DCWS Presents Úna O’Riordan in Nightnotes Season Opener Featuring Two New Resonate Works
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Detroit Chamber Winds & Strings
Jainelle Robinson: Robinson@art-ops.org | (248) 559-2095
www.detroitchamberwinds.org
DCWS Presents Úna O’Riordan in Nightnotes Season Opener Featuring Two New Resonate Works
Also Featuring Yvonne Lam, Zhihua Tang, and Jocelyn (Zelasko) Conselva
Friday, October 24, 2025 | 7:30 PM | Hagopian World of Rugs, Birmingham
Birmingham, MI — Detroit Chamber Winds & Strings (DCWS) continues its 44th season, Hear • Here, with an evocative Nightnotes program that celebrates both new creation and timeless beauty. On Friday, October 24 at 7:30 p.m., cellist Úna O’Riordan leads an ensemble of acclaimed artists including violinist Yvonne Lam, pianist Zhihua Tang, and soprano Jocelyn (Zelasko) Conselva, in a program that bridges past and present through bold new voices and beloved classics.
Set within the warm atmosphere of Hagopian World of Rugs in Birmingham, the performance opens the 2025–26 Nightnotes series. Audiences are invited to hear chamber music as it was meant to be experienced, up close, conversational, and deeply connected to place.
The evening features the new works of Resonate composers, Swarm Country by Marcos Balter and Ephemera, Interrupted by Jonathan Bailey Holland, commissioned as part of DCWS’s multi-year Resonate initiative. Both works were recently premiered at The 46th Annual Bowling Green New Music Festival, which celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the College of Musical Arts and the many composers and performers who have made Bowling Green State University a hub of new music for nearly half a century. Since its launch in 2020, Resonate has united eight regional partners in commissioning new works inspired by the stories, sounds, and perspectives of the African Diaspora. The project continues to reshape the chamber music landscape one composition at a time.
These premieres share the stage with Florence Price’s radiant Songs to the Dark Virgin, Alice Hong’s dynamic duet The Current (And Those Who Ride It), and Alexandr Glazunov’s romantic Chant du Ménestrel. The evening culminates with Franz Schubert’s Piano Trio No. 1 in B-flat Major, D.898, a masterpiece of lyricism and warmth that reflects the continuity of emotion across centuries of chamber music.
The concert will open with a short performance by cellist Brendan Callies, one of DCWS’s Featured Young Artists, a program sponsored by Myrna Hitchman that highlights emerging regional talent.
“Each of these artists brings an incredible level of artistry and individuality,” said Maury Okun, DCWS President. “Úna, Yvonne, Zhihua, and Jocelyn are among the most accomplished and creative musicians in our community, and when they collaborate, they inspire one another to explore new musical territory. This concert truly showcases the depth of talent that defines Detroit’s chamber music scene.”
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
Alexandr Glazunov – Chant du Ménestrel, Op. 71
Brendan Callies, cello | Yvonne Pruneau, piano
Marcos Balter – Swarm Country (Michigan Premiere)
Jocelyn (Zelasko) Conselva, voice | Úna O’Riordan, cello | Zhihua Tang, piano
Alice Hong – The Current (And Those Who Ride It)
Yvonne Lam, violin | Úna O’Riordan, cello
Florence Price – Songs to the Dark Virgin
Jocelyn (Zelasko) Conselva, voice | Zhihua Tang, piano
Jonathan Bailey Holland – Ephemera, Interrupted (Michigan Premiere)
Yvonne Lam, violin | Úna O’Riordan, cello | Zhihua Tang, piano
Franz Schubert – Piano Trio No. 1 in B-flat Major, D.898
Yvonne Lam, violin | Úna O’Riordan, cello | Zhihua Tang, piano
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Úna O’Riordan joined the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in 2007 and has performed internationally as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral cellist. She serves as Principal Cello of the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music in Santa Cruz and is a founding member of New Music Detroit, a contemporary music collective known for commissioning and premiering works by today’s leading composers. O’Riordan teaches at both Wayne State and Oakland Universities.
Yvonne Lam, a Grammy Award–winning violinist, was the Co-Artistic Director and violinist of the renowned contemporary ensemble Eighth Blackbird, with whom she commissioned and premiered more than one hundred works. She has appeared as soloist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Pacific Symphony, and Auckland Philharmonia. Lam is Assistant Professor of Violin and Coordinator of Chamber Music at Michigan State University.
Zhihua Tang is Associate Professor of Collaborative Piano at Michigan State University and has performed worldwide with many of today’s foremost artists, including Joshua Bell, Shmuel Ashkenasi, and Robert deMaine. She frequently appears with members of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and has performed at Carnegie Hall and major international festivals.
Jocelyn (Zelasko) Conselva has been praised for her “vocal brilliance” and “absolutely thrilling” performances across North America and Europe. As Co-Director of New Music Detroit, she is a fearless advocate for contemporary music and has premiered dozens of new works by composers such as Angélica Negrón, Marcus Elliot, and Jorge Sosa. She is also Director of Development for ArtOps, DCWS’s management partner.
This performance is generously sponsored by Fay B. Herman. The Nightnotes series is sponsored by Hagopian and presented in loving memory of Lurline Sears.
Tickets are available at detroitchamberwinds.org or by calling (248) 559-2095.
General Admission $32 | Senior $27 | Student $10
About Detroit Chamber Winds & Strings
Founded in 1982, Detroit Chamber Winds & Strings (DCWS) is a musician-driven nonprofit that showcases the premier musical talent of our region through innovative and exceptional performances of chamber music in unique venues. With a mission to deepen audience connections and community impact, DCWS fosters collaboration, education, and artistic excellence across Metro Detroit.
Now in its 44th season, DCWS continues to explore the intersection of sound and place through the season theme Hear • Here, which invites audiences to be fully present, to listen deeply, and to experience the power of chamber music in community.
DCWS is proud to announce that Úna O’Riordan has been named the inaugural Margaret E. Winters Cello Chair. This newly established designation will be awarded to all cellists performing with DCWS in the coming seasons, honoring longtime supporter and past co-chair Margaret E. Winters.