Bassist

Two timeless classics, two modern original compositions performed by their composers. Special guest Kebra-Seyoun Charles, rising star of the orchestra landscape, performs their composition Nightlife: Concerto for Bass following the concerto’s recent premiere at Carnegie Hall, followed with the Michigan premiere of Trance, an original composition by our own composer and Music Director, Fouad Fakhouri. Also featured in the program is Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition.

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SBSO: Pictures at an Exhibition

Temple Theatre

Two timeless classics, two modern original compositions performed by their composers. Special guest Kebra-Seyoun Charles performs their composition Nightlife: Concerto for Bass; Michigan premiere of Trance by Music Director Fouad Fakhouri; plus Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition with visual effects.

SBSO: Music Reframed: Pictures at an Exhibition

Set out for A Night on the Town with your Fayetteville Symphony! Dress up and experience the rush of city life as Kebra-Seyoun Charles performs their original bass concerto, Night Life. We will also be joined by a gospel choir to bring you beautiful settings of gospel songs. Fans of music that blends genres will love the way Night Life paints a musical picture.

A Night on the Town

Fayetteville State University

The American Composers Orchestra (ACO) represents endless possibility. To date, the ensemble has performed works by more than 800 American composers—a stunning number that becomes even more amazing upon seeing the list of names. Its first concert of the Carnegie Hall season includes world premieres by rising composers Paul Novak and Kebra-Seyoun Charles, who joins on bass. ACO welcomes guitarist Mak Grgic in a New York premiere by Michael Abels, who won a 2023 Pulitzer Prize for his work with Rhiannon Giddens. The orchestra also performs the New York premiere of Ukrainian composer Victoria Poleva’s The Bell with cellist Inbal Segev, who premiered the piece in 2023 with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra.

American Composers Orchestra

Carnegie Hall

ACO’s annual gala, co-chaired by Dr. Indira Etwaroo, Melin Tan-Geller, MD, and Lana Turner, honors the contributions of creatives working in the contemporary orchestral music space whose impact will resonate for years to come. Gala supporters will enjoy an evening of original music from leading artists while learning how their contributions drive innovation and excellence in the field. The ACO gala offers businesses and individuals the opportunity to build relationships and identify opportunities for collaboration with other guests, all while supporting ACO’s mission.

2024 Gala and Creative Catalyst Awards

Bryant Park

The Midland Symphony Orchestra will perform picturesque works from around the globe, featuring musical depictions of inspiring vistas – physical and metaphorical. The Orchestra will take you on a thrilling journey guided by bassist Kebra-Seyoun Charles, playing a riveting bass concerto written by Argentinian composer Andres Martin. Kebra-Seyoun, winner of the Robert Frederick Smith Prize at the International Sphinx Competition, will continue to escort us on our travels through the beauty and drama of Finlandia and the exquisite delights of An American in Paris.

Postcards

Midland Center for the Arts

The Sphinx Virtuosi is an exemplary chamber orchestra and the “flagship performing entity” of the Sphinx Organization. They pair time-tested string music—both enduringly popular and underperformed—with music by some of today’s most compelling composers. Hear New York premieres by the prolific Javier Farías; and bassist, composer, and 2014 Sphinx Competition winner Xavier Foley. Two of the 20th century’s great composers are represented in a fusion of Bachian and Brazilian-folk styles by Villa-Lobos; and a bustling movement from Perkinson’s Sinfonietta No. 2. Also featured are spirited, original songs by cellist and singer Abel Selaocoe, who performs with the ensemble.

Sphinx Virtuosi

An all-star ensemble, led by pianist Gilles Vonsattel, brings a program with two chamber music greats—Schumann’s Piano Quartet and Schubert’s famed “Trout” Quintet. The “Trout” Quintet is one of the most recognizable chamber works of all time and a favorite of musicians and audiences alike.

Schubert & Schumann

Shalin Liu Performance Center

Palaver celebrates the joy and catharsis that music can give us in a program featuring bassist Kebra-Seyoun Charles, winner of the 2022 Sphinx Competition. In a mashup of musical styles and eras, we combine string orchestra classics by Grieg and Bartok with fiddle tunes and Nina Simone. At the heart of this program is John B. Hedges’ Raise Hymn, Praise Shout, a concerto for bass and strings originally commissioned by the Sphinx Organization in 2014. This piece is rooted in African American church music traditions, with the soloist “lining out” hymns and leading the “congregation” (string orchestra) in song. To connect more spontaneously with the audience and each other, Palaver will play much of the program from memory.

Palaver Strings • JOY • Ensemble-in-Residence

Longy School of Music of Bard College

Kebra-Seyoun Charles is a double bassist originally from Miami, Florida. They received their Bachelor of Music degree from the New England Conservatory of Music, where they studied with Todd Seeber and Lawrence Wolfe. Kebra-Seyoun is currently pursuing his Master of Music degree at the Juilliard School under the tutelage of Joseph Conyers. They are also a recipient of the prestigious Jerome L. Greene and Morse Teaching Artist Fellowships.

Kebra-Seyoun Charles, double bass

Kaufman Music Center

Four-time Oscar-nominated film composer Danny Elfman needs little introduction. If you’ve seen such films as “Men in Black,” “Edward Scissorhands” or “Good Will Hunting,” you’re familiar with his music. Premiered in 2023, the Suite for Chamber Orchestra reflects Elfman’s taste for fast-paced, dance-like rhythms, propelling melodies that spin in all sorts of directions. Guest conductor Matthew Kasper leads “Capriol Suite” by Peter Warlock. Composed in 1926, the suite is a vibrant, modern reimagining of 16th century French dance melodies as well as the British composer’s most popular work. Winner of the 2022 Sphinx Competition, double bassist Kebra-Seyoun Charles composed the technically demanding concerto Nightlife. Premiered in October 2025 by the American Composers Orchestra in New York’s Carnegie Hall, its movements, with titles such as “in the streets” and “in the club,” explore popular dance through the lens of classical music.

Bassist

Kebra-Seyoun Charles

Events

Upcoming events

Jan 28, 2027

Warlock, Charles & Elfman · Phoenix Symphony

Past events

Mar 28, 2026

SBSO: Pictures at an Exhibition · Saginaw Bay Symphony Orchestra

Mar 28, 2026

SBSO: Music Reframed: Pictures at an Exhibition · Temple Theatre

Future and recently performed repertoire

Bass in Pictures at an Exhibition by Mussorgsky

Saginaw Bay Symphony Orchestra

Double Bass in Pictures at an Exhibition by Mussorgsky

Temple Theatre

Bass in Nightlife: Concerto for Bass by Charles

Phoenix Symphony

About

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