Side by Side

Curated by Crier Michael Unterman
Featuring students from Project STEP & New England Conservatory *

Great music isn’t just taught—it’s shared with the next generation side by side.

In A Far Cry’s annual Side by Side, the Criers partner with young musicians from Project STEP and New England Conservatory for a joyful performance that celebrates the next generation of artists and the mentors, teachers, families, and friends who lift them up. Students participate in a radical side-by-side rehearsal and performance experience as co-equals with the Criers, empowering young artists through their democratic model of music making.

The program opens with a burst of energy: Taraf de Haïdouks’ Turceasca, arranged by Golijov and Ljova, revels in the joy of sharing oral musical traditions. From there, we move into Stravinsky’s Apollon musagète, a neoclassical ballet that reaches back toward antiquity with grace and restraint—an homage to the past, refracted through a modern lens. Joan Tower’s White Water, originally written for string quartet and expanded here for fuller forces, offers a visceral, contemporary portrait of musical momentum and renewal. And finally, we arrive at two concerti grossi by Arcangelo Corelli, whose influence echoes through everything that came before.

This is more than a concert. It’s a powerful tribute to the next generation, a standing ovation for caregivers and educators, and a bright spotlight on Boston’s rising talent.

*Students will be joining for select works