About

tilt | Martine Thomas tilt exists in the space between improvisation and song, elastic and flowing, their music emerges from a shared affinity for words and collective wondering. This Brooklyn-based group brings together the voices of performer-composers Isabel Crespo Pardo (voice), Kalia Vandever (trombone/voice), and Carmen Q Rothwell (acoustic bass/voice). The warmth of their songs is an intimate reflection of each individual, heard and seen by the collective. tilt premiered in July 2022 at bop dubu (Brooklyn) and continues to evolve with each subsequent performance. They will be touring the West Coast tour in February 2023 in anticipation of their first album. Martine Thomas, violist, performs internationally as a soloist, chamber musician, and improviser. She has appeared at the Berliner Philharmonie, Carnegie Hall, BBC Proms, and Lucerne Festival and has performed with Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble, the International Contemporary Ensemble, and Ghost Ensemble. Martine has recently premiered works by Tyshawn Sorey, Catherine Lamb, and Miya Masaoka. She looks forward to solo recitals this season in New York City, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and upstate New York. Martine studied in the Harvard-NEC dual degree program, is a doctoral candidate in viola performance at CUNY Graduate Center, and teaches at Brooklyn College Conservatory. For more of her music and writing, please visit martinethomas.com

Artist talk with Ghalia Benali and Dindga McCannon, moderated by Monika Fabjianska for the closing of Fabula Rasa

Ghalia Benali (vocals + electronics) Ghalia Benali is a Tunisian singer, songwriter, writer, artist, and actor. Her voice has been dubbed "multicultural and polymorphic." She works with multiple genres and styles, often experimenting with instrumentation and arrangements, redefining what is considered contemporary Arabic music. Benali's southern Tunisian upbringing her fascination with Middle Eastern and legendary Arab artists is palpable in her music style. Alex Waterman (cello) Alex Wayerman is a composer, performer, producer, and scholar, exploring how social bodies can live and interact with one another in more musical ways.