The Resonance Collective Announces 2025 Spring Concerts

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Feb 13, 2025

Press Contacts:

Adrienne Andisheh, Sounding Point
adrienne@soundingpoint.com

TJ Sclafani, Sounding Point
tj@soundingpoint.com

 

THE RESONANCE COLLECTIVE ANNOUNCES
SPRING 2025 GOLDEN THREAD CONCERTS

Featuring Concerts and Performances By:
Soprano Laurel Irene & Organist Christoph Bull
Multidisciplinary Artist Arzeen Kamal
Guitarist Philip Graulty & Multi-Instrumentalist Dimitris Mahlis

 

LOS ANGELES, CA  - The Resonance Collective announces programming and performer details for their Spring 2025 Golden Thread concerts, which all take place at the First Congregational Church of Los Angeles in downtown Los Angeles. This Spring’s concerts will feature concerts and performances from critically-acclaimed performers include soprano Laurel Irene, countertenor Rohan Ramanan, and organist Christoph Bull; Bengali multidisciplinary artist Arzeen Kamal; and guitarist Philip Graulty and multi-instrumentalist Dimitris Mahlis. 

Now in its fourth season, the Golden Thread Concert Series features artists, ensembles, and musical works which fulfills the Resonance Collective’s mission to explore the intersection of art and the sacred in the context of today’s world from different ethnic, cultural, and philosophical perspectives. “This kind of creative and spiritual exploration is a staple of Los Angeles and one of my favorite parts of what's shaped the cultural landscape in recent years,” says Artistic Director Fahad Siadat. “Our artists this season are a part of that ongoing legacy of curiosity and exploration.”

All concerts take place at the First Congregational Church of Los Angeles (FCCLA), a thriving hub for exciting musical experiences. In recent years, FCCLA has hosted and presented concerts by the HEAR NOW Music Festival, Monday Evening Concerts, LACMA, and Ambient Church, featuring musical artists such as opera singer Davoné Tines, electronic musician Suzanne Ciani, organist Sarah Davachi, the Musica Angelica Baroque Orchestra, and Pulitzer-Prize winner Raven Chacon. As a part of FCCLA’s commitment to the arts and social justice, the community enjoys hosting diverse voices who bring new artistic perspectives to important cultural topics. 

Tickets can be purchased at resonancecollective.org. General admission for concerts are $25. There is also reserved seating available for $40, as well as a subsidized ticket for $10. All Golden Thread concerts are also livestreamed to the public — livestream tickets are $10.

 

FEATURED CONCERTS

Laurel Irene, Rohan Ramanan and Christoph Bull Perform Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater

Soprano Laurel Irene, whose performance of Morton Feldman’s Three Voices at The Resonance Collective last fall was named one of the best classical performances of 2024 by San Francisco Classical Voice, returns on March 1 at 5PM to perform Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater with countertenor Rohan Ramanan and organist Christoph Bull. Considered to be one of the most important pieces of sacred music of all time, this performance of the Stabat Mater will include readings of contemporary poetry centered around birth and motherhood. 

 

Bondhu Bajao Sur (play the melody my friend) with Arzeen Kamal

Bengali singer and multi-disciplinary artist Arzeen Kamal will present a night of Bengali pop and folk music in Bondhu Bajao Sur (play the melody my friend) on April 6 at 7PM. Known for his recordings with the electronic music label Pinkturban and his performances during the Bangladesh Day Parade, Kamal will offer a stripped-down evening of his original songs with acoustic and electronic instrumentation. 

 

The Longing String with Philip Graulty and Dimitris Mahlis

Guitarist Philip Graulty and multi-instrumentalist Dimitris Mahlis present The Longing String, a meditative concert that explores the deep musical kinship between the oud and the classical guitar, on May 17 at 7PM. The concert will feature traditional songs from the Middle East and the classical guitar canon, original compositions, and improvised interludes. This concert also continues the Resonance Collective’s exploration of Rumi’s life and poetry, with the title and concept of the concert coming from Rumi’s celebrated poem, “The Long String.”

 

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CALENDAR EDITORS PLEASE NOTE:
PERGOLESI’S STABAT MATER WITH LAUREL IRENE & CHRISTOPH BULL
Who: Laurel Irene, soprano; Rohan Ramanan, counternor; Christoph Bull, organ
When: March 1, 2025 at 5PM
Where: First Congregational Church of Los Angeles; 540 S Commonwealth Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90020

BONDHU BAJAO SUR (PLAY THE MELODY MY FRIEND) WITH ARZEEN KAMAL
Who: Arzeen Kamal, performer
When: April 16, 2025 at 7PM
Where: First Congregational Church of Los Angeles; 540 S Commonwealth Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90020

THE LONGING STRING WITH PHILIP GRAULTY & DIMITRIS MAHLIS
Who: Philip Graulty, guitar; Dimitris Mahlis, stringed instruments
When: May 17, 2025 at 7PM
Where: First Congregational Church of Los Angeles; 540 S Commonwealth Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90020

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The Resonance Collective was founded in 2021 as a non-profit organization that seeks to cultivate curiosity and a sense of sacredness to the creative life of Los Angeles in an inspiring and supportive social environment. Embracing a diversity of cultural and spiritual approaches in how society defines “art” and “sacred,” the Resonance Collective welcomes and serves those interested in sharing spiritual uplift through music. 

Led by Artistic Director Fahad Siadat, the Resonance Collective furthers this mission through its three divisions: the Original Works program, which creates interdisciplinary, theatrical narratives based on spiritual transformation; the Golden Thread Concert Series, which curates exceptional music from religions and cultures from around the world; and the N.E.O. Voice Festival, which educates creative musicians interested in holistic vocal performance and writing for the voice. 

Since starting in 2022, the Resonance Collective’s Golden Thread series has presented artists from around the world, including the Philippine Madrigal Singers, Gamelan Burat Wangi, sacred Middle Eastern artist Yuval Ron, percussionist Jonathan Hepfer, pianist Vicki Ray, and many others.

 

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Laurel Irene is a Los Angeles-based "downright superhuman" (LA Times) vocal artist and voice researcher, specializing in bringing new compositional works to life with vocal repertoire ranging from Monteverdi to Mozart to the wacky, wild, and extreme sounds of the 21st century. With incredible vocal range, agile flexibility, and "resigned, compassionate, forbearing, affectionate, sympathetic, absolving" (LA Times) emotional connection that stretches from playful to unhinged in the span of a page, she draws on her expertise in vocal research to heighten unique timbres, textures, and vocal expressions.

In 2019, she performed the role of Countess Almaviva in Ragnar Kjartansson’s Bliss, a 12-hour endurance piece that premiered at REDCAT, earning acclaim as "one of the most astonishing performances, vocally and interpretively" (LA Times). Laurel has also performed with Long Beach Opera, Musica Angelica, the Kennedy Center, LA Phil, the Getty Center, The Industry, LACMA Sunday Evening Concerts, the Box Gallery, Monday Evening Concert, and First Congregational Church of Los Angeles. A recent winner of the Beverly Hills National Auditions, she also regularly performs with chamber and vocal music ensembles across Los Angeles.

As an avid voice educator and co-founder of the educational organization, VoiceScienceWorks and the N.E.O. Voice Festival, she gives voice workshops at conferences and collegiate settings across the United States and Europe including the Pan-American Vocology Association, American Choral Directors Association, Acoustical Society of America, Harvard University, York University, College of the Holy Cross, CalArts, UCLA, and Cornish College of the Arts. Laurel is an alumna of performance programs at the USC Thornton School of Music, New Music on the Point, Cortona New Music Sessions, Oregon State University, CalStateLA, and the Summer Vocology Institute.

 

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Rohan Ramanan is an OC/LA-based tenor and countertenor with a diverse musical background and expansive range. He has studied both Western and Indian classical voice, and has been immersed in many styles of commercial music, world genres, and fusion work. Rohan performs with ensembles throughout Southern California, including LA Master Chorale, LA Choral Lab, Tonality, Pacific Chorale, Choral Arts Initiative, Street Symphony, Laude, Vox Ardens, and Musica Transalpina; as a chorister and soloist with AGMA, and has served as tenor section leader for the Long Beach Camerata Singers. 

He also sings for film, television, and video game studio sessions as a member of SAG-AFTRA. His voice can be heard in scores for Disney, Marvel, and National Geographic, and he has performed live with Thirty Seconds to Mars, Tiësto, Michael Giacchino, Rufus Wainwright, Stewart Copeland, Kronos Quartet, LA Phil, and Björk. He made his operatic debut in Houston Grand Opera’s premiere Another City as Manoj Mukherjee, where his “ethereal phrases [...] offered a lightness and sweetness” (Texas Classical Review). He is a 2024 Fellow for the Thirteen Choir (D.C.) and will be debuting with Seraphic Fire this upcoming season.

 

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Born in Mannheim, Germany, Christoph Bull has performed and recorded around the world, including France, Switzerland, Austria, Denmark, Northern Ireland, Russia, India, Taiwan and El Salvador, at national and regional conventions of the American Guild of Organists and at venues such as Walt Disney Concert Hall, Lincoln Center, Segerstrom Concert Hall in Costa Mesa, the Cathedrals of Moscow, Saint-Denis and Salzburg, and rock clubs like The Viper Room, The Roxy and The Whisky in Los Angeles.

Bull improvised his first melodies on the piano at the age of five and gave his first organ recitals and rock concerts with a band at the age of twelve. He’s collaborated with leading orchestras, conductors, choirs and ensembles including the Los Angeles Master Chorale, James Conlon, Carl St. Clair, Pacific Chorale, Pacific Symphony and Grammy-winning Southwest Chamber Music. Bull is the creator of the genre-crossing, collaborative multi-media series organica, combining traditional and contemporary music. His collaborators include DJs, video artists, live painter, instrumentalists, and singers. He has also contributed to projects by Steven Spielberg, Robin Williams, Harry Connick Jr., George Clinton and Bootsy Collins, Cyndi Lauper, Lili Haydn, and Nishat Khan, and opened the organ series at Segerstrom Concert Hall in Costa Mesa and Villa Aurora in the Pacific Palisades.

His solo album First & Grand, the world premiere recording of the Walt Disney Concert Hall organ, was celebrated by the international trade press and showcases the stylistic versatility and expressiveness of his playing. His original song “Peace” was featured on the benefit album 2 Unite All Together with songs by Peter Gabriel, Stewart Copeland, and others. His song “Ali” was featured on the website for the collector’s book about Muhammad Ali by Taschen. His music has been broadcast on TV and radio, including on NPR’s flagship station in Southern California, KCRW, on Classical KUSC, and the Minnesota Public Radio program, “Pipedreams”.

Bull is based in Los Angeles. In addition to his activities as a concert organist, composer, singer-songwriter, speaker, university organist and organ professor at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), he is organist-in-residence at First Congregational Church of Los Angeles, playing one of the largest pipe organs in the world. His organ teachers were Cherry Rhodes, Hermann Schäffer, Ludwig Dörr, Samuel Swartz, Christoph Schöner and Paul Jordan. He also participated in master courses with Marie-Claire Alain, Guy Bovet, Craig Cramer, and Rudi Lutz.

 

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Arzeen Mohammad Kamal is a highly accomplished Bengali singer, songwriter, lyricist and filmmaker specializing in folk and classical music. Born in Bangladesh, Kamal has been living in the United States for the past six years and has continued to explore his love of Bengali folk music in his new home. Kamal’s connection with Bengali music is evident in everything he puts out into the world, from his work with the recording project Pinkturban to his live performances around Los Angeles. His music is not only meant for the Bengali community, but to speak to anyone willing to listen. Kamal and his work are helping spread the beauty and legacy of the Bengali community in Los Angeles, keeping the tradition of folk music alive.

 

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Philip Graulty is a Los Angeles-based guitarist, composer, and educator whose musical world lies at the intersection of classical, jazz, and folk music traditions. His artistic practice explores music as a form of memorial, offering, and healing, and his unique approach to the guitar is informed by myriad styles including classical guitar, contemporary jazz, and fingerstyle blues.

Philip’s latest album, Still Life, released in May 2024, is a collection of pieces for solo guitar, each one dedicated to a different person in the artist’s life. As such, the album explores themes of friendship, longing, nostalgia, and love. The album’s title references our collective stillness during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the artist’s practice of finding stillness through playing the guitar during times of grief. Philip’s debut solo EP, Won’t You Help To Sing?, released in 2021, was created in response to the murder of George Floyd. Inspired by the African proverb “when you pray, move your feet,” this collection of hymns and protest songs is meant to serve as both a call to prayer for victims of police violence and a call to action for racial justice.

In addition to his work as a solo artist, Philip is a co-founder of Bridge to Everywhere, a new music collective that explores connections between diverse musical traditions, and the guitar ensembles Los Angeles Electric 8 and Ikat Quartet. He is also a regular collaborator with the chamber group Salastina and the experimental opera company Four Larks.

Performance highlights include national and international presentations such as BBC Proms (with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales), Los Angeles Philharmonic’s Minimalist Jukebox Festival (with Glenn Branca’s electric guitar orchestra), Angel City Jazz Festival, the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, Boston Court Pasadena, Oakland Museum of California, Strathmore Guitar Festival, World Festival of Sacred Music, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, MicroFest, and the Solo International Performing Arts Festival in Surakarta, Indonesia.

Outside of performing and composing, Philip is a dedicated educator and social justice advocate. He is on the music faculties of Mount Saint Mary’s University and Cal Poly Pomona, and is a teaching artist with Street Symphony, an arts nonprofit that utilizes music to create opportunities of human connection to homeless and incarcerated communities in Los Angeles.

 

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Dimitris Mahlis is a multi-instrumentalist and composer based in Los Angeles. Since coming to LA, Dimitris' skills on oud, guitar and other stringed instruments have led him into a rich variety of performing and recording experiences with some of the best domestic and international artists in the Los Angeles area. Dimitris has had the good fortune to receive training in both Western and Eastern musical systems: first at the Berklee College of music in Boston, then later oud and makam studies in Istanbul with Necati Celik. 

Some recording credits include the Oscar-winning film Argo with composer Alexander Desplat, Huun Huur Tu with Carmen Rizzo, Vino with Robi Draco Rosa, and O Samanos by Dionisis Savopoulo-Thanasis Papakonstantinou. Dimitris also composed the music for the recent short film Coffee and Sugar and is featured on the soundtrack of the recent films The Angel and The Algerian, among others. He has just finished filming as part of the ensemble The Mighty Mighty for the upcoming PBS special, “Decoding Musical Tastes.”

Dimitris has performed and toured throughout the world with artists such as Perla Batalla, A.R. Rahman, Axiom of Choice, Ebi Hamedi, Dionisis Savopoulos, Niyaz, Freddie Hubbard, Thanasis Papakonstantinou, Kevyn Lettau, Russell Ferrante, and others. He has also performed in all the major venues in Los Angeles, including the Greek Theater, the Ford Theater, Walt Disney Concert Hall, and the Wiltern.

He composes all the original music for his projects, including six albums with his duo project Wahid, Protoleia with the Mahlis-Panos Project, Prana with the trio Prana, and Aphrodite Moves On with his electric guitar based quartet, Babaghanoush. He is currently preparing a series of solo oud recordings for release.