Bloodlines Interwoven 2025/26

ABOUT

Bloodlines Interwoven is a collaborative commissioning and performance project that brings together groups of artists from diverse cultural backgrounds to share their family histories, compose music that engages with these collective histories, and premiere the resulting new works for the public. Created by artistic director Kaoru Watanabe with generous support from the Mellon Foundation and the Baryshnikov Arts Center, Bloodlines Interwoven employs a novel and intensive storytelling and music-making process to explore and celebrate our different lived experiences and reveal, in the end, the beauty of their intrinsic interconnectedness.

Following an electrifying inaugural week-long Bloodlines Interwoven Festival—which took place in June 2024 and featured artist talks, workshops in traditional and contemporary music, evening-length concerts with world premieres by acclaimed composers, late-night fireside music-making, and curated storytelling and discussion sessions presented by Baryshnikov Arts—Bloodlines now prepares for its second iteration. This new season will include performances at Joe’s Pub, National Sawdust, the Cervantino International Festival in Guanajuato, Mexico, and the Big Ears Festival in Knoxville, TN.

Bloodlines Interwoven is produced by THE OFFICE performing arts + film.

Featured artists

Cyro Baptista, Sunny Jain, Marika Hughes, Fay Victor, Kweku Sumbry, Gamin, Mafer Bandola, Kaoru Watanabe, Séamus Egan, Yuniya Edi Kwon, Shahzad Ismaily

Upcoming Performances

October 1, 2025 - Joe’s Pub, New York

October 12, 2025 - The Cervantino International Festival, Guanajuato, Mexico

January 29, 2026 - National Sawdust, New York

February 25, 2026 - National Sawdust, New York

March 26-29, 2026 - Big Ears Festival, Knoxville, TN

Of Smoke, Fire, and Family 2024

Bloodlines Interwoven 2024 Wrapup

October 09, 2024

I can say unequivocally that it was the most profound, humbling, joyous, and gratifying experience of my 25 years as a professional musician. If it's any indication of how heavy it was for me, it was the first time I've ever sobbed uncontrollably both during a rehearsal and in front of an audience! Brother Nasheet embracing me tightly and saying over and over, "We're doing the work, this is the work" is a moment I will never forget. 

It was not only super heavy but also incredibly joyful and cathartic. The highs and lows were intense, with laughter and tears coming back to back throughout the six-month process. 

For now, the most important thing before setting my sights on next year's festival is that I give my thanks to the many people who made this one possible:

The expert team at Baryshnikov Arts: Ashley, Natasha, Lydia, Tyler, Alex, Jesse, Chani, Pedja, Raphael, Dylan, all the tireless interns, and especially Sonja, who initiated the whole project and guided it to fruition.

The beautiful souls at Mellon Foundation, champions of creating social justice through art

The Kaatsbaan staff, led by Tricia and Ash, and all the volunteers who provided the space and created a welcoming atmosphere

Brother Marc, Mike, and the Firehouse Production crew, whose expertise brought the sights and sounds from the stage to the audience with clarity and soul.

Dan, Lisa, Jennifer, Deborah, and Quinn- all ingenious artists and masterful storytellers whose keen sensibilities perfectly matched the project.

My Bloodlines artist family: Martha, Mino, Maeve, Matt, Adam (O'Farrill), Amir, Alicia, Layale, Jen, Susie, Rajna, Nasheet, Du Yun, Jeff and Bloodlines extended artist family of Adam (Rudolph), Stephen, Hassan, Alex, Arun, Trina, Damon, Sameer, Imani, Samora, Amanda, Chris, Abdurrahim, Chikako and Aya.

Yurie, in addition to cooking over ten meals for between 10 and 20 people each meal over six days, was, as always, an artistic advisor and an emotional rock throughout the process.

Misha offered constant support, invaluable wisdom, and gentle guidance while never imposing his ideas. He had enough faith in the work to allow his name to be stamped on the top of the poster. 

Onward and upward. Look out for word on Bloodlines Interwoven 2025!

Bloodlines Interwoven Fourth Gathering 3/29

April 02, 2024

日本語は下です。

Last Friday, the latest Bloodlines Interwoven Gathering occurred at Baryshnikov Arts, and something powerful was in the air. Thoughts of family, friends, and ancestors weighed heavily on many of us, and tears were flowing almost from the moment people walked through the door. There was something cathartic and healing happening as we convened in the morning. Many of us were dealing with some heavy issues but felt protected and cared for enough that people opened up completely to each other. We took our time getting into the group activities as people collected themselves. We took that time to prepare some music and our instruments. We did some spontaneous group improvisations, which very beautifully dovetailed into a collaboration with the sounds of passing NYFD fire engine sirens.

The great Mino Cinelu joined us for the first time. Martha, Alicia, Amir, Matt, Jen, Susie, Layale, and I were treated to many stories from his family, life, and career. Then Susie showed us some rhythms used in traditional processions in Philippine folk traditions, and Jen led us through some guided improvisations that had us moving, singing, and playing in ways that took us far outside of our comfort zones and greatly heightened our awareness of others.

Over the last few weeks, I've had inspiring conversations with the Bloodlines artists about programming the festival. The breadth of ideas and creativity shown in various approaches have been remarkable. Along with great song ideas, proposals include sound installations, interactive use of film, string, stage settings, movement, and conduction to engage with memory, geography, and nature in surprising and beautiful ways. 

In the next few weeks, we will be diving deep into compositions, fleshing out ideas, and exploring the enormous palettes of sound each musician possesses. 

先週の金曜日にバリシニコフ・アーツで開かれた3回目のBloodlines Interwoven Gathering（今回のフェスティバルのディアスポラアーティストたちの集会）は、まるで空気そのものが力に満ち溢れているかのようでした。家族や友人、そして先祖たちの思い出が僕たちの心に深く刻まれ、集まったミュージシャン達はスタジオの入口を潜るなり、感情に溢れる涙を見せました。その朝、僕たちが集まった瞬間から、何かが心を浄化し、癒やしをもたらす不思議な力が働いているようでした。重たい問題を背負いながらも、互いに守られ、気遣われる中で、ミュージシャン達は心を完全に開き合うことができました。集まった僕たちは、静かに時間をかけて心を整えながら、グループ活動へと進みました。その準備時間には、音楽や楽器を整えました。僕たちの即興のグループ演奏は、ニューヨークの消防車のサイレンの音と美しく調和し合いました。

今回初めて私たちに加わったミノ・シネルの存在は壮大でした。マーサ、アリシア、アミール、マット、ジェン、スージー、ラヤル、そして僕は、彼の家族や人生、キャリアについての様々な話に耳を傾けました。続いて、スージーがフィリピンの民族伝統に見られる伝統的な行列で使われるリズムを紹介し、ジェンに導かれた即興演奏を通じて、僕たちは自分の快適ゾーンから大きく一歩踏み出し、互いの存在をより深く感じさせる動きや歌、演奏に挑戦しました。

ここ数週間、Bloodlinesのアーティストたちと話し合ったフェスティバルのプログラム案は、本当に刺激的でした。提案されたアイデアや創造性の広がりは、さまざまなアプローチからも際立っています。素晴らしい楽曲のアイデアだけでなく、音響インスタレーション、映像のインタラクティブな活用、舞台装置、動き、そして記憶、地理、自然と対話するための独自の方法など、想像を超える提案がなされています。

これから数週間、僕たちは作曲に深く没頭し、アイデアを肉付け、各ミュージシャンが持つ豊かな音色を混ぜ合わせ、パレットを広げていきます。

Bloodlines Interwoven Update

March 12, 2024

日本語は下にあります。

So far, throughout three seven-hour-long sessions, twelve artists have gathered to share the stories of our families going back generations and centuries, traversing East Timor, India, Palestine, the Philippines, Iraq, Taiwan, North Carolina, Havana, Tokyo, Edinburgh, Beirut, Rome, Maryland, Syracuse, Sado, East Village, Walnut Grove, Harlem, and on and on… our people who lived through wars, poverty, slavery, violence, occupation, genocide, colonization, depopulation, as well as peace, prosperity, and bubble economies, who criss-crossed the globe for work, education, research, family, safety, religious devotion and for freedom. There were doctors, nurses, politicians, journalists, activists, scientists, farmers, nuns, scholars, bankers, teachers, masons, fashion designers, businesspeople, poets, singers, dancers and musicians who contended with identity, language, dialects, community, race, religion, belief, patriarchy, matriarchy, rejection, acceptance, failure, betrayal, honor, pride, hatred, resentment, religion, family, erasure, appropriation, assimilation, adaptation, transformation, and forgiveness in their own ways.

As we process these conversations, the second phase will be transforming these narratives into music through composition, improvisation, visualization and storytelling.

As artistic director of this project, I’m overwhelmed with gratitude to all the artists and the beautiful folks at Baryshnikov Arts who are making this dream a reality with a huge thank you to @mellonfoundation for making this possible.

The Bloodlines Interwoven Gatherings are held at @baryshnikovartscenter in New York City.

バリシニコフアーツとBloodlines Interwoven Festival （ブラッドラインズ・インターウーヴン・フェス ティバル）を開催します！ 僕がディレクターを勤めことになった「ブラッドラインズ・インターウーヴン・フェスティバル」が、世界各地にルーツを持つ15人のNY在住アーティスト達と共に、それぞれが受け継ぐ歴史や家族の物語を撚り合わせ、未来に紡ぐ旅を開始しました。 Bloodlines Interwovenという名称は、文字通りには、「相互に絡み合った血の繋がり」という意味です。でも、それ以上に、異なる文化や歴史的背景を持つ人々が互いに結びつき、その交流を通じて新しい芸術や表現が誕生する”過程”を象徴しています。 僕らは、このユニークなフェスの第一段階である「集い」の過程に入っています。これまでのところ、3回にわたる7時間のセッションを通して、東ティモールから、パレスチナ、フィリピン、イラク、台湾、キューバ、日本、スコットランド、アイルランド、レバノン、イタリア、アメリカ（メリーランド、シラキュース、イーストビレッジ、ウォルナットグローブ、ノースカロライナ、ハーレムなど）まで、地球のあちらこちらを渡り歩いてきた僕たちの家族の物語を、世代や世紀を遡って共有しました。戦争、貧困、奴隷制、暴力、占領、ジェノサイド、植民地化、人口減少、平和、繁栄、バブル経済を経験し、仕事や教育、研究、家族、安全、宗教的献身、自由のために地球を横断した私たちの先祖たちが、世界中で経験したすべてを通じて、彼らが向き合った世界を旅していきます。 このプロジェクトで僕が声を掛けたアーティスト達の先祖は、医師、看護師、政治家、ジャーナリスト、活動家、科学者、農家、修道女、学者、銀行員、教師、石工、ファッションデザイナー、実業家、詩人、歌手、ダンサー、ミュージシャンと多岐にわたる職業を持つ人々で、彼らのアイデンティティ、言語、信念、そして家族との関係を、「集い」で探求しています。 彼らの物語は、文化や伝統、コミュニティ、人種、宗教、信念、父権制、母権制、拒絶、受容、失敗、裏切り、名誉、誇り、憎しみ、恨み、宗教、家族、消去、横取り、同化、適応、変革、赦し、。。いった僕らが今も抱えるテーマを通して語られています。 今、僕たちはこれらの深い会話を音楽に変える第二段階に入ろうとしています。 作曲、即興演奏、視覚化、そして物語を通じて、これらの生きた歴史を新たな形で表現します。 この夢を現実のものとするために力を尽くしてくれているミハイル・バリシニコフさんとバリシニコ フ・アーツの皆さん、そしてサポートをしてくれるメロン財団@mellonfoundationに、心から感謝を捧げます。 この魅力的な「集い」は、ニューヨーク市の@baryshnikovartscenterで実施しています。

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