Save the date for our Celebrity Series at Home live stream concert with percussionist, composer, educator, and arts entrepreneur, Maria Finkelmeier, on Thursday, June 25th at 8 pm. She will perform a few works of her own alongside music by Osnat Netzer, Eric Sammut, and Johann Sebastian Bach.
This marimba + electronics program is entitled “Memory” and is dedicated to the moments in which art and human connection build the stories that we hold so dear, lifting us through difficult times and guiding us towards tomorrow.
Maria joined Neighborhood Arts in 2017 through her Beat Bus percussion residencies at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Hernandez K-8 School, and the Yawkey Boys and Girls Club in Roxbury.
Beat Bus, a one-of-a-kind electronic bucket drumming experience, is brought to festivals, community centers, schools, and libraries throughout New England through Kadence Arts, a non-profit organization Maria founded whose mission is to unite the community by providing new experiences to support and encourage an appreciation and understanding of how music impacts and enriches our lives.
Maria has created large-scale multimedia events in public spaces from Cincinnati to Northern Sweden, with several locations in Boston, including Fenway Park, Charlestown Navy Yard, Edison Power Plant, and Harvard’s Arnold Arboretum. Her new creative venture, MF Dynamics, will continue her mission to disrupt listener expectations by merging meticulous performance practice with pervasive storytelling in unique spaces. Maria’s new Project Daydream, a live music experience guiding listeners to explore their breath, their joy, their support system, and their own mantra, will debut at Neighborhood Arts this coming season. She will also appear this coming Neighborhood Arts season as a member of Quartet Kalos.
Named a “one-woman dynamo” by The Boston Globe, tune in to Facebook Live this Thursday at 8 pm for her concert!
Maria's Q&A
What first got you into music?
My parents signed me up for piano lessons when I was about 7 years old. I remember our Saturday routine: my brother's lesson, followed by my lesson, with lunch at the same restaurant every week, where they always had our table set prior to our arrival. I started playing the drums in fifth-grade band, since we already had a drumset at home, and I just thought it was a lot of fun!
How would you describe the music that you typically create?
My favorite aspect of being a percussionist is the challenge to make music with almost anything! I love to improvise, and my music typically begins with an idea that is discovered while improvising freely. I'm also deeply inspired by stories/poetry and paintings/visuals as launching points for my music. Stylistically I'm a bit all over the board, but there are seeds of minimalist, avant-garde, and pop music in what I create.
Watch Fabiola Méndez On-Demand
Puerto Rican cuatro player Fabiola Méndez performed a live concert for Celebrity Series at Home last week. A prize-winning performer, she is the first Berklee College of Music student to graduate with the cuatro as her principal instrument. You can now watch the concert on demand!
Make a gift
Your investment in the Celebrity Series is more important than ever! Your tax-deductible donation will help the Celebrity Series team continue to bring high-quality artistic programming to households in Boston and beyond. Whether that programming takes place onstage, in the community, or online, your gift will ensure that Celebrity Series remains strong, innovative, and resilient now and in the future. If you are able, please consider making a contribution to Celebrity Series, in any amount.
