Linda Plaut Festival of the Arts

4:00 pm – Spoken Word, Amanda Shea & Grey Held

Amanda Shea is a distinguished spoken word artist, multidisciplinary creator, educator, and advocate, celebrated for her dynamic contributions to the arts and community activism. Her notable roles include hosting BAMSFest and numerous poetry events, leading youth workshops in spoken word, visual arts, and public speaking. She was recognized among WBUR The ARTery’s 25 artists of color shaping the cultural scene in 2021 and honored in 2022 as the first Spoken Word Artist of the Year at the Boston Music Awards.

Newton’s own Grey Held is a recipient of an NEA Fellowship in Creative Writing, and the 2019 Future Cycle Poetry Book Prize Winner. Three books of his poetry have been published.  His poems have been included in numerous anthologies. Held is an arts advocate and directs poetry and public art projects that connect contemporary artists and poets with a wider audience.

5:00 pm – Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra

Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra is a collection of multi-talented and accomplished chamber musicians. They return to the Festival with a supergroup of talents.
Violinist Julia Cash serves as the concertmaster of the Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra and has held principal positions with Opera Boston and collaborates with the Boston Modern Orchestra Project and Boston Ballet. Cash’s international work includes being guest concertmaster with the Orchestra of the European Uni0n. She teaches at the New England Conservatory, Boston Latin School, and the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras. Her festival appearances include Academia Musicale Chigiana and Tanglewood, where she won The National Music Clubs Award.
Steven Laven, Principal Cellist with the Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra and a member of the Rhode Island Philharmonic, Handel & Haydn Society, Boston Symphony, and Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra. He is an adjunct instructor at Rhode Island College community and performs with the faculty’s Proteus String Quartet. Laven’s past includes prestigious roles with the Houston Ballet, Houston Grand Opera, and Omaha Symphony Orchestras, underpinned by his education from the Eastman and Manhattan Schools of Music.
Violinist Jeff Pearson, with a Master’s from New England Conservatory and a dual degree in math and music from Williams College, performs with the Boston Philharmonic and coaches at NEC’s preparatory school. Pearson is the winner of the Berkshire Symphony Competition.
Violinist Yeolim Nam, born in Seoul, is an accomplished chamber musician and veteran of chamber music festivals. She has performed with multiple orchestras, including the Boston Philharmonic and the Portland Symphony Orchestra, Maine.
Russian-born Liana Zaretsky, educated across top music schools, holds the Principal second violin position with the Portland Symphony. She performs with leading orchestras and teaches at the New England Conservatory Preparatory School and the Rivers School.

6:00 pm – Hankus Netsky & Eden MacAdam-Somer, Yiddish & Klezmer

Since 2013, Newton native Hankus Netsky (piano and accordion) and Eden MacAdam-Somer (violin, voice, and percussive dance) have been blending Yiddish, Hassidic, and Klezmer melodies with their rich backgrounds in Western classical music, jazz, and global folk traditions. They lead the Department of Contemporary Improvisation at the New England Conservatory in Boston and are releasing their first Jewish music album, “Give Me Back My Heart,” this spring.

Hankus Netsky, a noted multi-instrumentalist, composer, and scholar of Jewish music, founded the Klezmer Conservatory Band, a globally recognized Yiddish ensemble. He has contributed significantly to Jewish music education and composition, collaborating with notable figures like Itzhak Perlman and Robin Williams.

Eden MacAdam-Somer, equally accomplished, has showcased her talents internationally, including performances in Afghanistan and China, and collaborates with various ensembles while maintaining a vibrant solo career. A Houston native, she refined her craft at prestigious music schools before joining Netsky in both performance and educational endeavors.

7:30 pm – Dominique Eade and George Russell Jr. – Tribute to Duke Ellington

On their own, each of these talents shines brightly, but united for the Festival, they create an unparalleled dynamic duo. Together, they will present a special performance in honor of Duke Ellington’s 125th birthday, promising an unforgettable celebration of his legendary contributions to modern music. Newtonite Dominique Eade, a vocalist, composer, and improviser, merges musical finesse with emotional clarity, earning critical praise and influencing generations of singers. Celebrated for her “exceptional” talents by the New York Times and recognized by the Atlantic Monthly for her “rich voice,” Eade’s innovative blend of jazz and songwriting has made her a standout figure. She has performed at major festivals and venues across the Americas and Europe, including the Buenos Aires Jazz Festival and New York’s The Blue Note.

Signed to RCA Victor in 1998, Eade has collaborated with jazz greats like Dave Holland and recorded seven CDs, earning spots on top ten lists from Billboard to NPR. Her work not only showcases her virtuosity but also her profound impact on the jazz and contemporary classical scenes.

George Russell Jr. has become a familiar figure in Newton, captivating audiences at the Newton Piano Summit, the Festival of the Arts, and numerous local concerts. His performances are a vibrant tapestry of passion, fire, soul, and an indomitable spirit that breathes life into every note. Russell teaches at Berklee College of Music where he is Chair of the Harmony Department. He describes himself as “a drummer who happens to play the piano,” a characterization that resonates in the rhythmic vitality and drive of his performances.