Beyond the Notes Brings Collaborative Multimedia Concerts to The Umbrella Arts Center!

Featuring Concord native & violinist Sarah Whitney, cellist Ani Kalayjian & experimental animator Sarah E. Jenkins 

This summer, Concord native and violinist Sarah Whitney will take The Umbrella Arts Center stage with guest cellist Ani Kalayjian with her highly acclaimed concert series Beyond the Notes for an unforgettable weekend of indoor and outdoor concerts! The two performers will take the audience on an extraordinary journey with an eclectic program of solos and duos that highlights the works of Black composers. The program will also feature a unique collaboration with experimental animator Sarah E. Jenkins, one of the many artists represented in The Umbrella's mixed media exhibition gallery, Dazzleship.

The series will be presented live on Saturday, July 31 at 7:30pm indoors on The Umbrella’s newly constructed Main Stage with limited capacity to allow for distancing and on Sunday, August 1 at 3:00pm outdoors under a tent. Sunday’s outdoor concert will be followed by a private tour of the exhibition led by Dazzleship curator Michael MacMahon. 

20% of all proceeds will be donated to The Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), a national, nonpartisan, anti-poverty nonprofit advancing policy solutions for low-income people. CLASP develops practical yet visionary strategies for reducing poverty, promoting economic opportunity, and addressing barriers faced by people of color. 

Beyond the Notes is a unique and interactive concert series that Whitney started here in Concord, MA 7 years ago. She has since brought world renowned artists and ensembles to Concord, including Grammy-Award winning artists, Mike Block and Sandeep Das in February, 2020. For the past year, Beyond the Notes has taken the stage in support of social justice, raising funds for The Center for Constitutional Rights, Race Forward, Direct Relief, Common Cause, The Voter Participation Center, Leadership Conference Education Fund, Southern Poverty Law Center​, and Campaign Zero​.

Praised by the Washington Post for her "marvelous violin acrobatics," violinist Sarah Whitney is known for her musical versatility and has been heard worldwide across stages in Europe, Asia, South America, Africa and the United States. She is recognized as a performer, teacher, entrepreneur and advocate for bringing fresh new ideas to classical music. She is a member of the acclaimed string quintet SYBARITE5, one of the fastest-rising chamber-music ensembles in the United States, whose latest album reached #2 on the Classical Billboard Charts.

The Umbrella Arts Center is a non-profit cultural organization committed to nurturing and encouraging the arts throughout Concord and the Greater Boston/Metrowest region. Since its founding in 1983, The Umbrella has served as a dynamic community arts center, building a vibrant and inclusive community through the arts by promoting creativity, learning, personal growth, and cultural exchange through accessible arts education programs, performing and visual arts presentations, and community collaborations.

Tickets cost $30/person and $15/student and can be purchased in advance or at the door. Sunday attendance includes free admission to a post-show curator’s tour of the Dazzleship art exhibition in The Umbrella Main Gallery.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.theumbrellaarts.org/BTN