Pop Up Performance Series
Dive into a world of incredible musical talent at the Pop-up Performance Series, a partnership program between Roswell Arts Fund and Friends of Mimosa Hall and Gardens.
On the 3rd Sunday of the month at 3:30 pm, music partner Roswell Music Club unveils a monthly series highlighting classical musical artists, showcasing the timeless beauty of classical compositions
And on the 2nd Thursday of the month at 7:00 pm, music partner Steve’s Live Music will curate a lineup of eclectic, mesmerizing, and innovative artists starting with series of Jazz Around the World.
Beginning June 2024, the Pop-Up Concert series will be held at The Roswell River Landing (245 Azalea Drive, Roswell GA 30075).
We anticipate the series will return to Mimosa Hall in January 2025 after some much needed and exciting construction projects.
Sunday, November 17, 2024 at 3:30 pm
ASHLEY CURLING, SOPRANO
Music partner: Roswell Music Club
A native of Roswell, Georgia Miss Curling was most recently seen as a semi-finalist in the Shreveport Opera Singer of the Year competition, and in Loft Opera’s Macbeth where she performed the role of Dama di Lady. Opera Today claims she “fills out a small role with committed performance and gorgeously blossoming high notes”. Last Fall she received her second award from the Wagner Society of New York, winning awards from the esteemed society in both 2015 and 2016.
In 2015, she made her concert debut with the Lancaster Symphony Orchestra as the soprano soloist in Mozart’s Coronation Mass. This season she also sang the role of the Marschallin in Strauss’s der Rosenkavalier with Harrower Opera, the title role in Puccini’s Suor Angelica with the Trentino Music Festival, covered the role of Donna Anna in Mozart’s Don Giovanni with Venture Opera, and appeared in concert as Desdemona in Verdi’s Otello with Martha Cardona Theatre.
She has appeared in productions with Atlanta Opera, New York Lyric Opera, Aspen Opera Theatre, and IVAI. In addition to her grants from the Wagner Society of New York, Ashley has received awards from the Metropolitan Opera National Council, the Violetta Dupont Competition, New York Lyric Opera Competition, and Metropolitan International Vocal Competition.
Thursday, November 21, 2024 at 7:00 pm
OLLI SOIKKELI & CAESAR GARABINI
Music partner: Steve’s Live Music
“Gypsy Jazz became an international musical dialect long ago. Olli Soikkeli, one of the most adept and resourceful contemporary guitarists in that still potent idiom, hails from Finland.”– The New Yorker
“Olli Soikkeli, a riveting Finnish guitarist who combines astonishing dexterity and speed with pure soul in a way that places him among the worthiest current day successors to the legacy of the great Django.” – The Wall Street Journal
Sunday, December 15, 2024 at 3:30 pm
Mikyung Sung, Double Bassist
Music partner: Roswell Music Club
Mikyung is one of the most beloved double bass soloists of today, inspiring to student bassists and audiences alike for her naturally expressive interpretations, bel canto phrasing, colorful range of timbres, luminous, yearning tone quality, and fearless virtuosity.
Since arriving in the US, Mikyung has performed with the Emory Chamber Music Society, gave a guest duet appearance with Nina DeCesare at UNCSA’s Double Bass Day, and appeared as soloist with the Atlanta Festival Youth Orchestra, as well as giving masterclasses at UNCSA and Kennesaw State University.
In the past Mikyung has performed as soloist with the Staatsorchester Rheinische Philharmonie, Philharmonie Baden-Baden, Seongnam Philharmonic, Colburn Orchestra (conducted by both Ludovic Morlot and Yehuda Gilad), Caesura Youth Orchestra (Los Angeles), Erato Ensemble (Korea), Philharmonia Corea, KNUA Orchestra, and Guri Philharmonic.
Mikyung was a principal bassist of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra in the 2018-19 season and taught at the Shanghai Orchestra Academy. She received her Artist Diploma from The Colburn School and BA from Korea National University of Arts.
Thursday, January 9, 2025 at 7:00 pm
Richard Smith
Music partner: Steve’s Live Music
Guitarist Richard Smith brings a repertoire of fingerpicking classics, originals, fiddle tunes, blues, Joplin rags, jazz standards, classical repertoire and everything from pop to Sousa marches!
- 1999 AFG Golden Thumbpick Award
- 2001 National Fingerstyle Guitar Champion
- 2008 Thumbpicker of the Year
- 2009 National Thumbpickers Hall of Fame Induction
Played with Chet Atkins, Les Paul, Nato Lima, Boots Randolph, Tommy Emmanuel, John Jorgenson, Marcel Dadi, Tommy Tedesco, Joe Pass, Biréli Lagrène, Mark O’Connor, Sam Bush, Stuart Duncan, Martin Taylor, Jorge Morel, Earl Klugh, Suzy Bogguss, Victor Wooten, John Cowan and countless more.
Thursday, February 13, 2025 at 7:00 pm
LAVAHI
Music partner: Steve’s Live Music
LAVAHI‘s acrobatic scatting, compelling chords, and art of improvisation set her contemporary sound apart from the norm of the mainstream. She has been featured at venues such as Blues Alley, Bethesda Blues and Jazz, City Winery, Dizzy’s, and St. James Live!, and has even stepped into the world of acting via musicals and stage plays. In addition to chart-topping collabs with an eclectic range of artists, LAVAHI has also released her own solo singles and has new music coming soon.
Sunday, February 16, 2025 at 3:30 pm
Denielle Wilson, Cellist
Music partner: Roswell Music Club
Denielle Wilson is a musician and educator from Lithonia, Georgia. She has taught privately and publicly, and performed in solo, chamber, and orchestral settings throughout the Atlanta, Chicago, and Charlotte metropolitan areas.
Her interest in a career as an orchestral musician began while spending five years in the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s Talent Development Program, studying with cellist Joel Dallow. She went on to receive her Bachelor’s degree in Cello Performance and Music Education from Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music, with her primary mentors being Hans Jørgen Jensen and Wei Yu.
More recently, Denielle completed her master’s degree through the Diversity Fellowship with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music.
Highlights from Past Performances
- In October 2021, we welcomed Jake Xerxes Fussell and band to our first concert under the stars at the Chattahoochee Nature Center. This Pop Up also marked our first performance that was funded in part by a grant from South Arts in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.
- The inaugural season of the RAF Pop Up Performance Series began with a standing room-only concert at the intimate Roswell Historic Cottage.
- Due to COVID-19, our plans changed but the show must go on and we quickly reimagined our events and transformed parking lots into safe, physically distant yet social spaces for artists and audiences.
- 1400 concert-goers joined us for in-person concerts coming from Roswell, Johns Creek, Alpharetta, Marietta, Smyrna, Decatur, and Atlanta.
- Another 2100 households tuned in for our first-ever live stream concert early in 2020.
- Headliners in 2020 included: Ed Roland (of Collective Soul), John Driskell Hopkins (of Zac Brown), Randall Bramblett Band, Acoustic Syndicate, Ruby Velle and Enrique Che (of Making Movies)
