Beyond the Notes Main Stage
Saturday, November 8th, 2025 - Sarah Whitney with Boyd Meets Girl
Beyond the Notes artistic director Sarah Whitney teams up with the Billboard chart-topping duo Boyd Meets Girl—Australian guitarist RupertBoyd and American cellist Laura Metcalf—for an eclectic program that blurs and redefines traditional genres. Expect music by Caroline Shaw, Maurice Ravel, Radiohead, and more delightful selections.
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Artists:
Sarah Whitney, founder - violin
Rupert Boyd - classical guitar
Laura Metcalf - celloDate and time:
Saturday, November 8th, 2025 at 7:30PM ESTLocation:
First Parish Church, 20 Lexington Road, Concord, MAPrelude music by students of the Concord Conservatory of Music will start at 7:15PM
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Boyd Meets Girl pairs Australian classical guitarist Rupert Boyd with American cellist Laura Metcalf. The duo has toured the world sharing their eclectic mix of music from Debussy and Bach to Radiohead and Beyoncé, and their two studio albums have received over 4 million streams on Spotify. Both acclaimed soloists in their own right, Boyd has been described as “truly evocative” by The Washington Post, and as "a player who deserves to be heard" by Classical Guitar Magazine, while Metcalf, who has also toured as a member of the popular chamber ensembles Eighth Blackbird, Break of Reality and Sybarite5, has been called "brilliant" by Gramophone. Boyd Meets Girl has toured throughout the USA, India, Nepal, New Zealand, and Australia, including engagements at Caramoor, Newport Classical, Festival Napa Valley, Austin Classical Guitar, Moab Music Festival and many others. The duo’s debut album, released on the Grammy award-winning label Sono Luminus, reached #3 on the Billboard charts, and received the following praise in Gramophone: “They play like one, with a harmony of purpose as sure as their intonation.” Their followup album, Songs of Love and Despair, was also praised in Gramophone as “Beguiling… fascinating… enchanting…”. In 2024, Boyd Meets Girl gave the world premiere performances of ANAHATA, a cello and guitar double concerto composed by the Grammy-nominated Clarice Assad, and commissioned for the duo by the Hartford Symphony Orchestra.
Saturday, March 21st, 2026 - Sarah Whitney with Trio Oko
Boston-based Trio Oko—praised for their “profound communication” and “thoughtful choices of timbre, articulation, dynamic contrast, and balance”—joins forces with Sarah Whitney for an unconventional Beyond the Notes concert. Featuring violinist Emma Powell, cellist Mina Kim, and harpist Charles Overton, the ensemble will present a vibrant program spanning Jacques Ibert, Jessie Montgomery, and more.
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Artists:
Sarah Whitney, founder - violin
Emma Powell - violin
Mina Kim - cello
Charles Overton - harpDate and time:
Saturday, March 21st, 2026 at 7:30PM EDTLocation:
First Parish Church, 20 Lexington Road, Concord, MAPrelude music by students of the Concord Conservatory of Music will start at 7:15PM
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“Three accomplished individuals playing as a seamless ensemble”
—The Boston Musical Intelligencer
Praised for their "profound communication," and "thoughtful choices of timbre, articulation, dynamic contrast, and balance," Trio Oko is a harp trio based in Boston consisting of violinist Emma Powell, cellist Mina Kim, and harpist Charles Overton. The three musicians met at Tanglewood Music Center in 2016 and united with a mutual belief in the power of music to create meaningful human connections to form Trio Oko. The ensemble aims to expand the harp trio repertoire by commissioning new works and arrangements. They intend to showcase the diverse capabilities inherent to this distinctive instrumentation.
Trio Oko shared the Japanese dish okonomiyaki (cooked by the master chef, Emma!) in their first rehearsal along with giggles (hence, Oko—) and happily committed to bringing joy to concert halls through their collaborations and friendship.
WHAT is Beyond the Notes?
Beyond the Notes is a unique concert experience like no other.
Started 11 years ago by Concord-native Sarah Whitney, this interactive concert experience changes perceptions of traditional classical concerts and deepens the connection between audience and performer.
In addition to presenting some of today’s most sought-after musicians, Beyond the Notes invites audience members to participate in the concert by submitting written questions to be answered live on stage by the performers.
WHAT are audience members saying about Beyond the Notes?
“Bold … edgy … totally engaging! Not to be missed!”
“An immersive experience ... fully embraces beyond the music!”
“Beyond the Notes is an unforgettable evening that expertly combines high artistic values with charm and personality!”
“Sarah’s programming draws everyone in from the get-go, and the evening flies by from there. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!”— Hilary Field Respass (Boston University Tanglewood Institute)