FREE Exchanging Notes Performances
About the Exchanging Notes Project
The Program on Georgian Studies at Harvard University’s Davis Center and the Somerville Arts Council present a project called "Exchanging Notes," a first of its kind cross-cultural exchange. Back in June, the project took Owen Thomas, a Somerville resident and writer, and Max Evard, the music director at Somerville High School, to the distant country of Georgia, where they collaborated their Georgian counterparts, musician Aleksandre Kharanauli and writer and poet Nana Abuladze.
Each duo spent the summer working on their collaborations remotely and this September the Georgians are coming to Cambridge and Somerville when the foursome will collectively present their culminating projects—a celebration of songs and stories that fuse Georgian and American themes, cross cultures, and enrich our common humanity. Special guests at both events: members of the choir from Somerville High School. Come join us to enjoy the original outcomes of these imaginative collaborations!
Exchanging Notes Performance & Reception at Harvard
Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023 5:30-7:30pm
Swedenborg Chapel, 50 Quincy Street, Cambridge
Exchanging Notes Performance at Somerville High School
Friday, Sept. 29, 2023 7-9pm
Somerville High School, 81 Highland Ave., Somerville
Exchanging Notes at the Ignite Global Food and Fire Festival
Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023 6-10pm
90 Union Square, Union Square, Somerville
About the events
The performances at both Harvard and Somerville High School will begin with musical performances featuring Aleksandre Kharanauli, Max Evard, and many members of the Somerville High School Choir. Aleksandre, a distinguished Georgian musician, will introduce the exquisite sounds of Chuniri and Doli, traditional Georgian mountain folk instruments, to an American audience, and together with Maxwell, the duo will delve into the rich tapestry of Georgian polyphony and the captivating narratives of the mountainous regions of Georgia. This collaboration will illuminate the remarkable musical and storytelling heritage of Georgia's highlands through both a Georgian and American lens.
After a short intermission, Nana Abuladze and Owen Thomas will share stories they have written over the course of the exchange. How do we shape the stories? How do the stories shape us? Owen Thomas and Nana Abuladze will present the works of fiction and non-fiction and discuss various aspects of story-telling and collaborative writing. The themes of the works include: the culture and history of Georgia, the characteristics of Georgian language, the differences and similarities between Georgian and American cultures, racism and the colonial past of the US, gender, masculinity, fatherhood, and womanhood in a patriarchal society.
The evenings will culminate with a Q & A session focusing on what the creative process has been like for the cross-cultural foursome. Each evening will feature different songs and stories and will likely include audience participation.
On Saturday night, we invite you to come to Union Square, Somerville for a raucous Global celebration known as the Ignite Festival. Aleksandre and Max will perform a few songs, while Nana and Owen will oversee an “Exchanging Stories” table, interacting with festival goers for informal storytelling sessions. Also on hand will be Jana Grill restaurant, serving up delicious Georgian food!
Presenting Artists
Nana Abuladze
Nana is a fiction writer and literary scholar from Tbilisi, Georgia. She is the author of three books: Her debut novel Akumi [“აკუმი“], which has received the two most prestigious literary prizes in Georgia — the Saba and Litera prizes — explores the themes of gender, sexuality, identity, and spirituality. Her second book, The New Perception (A Mass for Women Soloists and a Mixed Choir) is a collection of stories about female biblical characters. It was nominated for the Tsinandali Award (an annual award for artists and scholars under 30). Nana’s third book studies gender and authorship in 20th-century Georgian fiction and has been nominated for this year’s Saba.
Nana was a 2022 fall resident at the University of Iowa in the framework of the International Writing Program. A two-month stay in the U.S. inspired her to write her first poems in English: "The Lovers" and "The Water Tower." The latter then appeared in the 69th Voice and Verse Poetry Magazine issue. "The Lovers" was published in The Writers of Loam anthology (Iowa City).
Maxwell Evrard
Max directs choirs and teaches music at Somerville High School and Pilgrim Congregational Church in Lexington, Massachusetts. He holds a bachelor's in music from DePaul University and a master's in music education from Florida State University, enriching his teaching with a musicology background. Drawing from diverse genres, he illuminates the universal language of music. A skilled multi-instrumentalist and vocalist, Max lives in Lexington with his partner and daughter, accompanied by their dogs, Bowie and Bongo.
Aleksandre Kharanauli
Aleksandre (born 1989) is a Georgian folk and rock musician and TV producer. His debut album, “Dilit Amomavalo Mzeo” ("Rising Sun"), gained critical acclaim in Georgia. The album consists of 10 songs, mainly influenced by Georgian mountain folk music, poetry, and contemporary folk and rock. You can hear Aleksandre's work on Spotify and YouTube.
Owen Thomas
Owen is a father, writer, and educator from the Boston area. He is currently pursuing his MFA at Goddard College. He believes that we are constantly in the presence of stories and that taking the time to acknowledge that fact—to tell our stories and to listen to the stories of others—is an essential part of living.
Presenting Organizations
About the Program on Georgian Studies at the Davis Center, Harvard University
The Program encourages research on Georgia and the South Caucasus region at Harvard, establishes collaboration between Georgian and American academics and students, and promotes knowledge of the region to the broader community.
About the Somerville Arts Council
The mission of the Somerville Arts Council (SAC) is to cultivate and celebrate the creative expressions of the Somerville community. Through innovative collaborations and quality programming we work to make the arts an integral part of life reflective of our diverse city. SAC runs numerous festivals, creates public art, runs cultural initiatives—from the Nibble culinary program to the Mystic River Mural Project for youth—and is keenly focused on ensuring artists will always have a space to create, display and perform within Somerville.