Tessa Lark, violin
Joshua Roman, cello
Edgar Meyer, double bass
Onstage Sessions

[Edgar Meyer] “The most remarkable virtuoso in the relatively un-chronicled history of his instrument.” – The New Yorker

Edgar Meyer

Hailed by The New Yorker as “…the most remarkable virtuoso in the relatively un-chronicled history of his instrument,” Mr. Meyer’s uniqueness in the field was recognized when he became the only bassist to be awarded the Avery Fisher Prize in addition to a MacArthur Award. He was honored with his fifth GRAMMY® Award in 2015 for his “Bass & Mandolin” recording with Chris Thile and has been nominated for Best Instrumental Composition, Best Contemporary Instrumental Album, and Best Global Music Performance for the upcoming 66th Annual GRAMMY Awards. Edgar Meyer’s current projects include the new recording entitled “As We Speak” with Béla Fleck, Zakir Hussain, and Rakesh Chaurasia, released in May 2023. The first leg of the “As We Speak” tour in April and May preceded the album release, and went out again in November of 2023 for the second leg. Meyer recently completed a duo recording with Christian McBride, as well as a recording of his 3 concertos with The Knights, conducted by Eric Jacobsen and produced by Chris Thile. In June of 2023, to complete the concerto project, he recorded his Concertino for Bass and 14 Strings in the UK with the Scottish Ensemble led by Jonathan Morton, who commissioned and toured the piece with Meyer in spring of 2022. Additionally, Meyer is part of a five-composer group, each composing a movement for a US premiere with Joshua Bell and the New York Philharmonic in September of 2023. In fall of 2024, his newly formed trio with violinist Tessa Lark and cellist Joshua Roman will tour the US, performing string trios he composed in the 1980’s as well as a newly commissioned work. Mr. Meyer is the subject of an ongoing documentary filmed and produced by Tessa Lark, Andrew Adair, and Michael Thurber.

[Tessa Lark] “Astonishing technical skill … commanded a standing ovation and an encore.” – Lexington Herald Leader

Tessa Lark, Violinist, composer, arranger, commissioner, Stradgrasser

Violinist Tessa Lark is one of the most captivating artistic voices of our time, consistently praised by critics and audiences for her astounding range of sounds, technical agility, and musical elegance. In 2020 she was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Classical Instrumental Solo category, and she is also a highly acclaimed fiddler in the tradition of her native Kentucky.Highlights of Lark’s 2023-24 season include the world premiere of Carlos Izcaray’s Violin Concerto and performances of Michael Torke’s violin concerto, Sky – both pieces written for her – as well as her European orchestral debut with the Stuttgart Philharmonic. She also performs with the Virginia Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic, England’s City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, and others; and gives duo concerts with double bassist Michael Thurber and jazz guitarist Frank Vignola.Lark’s newest album, The Stradgrass Sessions, was released this past spring. Her debut commercial recording was the Grammy-nominated SKY, and her discography also includes Fantasy; Invention, recorded with Michael Thurber; and a live recording of Piazzolla’s Four Seasons of Buenos Aires.In addition to her performance schedule, Lark champions young aspiring artists and supports the next generation of musicians through her work as Co-host/Creative of NPR’s From the Top.Lark plays a ca. 1600 G.P. Maggini violin on loan from an anonymous donor through the Stradivari Society of Chicago.

[Joshua Roman] “Extraordinary technical and musical gifts… a blend of precision and almost improvisatory freedom that goes straight to the heart.” – San Francisco Chronicle

Joshua Roman, cello soloist and composer

Hailed for his “effortlessly expressive tone… and playful zest for exploration” (New York Times), as well as his “extraordinary technical and musical gifts” and “blend of precision and almost improvisatory freedom… that goes straight to the heart” (San Francisco Chronicle). His genre-bending programs have grown out of an “enthusiasm for musical evolution that is as contagious as his love for the classics” (Seattle Times), and he has collaborated with artists including Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer, DJ Spooky, Tony-winner/MacArthur Genius Bill T. Jones, Grammy Award-winning East African vocalist Somi, and Tony Award-nominated actor Anna Deavere Smith.