2026 Festival

Naseem Alatrash

Naseem Alatrash is a Palestinian cellist and composer- his performances include a mix of improvisation and traditional melodies, with a focus on traditional Arabic music with jazz and contemporary classical music influences.

Naseem has appeared at numerous international festivals including the Newport Jazz Festival, the Dominican Republic Jazz Festival, Abu Dhabi Music Festival, Lebanon’s Zouk Mikael International Festival, Lebanon’s Beit Aldeen Festival, Aix-en-Provence Festival, and Jerash Festival. He has performed at such notable venues as the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, the Lincoln Theater, Wigmore Hall, Koerner Hall, University of Michigan Ann Arbor Music Series, NYU Abu Dhabi Arts Center, the Royal Opera of Oman, The Royal Albert Hall, and Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw. He has performed alongside world-renowned musicians including Ron Carter, Roger Waters, Terri Lyne Carrington, Eugene Friesen, Kenny Aronoff, Rami Jaffee, Luis Conte, Javier Limon, Jorge Drexler, Alejandro Sanz, Scott Page of Pink Floyd, Carmine Rojas of David Bowie, Mike Garson of David Bowie, and many others.

Alatrash has been awarded String Player of the Year twice from The National Music Competition of Palestine. In addition to his solo career, Alatrash performs with the Turtle Island String Quartet, the Global Messengers ensemble with pianist Danilo Pérez and with Amir ElSaffar’s Rivers of Sound ensemble in addition to teaching at the Berklee College of Music, Tufts University and the Longy School of Music.

Shannon Hayden

Innovative performer Shannon Hayden has carved a distinctive niche in the music world, touring globally for over a decade with her unique setup: a 19th-century cello coupled with pickups and electronic modifications. Trained by legends like Starker and Parisot, Hayden’s musicality has been equally shaped by a lifelong passion for experimental, electronically manipulated soundscapes. A “one-woman orchestra” (New York Music Daily) who defies musical convention, Hayden has spent the last decade quietly revolutionizing what’s possible with her instrument while reshaping the intersection of tradition and technology.

Night by Dark Water I – Shannon Hayden

Matilde Lotti

Originally trained as a classical musician, Matilde Lotti has always felt the pull of jazz and vocal expression. Based in Dublin, she brings a unique blend of pop jazz and soft jazz to life through her warm voice and expressive cello playing. Her journey began with formal classical training, but her passion for artists like Norah Jones, Ella Fitzgerald, and Abel Selaocoe inspired her to explore the emotional and improvisational landscapes of music, singing and writing in four different languages. Over the past five years, Matilde has been crafting a sound that is both sophisticated and deeply personal—balancing melodic storytelling with rich harmonic textures. Her music is infused with joy, sincerity, and a quiet strength that reflects her cross-genre artistry. As a performer, she creates intimate atmospheres that invite the audience into her world—one where classical elegance meets contemporary soul.  

As This Rain – Matilde Lotti

Eric Wright

Eric Wright is a unique cellist redefining what the instrument can do in folk music. Raised on crisp Vermont air and steeped in American Old Time and Irish traditions, he’s carved out a signature sound built on rhythmic bowing, inventive chord work, and his boundary-pushing approach to the chop. His techniques have made him a go-to performer, accompanist, producer, and session player across the folk world. Eric has toured and recorded with artists such as Ruth Moody, Trey Anastasio, Natalie MacMaster, The Fretless, John Reischman, and Mairi Rankin. His work has earned multiple JUNO, CFMA, WCMA, and VIMA awards, including: 2017 JUNO Award – Instrumental Album of the Year (The Fretless), 2019 CFMA – Instrumental Group of the Year (Mairi Rankin & Eric Wright), Multiple CFMAs & WCMAs with The Fretless and 2014 VIMA – Electronic/Dance Recording (Speaker Face).

Turtle Bay – The Fretless

Saturday, January 10, 2026 via Zoom

10:00-11:30am

Naseem Alatrash: Incorporating Arabic Influences on Cello

Naseem will introduce you to the world of Arabic maqam, a highly complex and colorful scale system that has variants that are used in music from many countries in the Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean. He will talk about the ways in which these scales are constructed, their key elements, and how you might start exploring and using them in your own creative practice.

11:30am-1:00pm

Shannon Hayden: From Search to Sound

Shannon will discuss her evolving path as a cellist, composer, and technologist, highlighting the intersections of tradition and innovation that define her work. She will demonstrate the live-electronics rig she has developed and perform original pieces, offering a look into her unique approach to contemporary cello playing and writing.

1:00-2:00pm – lunch break

2:00-3:30pm

Matilde Lotti: Cello in Different Languages – Writing Music from Other Cultures

A multi-lingual and multi-genre cellist, Matilde will share her fascination with music from various parts of the world that have influenced her writing, such as Cumbia and Choro and share her process of both study and creativity as she strives to create music that pays tribute to tradition while retaining her own creative identity as an artist.  In sharing her own journey of influence and inspiration, you will come away feeling empowered to broaden and deepen your own musical and creative horizons.

3:30-5:00pm

Eric Wright: Building Grooves from the Ground Up

Eric will empower you to express yourself rhythmically by building grooves that incorporate various chordal and chopping combinations at varying levels of complexity.  He will walk you through the various techniques that he uses when writing, including a beginning to end walkthrough of his creative process, from the seed of an idea to a finished composition.

5:00-6:00pm Participant Gathering & Open Mic