Guy Mendilow Ensemble

Guy Mendilow (Artistic Director; Voice, Piano, Musical Bow & Arrow)

Guy Mendilow was raised in an academic immigrant family devoted to crafting environments in which others are treated as respected equals worthy of full regard. For example, Guy’s maternal grandparents smuggled Jews out of WWII Hungary and founded a humanist home for “at-risk” youth premised on full societal integration, defying norms of institutional dependence. Likewise, when Jerusalem dismissed elders as irrelevant, Guy’s paternal grandmother formed Yad LaKashish (Lifeline for the Old) striving for Jewish and Arab elders’ dignity and inclusion, led by convictions that ongoing sense of purpose is vital for wellbeing, and that societies cannot be whole without both elders and youth.

Such values reflect in nationally touring original productions Guy writes/directs/performs since 1998 (e.g. Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, Martha’s Vineyard Performing Arts Center, Celebrity Series of Boston). These explore people’s real-world stories through live riveting scores, narration blending memoir and poetry, and theatrically projected sand animation. Guy’s productions have received multiple funding awards from the National Endowment for the Arts, The Boston Foundation and New England Foundation for the Arts on the basis of artistry, cultural preservation and the strengthening of communities through the arts.

Guy’s record with artistic experiences and processes that cultivate people’s feelings of being visible similarly stretches to childhood (e.g. joining one of Johannesburg’s only integrated churches at Apartheid’s height; touring domestically/internationally with the American Boychoir starting age 10). Perspectives grew through undergraduate focus on leadership and sustainability (Oberlin College; Jerome Davis Research Award) and masters research on improvisation as a mediation precursor with Arab/Israeli educators (Longy School of Music, Cambridge MA). Guy earned Dalcroze Education certification (Longy School of Music) and is candidate for the Dalcroze License, the highest Dalcroze degree obtainable in North America (Dalcroze School of Music & Movement, Dallas TX)

Synthesizing three generations of family principles and social psychology research with artistic and educational acumen also informs residency design/facilitation from the Navajo Reservation and rural Midwest to universities across the US since 1996. Guy partners with leaders in civic, cultural and entrepreneurship spheres to craft situations in which others feel more accepted and understood through multimedia artistic processes and experiences.
A citizen of Israel, UK and USA, Guy now calls Boston home.

Courtney Swain (Voice, Bass, Piano)

A native of Japan, Courtney Swain began her music career in 2008 when she landed in Boston, MA. Most recognized as the singer and keyboard player of Boston band Bent Knee, she has released five albums with the group, in addition to four albums under her solo project.

In the last decade, touring and performing has taken her many times around North America, across the Atlantic to Europe, and to her native country, Japan. As a vocalist she has been featured in Mortal Kombat 11, as well as in collaborations with HAKEN, Car Bomb, Childish Japes, Gatherers, Apartment Sessions, Jocie Adams, Elder Flux, Video Game Orchestra, and more. Swain recently composed the music for Noisefloor, an evening-length dance piece commissioned by Palaver Strings and Little House Dance of Portland ME. She was awarded a Fellowship from the Rhode Island Foundation’s Robert & Margaret MacColl Johnson Fellowship

Courtney graduated from Berklee College of Music as a vocalist with a dual degree in Classical Composition and Contemporary Writing & Production. A Rhode Islander since 2015, Courtney also works as a pianist/keyboardist and music director for Trinity Rep, Brown University, Theater by the Sea, Wilbury Group, University of Rhode Island.

Chris Baum (Violin)

Chris Baum is a contemporary violinist, composer, and educator who “ushers the violin into fresh sonic territory” (NPR). A pioneer of modern string technique, his strength lies in his versatility, consistently pushing boundaries while molding his playing to fit ensembles and genres often deemed unsuitable for the instrument. The Boston Globe calls him “viciously talented… teemed with color and creativity.” Trained in a demanding classical environment, Chris expanded his musical vocabulary at Berklee College of Music, where he graduated with honors with a degree in film scoring and composition. Baum’s list of credits includes collaborations with Bent Knee, The Dear Hunter, Leprous, Ben Levin, Thirty Seconds to Mars, Amanda Palmer, Dropkick Murphys, Richard Henshall, Symmetry, Art Decade, Jherek Bischoff, and the Video Game Orchestra.