Palaver Strings

Since 2014, Grammy-nominated Palaver Strings has made its mark as one of New England’s most innovative chamber ensembles. The ensemble’s Co-Artistic Directors curate artistic programming collaboratively and democratically, rotating project direction and musical leadership. Some musicians also hold administrative roles. Each year Palaver presents a full concert season featuring diverse programming and world-renown collaborators, and offers music instruction to hundreds of students through the Palaver Music Center.

Palaver’s recent and upcoming engagements include appearances at Tanglewood, Carnegie Hall, Newport Classical, National Sawdust, and the Kennedy Center, as well as residencies at Ithaca College, Rockport Music, Longy School of Music, and Boston Center for the Arts. The ensemble has collaborated with artists such as Kinan Azmeh and Attacca Quartet, and commissioned works from Errollyn Wallen, Kareem Roustom, and Sato Matsui. Palaver’s latest release A Change is Gonna Come (Azica Records, 2024) features Nicholas Phan and Farayi Malek on reimagined American protest songs. The Grammy-nominated album was praised for its “fresh, galvanizing sound” (Bay Area Reporter) and named one of Gramophone’s favorite classical recordings of the year.