George Ensle
A member of Houston's 1960s folk music scene, George has been performing for over 50 years. His focus is always on uplifting the listener, and he tailors each concert to connect with audiences of all ages, using his extensive repertoire and showmanship to deliver a concert filled with poignancy and a healthy dose of wit and wisdom. At festivals, nursing homes, schools, libraries, churches, theaters, concert halls, listening rooms, and house concerts, his shows include original story songs mixed with country, gospel, and folk standards. His performances range from solo to duo, trio, or full band, and he offers songwriting workshops for songwriters at all levels. George has served as Texas artist in residence, won numerous songwriting awards, been nominated Songwriter of the Year by the Texas Music Academy, released 15 albums, and been inducted into the Houston Folk Music Archives at Rice University. His original song, Build A Bridge was adopted by the Build a Bridge Foundation for Healing through the Arts. George is a strong believer in the healing power of music, and whether playing a festival or an intimate concert for one in hospice, his mission is always to deliver the message of hope. Photo by Ira Hantz.
contact
George Ensle
PO Box 732
San Marcos, TX 78667
phone 512-560-6157
phone#2
e-mail george@georgeensle.com
public performance/concert $500 - $2,500
school performance $400 - $1,500
workshop fees $400 - $800
travel/per diem/lodging $100 - $700
website http://www.GeorgeEnsle.com
Guy Forsyth
Guy Forsyth migrated to Austin in 1990, quickly making his musical mark. As a regular onstage at Antone’s, he formed the Asylum Street Spankers, went solo, formed the Hot Nut Riveters and a blues band, toured the world, won many Austin Music Awards (winning 2019 honors for Best Blues/Soul/Funk Band and Best Miscellaneous Instrument-harmonica, and 2018’s Best Male Vocals award) and toured the world some more. He’s toured the globe and shared stages with acts like Ray Charles, B.B. King, and Lucinda Williams. Guy regularly performs in solo/duo/blues band or string band configuration(s). Mixing humor, irreverence, devotion, and deep knowledge of musical history, he’s earned his status as one of the city’s top talents— a status he now proudly shares with his favorite partner, his wife, Jeska Bailey Forsyth. Their newest release, Conspirators, rose to #1 Song of the Month and #5 Top CD of the Month in July 2019 on the Folk DJ radio chart. As co-conspirators in life and song, they’ve proven that the whole can indeed be even greater than the sum of its formidable parts. As a proud TCA Texas Touring Roster member, they have traveled the state to present educational programs at schools and libraries. Photo by Rene Maldonada.
contact
KT Gardner
4505 Bull Creek Rd
Austin, TX 78731
phone 512-207-0825
phone#2 512-207-0825
e-mail ktrootstock@gmail.com
public performance/concert $1,200 - $7,500
school performance $900 - $2,000
workshop fees $900 - $3,500
travel/per diem/lodging $0 - $1,500
website https://www.guyforsyth.com
State Artist Emily Gimble
Emily Gimble has been singing and playing on-stage since she was seven years old. Piano beckoned Emily early on—the Austin Music Awards named her “Best Keyboards” of the city four times (2013, 2014, 2018, & 2019)—as did her voice, full of natural range and feeling. “A Case of the Gimbles,” the 2005 album she recorded with her father and grandfather, showcased her vocals and launched Emily on a national family tour. With the Marshall Ford Band, Emily focused on western swing, and with Warren Hood and the Goods, she explored jazz, country, folk and pop. In 2014, Emily joined Asleep at the Wheel. With them, she played “Austin City Limits” twice and recorded a duet with one of her idols, Merle Haggard. In 2017 she released “Certain Kinda,” her debut solo album. She continues to tour on her own; with her family band, the Gimbles; and with artists like Amy Helm, Floyd Domino, and Hayes Carll. Photo by Ashleigh Amoroso.
contact
Emily Gimble
Austin, TX
phone
phone#2
e-mail mlegimble@gmail.com
public performance/concert $1,500 - $7,000
school performance $500 - $1,200
workshop fees $700 - $1,200
website http://www.emilygimble.com/
Glass Half Full Theatre
Glass Half Full Theatre was lauded by the Austin-American Statesman for their 'inventive blend of puppetry and physical storytelling that employs gestures and expressions in tandem with props and sets to convey the narrative along with a variety of puppetry techniques.' Based in Austin, the company's current touring roster features sophisticated shows for multigenerational audiences includes the critically acclaimed Cenicienta: A Bilingual Cinderella Story, which won Best New Play from Austin Critic's Table and launches a national tour at the Kennedy Center in April 2021. The story features Belinda, an emerging Latina poet who uses her considerable imagination to re-enact the story of Cinderella through object theater (puppetry with everyday objects). Also on offer this season are Trash Talk with Polly Mermaid, a new interactive show that inspires audiences to divert plastic waste from landfills, Once There Were Six Seasons, which demonstrates effects of climate change on cultures and features 'tiny puppets, ingenious sets made of recycled materials, and gorgeous music from around the world,' and The Circus, a silent clown and puppet show featuring the underclass performers at a circus. Glass Half Full is known for their 'precise, engaging, and humorous' approach to real-world issues and imaginative solutions. Photo by Michael Ferstenfeld.
contact
Caroline Reck
1119 Omega St
Austin, TX 78721
phone 347-907-5428
phone#2 512-541-9192
e-mail caroline@GlassHalfFullTheatre.com
public performance/concert $500 - $3,000
school performance $500 - $2,000
workshop fees $250 - $1,000
travel/per diem/lodging $500 - $2,500
website http://www.GlassHalfFullTheatre.com
The Grand Ol' Production Company
The Grand Ol’ Production Company provides true-blue, all-American, always Texan musical variety shows with original scripts that will have audiences laughing, crying, singing along, and coming back year after year. Each show draws the audience in with its unique 'progressive nostalgia,' capturing Baby Boomers and Millennials alike with tunes and laughs that revive personal experiences and memories at every stop. The performances combine musical genres across opera, Americana, blues, jazz, gospel, and country, to name a few. In 2019, the Grand Ol’ Production Company toured nine cities across Texas with two dozen shows between The Grand Ol’ American Radio Show and The Grand Ol’ Christmas Show. In 2021 they will premiere The Grand Ol' Texas Show and The Grand Ol' Halloween Show to audiences across our great state. Additionally, the Grand Ol' Production Company produces customized shows for municipalities to celebrate historical milestones, anniversaries, and festivals. Photo provided by artists.
contact
William Hearn
1630 Bayram Drive
Houston, TX 77055
phone 979-373-1009
phone#2 979-583-2221
e-mail will@goshowproductions.com
public performance/concert $13,500 - $20,000
school performance $12,000 - $15,000
travel/per diem/lodging $2,000 - $3,000
website https://www.goshowproductions.com
Great Promise for American Indians
Since 2004, Great Promise for American Indians has performed across the state of Texas with the mission of preserving the traditions, heritage and culture of American Indians. Their culturally authentic programs are both entertaining and informative. Traditions, stories, and history come alive through song and dance. Audiences are introduced to the sights and sounds of the modern-day powwow which is still a relevant and disciplined form of artistic and cultural expression. Dance styles and regalia are explained and demonstrated. Narration, live singing and drumming, and audience participation enhances the overall experience. Programs Director and individual artist Nan Blassingame (Cheyenne/Arapaho), an accomplished dancer and craftsperson, is also available for craft and dance workshops. Nan offers educational programs that feature hands-on participation and the sharing of her talents and experiences on a personal level with audiences of all ages. Great Promise programs are flexible and tailored to the needs of the presenter ranging from one artist to a larger group. Presentation size, time length, and content can be adapted to fit most events, venues, audiences, and budgets. School and classroom programs compliment Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills standards for arts, music, and social studies. Photo by Great Promise for American Indians.
contact
Jessica Scott
3710 Cedar St., Box 19
Austin, TX 78705
phone 202-441-3197
phone#2 512-371-0628
e-mail jnotts4@hotmail.com
public performance/concert $500 - $2,500
school performance $300 - $1,500
workshop fees $300 - $2,500
travel/per diem/lodging $100 - $2,000
website http://www.austinpowwow.net
Grupo Fantasma
A nine-piece collective formed in 2000 in Austin, Grupo Fantasma has been praised as one of the most important independent acts in the Latin genre. In 2011, they garnered further acclaim by winning a GRAMMY (their second nomination) for the self-produced El Existential which the Wall Street Journal praised as 'Latin music both new and traditional…vibrant fusions that transcend easy classification.' The band’s live show, declared by NPR as 'seamless whenever and wherever they’re on stage' has brought the band to major festivals internationally including Bonnaroo, Austin City Limits, North Sea Jazz Festival, Montreal Jazz Festival, WOMEX, WOMAD, etc. The group has performed two tours to Kuwait and Iraq to entertain US troops and state department cultural-exchange tours of Pakistan, Russia, Turkey, and Qatar. Additionally, the group has appeared on Austin City Limits television three times and has collaborated with artists such as Prince, GZA (of Wu-tang Clan), Spoon, and Daniel Johnston, among others. Their most recent album, American Music Vol. VII, was released in March 2019 on the Texas-based Blue Corn Music label. Grupo Fantasma can perform original music from their seven albums as well as collaborate with artists, expanded big-band lineups as well as offering workshops and clinics. Photo provided by the artist.
contact
Andrew Hall
Austin, TX 78704
phone 512-312-9350
phone#2
e-mail andrew@truegrittalent.com
public performance/concert $5,000 - $10,000
school performance $3,000 - $10,000
workshop fees $1,500 - $4,000
travel/per diem/lodging $300 - $2,000
website https://www.grupofantasma.com/
Guadalupe Dance Company
The Guadalupe Dance Company (GDC), founded in 1991, is the professional dance ensemble of the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center, where it regularly presents the regional dances of Mexico and the Flamenco rhythms of Spain. Committed to maintaining its rich cultural traditions and artistic excellence, the GDC commissions international choreographers for the creation of new works. The GDC is available for public performances, school lecture-demonstrations, and group workshops. Performances can include live music by Mariachi Azteca de America, the resident mariachi of the Guadalupe, as well as various flamenco musicians. The GDC offers three production variations: Celebrando Tradiciones features traditional folklorico dances of the many colorful and vibrant regions of Mexico with dancers deeply immersed in the art form; Alma Flamenco is a soulful journey to the dance and music of Spain featuring sophisticated rhythms and choreography; Rio Bravo is a unique and original dance production offered exclusively by GDC: five dance suites explore the cultural exchanges between south Texas and Mexico from pre-Columbian times to the present day. Suites include Texas-based indigenous pieces, Mexican folklorico dance, European-influenced dances, and modern-day Tejano and cumbia dance and music. Rio Bravo is a perfect program for Hispanic Heritage Month or Texas history presentations. Photo by Edward Benavides.
contact
Jeannette Chavez
723 S. Brazos St
San Antonio, TX 78207
phone 210-271-3151
phone#2
e-mail jeannettec@guadalupeculturalarts.org
public performance/concert $3,500 - $9,500
school performance $1,500 - $3,500
workshop fees $1,500 - $2,500
travel/per diem/lodging $1,500 - $5,000
website http://www.guadalupeculturalarts.org
State Artist Laurie Ann Guerrero
Laurie Ann Guerrero, 2016 Texas State Poet Laureate, was born and raised in the Southside of San Antonio. She holds a B.A. in English Language & Literature from Smith College, where she received the Academy of American Poets Prize, and an MFA in poetry from Drew University. Her first full-length collection, A Tongue in the Mouth of the Dying, received the 2012 Andrés Montoya Poetry Prize and an International Latino Book Award, and was listed as one of 14 must-read works of Chicano literature by Rigoberto Gonzalez. Guerrero’s work has also been honored with the Panhandler Chapbook Award, and grants from the Artist Foundation of San Antonio and the Alfredo Cisneros del Moral Foundation. In 2014, Guerrero and was appointed poet laureate of San Antonio by Mayor Julian Castro. Her latest collection, A Crown for Gumecindo, was released by Aztlan Libre Press in spring 2015.
contact
Laurie Ann Guerrero
San Antonio, TX 78223
phone 210-818-2147
phone#2
e-mail Lguerrero@alumnae.smith.edu
public performance/concert TBD
website http://www.laurieannguerrero.com
2020 Gurwitz International Piano Competition Winner and Finalists
The Gurwitz International Piano Competition is the latest iteration of the esteemed San Antonio International Piano Competition (SAIPC), now under the production and artistic direction of Musical Bridges Around the World (MBAW) and its founder and CEO, Dr. Anya Grokhovski. Under MBAW’s leadership, the competition has undergone a visionary transformation to incorporate innovative partnerships with internationally renowned artists, newly commissioned work for piano and world instruments, and a world music repertoire outside the classical canon. In 2018 the Gurwitz was accepted as a member of the prestigious Geneva, Switzerland-based World Federation of International Music Competitions, putting the competition squarely in the world spotlight. For the Gurwitz 2020, a panel of distinguished judges led by Jury Chairman Sebastian Lang-Lessing, Music Director of the San Antonio Symphony Orchestra, selected 12 finalists from a field of 76 applicants hailing from 21 nations. From this field, three achieved the honor of being finalists: Jiale Li from People’s Republic of China, Yedam Kim from South Korea, and Leonardo Colafelice from Italy. These incredibly talented young pianists represent the future of world-class piano, demonstrating extraordinary skill, artistry, and versatility across a variety of formats and styles, celebrating cultural diversity. Photo provided by artists.
contact
Elena Portnaya
23705 IH-10 West, Suite 101
San Antonio, TX 78257
phone 210-464-1534
phone#2
e-mail elenaportnaya@yahoo.com
public performance/concert $2,500 - $3,500
school performance $500 - $1,200
workshop fees $500 - $1,200
travel/per diem/lodging $800 - $2,200
website https://www.musicalbridges.org
Graham Reynolds
Called 'the quintessential modern composer' by the London Independent, Austin-based composer-bandleader-improviser Graham Reynolds creates, performs, and records music for film, theater, dance, rock clubs and concert halls with collaborators ranging from Richard Linklater and Jack Black to DJ Spooky and Ballet Austin. He recently scored Where'd You Go Bernadette, with Cate Blanchett; the Rude Mechs' Stop Hitting Yourself, for Lincoln Center Theater; Ballet Austin's Grimm Tales; Happy Jail for Netflix; and a multi-year commission from Ballroom Marfa, The Marfa Triptych. From improvised workshop series, small watering holes to large scale performances such as Mozart's Requiem Undead, Reynolds' touring offerings are extensive, adaptable, and include commissions and scores. His Creative Capital Award-winning project, Pancho Villa From a Safe Distance, is a bilingual cross-border opera about the enigmatic general, legendary bandit, and hero of the Mexican Revolution, providing a lens into Mexico, the border, and the relationship between communities of both nations. Other touring options include an original live score for Alfred Hitchcock's The Lodger, the jazz-based but far reaching Golden Arm Trio, the Marfa Country & Western Big Band Suite, as well as commissions, private performances, workshops, or master classes, whether as a solo artist or a group. Photo by Bill McCullough.
contact
David Lobel
5811 Berkman Dr, Ste 132
Austin, TX 78723
phone 512-785-3783
phone#2
e-mail david@lobelarts.com
public performance/concert $1,500 - $100,000
school performance $1,200 - $12,000
workshop fees $1,200 - $10,000
travel/per diem/lodging $150 - $10,000
website https://www.grahamreynolds.com