FIRST FRIDAY CONCERT SERIES
~children are welcome~
First Friday of the month, September - May
7:00 PM
SADIE GUSTAFSON-ZOOK
September 5th, 2025
“She uses her voice with the precision of an instrument, leaping between registers and outlining jazz chords, all with grace and ease...” - No Depression
With a pure and agile voice reminiscent of Joni Mitchell, Sadie Gustafson-Zook’s hummable melodies balance with witty lyrics and intricate guitar playing to create charmingly honest and relatable music. A skilled performer, Sadie’s writing tackles internal and taboo subjects while holding the audience with warmth and levity. Sadie’s songs have been endorsed by some of the most respected songwriting contests in the country. On Sadie’s most recent EP “What I Pushed Below” (November 2024), romantic-era chamber orchestra parts orchestrate a trio of songs about the inevitable re-emergence of suppressed emotions.
THOMAS WALKER JR., Lute
and SARAH Jackson, Soprano
October 3rd, 2025
Thomas Walker, Jr. started classical guitar lessons at age 10. He became captivated by the fingerstyle work of Leo Kottke, John Fahey, & others and spent many years playing and composing in that style. He returned to classical music in college, studying both classical guitar and music theory. He bought his first lute in 1992 and began studies with Phillip Rukavina not long thereafter. Since then, Thomas has performed with Phillip, Ensemble Polaris, Consortium Carissimi, Sprezzatura, Lute2Viols, the Rose Ensemble, the Bold North Baroque Opera, and the Venere Lute Quartet, as well as with local lutenists Paul Berget and Edward Martin.
Sarah Jackson, a native of the Twin Cities, has been devoted to Early Music since falling in love with the music of Bach as a child. She makes frequent appearances in music series across the Twin Cities, including the Lute Café, Twin Cities Early Music Festival, and Chamber at the Chapel. She has appeared with Consortium Carissimi, Aurora Ensemble, Glorious Revolution Baroque, and the Central Coast Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company.
MARY LOUISE KNUTSON
November 7th, 2025
A rare opportunity to hear Mary Louise in an intimate solo piano concert!
Jazz pianist-composer Mary Louise Knutson has been called "one of the most exciting artists to happen to jazz piano in quite some time." Her warm, inviting tone, broad range of emotional expression, and distinctive compositions have brought her much recognition on the national music scene. Knutson performs, records, and tours with her group, the Mary Louise Knutson Trio, and freelances with area vocalists, notably Connie Evingson and Patty Peterson (and formerly with the late Debbie Duncan); and with a variety of instrumental groups including the JazzMN Orchestra and the Minnesota Orchestra. From 2010-2018, Knutson toured with trumpeter Doc Severinsen, former bandleader for the Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson. Check out her music on Spotify, Pandora, Apple Music, or Amazon Music.
REBECCA MERBLUM, Cello
December 5th, 2025
Rebecca is an artist wearing the hats of performer, colleague, educator, collaborator, mentor, and mother. Her work centers around the practice of proximity as a means of forging connection, healing fractures, and holding multiple truths. She sees her main task is that of a listener - giving sound to that which lives within. Rebecca’s Target Center Residency at the Weisman Museum- Cello Conversations ‘What Do You Hear’ served as a thread for these consistent curiosities around the practice of listening as it relates to proximity and advocacy. This ethos was reflected in Rebecca’s work with MacPhail’s Global Music Initiative, and currently lives with her Co Director position of the Kenya International Chamber Music Festival, collaborative efforts with artists of all disciplines, and as a guest with the St Paul Chamber Orchestra. Rebecca was recognized for the breadth of her work with a 2022-2023 McKnight Fellowship Grant.
BOREALIS
February 6th. 2025
Borealis is a dynamic tenor-bass chamber ensemble from Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus, dedicated to creating powerful musical experiences that inspire and uplift. With a passion for artistry and a commitment to inclusivity, Borealis performs a diverse repertoire that spans historic, contemporary, and cultural genres of choral music. This 20-voice ensemble sings Bach to Bologna. Through heartfelt (and sometimes comical) performances, community engagement, and a mission to promote equality and belonging, Borealis uses the power of music to connect, heal, and celebrate the voices of all.
UNCLE KENNY
March 6th, 2026
A four-piece string band featuring some of the most talented pickers in the twin cities, Uncle Kenny performs a tasteful blend of bluegrass, old time, classic country, jazz, and whatever else they want! After a number of shared gigs and informal living room jams, Nate Baker (Daniels & Baker), Rachel Calvert (Barbaro, Triple Fiddle), Willie Christianson (Brotherhood of Birds, Ryan Gebhart), and Mike Hedding (Pistol Whippin’ Party Penguins, The Katey Bellville Band) decided they enjoyed playing together so much, it was time to form a proper band. Combining thoughtful, dynamic arrangements with blistering hot instrumentals and perfectly blended vocal harmonies, Uncle Kenny stays faithful to a traditional sound…with enough twists and turns to keep contemporary audiences on the edge of their seats.
JUSTIN SPENNER, Baritone
April 3rd, 2026
“A wild and anxious ride”(Star Tribune) - multi-genre baritone Justin Anthony Spenner is known for their captivating work that runs the gamut of opera, chamber music, experimental music, pop, and metal.
LADY SPRUCE
May 1st, 2026
Lady Spruce is a dynamic female group from Minneapolis, MN. Influenced in equal parts by 20th century Appalachia (Ola Belle) and contemporary Americana (I’m With Her), the group plays and sings original songs, traditional folk, instrumental medleys, and novel arrangements. They opened for Grammy-winning bluegrass artist Michael Cleveland in March 2020 and won 3rd place at the Minnesota State Fair Bands Contest in August 2019. The artistic aims of the group are empowerment of female artists, inventive string playing, and the education of young artists.