Salon philadelphia music

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The Salon has become a beloved Philadelphia cultural gathering. The online ZALON version was created in April, to continue the tradition, connect the community and support artists during the pandemic. Since the Salon celebrated its 25 year anniversary, patrons and organizations around the country have hired Andrea to help them start their own Salons. Scroll down for press. Want to start your own Salon?

Contact Andrea! Clearfield organizes the evening to achieve a warm, engaging concert experience featuring original compositions, jazz, electronic, improvisation, folk, experimental, poetry, dance, world music, and time-honored classical chamber music and opera. Andrea Clearfield — Composer. Official site of composer Andrea Clearfield.

Since The Salon has offered approximately concerts with over 3, performing artists and more than 11, audience members passing through my living room. What motivated me to undertake such a series? From my youngest years I was drawn, both as a composer and a performer, to environments where music of varying styles could be shared in an informal setting.

In my childhood I liked to bring people together. I can remember playing the piano in grade school for sing-alongs and organizing musical get-togethers around chamber music, musical theater and popular music.

There was music-making at home as well; my parents, both amateur musicians, and I would play trios in our living room in the suburbs of Philadelphia. As a teenager, I enjoyed arranging pop songs that I heard on the radio for large ensembles, including vocalists, strings, and percussion, so that my friends could participate. While engaging in classical piano studies, I sang and played keyboards, flute and dulcimer in rock, folk and world music groups.

This proclivity for the integration of other genres led to performances with various dance and theater companies as well as multi-disciplinary projects. In retrospect, I realize that my own performing and composing began in the spirit of collaboration, and this desire to work with other artists and create a community around artistic expression ultimately became manifest in The Salon.

The Salon serves other purposes as well: to help break down the barriers between audience and performer, to expose people to different styles of music and other arts, to build an audience for new music, and to invite a cross-fertilization of audiences and musicians. The educational aspect is also significant to The Salon and has several implications. The mixture of genres results in a diversity of performers and audience, both intercultural and intergenerational.

Listeners often attend for their special musical preferences, thus people who come to hear their favorite folk singer may hear chamber music for the first time.

Those who normally prefer classical music might be exposed to avant-garde music or music from different cultures. People are more eager to embrace new music if the presentation is informative and inclusive. The Salon attempts to bring about a more dynamic exchange between the audience and the performers than in the traditional, more formal concert setting. Those attending, having removed their shoes at the door, are seated on chairs or on the floor, some directly in front of the performers.

Artists are encouraged to speak about their pieces; composers provide a window into their creative process; unusual instruments or performance techniques are described or demonstrated; and sometimes the audience is requested to participate in the performance itself. The audience has an opportunity to provide feedback to the performers at intermission over food and wine, or after The Salon, when more socializing takes place.

What do the performers gain? There are several reasons performers enjoy participating. Orchestral musicians appreciate the opportunity to play solo and chamber repertoire in an informal setting. Crossover groups without regular venues can perform here, and jazz musicians who normally play in clubs are delighted to have an audience that is actively listening. Some use The Salon as a way to stretch themselves in new directions: occasionally jazz artists are inspired to play classical music, classical musicians may engage in improvisation, and composers may write pieces specifically for The Salon.

On occasion, I will also present my own works. A recording engineer provides digital recordings for the performers, an invaluable service for everyone. The Salon can also be network-forming for the performers, and often enables artists from many styles and disciplines to form new collaborations.

A number of musicians attending or participating in a given program have been inspired to work with other performers they met that evening. Duos and ensembles as well as cross-discipline relationships have arisen. After trying out new work at The Salon, some have gone on to perform at other venues, record and maintain long-lasting partnerships.

Upcoming performances are announced; CDs are sold; and mailing lists for the artists are available so that performers can generate new audiences for their work. Although a number of musicians have admitted they are more nervous playing at The Salon than in the concert hall perhaps due to the close proximity and attentiveness of the audience , they seem to be nourished by the general atmosphere of openness and appreciation among listeners as well as the large supportive community of artists that has formed around The Salon.

With all of its diverse elements, one aspect has remained the same for 18 years: shoes are removed before entering The Salon the diversity of socks is striking. This is not a salon of yore, of tuxedos and velvet and champagne…. Some long-time Salon-goers have purchased special socks to showcase on Salon evenings.