Events
30-minute solo sets by:
Yoon Choi
Mary Prescott
Sara Ontaneda
Sally Gates
$20 at the door
MORE INFO
An ongoing process of study in Grief and Ease connecting performance artist Mary Prescott’s present day lived experiences with those inherited from her ancestral feminine, transmuting Thai mythologies, spirituality and cultural rites. Sunder is an interdisciplinary performance involving music and sound, word, movement and film.
Tickets:
General admission: $25 advance/$30 door
Students/artists/seniors: $15 in advance/$30 door
This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
Development support provided in part by Loghaven Artist Residency and Mabou Mines.
An ongoing process of study in Grief and Ease connecting performance artist Mary Prescott’s present day lived experiences with those inherited from her ancestral feminine, transmuting Thai mythologies, spirituality and cultural rites. Sunder is an interdisciplinary performance involving music and sound, word, movement and film.
Tickets:
General admission: $25 advance/$30 door
Students/artists/seniors: $15 in advance/$30 door
This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
Development support provided in part by Loghaven Artist Residency and Mabou Mines.
First Bite offers a taste of interdisciplinary performance artist Mary Prescott’s explorations around sense memory and storytelling. Through her Thai mother’s family recipes, Prescott investigates matrilineal heritage transmitted through food, and its infusions of migration, ecology, culture and community.
Performance elements include music, word, movement and film.
Tickets:
General Admission: $20-40
Students: $10
This project is made possible in part with funds from Creative Engagement, a regrant program supported by the funding agencies The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) in partnership with the City Council; The New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature; and the Howard Gilman Foundation; and administered by LMCC. LMCC serves, connects, and makes space for artists and community.
Ancestral Table is a National Performance Network (NPN) Creation & Development Fund Project co-commissioned by The Great Northern Festival and Mabou Mines in partnership with NPN. The Creation & Development Fund is supported by the Doris Duke Foundation, and the Mellon Foundation. For more information, visit www.npnweb.org.
Additionally co-commissioned by The Los Angeles Philharmonic and The Schubert Club, in partnership with Liquid Music.
Development support provided by Mabou Mines, National Performance Network, Harlem Stage, Loghaven Artist Residency and The Bogliasco Foundation.
Join us for an evening of film, food, and conversation with Mary Prescott at the premiere of Mother Tongue. This film screening and artist talk explores the deep connections between food, community, and family.
In September 2024, Prescott and The Great Northern hosted a potluck dinner with five artists, writers, and community leaders—José Luis, Ifrah Mansour, Kate Beane, Kao Kalia Yang, and Eyenga Bokamba. Each guest brought a family dish, sharing the stories and cultural significance behind their recipes. This intimate gathering was captured in a short documentary film that we are thrilled to share with you for the first time.
The work and conversations documented in Mother Tongue will form the foundation for Ancestral Table, a large-scale performance artwork by Mary Prescott that will celebrate her maternal Thai heritage. This exciting project is set to be a highlight of our 2026 festival programming.
As part of the experience, you’ll also have the opportunity to sample food from some of the featured participants. Don’t miss this celebration of our diverse culinary traditions.
Tickets: $10
Lucent Ground conjures a folkloric sound experience unfolding from ancient Asian mythologies, and wonders of the natural and supernatural worlds. For voice, piano, percussion, electronics and video.
Mary Prescott: voice, piano, percussion, found sounds, video
Kengchakaj: electronic processing, Thai-tuned Moog synthesizer
Tickets: $25 advanced. $15 students/artists.
This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
An ongoing process of study in Grief and Ease connecting the artist’s present day lived experiences with those inherited from her ancestral feminine, transmuting Thai mythologies, spirituality and cultural rites. Sunder is an interdisciplinary performance involving music and sound, word, movement and film.
Created and performed by Mary Prescott.
Approximately 60 minutes.
Wednesday, December 11 | 7:30PM
Thursday, December 12 | 7:30PM
Friday, December 13 | 7:30PM
At Mabou Mines in NYC.
GET TICKETS: Sliding scale $15-$30
An ongoing process of study in Grief and Ease connecting the artist’s present day lived experiences with those inherited from her ancestral feminine, transmuting Thai mythologies, spirituality and cultural rites. Sunder is an interdisciplinary performance involving music and sound, word, movement and film.
Created and performed by Mary Prescott.
Approximately 60 minutes.
Wednesday, December 11 | 7:30PM
Thursday, December 12 | 7:30PM
Friday, December 13 | 7:30PM
At Mabou Mines in NYC.
GET TICKETS: Sliding scale $15-$30
An ongoing process of study in Grief and Ease connecting the artist’s present day lived experiences with those inherited from her ancestral feminine, transmuting Thai mythologies, spirituality and cultural rites. Sunder is an interdisciplinary performance involving music and sound, word, movement and film.
Created and performed by Mary Prescott.
Approximately 60 minutes.
Wednesday, December 11 | 7:30PM
Thursday, December 12 | 7:30PM
Friday, December 13 | 7:30PM
At Mabou Mines in NYC.
GET TICKETS: Sliding scale $15-$30
More details to come.
Lucent Ground conjures a folkloric sound experience unfolding from ancient Asian mythologies and wonders of the natural/supernatural worlds.
Mary Prescott: voice, piano, percussion, found sounds, video
Kengchakaj: electronic processing, Thai-tuned Moog synthesizer
DOORS 5 PM/SHOW 7 PM
LINEUP
- IOSIS
- Dameun Strange
- Mary Prescott + Erik Fratzke + deVon
…Channeling the universal sonic inheritance to materialize orbs of harmonic intelligence…
Who is deVon Russell Gray? A divinely guided multimedia social justice activist or a pantheistic audial alchemist? Central to his creative practice is the fundamental belief of starting from a place of "I know nothing" when approaching any new composition, performance, or creative endeavor. Embracing the idea that empty vessels receive new knowledge more efficiently, he constantly seeks a transformative death/rebirth process to expand his artistic horizons. Among other known knowns about this artist, Gray absorbs tremendous inspiration from the natural world, finding solace and reflection in the great outdoors. He cherishes moments of indulgence in eating, drinking, and merriment, and he possesses a deep appreciation for activities such as moon gazing, leaf peeping, and immersing himself in the world of cinema. In his downtime, he reluctantly participates in the commonplace mixed economy, feeling frustrated by its limitations and yearning for something different. In his uptime, he creates exceptional art. In terms of recent accomplishments, Gray's improvisation trio (featuring Nathan Hanson on saxophones, Davu Seru on percussion, and Gray on piano) released their debut album, WE SICK, on Innova in 2023. Additionally, Gray made his mark as a composer with the lead single on Lara Downes' latest album, Love At Last (Pentatone), which reached number one on the Billboard classical and classical crossover charts. Most recently, he received his second composer fellowship from the McKnight Foundation, an esteemed recognition administered by the American Composers Forum.
Mary Prescott is a Thai-American interdisciplinary artist, composer, and pianist who explores the foundations and facets of identity and social conditions through experiential performance. In “21 for ‘21: Composers and Performers Who Sound Like Tomorrow,” the Washington Post described Mary’s work as “a bright light cast forward ... uncompromising,” and “masterfully envisioned.” Mary is an awardee of the McKnight Composer Fellowship, the National Performance Network Creation and Development Fund, and many others. Find more information at her website.
Erik Fratzke is a composer/performer/educator based in St. Paul, Minn. Best known as the bassist of Happy Apple, he also leads his own quartet, Fake Accent. He is also a member of Craig Taborn’s Junk Magic and Cory Healey’s Beautiful Sunshine Band. As a guitarist, Erik is a member of The Dave King Trucking Company, the avant-metal group Abhorrent Expanse, Scott Miller’s Fifth Column Ensemble, The Gang Font feat. Greg Norton, and the instrumental rock group Zebulon Pike. His compositions have been performed and recorded by the new music group Zeitgeist. Erik has performed and/or recorded with Tim Berne, Ethan Iverson, Adam Levy, Michel Portal, Rhys Chatham, Airto, Benoit Delbec, and Yoshida Tatsuya (Ruins).
$15 at the door 8:00 Show
…Channeling the universal sonic inheritance to materialize orbs of harmonic intelligence…
Who is deVon Russell Gray? A divinely guided multimedia social justice activist or a pantheistic audial alchemist? Central to his creative practice is the fundamental belief of starting from a place of "I know nothing" when approaching any new composition, performance, or creative endeavor. Embracing the idea that empty vessels receive new knowledge more efficiently, he constantly seeks a transformative death/rebirth process to expand his artistic horizons. Among other known knowns about this artist, Gray absorbs tremendous inspiration from the natural world, finding solace and reflection in the great outdoors. He cherishes moments of indulgence in eating, drinking, and merriment, and he possesses a deep appreciation for activities such as moon gazing, leaf peeping, and immersing himself in the world of cinema. In his downtime, he reluctantly participates in the commonplace mixed economy, feeling frustrated by its limitations and yearning for something different. In his uptime, he creates exceptional art. In terms of recent accomplishments, Gray's improvisation trio (featuring Nathan Hanson on saxophones, Davu Seru on percussion, and Gray on piano) released their debut album, WE SICK, on Innova in 2023. Additionally, Gray made his mark as a composer with the lead single on Lara Downes' latest album, Love At Last (Pentatone), which reached number one on the Billboard classical and classical crossover charts. Most recently, he received his second composer fellowship from the McKnight Foundation, an esteemed recognition administered by the American Composers Forum.
Mary Prescott is a Thai-American interdisciplinary artist, composer, and pianist who explores the foundations and facets of identity and social conditions through experiential performance. In “21 for ‘21: Composers and Performers Who Sound Like Tomorrow,” the Washington Post described Mary’s work as “a bright light cast forward ... uncompromising,” and “masterfully envisioned.” Mary is an awardee of the McKnight Composer Fellowship, the National Performance Network Creation and Development Fund, and many others. Find more information at her website.
Erik Fratzke is a composer/performer/educator based in St. Paul, Minn. Best known as the bassist of Happy Apple, he also leads his own quartet, Fake Accent. He is also a member of Craig Taborn’s Junk Magic and Cory Healey’s Beautiful Sunshine Band. As a guitarist, Erik is a member of The Dave King Trucking Company, the avant-metal group Abhorrent Expanse, Scott Miller’s Fifth Column Ensemble, The Gang Font feat. Greg Norton, and the instrumental rock group Zebulon Pike. His compositions have been performed and recorded by the new music group Zeitgeist. Erik has performed and/or recorded with Tim Berne, Ethan Iverson, Adam Levy, Michel Portal, Rhys Chatham, Airto, Benoit Delbec, and Yoshida Tatsuya (Ruins).
Solo piano improvisations
5PM DOORS // 7PM SHOW START // $20 ADVANCE (+fees) // $25 AT THE DOOR // $35 PREMIUM BALCONY SEATING (+fees)
This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
Many thanks to the Schubert Club for generously providing a Steinway piano for this evening’s performance.
“Fiercely focused... uncompromising... a bright light cast forward.”
— The Washington Post
“An accomplished pianist and composer understandably getting attention nationally... a musician to watch out for…”
— Twin Cities Pioneer Press
Presented by Icehouse.
All ages
WATERWORKS EMERGING ARTISTS SHOWCASE
Ancestral Table is a shared family meal and interdisciplinary performance that examines the relationships between ecology, migration, cultural inheritance and legacy through the lens of my Thai mother’s family recipes.
For nearly 30 years, the WaterWorks Emerging Artists program, formerly Fund for New Work, has supported artists of color emerging in their careers and artistic practice. Today, the program continues this tradition by awarding commissions to five early-career artists of color per year. The year-long program offers a space among a multidisciplinary cohort of artists who receive mentorship, critical feedback, professional development workshops, rehearsal space, and production support. Throughout the duration of the experience, artists develop an original performance piece.
In this culminating work-in-progress showcase, Harlem Stage presents works by the 2023 WaterWorks Emerging Artists cohort: interdisciplinary performing artist and painter Shantelle Courvoisier Jackson; singer/songwriter Hannah Lemmons aka LEMMONS; choreographer and dancer Bobby Morgan; interdisciplinary artist, composer, and pianist Mary Prescott; and trumpeter and composer Kalí Rodríguez-Peña.
Commissioned by Harlem Stage through its WaterWorks Emerging Artists Program and supported by a grant from the Jerome Foundation. Other supporters of the WaterWorks Emerging Artists Program are the Mellon Foundation, Ford Foundation, Stavros Niarchos Foundation, Thompson Family Foundation, and the Leonard & Robert Weintraub Family Fund.
Mary Prescott’s ‘Lucent Ground’ conjures a new folklore unfolding from ancient Asian mythologies and wonders of the natural and supernatural worlds.
Kengchakaj Kengkarnka: electronics
Mary Prescott: voice, piano, percussion
“Lucent Ground” is commissioned by The American Opera Project, with support from the New York State Council on the Arts.
Tida weaves music, storytelling, movement and film into an evening-length performance exploring maternal lineage and intergenerational cultural identity. Prescott investigates her mother’s undocumented Thai ancestry, her experience as a Southeast Asian immigrant raising biracial children in the American Midwest, and the resulting impact of her choices on three generations of women.
“A masterfully envisioned interdisciplinary work... a captivating investigation of Prescott’s maternal heritage and our American life.” — The Washington Post
7:00pm doors/7:30pm showtime
Duration: approximately 1 hour
$20 in advance/$25 day of show
Tida is co-commissioned by Living Arts of Tulsa, Public Functionary, Roulette Intermedium, and The American Composers Forum; and is made possible in part with funding from the National Performance Network, New Music USA, NYSCA, The Jerome Foundation, The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
The piano for this performance has been generously provided by Steinway and Sons.
Tida weaves music, storytelling, movement and film into an evening-length performance exploring maternal lineage and intergenerational cultural identity. Prescott investigates her mother’s undocumented Thai ancestry, her experience as a Southeast Asian immigrant raising biracial children in the American Midwest, and the resulting impact of her choices on three generations of women.
“A masterfully envisioned interdisciplinary work... a captivating investigation of Prescott’s maternal heritage and our American life.” — The Washington Post
7:30pm doors/8pm showtime
Duration: approximately 1 hour
$20 in advance/$25 day of show
Tida is co-commissioned by Living Arts of Tulsa, Public Functionary, Roulette Intermedium, and The American Composers Forum; and is made possible in part with funding from the National Performance Network, New Music USA, NYSCA, The Jerome Foundation, The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
The piano for this performance has been generously provided by Steinway and Sons.
Mabou Mines 2022 SUITE/Space presents Mary Prescott’s Tida.
Tida is an hour-long performance by interdisciplinary artist, Mary Prescott, examining intergenerational cultural identity through the artist’s maternal lineage. Integrating music, movement, word and film, Prescott investigates her mother’s undocumented Thai ancestry, her experience as a Southeast Asian immigrant raising biracial children in Midwest America, and the resulting impact of these histories on three generations of women. MORE INFO
Tickets: $15-25
GET TICKETS
Tida is co-commissioned by Roulette Intermedium, American Composers Forum, Living Arts of Tulsa, and Public Functionary; and is made possible in part with funding from Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, National Performance Network, New Music USA, NYSCA, The Jerome Foundation, The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and National Endowment for the Arts.
The piano for this performance is provided by Steinway and Sons. Mary Prescott is a Steinway Artist.
Mabou Mines 2022 SUITE/Space presents Mary Prescott’s Tida.
Tida is an hour-long performance by interdisciplinary artist, Mary Prescott, examining intergenerational cultural identity through the artist’s maternal lineage. Integrating music, movement, word and film, Prescott investigates her mother’s undocumented Thai ancestry, her experience as a Southeast Asian immigrant raising biracial children in Midwest America, and the resulting impact of these histories on three generations of women. MORE INFO
Tickets: $15-25
GET TICKETS
Tida is co-commissioned by Roulette Intermedium, American Composers Forum, Living Arts of Tulsa, and Public Functionary; and is made possible in part with funding from Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, National Performance Network, New Music USA, NYSCA, The Jerome Foundation, The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and National Endowment for the Arts.
The piano for this performance is provided by Steinway and Sons. Mary Prescott is a Steinway Artist.
Mabou Mines 2022 SUITE/Space presents Mary Prescott’s Tida.
Tida is an hour-long performance by interdisciplinary artist, Mary Prescott, examining intergenerational cultural identity through the artist’s maternal lineage. Integrating music, movement, word and film, Prescott investigates her mother’s undocumented Thai ancestry, her experience as a Southeast Asian immigrant raising biracial children in Midwest America, and the resulting impact of these histories on three generations of women. MORE INFO
Tickets: $15-25
GET TICKETS
Tida is co-commissioned by Roulette Intermedium, American Composers Forum, Living Arts of Tulsa, and Public Functionary; and is made possible in part with funding from Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, National Performance Network, New Music USA, NYSCA, The Jerome Foundation, The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and National Endowment for the Arts.
The piano for this performance is provided by Steinway and Sons. Mary Prescott is a Steinway Artist.
Mary Prescott joins an artist discussion around themes of immigration, identity and the arts in Minnesota, with East Side Freedom Library’s Executive Director, Saengmany Ratsabout, author Thi Bui, Karen Organization of Minnesota, Karen Women’s Weavers Group and Urban Village Group. In partnership with East Side Freedom Library, the American Composers Forum, and the NEA’s Big Read Project.
FREE
Mary Prescott is a fiscal year 2022 recipient of a Creative Support for Individuals grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
In fulfillment of Chautauqua Opera’s Composer-in-Residence position, and commissioned by the Chautauqua Opera Company and The American Opera Project, “Learning the Grammar of Animacy” premieres with Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra.
Text from Robin Wall Kimmerer’s Braiding Sweetgrass.
In fulfillment of Chautauqua Opera’s Composer-in-Residence position, and commissioned by the Chautauqua Opera Company and The American Opera Project, “The Open Door to Every Question” premieres on Chautauqua Institution’s Afternoon of Song.
Text by Sokunthary Svay
In fulfillment of Chautauqua Opera’s Composer-in-Residence position, and commissioned by the Chautauqua Opera Company and The American Opera Project, “My Skeleton” premieres on Chautauqua Institution’s Afternoon of Song.
Text by Jane Hirshfield
2020 ACF | Create awarded Mary Prescott joins ACF Equity Study with a series about the progress of her project “Tida”. The discussions will be focused on themes of isolation, oral traditions, and food.
Tida weaves music, storytelling, movement, and film into an hour-long performance exploring maternal lineage and intergenerational cultural identity. I investigate my mother’s undocumented Thai ancestry, her experience as an immigrant raising biracial children in the Midwest, and the resulting impact of her choices on three generations of women. Researched through interviews and ancestral oral histories, Tida recovers and preserves the unrecorded legacy of a common Thai family, recognizes the value of inherited cultural identity and the costs of assimilation. Intertwining Thai and Western elements, Tida reflects an untangling and crossing of cultures, resonances, and dissonances that occur as a result.
Isolation: How the pandemic helped me understand my Mom’s immigrant experience.
March 10, 4 PM CT
Identity: How oral traditions preserve our sense of self.
June 9, 4 PM CT
Food: How a family recipe sparked togetherness, and new pathways of research
December 8, 4 PM CT
Register in advance on zoom here.
Mary Prescott is a fiscal year 2021 recipient of a Creative Support for Individuals grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
If you require an interpreter, closed-captioning, or any other accommodations to fully engage, please contact Dameun Strange (dstrange@composersforum) at least 48 hours before the event.
Lanesboro Arts (MN) presents a virtual performance of Mary Prescott’s Mother Me followed by an open forum artist discussion.
May 25, 2022 at 7:00-8:30pm CST | Online
Mother Me is an hour-long interdisciplinary performance involving music and sound, word, movement and film that explores the complex relationships, psychology and sociology surrounding motherhood. The artist grapples with feelings of uncertainty as a childless woman approaching the end of fertility, and asks questions that hold particular significance for a generation in the midst of shifting personal, cultural, societal and biological dynamics.
This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
Duo Harmonia presents 3 newly commissioned works for piano 4-hands, including Mary Prescott’s The Fish Tale, based on a Thai folktale adapted by Mary’s mother.
Location: University of MN School of Music - Lloyd Ultan Recital Hall
FREE and open to the public.
Duo Harmonia presents 3 newly commissioned works for piano 4-hands, including Mary Prescott’s The Fish Tale, based on a Thai folktale adapted by Mary’s mother.
Check back for more info.
Duo Harmonia premieres 3 newly commissioned works for piano 4-hands, including Mary Prescott’s The Fish Tale, based on a Thai folktale adapted by Mary’s mother.
Check back for more info.
After his father’s unexpected death, pianist Adam Tendler used his inheritance, a wad of cash received in a parking lot, to begin a commissioning project inviting a broad spectrum of sound artists and composers to create new piano works exploring the idea of 'inheritance' itself. Woven into one intimate program, these pieces tell a universal story of lineage, loss, and place, and become a meditation on confronting our past while moving forward into the future.
New works by commissioned composers Devonté Hynes, Nico Muhly, Laurie Anderson, inti figgis-vizueta, Pamela Z, Ted Hearne, Angelica Negrón, Christopher Cerrone, Marcos Balter, Missy Mazzoli, Darian Donovan Thomas, Sarah Kirkland Snider, Scott Wollschleger, Mary Prescott, Timo Andres and John Glover.
Saturday, April 23, 2022
8 pm music // 7 pm doors
The Parkway Theater
$25–$50
