Akropolis Reed Quintet_ 2024-25_Biographies.pdf

Winner of the 2015 Fischoff Educator Award, Akropolis has engaged more than 40,000 youth during its 13-year history, including an annual, yearlong residency at three high schools in their home Detroit community. As an independent nonprofit they have received grants from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, and many individuals nationwide to support their educational programming, which comprises a noteworthy portion of their activity.&nbsp;Akropolis delivers fast-paced and informative workshops, including its “The Best Story” presentation for elementary schools, featuring a musical reenactment of the Eileen Spinelli children’s book. At the middle and high school level, Akropolis gives performances, coachings, Q&amp;A's, and offers a side-by-side band concerto by Peter Terry.&nbsp;“I am in awe of your genius in this educational arena and excited for all the young lives that you will impact and change because you are first and foremost extraordinary artists who are bringing that excellence and meticulous preparation and execution to the educational arena.”-Kathy Soroka, Allegheny RiverStone Center for Arts Education

K-12 Education

Akropolis believes that "quality" in classical music comes not only from the technical competency of the performers, but of the relevance an artist creates within their community. To do this, Akropolis engages their communities nationwide through experiences informed by the communities they serve. This includes collaborating with community members on new musical works, including&nbsp;so much more, featuring interviews with local business owners, and&nbsp;Sprocket, featuring a rideable percussion bike created by scrap metal artist, Juan Martinez. They commissioned new work from Detroit poet Marsha Music, and in their travels have performed with guest percussionists in several communities.&nbsp;Akropolis has performed at dozens of workplaces during its Detroit Workplace Concert Series, including hospitals, factories, tech companies, and more. They have performed in juvenile&nbsp;detention centers, homeless shelters, development centers, and senior care centers. They have given dozens of outdoor performances at parks and other pop-up locations, including grocery stores and farmers markets. They have given house concerts, backyard concerts, and concerts on river walks and bike paths.&nbsp; &nbsp;Each concert is custom-designed with community input and shaped to reflect the vibrancy of the community.&nbsp;

Community Engagement

Based on Akropolis' 8 year of experience teaching and entrepreneurship and career development, including courses at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre, and Dance and the Michigan State University College of Music, Akropolis created&nbsp;<a href="https://akropolisquintet.org/mastermind/">Akropolis Mastermind</a>&nbsp;in 2019 and since then have engaged 22 early career artists and over 80 participants&nbsp;in this weeklong career development workshop.&nbsp;Please visit&nbsp;<a href="http://akropolisquintet.org/mastermind">akropolisquintet.org/mastermind</a>&nbsp;to read the testimonials from these participants' experiences.&nbsp;At the university level, Akropolis provides customized workshops derived from their Mastermind, including sessions on health and sustainability, marketing/branding, financial planning, project development, and more.&nbsp;Akropolis also delivers inspiring master classes, reads and premieres works by student composers, and has even collaborated with college students in performance.&nbsp;

Akropolis Mastermind (University)

Akropolis Reed Quintet—Photos for Public Download.zip

Akropolis Reed Quintet

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<h3>Ariel Artists proudly congratulates&nbsp;Akropolis Reed Quintet, Pascal Le Boeuf, and Christian Euman on their incredible GRAMMY win for Best Instrumental Composition with their single Strands&nbsp;from the album, Are We Dreaming The Same Dream?, awarded&nbsp;at last night's&nbsp;67th GRAMMY Awards Ceremony in Los Angeles.</h3><figure class="image"><img src="https://d2k153re4i383a.cloudfront.net/BEST_INSTRUMENTAL_COMPOSITION_2_987a74dc26.png"></figure>&nbsp;Akropolis becomes the first ever GRAMMY® winning reed quintet with their 2024 album, Are We Dreaming the Same Dream?, in collaboration with Pascal Le Boeuf and drummer Christian Euman.&nbsp;Are We Dreaming the Same Dream?&nbsp;is an examination of what Ralph Ellison calls “the unity of American experience.” With a hybrid ensemble comprised of Akropolis Reed Quintet, pianist/composer Pascal Le Boeuf, and drummer Christian Euman, Le Boeuf deconstructs the fabric of his American experience by recognizing the strands of his musical DNA—Geri Allen, Dave Brubeck, Charles Mingus, and Leonard Bernstein. Learn more about the album <a href="https://www.arielartists.com/news/akropolis-reed-quintet-announce-6th-album-'are-we-dreaming-the-same-dream'" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>.&nbsp;Live performances of Are We Dreaming the Same Dream? include University Musical Society, Chamber Music Corvallis at the PRAx Center, and the Williams Center for the Arts.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image image-style-align-center"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mt9IBnRuLGk" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://d2k153re4i383a.cloudfront.net/Screenshot_2024_04_04_at_14_18_45_41add248f2.png"></a></figure>&nbsp;To book the Akropolis Reed Quintet, please contact <a href="mailto:oni@arielartists.com?subject=Akropolis%20Booking%20Inquiry">Oni Buchanan</a>.&nbsp;

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GRAMMY® Award-winning, Are We Dreaming the Same Dream?&nbsp; is a “tour-de-force” (I Care If You Listen) of a concert experience that blurs the lines between classical, jazz, and contemporary music, examining what Ralph Ellison calls “the unity of American experience.” With a hybrid ensemble comprised of Akropolis Reed Quintet, pianist/composer Pascal Le Boeuf, and drummer Christian Euman, Le Boeuf deconstructs the fabric of his American experience by recognizing the strands of his musical DNA—Geri Allen, Dave Brubeck, Charles Mingus, and Leonard Bernstein. What are the strands that form our collective identity, and are we dreaming the same dream?Akropolis became the first ever GRAMMY® winning reed quintet with their 2024 album, Are We Dreaming the Same Dream?, in collaboration with Pascal Le Boeuf and drummer Christian Euman, taking home Best Instrumental Composition for the track "Strands" at the 67th Grammy Awards held in February, 2025.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h3>"Brilliant writing, exquisitely performed, and ingenuously conceived! Are We Dreaming The Same Dream? is a musical journey that shares a sound world that reveals the deep layers of life experience, and done so in the hands of some real masters of their instruments."&nbsp;</h3>~ Jennifer Higdon, Pulitzer Prize &amp; Grammy Award-Winning Composer&nbsp;<h3>Concert Repertoire</h3>Pascal Le Boeuf – Are We Dreaming the Same Dream? (full septet) 50′Pascal Le Boeuf – Variations on a Mood (Pascal &amp; Christian) 8'George Gershwin arr. Raaf Hekkema – An American in Paris (Akropolis) 18′Geri Allen arr. Le Boeuf – “RTG” (full septet) 5′Charles Mingus arr. Le Boeuf – “Self-Portrait in Three Colors” (full septet) 7′&nbsp;<h3>Watch GRAMMY® winning single, Strands: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mt9IBnRuLGk" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mt9IBnRuLGk</a></h3>&nbsp;<figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:75%;"><a href="https://akropolisquintet.org/are-we-dreaming-the-same-dream/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://d2k153re4i383a.cloudfront.net/2024_BST_Akropolis_Dream_1500x1500_cover_1_96a806d2cd.jpg"></a></figure><h3>&nbsp;</h3><h3>About Are We Dreaming The Same Dream?</h3>“America is woven of many strands; I would recognize them and let it so remain.” Ralph Ellison, from Invisible Man (1952)“If one were to examine [...] the DNA of one’s influences [...] in terms of how the various strands interact to create the artist, one would see how important conflict between strands is.” Bill T. Jones, from Story/Time (2014)"Are We Dreaming the Same Dream?" is an examination of what Ralph Ellison calls “the unity of American experience” and draws upon a selection of my musical “ancestors” — Geri Allen, Dave Brubeck, Charles Mingus, and Leonard Bernstein — each of whom have historically represented a variety of perspectives concerning the unity of American experience. Following this chain of artistic ancestry leads to Duke Ellington, Mary Lou Williams, Aaron Copland, and beyond.This project was prompted by a quote from choreographer Bill T. Jones. When I first worked with Bill in 2014, I was taken by his fearless approach to creating socially engaged art, and the myriad ways in which he married improvised and planned material throughout the collaborative process. That same year, he published Story/Time (Princeton University Press) which examines his artistic relationship to John Cage, whom he both admires and questions.“If one were to examine [...] the DNA of one’s influences [...] in terms of how the various strands interact to create the artist, one would see how important conflict between strands is. I don’t think any artist can come to who they are without experiencing this conflict. [...] In some cases, one has to accept an uncomfortable fit in order to become the artist one truly is.”On a personal level, this music represents my struggle to understand, as Bill puts it, the artist who I truly am, the context in which I exist, and the strands of influence that form my identity. But this work also begs the audience to consider the unity or disunity of their American experience and to examine the strands that contribute to our collective identity, for as Ellison once pointed out, “the most agonizing mystery sponsored by the democratic ideal is that of our unity- in-diversity, our oneness in manyness. American culture is of a whole, for that which is essentially ‘American’ in [that] it springs from the synthesis of our diverse elements of cultural style.”~Program note by Pascal Le Boeuf<h3>&nbsp;</h3><h3>Biographies</h3>Each artist on stage is a powerhouse in their field. Founded in 2009, the Billboard charting, 7-time national prize winning Akropolis Reed Quintet makes music with “infallible musicality and huge vitality” (Fanfare Magazine). Winner of 7 national chamber music prizes including the 2014 Fischoff Gold Medal, Akropolis has premiered and commissioned over 150 works by living artists and composers. Pascal Le Boeuf is a Grammy-nominated composer, pianist, and producer described as "sleek, new" and "hyper-fluent" by the New York Times. He is widely recognized for his polyrhythmic approach to chamber music and hybridization of disparate idioms. Christian Euman, one of Revive Magazine's "six drummers you should know about," has toured with Jacob Collier, Kurt Elling, Billy Childs, Walter Smith III, and Geoff Keezer, among others. He attended the Thelonious Monk Institute where he studied and performed with Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Chris Potter, Jimmy Heath, and Stefon Harris.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://d2k153re4i383a.cloudfront.net/AF_690_AE_8_0_DAB_4989_812_D_1_E749_DDC_9_E60_c64e726d7f.jpeg"></figure>

Akropolis Reed Quintet | Pascal Le Boeuf | Christian Euman

Are We Dreaming the Same Dream?

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Akropolis Reed Quintet wins GRAMMY Award for Are We Dreaming The Same Dream? with Pascal Le Boeuf and Christian Euman