MAKARIS

Makaris was founded by cellist Kivie Cahn-Lipman in 2018 in order to explore the musical and historical culture of Scotland. Named for the Makars (pl. makaris) – the famed professional minstrels of the 16th-century Scottish courts – Makaris’ debut album, “Wisps in the Dell”, was released in 2019 and focuses on folk songs arranged for the parlor by composers of the Viennese school. The ensemble maintains a flexible roster of both early and contemporary music specialists, depending on the needs of each project.

ELLIOT COLE

Composer/performer

Elliot Cole (*1984) is a composer and “charismatic contemporary bard” (NY Times). He scored Evolver (e.d. Terrence Malick), alongside Jonny Greenwood (Radiohead) and Wu Tang Clan, and he has written for and performed with Grammy Winners Roomful of Teeth, Grammy Nominees A Far Cry and Metropolis Ensemble, and many other ensembles. His percussion music evokes “sparkling icicles of sound” (Rolling Stone) and has been performed by over 250 groups all over the world. He is currently on faculty at the The New School and Juilliard Evening Division, and is Program Director of Musicambia at Sing Sing, where he runs a music school for incarcerated men. He is a PhD candidate in Composition at Princeton University.

FIONA GILLESPIE

Composer/performer

Fiona Gillespie is a folk and Classically-trained singer, songwriter, composer, and music educator. Raised in a family of traditional Celtic musicians, Fiona grew up step dancing, singing ballads, and playing the Irish whistle, on which she competed nationally and internationally until 2006.

Fiona’s first project with Makaris, an album of Scottish folk songs arranged by composers of the Viennese School, “Wisps in the Dell”, was released in 2019. Recent/upcoming engagements: The Queen’s Baroque Ensemble Paris, Mountainside Baroque, The Academy of Sacred Drama, Labyrinth Baroque Ensemble, The Bach Choir of Bethlehem, Fire and Grace, ALKEMIE, her duo, Disordering the Attic, The Carmel Bach Festival, Skylark Vocal Ensemble, Apollo’s Fire, Kinnara Ensemble, and St. Tikhon’s Choir.

Fiona is a co-founder and manager of the band The Chivalrous Crickets, which explores the crossover between English, Celtic, and Old Time American folk music with music of the Renaissance and Baroque, as well as writing many original songs and tunes. The group, comprised of both folk and early music specialists, performs around the United States, and recently made their (virtual) European debut with the Derby Folk Festival in the UK. A recent transplant from Manhattan to Philadelphia, Fiona holds degrees in voice from Westminster Choir College and the University of North Texas, and now teaches classical, pop, and musical theater voice lessons at Muhlenberg College, as well as leading folk and group singing workshops.

THE MUSE/ABCIRQUE

The Muse is, above all else, a creative community. We are a home for artists from all over the world, and together we celebrate circus in all its forms: circus as therapy, as fitness, as a form of play, and especially as high quality art and spectacular entertainment. Ethics and safety for our performers, guests, and staff are held at a high standard and we pride ourselves on doing better for the industry at large. We dream of a world where artistry, physicality, and creativity can flourish: and we work hard to make sure our programming is affordable, welcoming, and fun.

ABCirque is The Muse’s in-house professional circus, dance & theater performance company with the most talented and versatile specialty performers, with expertise in a variety of apparatuses, skill-sets, and performance styles. Under the creative direction of acclaimed choreographer & director Angela Buccinni Butch, ABCirque creates original productions and events that defy categorization, seamlessly blending circus, dance, music, and more – which we feature regularly in our venue and in venues across the world as well as featured commercials and shows.