Avi Randall
Avi Randall is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, improviser, and educator from Amherst, MA. Avi focuses on the intersection of different musical genres and the ways that dance is incorporated in music from around the world. Avi grew up straddling the worlds of traditional New England contra dance, jazz, European classical, and others, and aims to progress and combine these traditions. Avi has written for piano quartets, string quartets, orchestras, electronics, and mixed ensembles. As a solo artist, Avi has released one album, a collection of original classical music, and a pop single. Avi also plays in their family band “Dogtown”, a New England-based contra dance group.
As an educator, Avi has lectured at Hampshire College on piano technique, music history, and performance analysis. They have written and taught courses at the New England Conservatory of Music, and have taught seminars in improvisation through multiple non-profits.
They have had the pleasure of studying with Hankus Netsky, Ran Blake, Eden Macadam-Somer, and Mehmet Sanlikol.
In their spare time, they bike, fold origami, and transcribe traditional Georgian songs.
B.M. in Contemporary Musical Arts, New England Conservatory, 2023
Carson McHaney
Carson McHaney is a versatile violinist and composer who performs and explores the intersections of Classical music, American Roots Music, and many other genres. He has a love for collaborative music making and crafting emotive and narrative arrangements and compositions with his two projects Saltare, a dance-focused ensemble and High Horse, a progressive acoustic string band.
As an avid chamber musician Carson has performed tours on the West Coast with his quartet, was a part of the Quartet in Residence at the Trinidad Bay Art and Music Festival, and is a coach at the Humboldt Chamber Music Workshop.
He has appeared as a soloist with the Harvard Baroque Orchestra and the Eureka Symphony, performed alongside Aoife O’Donovan and Esperanza Spalding, and played in masterclasses with the Doric String Quartet, Cuarteto Cassals, and Joel Krosnick. He has had the pleasure of studying with many great teachers including Ayano Ninomiya, Liz Knowles, David Bowlin, Marilyn McDonald and Terrie Baune.
When he isn’t playing the fiddle, Carson likes to surf, create electronic music, and enjoys sketching and graphic design.
B.M. in Violin Performance, Oberlin Conservatory, 2020
M.M. in Contemporary Musical Arts, New England Conservatory, 2023
G Rockwell
An award winning multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, composer and bandleader, G Rockwell has performed and competed on stages across the country. Most recently, G won the 2022 Freshgrass competition award for banjo. His unique style of Americana sits somewhere between the traditions of bluegrass and gypsy jazz; with the modern influences of artists like David Grisman and Tony Trischka. Currently enrolled at the prestigious New England Conservatory of Music; G performs and teaches on multiple instruments. He performs regularly with the G Rockwell Band, Jacob's Ladder, and Bookmatch, his duet project with Micah Nicol. G has worked on multiple studio album/EP projects, including the 2019 release of Spark! his album of original works, produced in concert with Stash Wyslouch.
Mattias Kaufmann
Mattias is an Accordionist based in Boston, MA. Mattias is a founding member of the internationally acclaimed four-piece Klezmer ensemble Mamaliga and the duo Farnakht, with Brooklyn/Cluj based violinist Zoe Aqua. Mattias was awarded first place in the 2021 Bubbe awards category, “Best Original Klezmer Composition” for the title track of Mamaliga’s debut album Dos Gildn Bletl. While attending New England Conservatory they have worked with Hankus Netsky, Carla Kihlstedt, Guy Klucevsek, Anthony Coleman, Ted Reichman and Malcolm Barsamian. Before NEC, Mattias spent several summers studying folk music in Hungary, Romania, and Serbia.
B.M. in Contemporary Musical Arts, New England Conservatory, 2023
Leo Weisskoff
Leo Weisskoff is a bassist, composer, and educator in improvised and/or acoustic music in the Boston scene. He is a recent graduate of New England Conservatory and thanks his mentors Cecil McBee, John Lockwood, and Joe Morris. Weisskoff can be found anywhere from the dive bar musical havens of Wally’s and the Bebop to the dance floor of your cousin’s wedding.
B.M. in Jazz Studies, New England Conservatory, 2023