By Rick Zeigler—
MUNCIE, IN–Acclaimed chamber music group SYBARITE5 will be performing in a FREE outdoor concert as part of the 2024 Muncie Three Trails Music Series. The concert will take place at 7:00 PM on Saturday, September 14th at Canan Commons (500 S. Walnut St.) in the heart of downtown Muncie, IN. The Ball State University Jazz Orchestra will open the show.
In today’s turbulent modern world, we need to come together more. Diversity is a strength and chamber quintet SYBARITE5 is known for bridging genre gaps to bring unexpected musical combinations together to create unique, dynamic, and intoxicating concert experiences. Dubbed the “Millennial Kronos,” SYBARITE5’s eclectic repertoire includes music with roots in classical, rock, jazz, hip-hop, Armenian folk, and the avant-garde. From David Bowie to Radiohead, John Coltrane to Astor Piazzolla, Pete Seeger to the Punch Brothers, and Akiho to Komitas, their selections, when combined with their commanding performance style, are turning heads throughout the music world.
Comprised of Sami Merdinian and Suliman Tekalli, violins; Caeli Smith, viola; Laura Andrade, cello; and Louis Levitt, bass, SYBARITE5 has taken audiences by storm all across the US, forever changing the perception of chamber music performance. From the moment their bows hit the strings, this quintet of talented, diverse musicians takes the audience on an exciting ride that engages the senses and redefines the rules. Recent seasons have included performances in 43 states and counting, from the Library of Congress and St. Paul’s Schubert Club to Anchorage Concert Association and Sun Valley Center for the Arts, as well as concerts in their home of New York City at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, National Sawdust, the Apple Store and the 92nd Street Y.
In addition to their own groundbreaking, portable music festival, Forward Festival, SYBARITE5 has appeared at Ravinia, Caramoor Center for the Arts, Wolf Trap Opera, Grand Teton Music Festival, Aspen Music Festival, Walla Walla Chamber Music Festival, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Music in the Mountains, Chautauqua Music Festival, Green Lake Music Festival, Look and Listen Festival and many others. International appearances include Canada’s Tuckamore Music Festival, the New Docta International Music Festival in Cordoba, Argentina, and the Osaka Festa in Osaka, Japan. Their latest album, Collective Wisdom, was five years in the making. Although three-fifths of the ensemble was replaced with new blood, there is no seismic alteration in the group’s sound, no doubt attributable to the stabilizing presence of double bassist Louis Levitt and violinist Sami Merdinian and the clarity of vision the two founding members bring to the group.
For SYBARITE5’s debut appearance at Canan Commons, expect an experience that will satisfy your inner rock star AND your secret Mozart.
The Muncie Three Trails Music Series is a non-profit partnership between Muncie Downtown Development Partnership, Muncie Arts and Culture Council, and Rick Zeigler, series founder and organizer. The mission of the series is to bring critically acclaimed, national recording artists to perform at Canan Commons, Muncie’s premier outdoor performance venue, located in the heart of Downtown Muncie. A second mission is to promote the many recreational, artistic, and cultural attractions located along, or in close proximity to, Canan Commons and Muncie’s popular “Three Trails” — The White River Greenway, Cardinal Greenway, and Muncie Arts and Culture Trail. We hope attendees will heed our slogan, “Explore the Trails, Enjoy the Music.”
Complete information about the Muncie Three Trails Music Series can be found at www.munciethreetrails.com.
