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Lumedia Musicworks premieres ‘Don’t Look Back’ on October 28, 2021

Classical sitarist Vatsal Dave of Flower Mound joins the Lumedia Musicworks ensemble on the soundtrack of the Dallas-based early music ensemble’s short film, “Don’t Look Back.” The film is directed by Derrick Robert Brown of Dallas and will premiere at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 28, at event1013 in Plano, and will be available online Nov. 5.

The music interweaves the Cantigas de Santa Maria and a saltarello, songs and dances from the Medieval and Renaissance periods. Tickets are $27-$75 and are available online. Student tickets are $10.

“It merges the music of two cultures and plunges into the underworld,” said Julianna Emanski of Frisco, Lumedia’s artistic director and a Grammy nominee. “We’ve timed the release of this particular film right before Halloween since it fits the season so well. Our mission is to showcase early music in innovative ways.”

Originally from India, Dave is best known for playing Hindustani classical music from northern India. He has several albums, including Lone Star Sitar, a world music fusion effort in collaboration with Grammy Award winner Art Greenhaw.

“Don’t Look Back” will be available online beginning at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 5. It’s available at no charge.

Lumedia Musicworks Highlights Baroque Composer Barbara Strozzi Jan. 8-Feb. 2, Online

For the second of its four-part Early Women Composers series “Stories,” Lumedia Musicworks celebrates the music and legacy of composer Barbara Strozzi. The comedic video history and performance debuts Friday, Jan. 8, online. There’s no charge for tickets, but registration is required.

The event ends at 11:59 p.m. Feb. 2. The host is historical storyteller Elaine Scholly of Dallas.

Strozzi (1619-1677) was an Italian composer and singer in the baroque period. She wrote primarily for solo voice, and she was one of the most prolific composers in Italy. However, like most female composers of her time, Strozzi and her music received little attention and they are largely forgotten

Lumedia offers an example of her sacred works in a performance of “Salve Sancta Caro,” (“Hail Holy Flesh”).

“Her music, extreme for the time, is compelling. It brings the listener along with unexpected twists and turns,” said Julianna Emanski of Frisco, Lumedia’s artistic director. “Her compositions have both power and intimacy. They are fresh and relevant to today’s music lovers.”

Jendi Tarde of Plano directed the video.

Lumedia Musicworks debuts ‘Hymns of Angels: A French Noël’

Lumedia Musicworks debuts “Hymns of Angels: A French Noël” online at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 18, spotlighting soprano Julianna Emanski of Frisco alongside soprano Jendi Tarde of Carrollton. The first in a five-part series of virtual Spotlights by Dallas-based Lumedia, the concert also features instrumentalists Christopher Phillpott of Dallas and Molly Hammond of Houston as they perform inside Event1013 in downtown Plano.

Lumedia Musicworks spotlights individual artists in striking locations across Texas. State-of-the-art technology creates a variety of virtual concert hall destinations with multiple cameras and high quality audio.

This will be a virtual performance. Lumedia’s entire 2020-21 season is online because of COVID concerns. It is available to audiences anywhere in the world. General admission tickets are $12 for the event, which will run through Saturday, Jan. 2. Tickets include subtitles, translations, and an accompanying digital program. Student tickets are offered at no charge.

Watch the trailer here.

Photo credit: Event1013 - Left to right: Molly Hammond of Houston, Jendie Tarde of Carrollton, Julianna Emanski of Frisco and Christopher Phillpott of Dallas.

Lumedia Musicworks debuts ‘Welcome to the West’ online November 20, 2020

Multimedia concert film “Welcome to the West” premieres online at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20. Music includes sonatas, concertos, traditional fiddling, folk tunes and 1940s western swing, and the performance features contemporary and historic film footage and photographs from the Library of Congress.

Dallas-based Lumedia Musicworks, a nonprofit performance organization committed to showcasing and performing early music, partnered with videographers and cowboy poets from Texas, Wyoming, Nevada, South Dakota and Utah for the third production in Lumedia’s 2020-21 season. The concert spotlights a day in the life of a rancher in the American West. It includes on-screen titles, subtitles and a digital program with notes on the production.

The concert is hosted by vocalist Julianna Emanski of Frisco, Lumedia’s artistic director. Tickets are $12-$20. The performances will be available on-demand at that link until 11:59 p.m. Monday, Nov. 30, CST.

Because of coronavirus concerns, all of Lumedia Musicworks’ performances are online this season. See their website for a full schedule of events.

Click here to see the trailer.