collaborators.
The artists, composers, and musicians who join Palaver Strings throughout the season as featured collaborators and project partners.
With over two decades on the cello, Titilayo Ayangade has gracefully navigated classical music’s landscape. A recent recipient of the Chamber Music America Artistic Projects grant, as the cellist of Duo Kayo, Titilayo continues her history of excellence in chamber music preceded by awards at Fischoff and tours spanning China to Brazil. A passionate educator and champion of BIPOC musicians, Titilayo is also a sought-after portrait photographer. This season features collaborations with Sphinx Virtuosi, Minnesota Orchestra, and performances at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Caramoor, and Newport Classical.
Hailed as “intensely soulful” and a “virtuoso” by The New York Times and “spellbinding” by The New Yorker, OpusKlassik award winner Kinan Azmeh is internationally recognized for his distinctive compositional voice across diverse musical genres. Originally from Damascus, Syria, Kinan brings his music to all corners of the world as a soloist, composer, and improviser. He has appeared at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Berlin Philharmonie, and Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie.
Described by the Boston Globe as “one of the world’s most remarkable singers,” American tenor Nicholas Phan performs regularly with the world’s leading orchestras and opera companies. The artistic director of Collaborative Arts Institute of Chicago, Phan has twice been nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Classical Solo Vocal Album — and is the first singer of Asian descent to be nominated in the history of the category. He joins Palaver on the Grammy-nominated album A Change is Gonna Come (Azica Records, 2024).
Award-winning New York-based jazz vocalist and composer Vuyo Sotashe is originally from the Eastern Cape of South Africa. Since moving to the United States as a Fulbright Scholar, Sotashe has performed with legends including Wynton Marsalis, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Jimmy Heath, Al Jarreau, and Winard Harper. He has appeared at Montreux Jazz Festival, Monterey Jazz Festival, and Newport Jazz Fest, and was the first male vocalist to place in the finals of the Thelonious Monk Institute competition.
Chris Patishall is a pianist and composer known for his wide stylistic breadth, meticulous sense of detail, and an inclination towards the surreal. “An expert at using the jazz tradition as a jumping-off point for experimentation” (JazzTimes). His 2021 release Zodiac — a reimagining of the Zodiac Suite by Mary Lou Williams — was called “a startling achievement” by The New York Times.
Matt Brady is a music producer and audio engineer based in the Boston area. He has worked with Palaver Strings on both the Lullaby and Lifesongs Projects since 2016, and deeply enjoys how meaningful the musical experience is for everyone involved. He produces projects across genres from electronic to pop to classical, and is also a keen songwriter in his own right.