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Sarasa
Chamber Music Ensemble
Dedicated to making music accessible to wider audiences
Mission
The mission of the Sarasa Ensemble is to bring music to as wide an audience as possible whether it is regular concertgoers of people who ordinarily have little chance to hear live classical music.
History of Sarasa
Sarasa was formed in response to a concert played by its founder, Timothy Merton, in the Sing Sing Correctional Facility in 1997, at the urging of a friend who was a prison volunteer. An inmate who heard that first concert remarked, "When art is well executed, it projects a message that transcends language, culture, and even aesthetic boundaries." Sarasa took these words to heart and since then has been bringing high-quality music to those who ordinarily have little access to it. In addition to its public concerts, the ensemble plays in adult and adolescent correctional facilities, homes for the elderly, mental hospitals, and institutions for the disabled. Sarasa also does three-week residencies in grade schools, using drawing and writing to bring children to a meaningful understanding of classical music.
The name Sarasa is derived from a combination of Saraswathi, the Hindu goddess of art and culture, and the poetic sanscrit word rasa denoting the essence of sound
Sarasa News
June 15: A HUGE, warm thank you to our many generous contributors who sustain our outreach concerts.
May 20:
*Residencies completed: Sarasa recently completed three outreach residencies at three teenage delinquent centers in Massachusetts.*New Sarasa member: Very talented violinist Christina Day Martinson
joined Sarasa for its concert at the Frick Collection in NYC. Welcome Christina! *CD release update: The release of Sarasa's Bach Cantatas CD's has been delayed until summer/fall of this year due to high costs of having to force a second recording session.
This organization is funded in part by the
Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.
