Calendar of Events
Say It Loud- Overlook Quartet
This all-female string quartet hails from New York City but has a long-standing relationship with Memphis through Iris. Their 5-day residency includes workshops and performances in educational, community and healthcare settings. Using the practice of deep listening developed by composer Pauline Oliveros, the group will invite audiences to join them in this meditative practice which promotes peace and well-being. Their final performance at Crosstown Arts will include an eclectic program of music by under-represented composers that will engage the audience in deep listening, dialogue and joyful music-making.
Small Business Series: Music Box Germantown
Back by popular demand, Iris musicians and Music Box instructors join together for an unforgettable evening of music featuring over a dozen genres- from country and bluegrass to classical and pop- ideal for families and those not as versed in the classical roots of today’s music. More than music lessons, Music Box offers transformational experiences for aspiring musicians to help them build emotional intelligence, creativity and better communications. Doors will open at 6:30.
Recomposed: Elena Urioste
Violinist Elena Urioste returns to Iris as soloist and leader for Recomposed by Max Richter, an exhilarating and imaginative interpretation of Vivaldi’s iconic Four Seasons. This concert explores works expanded and reconstructed to go beyond one single genre. Featuring the virtuosic string sections of the Iris Collective, works by Piazzolla and Shostakovich will surprise and delight audiences. Urioste will also engage with families from Baptist Centers for Good Grief combining music and meditation as part of Iris’ year-round commitment to health and wellness.
Small Business Series: Inspire Cafe
INSPIRE Community Cafe aims to nourish community change by providing living wage jobs, life-giving food and a gathering place that inspires and connects people for the sake of a more just and compassionate Memphis. A perfect partner for the mission of the Iris Collective, this Small Business Series concert will feature an interactive performance by the Iris Artist Fellows that will include music from their native Brazil as well as European classical repertoire. Guests will get to taste items from INSPIRE’s menu that are paired with musical selections for an evening of nourishing music, food and community.
Brooks Museum Series
Don't miss this rare opportunity to experience the magic of Iris Collective in the Schilling gallery of Memphis' art museum.
Join us for an enchanting evening of music and art with a string trio performance in the intimate setting of the Power and Absence exhibit. This unique concert will transport you through time, featuring compositions from the Renaissance and Early Baroque periods. The performance will highlight the often-overlooked contributions and influences of women in classical music, both directly and indirectly, across the centuries. Surrounded by the beauty of visual art, the trio's melodies will create a harmonious dialogue between history, culture, and creativity, offering a multisensory experience that celebrates the profound legacy of women in music.
Germantown Community Theatre Series: Giving Thanks
As the family holidays approach with Thanksgiving and Veterans Day in the month of November Germantown Community Theater invites you to enjoy a very special Lunchbreak Concert. Join Iris Collective musicians as they reflect on the giving season with music that embodies the spirit of gratitude!
Bring your loved ones along to this wonderful Friday treat!
Morton Museum Series: Giving Thanks Chamber Concert
As we approach the holiday season, join Iris Collective musicians for a 45-minute concert reflecting on the giving season and embodying the spirit of gratitude! Light refreshments provided.
This performance is offered free of charge thanks to the Friends of the Morton Museum support group.
Transformations: Randall Goosby & Michael Stern
Memphis native Randall Goosby returns to perform the ebullient Mendelssohn Violin Concerto with Iris Collective musicians. Hailed for his expressive powers and dedication to making music more inclusive and accessible, Goosby will be joined by area middle and high school students from the GPAC Youth Symphony. Conducted by Iris founder Michael Stern, these students will perform side-by-side with Iris musicians for Florence Price’s gorgeous work Adoration.
Tell-Tale Heart and Other Tunes to Terrify
“I heard sounds from heaven; and I heard sounds from hell! Listen! Listen, and I will tell you how it happened.” The chilling imagination of Edgar Allen Poe and a macabre menagerie of creepily curated tunes come to life in a terrifying tour-de-force for mezzo-soprano, cello and piano. Don’t miss this fun and unforgettable Midtown Memphis experience, and come dressed to scare, if you dare.
Program includes:
C. Saint-Saens | Danse Macabre
Patrick Solori | Figaro’s Last Hangover
Gregg Kalllor | Tell-Tale Heart
Tell-Tale Heart and Other Tunes to Terrify
“I heard sounds from heaven; and I heard sounds from hell! Listen! Listen, and I will tell you how it happened.” The chilling imagination of Edgar Allen Poe and a macabre menagerie of creepily curated tunes come to life in a terrifying tour-de-force for mezzo-soprano, cello and piano. Don’t miss this fun and unforgettable Midtown Memphis experience, and come dressed to scare, if you dare.
Program includes:
C. Saint-Saens | Danse Macabre
Patrick Solori | Figaro’s Last Hangover
Gregg Kallor | Tell-Tale Heart
Small Business Series: Sweet LaLa’s Bakery
Shining a spotlight on small businesses with big impact! Iris musicians and Sweet LaLa’s present a concert to fill both bellies and souls.
Sweet LaLa’s Bakery was created out of a desire to connect food to the possibility of second chances and create a story of change for people finding themselves in difficult life circumstances. They have built a space in the heart of Memphis to not just talk about our community needs but to actively respond to them, one person at a time.
Brooks Museum Series: Cremaine Booker
Join us at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art for an enchanting evening with Cremaine Booker, also known as "That Cello Guy," a dynamic and innovative cellist renowned for his genre-blending performances. Booker, celebrated for his ability to seamlessly merge classical technique with contemporary styles, will captivate the audience with a program that includes classical masterpieces, modern pop hits, and his own original compositions. His performances are not only a testament to his technical prowess but also to his charismatic stage presence and emotional depth. Experience the magic of Cremaine Booker's music in the intimate and inspiring setting of the museum, where every note will resonate with passion and creativity. Don't miss this unique opportunity to witness a truly extraordinary musician who is redefining the boundaries of classical music.
Germantown Community Theatre Series: Sounds of Brazil
In this exciting Lunchbreak Concert, Iris Collective 2024/2025 Artist Fellows Gabriela Fogo on violin and Roberta dos Santos on cello bring a variety of instruments to treat our GCT audiences to music from their home country of Brazil. Enjoy some midday respite, irresistible music and complementary treats as we welcome these wonderful musicians to Memphis!
Echoes of Angels: A Live Performance in the Moss Gallery
Experience an immersive afternoon of music and art with Iris Collective in the Moss Gallery at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art. Violinist Pedro Maia and cellist Otávio Manzano Kavakama will take you on a musical journey through the interweaving voices of early church music to the birth of classical music while surrounded by Medieval favorites from Memphis’ art collection.
Awadagin Pratt: Black in America
You are never too famous to escape racism and racial profiling. The film Awadagin Pratt: Black in America reveals his climb to fame and is a candid conversation about what it is like to be a person of color in the United States. Pratt will play for the film viewing audience including J.S. Bach: Keyboard Concerto No. 4 in A Major, BWV 1055; and Messiaen: Quartet for the End of Time, Mvt. VIII.
Awadagin Pratt: Piano Prowess
The renowned pianist who has played from the Kennedy Center to Lincoln Center and for Presidents Clinton and Obama joins us for an unforgettable evening with the crowd-favorite and dynamic Conductor of the Year, Andrew Grams. Featuring Jessie Montgomery: Strum and Rounds; J.S. Bach: Keyboard Concerto No. 4 in A Major, BWV 1055; and Schubert: Death and the Maiden.
Harmonizing Herstory
Join us for a musical celebration of all things women! Iris Collective musicians—violinist Carolyn Huebl and cellist Kimberly Patterson—will delight the crowd with works of women composers in Memphis’ newest woman-owned and woman-inspired retailer, ARCH’d. Sip a glass of wine, shop unique and inspiring gifts that empower women and #seemusictransform this small business into the place to be.
Small Business Series Concert at Music Box
More than music lessons, Music Box offers transformational experiences for aspiring musicians to help them build emotional intelligence, creativity and better communications. And for one night, their instructors join Iris musicians to present a lively evening fusing classical and popular music.
Love Songs Through the Ages
This Lunchbreak Concert involves Love Songs and romantic scores sure to stir your heart and have you swaying in your seat smiling ear to ear! These performances are wonderful for school groups, senior center groups and everyone in between!
General Admission tickets only $10
Free coffee and cookies thanks to Teresa Jordan!
Fellows Performance at the Brooks
Join our Iris musicians for an exciting performance in the Brooks Museum’s galleries, as they present a program exploring the similarities and differences in the music and surrounding artwork.
Reception in the Brooks Café 5:00pm | Performance in Schering-Plough Gallery 6:00pm
You can expect to hear:
Carlos Gomes (1836-1896) "O Burrico de Pau" for string quartet
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) String Quartet Op. 18 No 6
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) Clarinet Quintet K 581 in A Major
Cremaine Booker
Equal parts bookstore, coffee shop and inviting community space, Café Noir fills its shelves with books by Black, PoC and LGBTQ+ authors. And now they’re filling your cup with music, too, as they kick off our Small Business Series with Iris musician Cremaine Booker, aka ThatCelloGuy. Cremaine also serves as principal cello for Nashville Philharmonic Orchestra and Jackson Symphony Orchestra and has played with the likes of Hans Zimmer and Jewel, among others.
Cazateatro Christmas Fiesta
Cazateatro Bilingual Theatre Group, in collaboration with Opera Memphis and Dixon Gallery & Gardens, presents a Christmas Fiesta!
Celebrate the Christmas traditions of Latin America and the Caribbean. Learn about parrandas, posadas, piñatas, and more. Enjoy traditional Christmas music in Spanish, Latin food, and make a poinsettia or a small piñata.
Iris musicians will perform from 12:00-12:30pm.
Morton Museum Chamber Concert
Join violinist Pedro Maia, cellist Otávio Manzano Kavakama and percussionist Jacob Hargrove for an evening of Baroque and Brazilian music.
MAS Benefit Concert Honoring Gillie the Cat
A free, fun, family-friendly event featuring Iris Collective musicians and animal-inspired music by Shirley Ly, Camille Saint-Saens and more. Plus a kitten adoption fair, kitten petting, instrument petting zoo, and of course an opportunity to meet Gillie!
Baroque at the Brooks
Join violinist Pedro Maia, cellist Otávio Manzano Kavakama and percussionist Jacob Hargrove for an evening of Baroque and Choro music at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art. Our musicians present a program of pieces by famous Baroque composer J.S. Bach and compare and contrast them with popular Brazilian Choro tunes, looking at their similar textures and harmonies while surrounded by the masterpieces in the Baroque Gallery.
Randall Goosby & Zhu Wang: Rising Stars
Phenomenal duo Avery Fisher Career Grant winner Randall Goosby and New York Times “Best of 2021” pianist Zhu Wang return for a not-to-miss chamber concert following a one-week residency with Iris to work with young musicians and their families to share and create music together through workshops and performances. These local string students from around the city will join Randall and Zhu on the second half of the concert for a special joint performance.
This concert is sponsored by Meryl Shahun Rosen.
Morton Museum- Spooky Tunes
LINK TO REGISTER: https://www.colliervilletn.gov/kidsconcert/spookytunes
**Registration is required due to limited seating; maximum capacity of 70.
The Morton Museum will host Iris Collective for a 30-minute children's concert featuring fun, spooky tunes and stories. Don't forget to wear your favorite costume!
Midori and Friends: A Chamber Concert
A unique opportunity to see one of the most foremost violinists of our generation perform in an intimate setting with good friends at the Buckman Performing Arts Center. Artist and humanitarian Midori leads this afternoon chamber concert celebrating the music and the inspiration that was Mozart.
Midori: Violin Legend
The visionary artist who builds connections between music and the human experience and breaks with traditional boundaries, is one of the most outstanding violinists of our time and not to be missed! Featuring works by Carlos Simon: Fate Now Conquers; Antonín Dvořák: Violin Concerto in A minor, Op. 53; and Beethoven: Symphony No. 7, op. 92, A major. Co-presented with GPAC and proudly sponsored by Memphis Tourism.
Brazil by Day
Join Iris Collective and Collage Dance Collective for free community event celebrating Brazilian art and culture at Crosstown’s Central Atrium!