How exciting would it be to engage with top musicians during a live performance? At Beyond the Notes​, a long-running, uniquely interactive concert series, audience members can submit questions to performers and receive answers in real time. 

For this ninth season, Beyond the Notes is proud to present their next concert on November 16th at 7:30 PM at First Parish Church in Concord. Renowned violinist and Concord native Sarah Whitney will join members of AUREA ensemble for an eclectic concert that combines poetry with classical, folk and contemporary music. This audience-favorite program, titled Listen!, embraces the relationship of sound, nature, music and poetry. Enjoy music by Bach, Dohnanyi, Piazzolla, Caroline Shaw, as well as Chris Turner’s brilliant harmonica improvisations, illuminating words of Linda Pastan, Wendell Berry, Galway Kinnell, Federico Garcia Lorca and more. 

But Beyond the Notes is not just about the music—it’s about connection. Get ready to embark on a journey of discovery as the artists invite you to peek behind the curtain, sharing personal stories and insights that go beyond their bios. During the show, you'll have the chance to engage directly with the artists by submitting your questions, which will be answered live on stage. Artistic Director and Founder Sarah Whitney says, “Too often there is a boundary between the performers and the audience. Beyond the Notes is an experience that breaks down that wall.” This interactive element is just one of the features that makes Beyond the Notes unlike any other concert. To set the stage for this unique experience, prelude music will showcase students from the Concord Conservatory of Music, along with artwork from Powers Gallery.

Praised by The Washington Post for her “marvelous violin acrobatics,” Sarah Whitney is a widely recognized performer, teacher, speaker and Career Coach for Musicians. During her tenure as violinist and founding member of the acclaimed string quintet, SYBARITE5, she performed concerts worldwide, received the Concert Artists Guild Grand Prize and had three albums reach the top ten on the Billboard charts. She is also founder and artistic director of the interactive concert series, Beyond the Notes and her diverse career has included everything from performing at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center to sharing the stage with NAS, Adele and Ed Sheeran. As a soloist, She has collaborated with the Alvin Ailey and Jose Limon dance companies and is currently touring a solo violin and loop pedal show. Sarah is currently on the faculty of the Longy School of Music and has given lectures and masterclasses around the world, including at the Curtis Institute, The Juilliard School, New England Conservatory, Rice University and Oberlin Conservatory, among others. 

Are you ready to go beyond the ordinary? Join us on Saturday, November 16th at 7:30 PM for an unforgettable evening of music, innovation, and connection at Beyond the Notes. This is more than just a concert—it’s an experience you won’t soon forget.

Tickets are $30 per person and $15 for students when purchased in advance at gobeyondthenotes.com/tickets. Tickets will also be available at the door for $35 per person and $15 for students (cash or check only).

For more information, visit www.gobeyondthenotes.com.

Beyond the Notes is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization and supported in part by grants from the Concord Local Cultural Council and Acton-Boxborough Cultural Council - local agencies that are supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.