Genre-Bending Blend of Bluegrass, Jazz & Classical – Tessa Lark & Michael Thurber – Saturday, May 12, 2018 — 7 PM
TESSA LARK & MICHAEL THURBER bring a genre-bending blend of bluegrass, jazz, classical, and original works to life in high-energy performances built on audience interaction, and a fun, welcoming stage presence. Lark & Thurber met as alumni of NPR’s From the Top, and have grown their duo collaboration out of the unique musical variety show series “Thurber Theatre,” which Michael regularly hosts at beloved New York City nightclub Joe’s Pub. Building on the massive success of these intimate and varied musical evenings at Joe’s Pub, Lark and Thurber now offer their signature sound and charisma to venues across North America.
Michael Thurber enjoys a reputation as one of the most versatile young musical talents currently active in New York City. Whether playing bass on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, composing music for the Royal Shakespeare Company, co-founding the smash YouTube channel CDZA, or hosting his “Thurber Theater” variety show at Joe’s Pub, Thurber’s musical voice defies genre and category.
NEW REVieW — OCTOBER 2017 Tessa Lark earns consistent praise from critics and audiences alike for her astounding range of sounds, technical agility, captivating interpretations, and multi-genre programming and performance. Tessa Lark received an outstanding review for her Tessa Lark Cleveland Chamber Orchetra Review 102717.
In the classical music world, Tessa has earned many of the top competition prizes available to young artists including, among many others: a 2016 Avery Fisher Career Grant, the Silver Medal in the 2014 International Violin Competition of Indianapolis, and a first-place finish in the 2012 Naumburg International Violin Competition.
In their respective careers thus far, Tessa and Michael have had the privilege of collaborating with some of the world’s leading musicians in a wide variety of genres — to name just a few: Mitsuko Uchida, Itzhak Perlman, and Mark O’Connor (Tessa), and Yo-Yo Ma, James Taylor, and Cee Lo Green (Michael).
Lark and Thurber both gained their first musical training at Midwestern institutions; with Michael attending The Interlochen Arts Academy and Tessa participating in the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music’s Starling Preparatory String Project. Tessa went on to study with Miriam Fried at the New England Conservatory, and recently earned her Artist Diploma from The Juilliard School, while Michael also studied at Juilliard.
