NOVEL STAGES

curator, producer, event designer

artists: Ashley Bathgate, Hanna Benn, Rafiq Bhatia, Grant Cutler,
Haley, Holly Hansen, Her Crooked Heart, Humbird, Su Hwang,
ETHEL, Cameron Kinghorn, Eric Mayson, Sen Morimoto,
Mark Morris Dance Group, Shara Nova, My Brightest Diamond,
Kassa Overall, Deantoni Parks, Roomful of Teeth, Craig Taborn, Tigue,

It began as a ‘festival’ of sorts for the unusual time we found ourselves in May 2020 and the digital stages that became our venues.

Artists shared 30 minute sets of pre-recorded performances from their studios and homes (for better audio and video quality!), previously unavailable concert footage, and new creative presentations intended for your screen.

As a ticket buyer you received a private access code to the festival stream hosted on Vimeo, as well as a video file of each festival performance after the festival concluded.

Later, the series transitioned to live events. World-renowned cellist, Ashley Bathgate, performed Michael Gordon’s House Music, for a unique gathering featuring paired cocktails from Marco Zappia, Dustin Nguyen, and Adam Witherspoon (3leche). And in 2024 Novel Stages returned with performances at Icehouse in Minneapolis from Rafiq Bhatia, Sen Morimoto, My Brightest Diamond, Kassa Overall, Craig Taborn, and Roomful of Teeth.

Novel Stages endeavors to champion artists who cross boundaries and challenge musical genre, and reward audiences eager to explore.