Monnette Sudler (left); Diane Monroe (right)
American Composers Forum, Philadelphia Chapter is pleased to present an online artist talk between Monnette Sudler and Diane Monroe, two Philadelphia based composers and performers whose creative practice bridges jazz, improvisation, and other musical forms and styles. The two artists will discuss their creative process, reflect on their artistic influences, and share recent work.
FREE, REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. SPACE IS LIMITED. PLEASE RESERVE ONE SPOT PER HOUSEHOLD. A Zoom link will be sent to you the day of the event.
Grammy nominated jazz guitarist, composer, vocalist, bassist and recording artist has composed music of diverse genres for over fifty years. Her latest release Stay Strong was WTRI’s album of the week. Monnette Sudler’s catalog is extensive. She has written for big bands like the Change of the Century Orchestra, covered genres from avant garde, singer song writer, ballads, R & B, children’s music, music for theater and has collaborated with poets as well as fellow composers. She is also the creator and artistic director of the Philadelphia Guitar Summit which features internationally acclaimed artists showcasing the range of guitar music through performances and workshops.Monnette has performed with Reggie Workman, Odean Pope, Hugh Masakela, and the late Grover Washington Jr. She is owner/executive producer for MSM Records. Her creative improvisation reflects in her compositions and arrangements. Monnette self published an improvisational workbook called Motif Mojo in 2015. She has performed in Europe, Japan, South Africa, and Jamaica and throughout the United States. Ms. Sudler is a recipient of the Leeway Transformation Award, the City of Philadelphia Jazz Legend Award and Senator Vincent Hughes Jazz Legacy Award. In 2020 Monnette received two composer grants from the Jazz Coalition and the Painted Bride New Music for a New Day.
Violinist and composer Diane Monroe, bridges classical string repertoire, jazz, blues, spirituals, and contemporary experimental music. Lauded by The Philadelphia Inquirer for having “one foot in the old world and another stylish one in the new,” Monroe is known for her ability to expressively interpret and improvise varying musical styles and periods in both European classical and American jazz traditions. Her cross-genre work has included engagements with artists and groups such as Pew Fellows Bobby Zankel, Odean Pope, and John Blake; the Max Roach Double Quartet/Uptown String Quartet, String Trio of New York; Tom Lawton, Arnold Steinhardt, Harlem Symphony Orchestra; and Bang on a Can All Stars. Monroe has been leading her own ensembles for more than 20 years, including The Diane Monroe Quartet and Septet, and a duo with her longtime musical partner, vibraphonist Tony Miceli, with whom she released the album Alone Together in 2014. Monroe received a 2018 Pew Center for Arts and Heritage Project Grant to create Violin Woman, African Dreams, an evening-length suite inspired by drawings and prints of visual artist and collaborator, Curlee Raven Holton.