-class classical musicians in a relaxed setting, with complimentary wine generously provided by Gold's Wine and Spirits served during intermission. Both performers and audience members alike have described these concerts as some of their favorites. “The venue was the perfect place for a magical evening,” raved one attendee, while others have described their experiences as “amazing and very entertaining,” “riveting,” and “an absolute delight.”

As part of Newport Classical's desire to create connections between classical music, the artists who perform it, and the Newport community, all musicians performing on the Chamber Series will also go into the Newport-area public schools to perform for and speak with students, through Newport Classical's Music Enrichment and Engagement Initiative.

Up next, on October 9, the rising Trio Azura, a recent Grand Prize and Gold Medal winner at the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition that has been praised by Gramophone for “intelligence and imagination,” invites audiences to explore the world of the piano trio across eras from the Impressionist and Romantic works of Maurice Ravel and Felix Mendelssohn to the contemporary voice of Jennifer Higdon. The Boston-based Rasa String Quartet makes its Newport Classical debut on October 23 with "Portraits of an American Patchwork," a musical quilt that weaves together the cultural traditions that have shaped the nation’s identity, spanning jazz, bluegrass, Latin pop, Indigenous traditions, global folk music, and classical favorites, including music by Billy Strayhorn, Shelley Washington, Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate, William Grant Still, Hong Nan-pa, and Bad Bunny. Pianist Michael Leonardo Davidman, winner of the 2025 American Piano Awards and praised by Upstage for his “thunderous authority and loads of interpretive nuance,” makes his Newport debut on November 6 with a program of J.S. Bach, Franz Schubert, César Franck, and Franz Liszt. On November 20, Raphaël Feuillâtre, hailed as one of the leading classical guitarists of his generation, performs “Latin Passions,” a vibrant survey of Spanish and Latin American repertoire by Francisco Tárrega, Isaac Albéniz, Astor Piazzolla, Heitor Villa-Lobos, and more.

The Newport Classical Chamber Series continues in 2027 with cellist Sterling Elliott and pianist Elliot Wuu on January 29, in the sonatas of Maurice Ravel, Richard Strauss, and Sergei Rachmaninoff. Elliott, a 2021 Avery Fisher Career Grant recipient, has been described by The Millbrook Independent as a cellist who has "risen beyond hopeful promise," while Wuu, a 2018 Gilmore Young Artist, is recognized for his “power, speed and finesse” (Tribune Star). On February 19, flutist Anna Urrey and harpist Kristi Shade perform a program of Nino Rota, Lili Boulanger, Jules Mouquet, Gabriel Fauré, Claude Debussy, and Astor Piazzolla, exploring the coloristic possibilities of flute and harp across centuries and styles. Urrey has appeared at leading venues including Carnegie Hall, David Geffen Hall, Le Poisson Rouge, and National Sawdust. A sought-after collaborator, Shade has appeared with artists ranging from Andrea Bocelli and John Legend to Florence + The Machine. The Dorian Wind Quintet, praised by the Los Angeles Times for delivering “chamber music as it was meant to be,” performs on March 12 in “Preludes and Variations,” pairing J.S. Bach chorale arrangements with Antonín Dvořák's Wind Quintet, Op. 105 and a set of Anniversary Variations by Richard Rodney Bennett, George Perle, Billy Childs, Bruce Adolphe, and Lee Hoiby on a theme from a wind quintet by Antonin Reicha written specifically for the Dorian Wind Quintet to celebrate the ensemble’s 40th anniversary. Versatile artist Chelsea Guo, the first musician to win the Young Concert Artists auditions in both voice and piano, and hailed by Gramophone as “clearly a special talent,” takes the stage on April 9 in a program of Frédéric Chopin, Pauline Viardot, Johannes Brahms, and Robert Schumann's Dichterliebe, singing while accompanying herself on piano.

On April 23, Newport Classical presents violinist Rubén Rengel and Friends, with pianist Gabriel Chakarji and percussionist Juan Diego Villalobos, who come together for an evening celebrating the music of Latin America, from their native Venezuela to the vibrant traditions displayed throughout the region. Rengel was the winner of the Robert F. Smith Prize at the 2018 Sphinx Competition, and has appeared as soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Houston Symphony, New Jersey Symphony, and more. Accordionist Radu Ratoi, winner of the 2024 Young Concert Artists “Susan Wadsworth” International Auditions and recipient of Denmark’s prestigious Léonie Sonning Talent Prize, has established himself as a pioneer in expanding the accordion’s repertoire. He is joined by violinist Alexandra Tirsu, a 2021 ARD Competition prizewinner, on May 7 for a program of J.S. Bach, Igor Stravinsky, Béla Bartók, Antonio Vivaldi, Astor Piazzolla, and more. The 2026-2027 Chamber Series concludes on June 4 with violinist Njioma Grevious, a Juilliard graduate and founding member of the Abeo Quartet, who appears regularly at Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall, and the Concertgebouw. In Newport, she presents a program featuring the music of J.S. Bach, Johannes Brahms, W.A. Mozart, Oliver Messiaen, Edvard Grieg, and Clarence Cameron White. Grevious has been praised for her “violin pyrotechnics” and “sheer intensity” by the Washington Classical Review.

The 2027 Newport Classical Music Festival will take place from July 1-18, 2027.

Newport Classical 2026-2027 Chamber Series Schedule At-A-Glance:

September 18: Opening Night: Invoke performs "American Voices"
October 9: Trio Azura performs "Piano Trio Through Time"
October 23: Rasa String Quartet performs “Portraits of an American Patchwork”
November 6: Michael Leonardo Davidman, Winner of the American Piano Awards
November 20: Guitarist Raphaël Feuillâtre performs "Latin Passions"
January 29: Cello Sonatas with Sterling Elliott and Elliot Wuu
February 19: Anna Urrey & Kristi Shade perform Works for Flute and Harp
March 12: Dorian Wind Quintet performs "Preludes and Variations"
April 9: Voice and Piano with Chelsea Guo
April 23: Rubén Rengel and Friends
May 7: Radu Ratoi & Alexandra Tirsu perform Vivaldi, Piazzolla, and more
June 4: Chamber Series Finale: Violinist Njioma Grevious 

Complete concert details can be found at www.newportclassical.org/concerts. All Chamber Series concerts are held on select Fridays at 7:30pm at Newport Classical Recital Hall (42 Dearborn Street).

About Newport Classical

Newport Classical is a premier performing arts organization that welcomes people of every age, culture, and background to intimate, immersive musical experiences. The organization presents world-renowned and up-and-coming artistic talents at stunning, storied venues across Newport – an internationally sought-after cultural and recreational destination.

Originally founded in 1969 as Rhode Island Arts Foundation at Newport, Inc., Newport Classical has a rich legacy of musical curiosity having presented the American debuts of hundreds of international artists and is most well-known for hosting three weeks of concerts in the summer in the historic mansions throughout Newport and Aquidneck Island. In the 56 years since, Newport Classical has become the most active year-round presenter of live performing arts on Aquidneck Island, and an essential pillar of Rhode Island’s cultural landscape, welcoming thousands of patrons all year long. 

Newport Classical invests in the future of classical music as a diverse, relevant, and ever-evolving art form through its four core programs – the one-of-a-kind Music Festival; the Chamber Series in the Newport Classical Recital Hall; the free, family-friendly Community Concerts Series; and the Music Enrichment and Engagement Initiative that inspires students in local schools and community organizations to become the arts advocates and music lovers of tomorrow. These programs illustrate the organization’s ongoing commitment to presenting “timeless music for today.” 

In 2021, the organization launched a new commissioning initiative – each year, Newport Classical will commission a new work by a Black, Indigenous, person of color, or woman composer as a commitment to the future of classical music. To date, Newport Classical has commissioned and presented the world premiere of works by Stacy Garrop, Shawn Okpebholo, Curtis Stewart, Clarice Assad, and Cris Derksen.

After a year-long community-driven process, and rooted in the organization’s mission “to celebrate the living art form of classical music in intimate and iconic locations,” Newport Classical released its 2025-2028 Strategic Plan, presenting a clear roadmap to become a stronger, healthier, and more vibrant organization that enhances its programs and community engagement, promotes responsible financial growth and sustainability, and centers artistic excellence in every decision, as the organization aspires to open its doors even wider.

Ambitious Multi-Instrumental Quartet Invoke Returns to Long Island in Performance Presented by Concerts by the Pond

Photo by Marshall Tidrick. Available in hi-resolution at: www.jensenartists.com/artists-profiles/invoke

Invoke Presented by Concerts by the Pond

Ambitious Multi-Instrumental Quartet
Makes Highly Anticipated Return to Long Island

Saturday, March 2, 2024 at 8pm
St. John's Episcopal Church | 1670 NY-25A | Cold Spring Harbor, NY

Tickets and more information:
General Admission: $30 Student: $15
www.stjcsh.org/invoke/

“The special thing about Invoke is…how its lively spirit and playfulness are essential to the way they approach every piece of music.”
– Austin Chronicle

www.InvokeSound.com

Cold Spring Harbor, NY – On Saturday, March 2, 2024, Austin-based, multi-instrumental quartet Invoke (Nick Montopoli, violin/banjo/vocals; Zach Matteson, violin/vocals; Karl Mitze, viola/mandolin/vocals; Geoff Manyin, cello/vocals) –– a group the Austin Chronicle says “infuse[s] their performances with such a down-home joyfulness” –– will be presented in concert by Concerts by the Pond. The performance –– marking Invoke’s highly anticipated return to Long Island for the first time since 2019 –– will be held at St. John's Episcopal Church (1670 NY-25A). The program will feature Invoke performing several selections of their original music, including works from their new album Evolve & Travel, in addition to Enigma for the Night by Jocelyn C. Chambers and Tenebrae by Osvaldo Golijov.

Violinist Zach Matteson says of this original program and the group’s return to Long Island for the first time in five years:

“We’re very excited to be back in Long Island for the first time in 5 years! A lot has changed in the world since then and we’ve grown up a bit to meet it head on. In addition to music off of our new album and by exciting contemporary composers, we’ll be performing a brand new work by our own Nick Montopoli, Tel. Tel is the result of a self-imposed challenge: to create a sparkling, splashy quartet work to showcase our 'traditional' quartet skills. The piece is far from traditional, however, featuring uncommon playing techniques and plenty of rhythmic twists and turns.”

Driven by a passion for storytelling, Invoke’s performances feature original works composed by and for the group, which form a unique contemporary repertoire inspired by many different musical styles –– from minimalism, to jazz, to American fiddle tunes, and bluegrass. This appreciation for different genres and collaborations can be seen through Invoke’s performance history, which includes sharing stages with some of the most acclaimed chamber groups in the country: the Westerlies, Miró and Ensō Quartets, and the U.S. Army Field Band, as well as chamber rock group San Fermin, indie group Never Shout Never, and DC beatboxer/rapper/spoons virtuoso Christylez Bacon. Iconic spaces where Invoke has performed include Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and the Green Music Center, among others.

Invoke recently marked their tenth anniversary together with Evolve & Travel, their first album on the Sono Luminus label, which was released on October 27, 2023. This new record features seven original works by the group. Each song reflects Invoke’s growth as people, composers, and as friends with a rich history of shared creative experiences and personal memories.

Evolve & Travel was born out of Invoke's experience of and evolution during the pandemic and of being back on the road, traveling again. After a strenuous touring schedule from 2018 to 2020, like all other musicians in spring 2020, the members of Invoke found themselves without an agenda.

Violinist Zach Matteson summarizes the experience: "The unexpected bright side of the pandemic lockdown was an excess of time and a newfound drive to be creating music that connected with people in a virtual space on a regular basis. We dug deep to create new work at a faster pace than ever before and Evolve & Travel is a direct result of that. A lot of the new tunes have individual inspirations, but certainly you can say they express an aspect of what we were interested in during our time in lockdown -- from books that we were reading and other periods of history that we were looking back on, to a need for hope and optimism in the face of great doubt. Coming out in our tenth year together as a group, Evolve & Travel is a culmination of lessons we have learned along the way. From the straight-ahead sound of the string quartet to a blend of voice, mandolin, banjo, and strings, this album showcases the entire scope of our growth as musicians, composers, and collaborators."

With Evolve & Travel, Invoke demonstrates their well-honed ability to write and perform works that weave together threads of classical technique, folk improvisation, and musical camaraderie.

Of her piece Enigma for the Night, written when she was just 16 years old, Jocelyn Chambers explains, “It's really vulnerable and breathy and reminds me [of] car rides home with granddaddy after music school let out for the day. [It’s] one of my more personal pieces.“ Osvaldo Golijov explains the contrasting ways in which one can hear and interpret Tenebrae: “I wrote Tenebrae as a consequence of witnessing two contrasting realities in a short period of time in September 2000. I was in Israel at the start of the new wave of violence that is still continuing today, and a week later I took my son to the new planetarium in New York, where we could see the Earth as a beautiful blue dot in space. I wanted to write a piece that could be listened to from different perspectives. That is, if one chooses to listen to it “from afar", the music would probably offer a "beautiful" surface but, from a metaphorically closer distance, one could hear that, beneath that surface, the music is full of pain.”

More about Invoke: Invoke was selected to be the Young Professional String Quartet in Residence at the University of Texas at Austin from 2016-2018. The group also participated in the Emerging String Quartet Program at Stanford, and was selected as an Artist in Residence at Strathmore, the Emerging Young Artist Quartet at Interlochen, and the Fellowship String Quartet at Wintergreen Performing Arts. In 2018, Invoke was named a winner of the Concert Artists Guild Victor Elmaleh Competition in New York, NY, received First Prize at the M-Prize International Chamber Arts competition in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and received First Prize in the Coltman Competition in Austin, Texas.

Invoke’s discography includes their debut album, Souls in the Mud (2015), featuring works by composer Danny Clay as well as original works composed by the group; Furious Creek (2018), featuring original compositions and arrangements; and Fantastic Planet (2021), an original soundtrack composed by the group inspired by the 1973 French animated feature. Fantastic Planet is a companion album to their summer 2019 commission by the Austin Chamber Music Festival. The album features Invoke’s standard instrumentation as well as the addition of the electric cello and the igil, a horsehead fiddle from Tuva, Siberia.

Invoke has performed and recorded numerous world performers, including works by Joseph C. Phillips Jr., Armando Bayolo, and Geoff Sheil. The group’s recording credits appear on bassist/composer Ethan Foote’s solo album Fields Burning, singer/songwriter Marian McLaughlin’s Spirit House, jazz/soul singer Rochelle Rice’s EP Wonder, and many more.

About Concerts by the Pond: Inspired by our beautifully restored church and our intimate, historic, and scenic venue, Concerts by the Pond provides diverse programming and innovative live performances of classical, contemporary, and liturgical music, which, coupled with dynamic education programs, creates a sense of discovery and community within our St. John's parish and the citizenry of Cold Spring Harbor and surrounding region. Celebrating our 10th Anniversary Season, Concerts by the Pond is broadening our range of live chamber music performances. The expanded six-concert season is packed full of award-winning artists offering a wide range of musical styles ranging from traditional classical music to contemporary, folk, and jazz.

For Calendar Editors:

Description: Austin-based, multi-instrumental quartet Invoke – whose music weaves together threads of classical technique, folk improvisation, and musical camaraderie and who the Austin Chronicle says “infuse[s] their performances with such a down-home joyfulness” – will be presented in concert on Long Island, NY by Concerts at the Pond, for the first time since 2019. The performance will take place at St. John's Episcopal Church (1670 NY-25A). In addition to performing original works – including selections from their Sono Luminus debut album Evolve & Travel – Invoke will perform Enigma for the Night by Jocelyn C. Chambers and Tenebrae by Osvaldo Golijov.

Short description: Invoke – whose music weaves together threads of classical technique, folk improvisation, and musical camaraderie – brings a “down-home joyfulness” (Austin Chronicle) to Long Island, NY for the first time since 2019, at St. John's Episcopal Church (1670 NY-25A). Invoke will perform original music, including works from their new album Evolve & Travel, plus Enigma for the Night by Jocelyn C. Chambers and Tenebrae by Osvaldo Golijov

Concert details:
Who: Invoke
Presented by Concerts by the Pond
What: Original Music by Invoke Plus Enigma for the Night by Jocelyn C. Chambers and Tenebrae by Osvaldo Golijov
When: Saturday, March 2, 2024 at 8pm
Where: St. John's Episcopal Church 1670 NY-25A Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724
Tickets and information: www.stjcsh.org/invoke/

Invoke Presented by the Moss Arts Center Performing Original Music

Photo by Marshall Tidrick. Available in hi-resolution at: www.jensenartists.com/artists-profiles/invoke

Invoke Presented by the Moss Arts Center Performing Original Music

Plus Enigma for the Night by Jocelyn C. Chambers and Tenebrae by Osvaldo Golijov

Thursday, November 16, 2023 at 7:30pm
Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre in the Street and Davis Performance Hall
190 Alumni Mall | Blacksburg, VA

Tickets and more information:
(Tickets $20-$55; $10 students with ID and youth 18 and under)
www.artscenter.vt.edu/performances/invoke.html

“The special thing about Invoke is…how its lively spirit and playfulness are essential to the way they approach every piece of music.”
– Austin Chronicle

www.InvokeSound.com

Blacksburg, VA – On Thursday, November 16, 2023, Austin-based, multi-instrumental quartet Invoke (Nick Montopoli, violin/banjo/vocals; Zach Matteson, violin/vocals; Karl Mitze, viola/mandolin/vocals; Geoff Manyin, cello/vocals) – a group the Austin Chronicle says “infuse[s] their performances with such a down-home joyfulness” – will make their Blacksburg, VA debut in a concert presented by the Moss Arts Center at the Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre at Street and Davis Performance Hall (190 Alumni Mall). Invoke will perform a program featuring selections of their original music, including several from their new album Evolve & Travel, plus Jocelyn C. Chambers’ Enigma for the Night and Tenebrae by Osvaldo Golijov.

Of Invoke making its Blacksburg debut at the Moss Arts Center and performing Osvaldo Golijov’s Tenebrae, violinist Zach Matteson says,

“We’re very excited to be visiting Blacksburg for the very first time! This will be our debut on the Moss Arts Center stage. We’re excited to share Golijov’s tremendous spiritual work with you and with the added massive sound that incorporates Geoff [Manyin’s] 6-string cello beautifully.”

Driven by a passion for storytelling, Invoke’s performances feature original works composed by and for the group, which form a unique contemporary repertoire inspired by many different musical styles –– from minimalism, to jazz, to American fiddle tunes, and bluegrass. This appreciation for different genres and collaborations can be seen through Invoke’s performance history, which includes sharing stages with some of the most acclaimed chamber groups in the country: the Westerlies, Miró and Ensō Quartets, and the U.S. Army Field Band, as well as chamber rock group San Fermin, indie group Never Shout Never, and DC beatboxer/rapper/spoons virtuoso Christylez Bacon. Iconic spaces where Invoke has performed include Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and the Green Music Center, among others.

Invoke recently marked their tenth anniversary together with Evolve & Travel, their first album on the Sono Luminus label, which was released on October 27, 2023. This new record features seven original works by the group. Each song reflects Invoke’s growth as people, composers, and as friends with a rich history of shared creative experiences and personal memories.

Evolve & Travel was born out of Invoke's experience of and evolution during the pandemic and of being back on the road, traveling again. After a strenuous touring schedule from 2018 to 2020, like all other musicians in spring 2020, the members of Invoke found themselves without an agenda.

Violinist Zach Matteson summarizes the experience: "The unexpected bright side of the pandemic lockdown was an excess of time and a newfound drive to be creating music that connected with people in a virtual space on a regular basis. We dug deep to create new work at a faster pace than ever before and Evolve & Travel is a direct result of that. A lot of the new tunes have individual inspirations, but certainly you can say they express an aspect of what we were interested in during our time in lockdown -- from books that we were reading and other periods of history that we were looking back on, to a need for hope and optimism in the face of great doubt. Coming out in our tenth year together as a group, Evolve & Travel is a culmination of lessons we have learned along the way. From the straight-ahead sound of the string quartet to a blend of voice, mandolin, banjo, and strings, this album showcases the entire scope of our growth as musicians, composers, and collaborators."

With Evolve & Travel, Invoke demonstrates their well-honed ability to write and perform works that weave together threads of classical technique, folk improvisation, and musical camaraderie.

Of her piece Enigma for the Night, written when she was just 16 years old, Jocelyn Chambers explains, “It's really vulnerable and breathy and reminds me [of] car rides home with granddaddy after music school let out for the day. [It’s] one of my more personal pieces.“

Osvaldo Golijov explains the contrasting ways in which one can hear and interpret Tenebrae: “I wrote Tenebrae as a consequence of witnessing two contrasting realities in a short period of time in September 2000. I was in Israel at the start of the new wave of violence that is still continuing today, and a week later I took my son to the new planetarium in New York, where we could see the Earth as a beautiful blue dot in space. I wanted to write a piece that could be listened to from different perspectives. That is, if one chooses to listen to it “from afar", the music would probably offer a "beautiful" surface but, from a metaphorically closer distance, one could hear that, beneath that surface, the music is full of pain.”

More about Invoke: Invoke was selected to be the Young Professional String Quartet in Residence at the University of Texas at Austin from 2016-2018. The group also participated in the Emerging String Quartet Program at Stanford, and was selected as an Artist in Residence at Strathmore, the Emerging Young Artist Quartet at Interlochen, and the Fellowship String Quartet at Wintergreen Performing Arts. In 2018, Invoke was named a winner of the Concert Artists Guild Victor Elmaleh Competition in New York, NY, received First Prize at the M-Prize International Chamber Arts competition in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and received First Prize in the Coltman Competition in Austin, Texas.

Invoke’s discography includes their debut album, Souls in the Mud (2015), featuring works by composer Danny Clay as well as original works composed by the group; Furious Creek (2018), featuring original compositions and arrangements; and Fantastic Planet (2021), an original soundtrack composed by the group inspired by the 1973 French animated feature. Fantastic Planet is a companion album to their summer 2019 commission by the Austin Chamber Music Festival. The album features Invoke’s standard instrumentation as well as the addition of the electric cello and the igil, a horsehead fiddle from Tuva, Siberia.

Invoke has performed and recorded numerous world performers, including works by Joseph C. Phillips Jr., Armando Bayolo, and Geoff Sheil. The group’s recording credits appear on bassist/composer Ethan Foote’s solo album Fields Burning, singer/songwriter Marian McLaughlin’s Spirit House, jazz/soul singer Rochelle Rice’s EP Wonder, and many more.

About the Moss Arts Center: Located at the crossroads of Virginia Tech and downtown Blacksburg, Virginia, on the corner of Main Street and Alumni Mall, the Moss Arts Center is a thriving community where the arts are a catalyst for engagement, inspiration, and discovery. The center operates as both a presenting organization and as a 147,000-square-foot, top-caliber arts center. Since opening in 2013, the center has brought innovative, significant, and diverse programming to the campus and the region. The Moss Arts Center is named in tribute to artist and philanthropist Patricia Buckley Moss, who committed $10 million toward construction of the facility on the campus of Virginia Tech.

For Calendar Editors:

Description: Austin-based, multi-instrumental quartet Invoke – which the Austin Chronicle says “infuse[s] their performances with such a down-home joyfulness” – will give a performance at the Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre at Street and Davis Performance Hall (190 Alumni Mall), presented by the Moss Arts Center. Invoke’s music weaves together threads of classical technique, folk improvisation, and musical camaraderie. In addition to performing many original works – including selections from their Sono Luminus debut album Evolve & Travel – Invoke will perform Enigma for the Night by Jocelyn C. Chambers and Tenebrae by Osvaldo Golijov.

Short description: Invoke – whose music weaves together threads of classical technique, folk improvisation, and musical camaraderie – brings a “down-home joyfulness” (Austin Chronicle) to their Blacksburg, VA debut at the Moss Arts Center. Invoke will perform original music, including works from their new album Evolve & Travel, plus Enigma for the Night by Jocelyn C. Chambers, in addition to Tenebrae by Osvaldo Golijov.

Concert details:

Who: Invoke
Presented by Moss Arts Center
What: Original Music by Invoke Plus Enigma for the Night by Jocelyn C. Chambers and Tenebrae by Osvaldo Golijov
When: Thursday, November 16, 2023 at 7:30pm
Where: Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre at Street and Davis Performance Hall 190 Alumni Mall | Blacksburg, VA 24061
Tickets and information: www.tickets.luther.edu/Online/default.asp

Invoke Presented by Panoramic Voices in Two Performances

Photo by Marshall Tidrick. Available in hi-resolution at: www.jensenartists.com/artists-profiles/invoke

Invoke Presented by Panoramic Voices in Two Performances

Featuring World Premieres of
Steven Sérpa's Terra sagrada, Terra solitária and
Uma and Wari by Adrienne Inglis

Plus arrangements of Invoke Originals with Panoramic Voices

Thursday, October 19, 2023 at 7:30pm
Central Machine Works | 4824 E Cesar Chavez St | Austin, TX

Saturday, October 21, 2023 at 7pm
Jester King Brewery, Kitchen, Farm and Event Hall
13187 Fitzhugh Road | Austin, TX

More information: www.panoramicvoices.org

“The special thing about Invoke is…how its lively spirit and playfulness are essential to the way they approach every piece of music.”
– Austin Chronicle

www.InvokeSound.com

Austin TX – Austin’s own multi-instrumental quartet Invoke (Nick Montopoli, violin/banjo/vocals; Zach Matteson, violin/vocals; Karl Mitze, viola/mandolin/vocals; Geoff Manyin, cello/vocals) –– a group the Austin Chronicle says “infuse[s] their performances with such a down-home joyfulness” –– will be presented by Panoramic Voices –– a 130-person inclusive choir known for spanning all genres from classical, country, rock, hip hop, and beyond –– in two performances on October 21 at Jester King Brewery, Kitchen, Farm and Event Hall (13187 Fitzhugh Road) and October 19 at Central Machine Works (4824 E Cesar Chavez St.). The performance on October 19 was added to accommodate high demand, and will feature only a small selection from the full program on October 21.

The setlist for October 19 will feature a performance of the title track from Invoke’s forthcoming Sono Luminus album, Evolve & Travel, as performed by the quartet, as well as several traditional folk songs specially arranged by Karl Mitze and Panoramic Voices Managing Artistic Director Juli Orlandini, collaboratively performed by Invoke and Panoramic Voices. On October 21, Invoke will perform works from Evolve & Travel, in addition to arrangements of their music with Panoramic Voices. The performance will also feature the world premieres of Uma and Wari by Adrienne Inglis, as well as Terra sagrada, Terra solitária by Steven Sérpa –– all commissioned by Panoramic Voices specifically for this performance.

Driven by a passion for storytelling, Invoke’s performances feature original works composed by and for the group, which form a unique contemporary repertoire inspired by many different musical styles –– from minimalism, to jazz, to American fiddle tunes, and bluegrass.

Violinist Zach Matteson says of this unique collaboration and performing on different instruments for Serpa and Inglis’s works:

"We're really excited to bring back some of the repertoire from Invoke's past for including our arrangement of Sweet Willie (found on our debut album Souls in the Mud) where we highlight a Smithsonian archive recording of my great-grandfather, Maurice Matteson singing a ballad he "bagged" in the hills of North Carolina. Our original arrangement only contained muted strings to enhance the eerie qualities of the tune, but now we can explore a wider array of textures with this amazing choir. I'm also excited that we'll be bringing back a tune we arranged during our Pandemic Streaming days, Green Green Rocky Road.

Another aspect of this collaboration that will be really special is the addition of two world premiers by composers Steven Sérpa and Adrienne Inglis. We are very honored to be exploring Steven Sérpa's roots as a part of the incredibly wide ranging array of Portuguese folk music heard in Terra sagrada, Terra solitária. And I personally am really excited for my debut on Sikus (Bolivian pan pipes) and Karl Mitze’s debut on Charango, a traditional Andean stringed instrument for Adrienne's work, Uma.”

Adrienne Inglis says of Uma: “[Uma] for [Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass] and string quartet with optional charango and sikus, is written as a dance in the style of a Bolivian huayño. The text in the indigenous language of Aymara comes from the poem “Uma,” written by Chilean poet Pedro Humire Loredo. In the high Andean plateau called the altiplano or puna, the scarcity of water calls on the local people to share the precious and essential resource. Humire’s poetry reassures us that there is enough uma (water) for all. The popular indigenous huayño dance predates the Spanish conquest. This choral setting celebrates cooperation and sharing of water with embellished instrumental sections and optional panpipes (sikus or zampoñas) played in hocket (trenzado) and charango. Occasional shouts (gritos) may add to the excitement.”

Of Wari, the text for which also uses the indigenous language of Aymara and comes from Pedro Humire Loredo’s poem “Uma,” Inglis says: “Wari means vicuña, a native wild camelid species considered to be the ancestor of the domesticated alpaca. The harsh life of the Andes takes its toll on vicuña young, leaving behind grieving vicuña mothers. The Aymara people suffer similar losses and also cry for their lost loved ones. This yaraví lament includes expressive cadenza sections for both violin and cello, traditional key and rhythm, and a choral setting of Humire’s poignant poetry.”

With Terra sagrada, Terra solitária, composer Steven Sérpa connects with the music of his long-lost Portuguese heritage. This suite uses folk songs from southern Portugal and incorporates the local style of communal folk singing “Cante Alentejo.” Terra sagrada marks out emotions experienced by many immigrant families: the desire to see the world or find a better life for their families, the heartache for loved ones left behind and nostalgia for the villages they grew up in, and a sacred esteem for the lands that gave them life.

Director Juli Orlandini says of the collaborative project:

“Invoke’s passion for their craft is absolutely infectious; beyond the musicality they bring to their performances, the sheer joy in doing so is tangible from the moment they step on stage. As the leader of a community choir, my job is to provide experiences that will enrich my singers’ lives; I am beyond grateful for the once-in-a-lifetime performance opportunity Invoke has afforded over 130 singers, some of whom are singing with a choir for the first time in their lives!”

More about Invoke: Described as “...not anything but everything: Classical, Folk, Bluegrass, Americana and a sound yet to be termed seamlessly merged into a perfect one” (David Srebnik, SiriusXM Classical Producer), Invoke strives to successfully dodge even the most valiant attempts at genre classification. Invoke was selected to be the Young Professional String Quartet in Residence at the University of Texas at Austin from 2016-2018. Their awards include first prizes in the Concert Artists Guild Victor Elmaleh Competition in New York, NY, received First Prize at the M-Prize International Chamber Arts competition in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and received First Prize in the Coltman Competition in Austin, Texas.

Invoke has shared the stage with some of the most acclaimed chamber groups in the country, including the Westerlies, Miró and Ensō Quartets, and the U.S. Army Field Band. Additional performance highlights include Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, Lincoln Center, the Phillips Collection, and the Green Music Center. Invoke has also appeared with musicians from various genres, including composer-performer Clarice Assad, chamber rock group San Fermin, indie group Never Shout Never, and DC beatboxer/rapper/spoons virtuoso Christylez Bacon.

Invoke’s discography includes their debut album, Souls in the Mud (2015); Furious Creek (2018); and Fantastic Planet (2021). The group’s recording credits appear on bassist/composer Ethan Foote’s solo album Fields Burning, singer/songwriter Marian McLaughlin’s Spirit House, jazz/soul singer Rochelle Rice’s EP Wonder, and many more. Invoke has also worked extensively with composer Graham Reynolds and his non-profit organization, Golden Hornet, recording volumes IV-VI of String Quartet Smackdown, Marfa: A Country & Western Big Band Suite, and the 2019 film, Where'd You Go, Bernadette.

Invoke is strongly committed to championing diverse American voices through commissioning and highlighting new music. Invoke’s ongoing commissioning project, entitled American Postcards, asks composers to pick a time and place in American history and tell its story through the group’s unique artistry.

For more information, visit www.invokesound.com.

About Panoramic Voices: Directed by Juli Orlandini, Panoramic Voices is an adventurous choral collective that thrives on a “music without borders” approach to music making. Singers from all walks of life are accepted—no auditions, no participation fees—making the group a truly inclusive community. With collaborations spanning all genres from classical, country, rock, hip hop, and beyond, PV has worked with a dizzying array of artists such as Mobley, Roky Erickson, Carson McHone, Calliope Musicals, Zeale, and Grammy Award-winners Roomful of Teeth. The commissioning of new works has also been an important part of Panoramic Voice’s mission, resulting in the premiere of compositions by Pulitzer Prize-winner Caroline Shaw, Wilco’s Glenn Kotche, Austin luminary Graham Reynolds, and many more.

For Calendar Editors:

Description: Austin-based, multi-instrumental quartet Invoke – a group known for storytelling through music, which the Capital Gazette describes as “versatile and musically adventurous” – is presented by Panoramic Voices for a hometown performance. The concert features the world premieres of Terra sagrada, Terra solitária by Steven Sérpa and Uma by Adrienne Inglis. Invoke will perform several of their original works, in addition to collaborating with the choral ensemble Panoramic Voices to perform special arrangements of Invoke’s original music.

Short description: Invoke brings a “lively spirit and playfulness” (Austin Chronicle) to Panoramic Voices, performing original music and arrangements for Panoramic Voices, plus the world premieres of Terra sagrada, Terra solitária by Steven Sérpa and Uma by Adrienne Inglis.

Primary Concert details:
Who: Invoke
Presented by Panoramic Voices
What: Original Music by Invoke Plus Arrangements with Panoramic Voices and the World Premieres of Steven Sérpa’s Terra solitária andAdrienne Inglis’s Uma.
When: Saturday, October 21, 2023 at 7pm
Where: Jester King Brewery, Kitchen, Farm & Event Hall, 13187 Fitzhugh Road, Austin, TX
Tickets and information: www.panoramicvoices.org/

Secondary Concert details:
Who: Invoke
Presented by Panoramic Voices
What: Excerpts from “Folk Yeah!” - Original Music by Invoke Plus Arrangements with Panoramic Voices
When: Thursday, October 19, 2023 at 7:30pm
Where: Central Machine Works, 4824 E Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX
Tickets and information: www.panoramicvoices.org/

Invoke Announces Evolve & Travel Album Debut with Sono Luminus

Invoke Announces Evolve & Travel
Album Debut with Sono Luminus

Worldwide Release: October 27, 2023
Pre-Order Available Now

Downloads and CDs available to press on request

“[Invoke’s music] sounds impeccable without losing its sense of lightness and joy — no small feat.”
– NPR Music

www.InvokeSound.com

Austin, TX – Multi-instrumental quartet Invoke (Nick Montopoli, violin/banjo/vocals; Zach Matteson, violin/vocals; Karl Mitze, viola/mandolin/vocals; Geoff Manyin, cello/vocals) announces Evolve & Travel, its newest album and debut with Sono Luminus which is set for worldwide release, digitally and CD on October 27, 2023. This new record marks the group’s tenth anniversary and features seven original works. Each song reflects Invoke’s growth as people, composers, and as friends with a rich history of shared creative experiences and personal memories.

Invoke’s journey from strangers to string quartet is an intriguing tale. All students at the University of Maryland, the last place Montopoli, Matteson, Mitze, and Manyin expected to bond over a deep appreciation for new American music was in the heart of Tuscany, Italy, busking for “spaghetti money” on the medieval streets of Siena while there for a summer music festival. That shared spark followed the four friends back to Maryland and from there, excitement, drive, and a desire to stand apart from their quartet competitors in a chamber music competition inspired the group to embrace multifaceted musicality. Learning to play and write music for instruments like the banjo and mandolin, Invoke took their creative scope –– both as composers and ever-curious storytellers –– beyond the bounds of classical convention.

Invoke instilled their versatility, compositional creativity, and artistic spirit into the seven original works on Evolve and Travel, while also highlighting the strengths of Mitze and Montopoli as songwriters and composers. The music lets the group completely abandon any semblance of the traditional “string quartet” formality and focus on what makes “Invoke” Invoke –– best friends who make the music they love to hear, weaving together threads of classical technique, folk improvisation, and musical camaraderie.

Evolve and Travel was born out of Invoke's experience of (and evolution during) the pandemic and of being back on the road, traveling again. After a strenuous touring schedule from 2018 to 2020, like all other musicians in spring 2020, the members of Invoke found themselves without an agenda.

Violinist Zach Matteson summarizes the experience: "The unexpected bright side of the pandemic lockdown was an excess of time and a newfound drive to be creating music that connected with people in a virtual space on a regular basis. We dug deep to create new work at a faster pace than ever before and Evolve and Travel is a direct result of that. A lot of the new tunes have individual inspirations, but certainly you can say they express an aspect of what we were interested in during our time in lockdown –– from books that we were reading and other periods of history that we were looking back on, to a need for hope and optimism in the face of great doubt. Coming together amid our tenth year together as a group, Evolve & Travel is a culmination of lessons we have learned along the way. From the straight-ahead sound of the string quartet to a blend of voice, mandolin, banjo, and strings, this album showcases the entire scope of our growth as musicians, composers, and collaborators."

Hailed by The Capital Gazette as writing music that is “versatile and musically adventurous, [and] way more than classical,” and according to the Austin Chronicle, “bust[ing] through genres in…spicy performances,” Invoke embraces exploration and kinship through music that is far reaching both in its technical ambition and social and cultural curiosity.

Evolve & Travel joins Invoke’s discography which began with Souls in the Mud (2015), featuring original works composed by Invoke and works by composer Danny Clay; Furious Creek (2018), featuring original compositions and arrangements; and Fantastic Planet (2021), an original soundtrack composed by the group inspired by the 1973 French animated feature.

Evolve and Travel | Invoke | Sono Luminus | Release Date: October 27, 2023 (Digital, CDs, Worldwide)

[1] Burlywood 4:42
[2] Prohibition Song 5:55
[3] Alchemy 4:33
[4] Doorway 4:13
[5] Evolve and Travel 6:42
[6] Syl 4:51
[7] Dustbowl 3:01

[Total Time: 33:57]

Geoff Manyin, cello/vocals
Zach Matteson, violin/vocals
Karl Mitze, viola/mandolin/vocals
Nick Montopoli, violin/banjo/vocals

Composer: Burlywood, Prohibition Song, Evolve and Travel, and Syl - Karl Mitze
Composer: Alchemy, Doorway, Dustbowl - Nick Montopoli

Editing Engineer: Nick Montopoli
Recording Engineer: Charlie Kramsky
Recorded at 12th St. Studios on July 25th and 26th, 2022 & Spectra Studios on December 16th, 2022
Mixing/Mastering Engineer: Daniel Shores
Executive Producer: Collin J. Rae and Sono Luminus
Management & PR: Jensen Artists
Photography: Marshall Tidrick
Graphic Design: Joshua Frey

About Invoke: Described as “...not classical but not, not classical…beautiful, adventurous, American and immediately engaging” (David Srebnik, former SiriusXM Classical Producer), Invoke (Nick Montopoli, violin/banjo/vocals; Zach Matteson, violin/vocals; Karl Mitze, viola/mandolin/vocals; Geoff Manyin, cello/vocals) strives to successfully dodge even the most valiant attempts at genre classification. The multi-instrumental quartet encompasses traditions from across America, including bluegrass, Appalachian fiddle tunes, jazz, and minimalism. Fueled by their passion for storytelling, Invoke weaves all of these styles together to form a unique contemporary repertoire, featuring original works composed by and for the group.

Invoke was selected to be the Young Professional String Quartet in Residence at the University of Texas at Austin from 2016-2018. The group also participated in the Emerging String Quartet Program at Stanford, and was selected as an Artist in Residence at Strathmore, the Emerging Young Artist Quartet at Interlochen, and the Fellowship String Quartet at Wintergreen Performing Arts. In 2018, Invoke was named a winner of the Concert Artists Guild Victor Elmaleh Competition in New York, NY, received First Prize at the M-Prize International Chamber Arts competition in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and received First Prize in the Coltman Competition in Austin, Texas.

Invoke has shared the stage with some of the most acclaimed chamber groups in the country, including the Westerlies, Miró and Ensō Quartets, and the U.S. Army Field Band. Additional performance highlights include Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, Lincoln Center, and the Green Music Center, a concerto appearance with the Brevard Sinfonia, a residency at the Stanford Pre-Collegiate Institute, and performances on the NextNOW Festival at University of Maryland and Festival Amadeus in Montana. Invoke has also appeared with musicians from various genres, including chamber rock group San Fermin, indie group Never Shout Never, and DC beatboxer/rapper/spoons virtuoso Christylez Bacon.

Invoke is strongly committed to championing diverse American voices through commissioning and highlighting new music. Invoke’s ongoing commissioning project, entitled American Postcards, asks composers to pick a time and place in American history and tell its story through the group’s unique artistry. They have commissioned eight new works since 2017, including the latest addition to the initiative, The Lessons of History, by Jonathan Bingham, which premiered in summer 2021.

In addition to American Postcards, Invoke has performed and recorded numerous world premieres, including works by Joseph C. Phillips Jr., Armando Bayolo, and Geoff Sheil. The group’s recording credits appear on bassist/composer Ethan Foote’s solo album Fields Burning, singer/songwriter Marian McLaughlin’s Spirit House, jazz/soul singer Rochelle Rice’s EP Wonder, and many more.

For more information, visit www.invokesound.com.