Program
The program will be announced soon.
About the Ensemble
Vocalist and composer Amanda Ekery conjures a rich creative world in which improvised and popular music traditions weave together seamlessly. Her exceptional musical versatility has made Ekery a sought-after performer, presenter, and composer for a wide range of artistic endeavors.
Her compositions have earned support from New Music USA, Chamber Music America, and the Jerome Foundation, and have been featured at the Portland Jazz Festival, Panama Jazz Festival, and the Kennedy Center. Ekery’s 2018 album “Keys With No Purpose” was written as a reaction to the sexist culture women continue to face in jazz and informed by her research on females in jazz education.
Árabe, Amanda’s most recent project, focuses on Syrian immigration to El Paso/Mexico and the influence these mixed cultures had on film, food, economy, and music. She collaborates with the Syrian Ladies Club of El Paso, recent immigrants, Middle Eastern scholars, and her family to write lyrics, gather artifacts, and create interactive exhibits for the El Paso community.
Amanda holds a Master of Music in Jazz Performance from the New England Conservatory and a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies from the University of North Texas. She is the Assistant Director of Academic Affairs for the New School of Jazz and Contemporary Music, a teaching artist for the Metropolitan Opera Guild, the education coordinator at Jazz at Lincoln Center, and a regular at the Cortelyou Library in Brooklyn, NY.