•ACF Artist News•
•Project Spotlight•
•A Winter Playlist•
•6 Questions with Sam Amidon•
•A Few of Our Favorite Things•
What some of our beloved artists, alumni, and collaborators have been up to!
Cellist-composer (& brother!) Paul Wiancko (ACF ‘17) joins the Kronos Quartet!
Steph Davis (Ei ‘ 22) gives the world premiere of a work by Pamela Z: “Only If It’s Asked For”
Violist Ayane Kozasa (ACF ‘17 and ‘18) joins the faculty at Cincinnati Conservatory of Music
Kamala Sankaram (Bombay Rickey, ACF ‘21) featured in Pitchfork’s “The Best Electronic Music of 2022”
Matt Evans (ACF ‘22) releases a new album, ”Soft Science”
New work by Michi Wiancko to be premiered in Carnegie’s Weill Hall by Ensemble Connect
Ché Buford (Ei ‘22) attends the Gabriela Lena Frank Creative Academy of Music
Andrew Yee (ACF ‘21) shares an audio memoir through WXQR’s Artist Propulsion Lab
Sarah Zahorodni (ACF Program Manager) collaborates on a new piece with digital artist Andrew Johnson
The world premiere of composer & ACF Co-Founder Judd Greenstein’s long-anticipated opera, A Marvelous Order
Over the past year, ACF/Ei’s own PaviElle French has been in a residency called, “Liberation! Lifting Up our Youth!” through the American Composers’ Foundation and in collaboration with The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Walker | West Academy, Schubert Club, Purple Playground, and TruArtSpeaks You can learn more about PaviElle’s incredibly powerful work by watching these two videos, from the Artist Equity Summit 2022.
“This residency has been an absolute dream, because, essentially, it’s what I want to do in life, it’s what I want to do in my artistry: I want to live life, love, make great art, and uplift the youth.” - PaviElle
PaviElle French
Songs currently keeping
us warm & cozy...
Catalogue of Unabashed Gratitude (Ross Gay, Bon Iver)•Wuthering Heights (Cécile McLorin Salvant)•Djourou (Ballaké Sissoko ft. Sona Jobarteh)•Build A House (Rhiannon Giddens, Francesco Turrisi, Yo-Yo Ma)•The Blue Hour: No. 40, 3rd Refrain (Caroline Shaw, A Far Cry, Shara Nova)•NOBREZA (LADAMA)•Inchichila (feat. Toumani Dibate & Balla Kouyate)•Downtown (Majical Cloudz)•String Quartet No 2. II (Edmund Finnis, Manchester Collective)•Saans Lo (Arooj Aftab)
Sam is a singer, songwriter, banjoist, collaborator, and ACF artist!
1. What’s an activity besides music that you are passionate about?
Playing pick up basketball.
2. What do you love most about your home?
The corner of the sofa next to which all the books I’m currently reading parts of are piled up.
3. What are you excited to learn more about?
I’m trying to get better at reading novels in French! A friend of mine suggested Annie Ernaux, because she is an extremely deep writer but the language and vocabulary are relatively straightforward.
4. What is your favorite animal or type of plant, and why?
My favourite animal when I was 10 years old was the peregrine falcon. I do not remember why. Now it’s my dog Kit.
5. What advice would you want to go back and give to your 15 year old self?
I feel like my 15 year old self had it all figured out - I’ve got to get some life lessons from that person!
6. What does your life look and/or feel like in 40 years?
Hopefully the same as it now, but in all likelihood there will be less pick up basketball!
•Classes•
NYE Sit + Dance + Sound Bath with Rev. Angel Kyodo
(“release the old, make way for liberation”)
Education for Racial Equity with Resmaa Menakem
Love and Rage with Lama Rod Owens
•Movies•
“Nope” (a horror movie by Jordan Peele for people with low tolerance to horror)
”Everything Everywhere All At Once” (a hilarious and big-hearted sci-fi action adventure)
•Shows•
“Heartstopper” (a graphic novel-turned-tv show, and a beautiful love story)
•Podcasts•
How to Survive the End of the World
•Digital Artists•
Evan M. Cohen @evanmcohen
Francesca Menses @Frannerd
(you may notice that the font on the website is inspired by her art!)
•Instagram Accounts•
@pandasakha_official (cooking & lifestyle from the Sakha Republic of Russia)
Bisa Butler @bisabutler (stunning creations by this renowned artist)
•Recipe•
Instant Pot Chili (perfect for feeding crowds!)
•Cocktail•
“Holiday Spritz” (From @likeablecocktails)
0.75oz Gin
0.5oz Aperol
1oz Mandarin Orange Juice
0.5oz Lemon Juice
0.5oz Simple Syrup
Prosecco, Cava, Champagne, or your favorite bubbles!
•Some Moments from Our Camera Rolls•
Proud friend moment - when you can buy a piece of their artwork.
Gingerbread house building competition!
The Greenstein-Wianckos on the San Clemente pier in CA.
Bittersweet final show from the ever-inspiring Royal Frog Ballet.
Sheepdog Lu and her flock from Everyday Farm holding down the fort at ACF.
The satisfaction of decorating your first office space.
