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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260412T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260412T160000
DTSTAMP:20260411T043236
CREATED:20260127T165433Z
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SUMMARY:PGHwrites: Free Association Reading Series with Faith Barrett\, Jessica Lanay\, Frank Lehner & Joy Priest
DESCRIPTION:The Free Association Reading Series\, founded by Pat Hart and Marc Nieson\, showcases local writers sharing newly written work and works-in-progress. This month’s reading spotlights writers Faith Barrett\, Jessica Lanay\, Frank Lehner\, and Joy Priest. \n“Free Association readings began in 2016 for established and emerging writers of fiction\, poetry\, and nonfiction\,” explains Pat. “As the name implies\, Free Association is not affiliated with a university or writing program but is for all\, for established and emerging writers of fiction\, poetry\, and nonfiction.” \nPat was inspired to start this series after watching a low-quality recording of a Flannery O’Connor reading on YouTube. “You couldn’t even really see Flannery\, but the audience reaction was gripping; they laughed with her when it was funny\, and they went dead silent at the horror. It was such a powerful experience for the audience and for her as well\,” said Pat. \nPat is no stranger to the fact that writing can be very isolating. She knows how hard it is to tell what works and what doesn’t. With Flannery O’Connor’s reading in mind\, the Free Association Reading Series seemed like the natural choice to help bring community—and fun—back into writing. \nAbout the Writers: \nFaith Barrett is Associate Professor of English at Duquesne University\, where she teaches courses in American literature and creative writing. She has published a scholarly book on American Civil War poetry and coedited an anthology of Civil War poetry. Her current scholarly project centers on African American poetry written between 1830 and 1850\, focusing on how these writers use arresting images of natural environments to call for civil rights for Black Americans. Her poems have appeared in Fourth River\, the Denver Quarterly\, and New American Writing. She also has a chapbook entitled Invisible Axis from Etherdome Press. She is currently working on a sequence of poems that explore the impacts of industrial toxins on human health; another series in progress uses the language of ornithology to represent the conservation challenges faced by various bird species. \nJessica Lanay is an interdisciplinary writer originally from Key West\, Florida and is now based in Baltimore\, Maryland. Jessica’s debut poetry collection\, amphibian\, won the 2020 Naomi Long Madgett Poetry Prize from Broadside Lotus Press\, and she is currently completing her doctoral degree in Art History. Jessica has worked with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra on poetry and short-film script commissions\, held an artist-and-scholar residency at Loyola University Chicago\, and written librettos for excerpted productions of operas. Her art writing can be found in BOMB Magazine and ArtReview; she’s also contributed essays to art publications such as White Shoes: Nona Faustine from MACK Books\, Fantasy American from The Andy Warhol Museum\, and Black Women As/And The Living Archive from Washington Project for the Arts. Her creative work and personal essays can be found in literary journals such as Common\, Salt Hill Journal\, Electric Literature\, Prairie Schooner\, Poet Lore\, [PANK]\, Black Warrior Review\, The Doctor T.J. Eckleburg Review\, and other outlets. They most recently published a personal essay titled “I Am Not Antigone: Notes on Losing My Brother” in The Doctor T.J. Eckleburg Review\, and her translations and poetry were included in the 2024 University of Arizona Press anthology When Language Broke Open: An Anthology of Queer and Trans Black Writers of Latin American Descent. \nFrank Lehner is a writer\, educator\, award-winning book designer\, and executive coach whose work explores storytelling’s power to shape experience and community. He has taught at the University of Pittsburgh\, Duquesne University\, and for President Obama’s Young African Leaders Initiative. His community focus is on guiding youth and young adults to develop and apply their stories that serve to create believable lives rich with meaning\, passion\, and purpose. Deeply rooted in the urban pastoral of Pittsburgh\, Frank’s work finds grace\, grit\, and humor in the characters—human and otherwise—and wonder within. His poetry appears in diverse periodicals\, and his plays have been staged in Pittsburgh and New York City. He holds a master’s in psychology from Duquesne University. His poetry collection\, Mrs. Nussbaum’s Monkey\, is from Bottom Dog Press (2025). Frank and Jamie Lee Curtis\, oddly enough\, share the same SAT score. \nJoy Priest is the author of Horsepower (Pitt Poetry Series\, 2020)\, winner of the Donald Hall Prize for Poetry\, and the editor of Once a City Said: A Louisville Poets Anthology (Sarabande\, 2023). She is the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship\, a Fine Arts Work Center fellowship\, and the Stanley Kunitz Memorial Prize from the American Poetry Review. Her poems\, essays\, and cultural criticism have appeared in The Atlantic\, Boston Review\, The New Republic\, and Sewanee Review\, among others. Priest is on the faculty of the University of Pittsburgh’s MFA in Creative Writing program and serves as the Curator of Community Programs & Practice at Pitt’s Center for African American Poetry & Poetics (CAAPP). Her second poetry collection\, The Black Outside\, is forthcoming from Duke University Press in 2027. \nAbout Your Visit:  \nThe in-house restaurant\, Cucina Alfabeto\, is open for dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. Please visit OpenTable or call 412-435-1111 to make a reservation.
URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/pghwrites-free-association-reading-series-april-2026/
LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, United States
CATEGORIES:Reading
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260412T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260412T190000
DTSTAMP:20260411T043236
CREATED:20260317T162434Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260326T181009Z
UID:10663-1776016800-1776020400@cityofasylum.org
SUMMARY:Alex Harding & Lucian Ban Present “Dark Blue” (Revisited)
DESCRIPTION:Photo Credit: Cornel Brad \nDetroit born baritone saxophonist Alex Harding and Transylvanian expat / New York City based pianist Lucian Ban have been at the forefront of contemporary jazz for more than two decades\, collaborating and founding several groups together\, releasing a handful of diverse albums for American and European labels\, performing countless concerts and tours in the US and Europe all the while documenting an amazing body of music.  \nTheir relationship has been long and fruitful. Pianist Lucian Ban arrived in New York City from Romania in 1998. As he first began to immerse himself in the local scene\, he was fortunate to hear baritone saxophonist Alex Harding. The two hit it off immediately and formed a fast friendship\, leading to musical collaboration with Alex becoming an essential voice on Lucian’s recording debut on their co-led album\, Somethin’ Holy (CIMP\, 2002). It was Alex Harding’s unique voice that attracted Lucian Ban\, one that had also captured the ears of many legendary collaborators\, including Sun Ra\, Muhal Richard Abrams\, and Julius Hemphill. Alex’s heartfelt\, blues-drenched baritone sax and experimental playing lent well to Lucian’s open-minded and improvisatory approach to music. Their combination of elements of improvised music has helped the pair develop a unique musical language that transcends the expectations of the jazz genre.  \nWith DARK BLUE\, the two musicians celebrate their musical brotherhood with a unique amalgamation of original pieces and improvisations informed by traditions of jazz\, blues\, and European chamber music. From avant blues to spontaneous improv pieces\, from ballads that recall Ben Webster\, Archie Shepp\, and Sun Ra\, DARK BLUE represents a stunning document of two artists at their maturity\, two old friends conversing in the language of modern jazz. \nAbout the Artists: \nAlex Harding was born in Detroit and studied music in his early years with Yusef Lateef\, Beans Bows\, and Herbie Williams\, and had a chance to play with Wynton Marsalis and Donald Byrd while still in high school. Alex went on to win music scholarships to the University of Massachusetts and the Aspen School of Music. His first European engagement in 1990 was in Porgy and Bess. A year later\, he went to Mexico for the Arts and Music Festival with percussionist Francisco Mora. After settling in New York in 1993 and a stint touring with Phatoms\, a Haitian group\, Alex joined Julius Hemphill’s Saxophone Sextet. He also began performing with Muhal Richard Abrams\, Craig Harris\, Lester Bowie\, Frank Lacy\, Oliver Lake\, and David Murray’s Big Band. In 1996\, Alex joined Hamiet Bluiett’s Baritone Group and appeared with the Mingus Big Band\, Jayne Cortez Firespitters\, and Lester Bowie’s Hip-Hop Philharmonic. He also recorded with Greg Osby\, Frank Lowe\, David Lee Roth\, and Rodney Whittaker. The following year\, Alex recorded At Doctor King’s Table with the Julius Hemphill Sextet\, a CD with Hamiet Bluiett’s Baritone Group\, and he made his debut with the Sun Ra Arkestra under Marshall Allen’s leadership. In 1998\, Alex was part of the Sun Ra All-Star Project that premiered at the North Sea Jazz Festival and the Montreux-Detroit Jazz Festival. He has performed with the late Roy Hargrove Big Band and with Aretha Franklin. Critics have hailed him as “the new voice on baritone saxophone\, the carrier of the great legacy of Harry Carney\, Pepper Adams\, and Hamiet Bluiett.” Alex Harding has released several albums as a leader\, garnering glowing reviews\, and has appeared as a guest on more than 40 albums. In the October 1997 issue of Jazz Times\, the review of Hamiet Bluiett’s Baritone Band said that “Alex Harding attacked the music with steamroller momentum and uncommon ferocity…it was sheer fireworks.”  \nCalled “A name to watch” by The Guardian and ”one of the most gifted pianists to move to New York” (B. Gallanter\, Downtown Music Gallery)\, Lucian Ban is a Romanian born\, NYC-based pianist and composer known for his amalgamations of Transylvanian folk with improvisation\, for his mining of 20th Century European classical music with jazz\, and for his pursuit of a modern chamber jazz ideal. His music has been described as “emotionally ravishing” (Nate Chinen\, New York Times/WBGO)\, a “triumph of emotional and musical communication” (All About Jazz)\, “Unorthodox but mesmeringly beautiful” (The Guardian)\, and as holding an “alluring timelessness and strong life-force”(Downbeat Magazine). Lucian was raised in a small village in northwest Transylvania\, in “the region where Bartok did his most extensive research and collecting of folk songs\,” and studied composition at the Bucharest Music Academy while simultaneously leading his own jazz groups. Desire to get closer to the source of jazz brought him to the US\, and since moving from Romania to New York in 1999\, his ensembles have included many of New York’s finest players. His duet Transylvanian Concert with Mat Maneri was released by ECM Records in 2013 and won critical acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic.  The Guardian noted the release had its “own kind of melancholy beauty and wayward exuberance\,” and The New York Times called it “a lovely and restive new album that reveals their shared interest in enfolding mystery.” His albums investigating Romanian folk songs\, or re-imagining the music of famed Romanian classical composer George Enescu\, and his various duets with Mat Maneri (ECM)\, Alex Harding\, and Abraham Burton (Sunnyside)\, have won critical praise and awards. More importantly\, they have revealed a singular focus to strand the worlds of American jazz and European chamber music together with the freedom of improvisation. Lucian Ban has performed/recorded with\, among many others: Abraham Burton\, Nasheet Waits\, John Surman\, Mat Maneri\, Billy Hart\, Alex Harding\, Barry Altschul\, Louis Sclavis\, and Gerald Cleaver. He recorded 20 albums as a leader for labels such as Sunnyside\, ECM\, Jazzaway\, etc\, all the while maintaining a worldwide touring schedule.  \nCollaboration and community have been at the forefront of drummer Chad Taylor’s career\, with notable collaborations including the Chicago Underground collective with Jeff Parker and Rob Mazurek; Grass Roots with Sean Conly\, Alex Harding\, and Darius Jones; Sticks and Stones with Josh Abrams and Matana Roberts; Br-an-ch with Angelica Sanchez and Brandon Ross; and Side A with Ken vandermark and Harvard Wiik. As a leader\, Chad Taylor has recorded and performed with the quintet Active Ingredients\, the Chad Taylor Trio\, Circle Down\, and the Chad Taylor Quintet. \nAbout Your Visit:  \nThe in-house restaurant\, Cucina Alfabeto\, is open for dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. Please visit OpenTable or call 412-435-1111 to make a reservation.
URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/alex-harding-lucian-ban-present-dark-blue/
LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, United States
CATEGORIES:Concert
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ORGANIZER;CN="City of Asylum":MAILTO:info@cityofasylum.org
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260413T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260413T210000
DTSTAMP:20260411T043236
CREATED:20260319T125807Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260403T183515Z
UID:10697-1776106800-1776114000@cityofasylum.org
SUMMARY:PGHwrites: Pittsburgh Poetry Collective's Steel City Grand Slam
DESCRIPTION:The Steel City Slam is bringing the city’s top ten poets together to battle it out at City of Asylum for the title\, the trophy\, and most importantly\, the bragging rights! This is the poetry show you’ve been waiting for. This is your chance to see first-hand the amazing and diverse performance poets Pittsburgh has to offer.  \nHere’s how it works: poets will have a limited time slot to present work of their original composition. Then\, five selected and esteemed (not to mention good-looking!) members of the audience will give the poem a score.  \nNew for 2026\, Steel City Slam will be shaking things up…The Grand Slam this year will consist of two rounds with all poets performing twice. Spots for this show are by invitation only\, based on participation in previous monthly slams. More information available at pghpoetry.org. \nDoors open at 6 pm.  \nPresented in partnership with the Pittsburgh Poetry Collective\, which creates space for self-expression\, identity exploration\, & social justice via community\, spoken word\, poetry slam\, writing & performance workshops\, and poet showcases. We believe that poetry heals\, speaks\, connects\, and shares our experiences and differences. \nAbout Your Visit:  \nThe in-house restaurant\, Cucina Alfabeto\, is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays\, but the bar will be open for drinks throughout the program. 
URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/pghwrites-pittsburgh-poetry-collective/
LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, United States
CATEGORIES:Reading
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://cityofasylum.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/PGH-POETRY-COLLECTIVE-04132026.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260414T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260414T210000
DTSTAMP:20260411T043236
CREATED:20260226T201647Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260402T143435Z
UID:10585-1776193200-1776200400@cityofasylum.org
SUMMARY:Reel Q Presents: Queer Iranian Shorts Screening
DESCRIPTION:It is City of Asylum’s distinct joy to welcome back our longtime partners\, Reel Q\, for a heartwarming film screening this spring! This shorts program\, curated by Reel Q\, brings together a powerful collection of recent queer Iranian films that center the resilience and courage of living authentically. These stories highlight the diversity of queer Iranian experiences\, offering glimpses of chosen family\, resistance\, love\, and self-expression. \nReel Q hosts one of the oldest LGBTQ+ film festivals in the world. Since 1985\, Reel Q has remained steadfast in their mission and worked diligently to highlight the diverse experiences of our worldwide community. For the better part of a decade\, City of Asylum has been partnering with Reel Q to bring unique\, international queer films to audiences (for free!) in a series formerly known as “Reel Stories.” From dramas to documentaries to playful rom-coms\, we are honored and delighted to serve as a platform for these beautiful works to reach new audiences. \nAbout Your Visit:  \nThe in-house restaurant\, Cucina Alfabeto\, is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/reel-q-presents-an-international-queer-film-screening/
LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, United States
CATEGORIES:Film
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://cityofasylum.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/REEL-Q-04142026.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260415T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260415T203000
DTSTAMP:20260411T043236
CREATED:20260309T180705Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260319T131521Z
UID:10609-1776279600-1776285000@cityofasylum.org
SUMMARY:World of Music: Hugo Cruz and Caminos' "Figure It Out" (Album Launch ft. Cuban Funk\, Fusion\, Jazz & R&B)
DESCRIPTION:Photo Courtesy: Hugo Cruz \nIt’s the album launch of Hugo Cruz’s Figure It Out! Figure It Out is a unique and special album that Hugo has been working on since 2024. He shares\, “In this musical project\, I had the opportunity to work with musicians that I admire and who play a big part in the global music community.” The artists featured in this album are Pittsburgh\, United States\, and Cuba legends such as Roger Humphries\, the Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra\, Dave Weckl\, Mario Rivera\, Max Leake\, Luis Valiente\, Enrique Lazaga\, Brenae Ali\, Orlando Maraca Valle\, Lou Stellute\, Roberto Garcia\, Howie Alexander\, Hugo’s father\, and more. The album connects Pittsburgh’s music scene with the Cuban music scene through a series of original compositions by Hugo Cruz.    \nFigure It Out presents a suite of all original music\, including one funk track\, two mixes of R&B and classical\, two Afro-Cuban jazz compositions\, three jazz tracks\, and one traditional Cuban composition. \nThe production of this album was funded by The Heinz Endowments. The tracks were recorded in well-known studios across Pittsburgh and Cuba\, including MCG Jazz\, Duquesne University\, Audible Images\, La Egrem\, and dBega. Each track on the recording is paired with a music video of the track’s live session. Jay Dudt\, a four-time Grammy winner and a Pittsburgh legend\, acted as a sound engineer on the project\, along with one of the best Cuban sound engineers in the business and CEO of dBega Studios\, Carlos de la Bega.  \n \nFeatured Musicians: \nKelsey Jumper: vocals  \nBrittany Dorazio: vocals   \nJD Chaisson: trumpet \nMike Tomaro: sax \nFrank Cohen: trombone  \nFrank DiDiano: electric guitar \nCraig Davis: keys and piano \nEli Namay: electric and acoustic Bass \nHugo Cruz: drums\, compositions \nAbout the Artist: \nHugo Alexander Cruz Machado is a Cuban-born\, award-winning drummer and composer who has performed internationally\, including South Korea\, Spain\, Sweden\, Mexico\, Chile\, Venezuela\, and the United States. Hugo is the leader of the jazz fusion music group Caminos\, who have made appearances at Fábrica de Artes in Havana\, Cuba\, Smithsonian Institution in Washington\, DC\, Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival 2019\, Carnegie Museum of Art\, City of Asylum\, Thunderbird Cafe and Music Hall\, Westylvania Jazz and Blues Festival\, and the Monroeville Jazz Festival\, among many others. \nAbout Your Visit:  \nThe in-house restaurant\, Cucina Alfabeto\, is open for dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. Please visit OpenTable or call 412-435-1111 to make a reservation.
URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/world-of-music-hugo-cruz-and-caminos-figure-it-out/
LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, United States
CATEGORIES:Concert
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://cityofasylum.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/HUGO-CRUZ-04152026-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260416T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260416T203000
DTSTAMP:20260411T043236
CREATED:20260305T204537Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260305T204537Z
UID:10613-1776366000-1776371400@cityofasylum.org
SUMMARY:Thursday Night Jazz: Paul Thompson Directs the CAPA Jazz Orchestra
DESCRIPTION:Photo Credit: David Roth. Photo Courtesy: Paul Thompson. \nRepresenting the Pittsburgh Creative and Performing Arts High School\, the 20-piece CAPA Jazz Orchestra presents their spring concert under the direction of Paul Thompson. They are joined by special guest Dan Meunier on steelpan.  \nMusic Director Paul Thompson\, known by the Thursday Night Jazz crowd for his incredible talent on the bass\, shares a new side of himself in this performance: that of a dedicated educator and director. Paul writes original arrangements for the group\, tailored to the unique strengths and instrumentation of each year’s cohort of student musicians.  \nPittsburgh CAPA 6–12 is a Creative and Performing Arts Magnet school located in the heart of Pittsburgh’s downtown cultural district. In 2009\, CAPA was awarded the Blue Ribbon as a school of Distinction by the Department of Education. The mission of Pittsburgh CAPA 6–12 is to provide every student in grades 6–12 with a comprehensive academic program rooted in a superior quality arts education experience that encourages excellence and success in their personal development as artists and cultural leaders. CAPA 6–12 offers a challenging and integrated curriculum that equally provides world-class preparation for college and university study\, and conservatory-level preparation for artistic careers. \nAbout the Artist: \nPaul Thompson has been playing bass professionally for over 30 years\, including recording and touring stints with trumpeter Maynard Ferguson and saxophonist Stanley Turrentine. Recent playing credits include Hubert Laws\, Geri Allen\, Michael Feinstein\, and Bob James. Currently\, he can be seen playing around the Pittsburgh area with Salsamba!\, THOTH Trio\, the Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra\, in pit orchestras at the Byham and New Hazlett Theaters\, or performing with some of our city’s rich jazz community. An active educator\, Paul currently teaches Jazz Bass at Duquesne University and West Virginia University and is an Adjunct Instrumental Music teacher at his alma mater\, Pittsburgh CAPA 6–12 Performing Arts School. More at: http://www.youtube.com/pdbass  \nAbout Your Visit:  \nThe in-house restaurant\, Cucina Alfabeto\, is open for dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. Please visit OpenTable or call 412-435-1111 to make a reservation.
URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/thursday-night-jazz-paul-thompson-directs-the-capa-jazz-orchestra/
LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, United States
CATEGORIES:Concert
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://cityofasylum.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/PAUL-THOMPSON-CAPA-04162026.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260419T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260419T160000
DTSTAMP:20260411T043236
CREATED:20260309T184820Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260407T192548Z
UID:10620-1776610800-1776614400@cityofasylum.org
SUMMARY:World Literature: Amara Lakhous's "The Fertility of Evil" (Algeria/Italy)
DESCRIPTION:Immerse yourself in the history of postcolonial Algeria as a criminal investigation plumbs the seedy underbelly of Oran. This April\, bestselling author Amara Lakhous comes to City of Asylum to share his dark\, captivating new psychological thriller\, The Fertility of Evil. Amara is joined in conversation by moderator Anderson Tepper.  \nSet the scene: Oran\, Algeria. July 5\, 2018. Independence Day. \nColonel Soltani of the Anti-Terrorism Unit reluctantly gives up his holiday after his superior officer tracks him down at his girlfriend’s home. A former National Liberation Front fighter and Algerian power broker has been found dead\, his throat slit and face mutilated. Pressured to close this high-profile case quickly\, Soltani and his team delve into the victim’s past from the 1950s\, uncovering the secrets of a revolutionary cell whose three remaining members have become prime suspects. \nIn a post-independence era marred by corruption\, The Fertility of Evil unfolds in contrasting landscapes of dilapidated historic quarters and opulent new districts\, revealing Algeria’s struggle against deceit and betrayal. \nJoin Amara and Anderson after the program for a public reception with light refreshments\, and sink your teeth into the intricacies and juicy details of this thrilling new work. \nYou can purchase a copy of Amara’s book\, The Fertility of Evil\, at City of Asylum Bookstore. \nAbout the Author: \nAmara Lakhous was born in Algeria in 1970 and lived in Italy for 18 years before moving to the United States in 2014. A bilingual novelist in Arabic and Italian\, he is the author of Clash of Civilizations Over an Elevator in Piazza Vittorio\, a bestseller translated into 10 languages and adapted into a film in 2010. He is currently a professor in the practice in the Department of Italian Studies at Yale University. \nAbout the Moderator: \nAnderson Tepper is a guest curator of PEN America’s World Voices Festival and a longstanding member of the Brooklyn Book Festival’s Literary Council and international committee. Formerly of Vanity Fair\, his writing on books and authors has appeared in The New York Times\, The Los Angeles Times\, The Atlantic\, and World Literature Today\, among other publications. Anderson also serves on City of Asylum’s Advisory Board. \nAbout Your Visit:  \nThe in-house restaurant\, Cucina Alfabeto\, is open for brunch from 9:30 to 2 p.m. and for dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. Please visit OpenTable or call 412-435-1111 to make a reservation.
URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/world-literature-amara-lakhous/
LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, United States
CATEGORIES:Reading
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://cityofasylum.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/AMARA-LAKHOUS-04192026.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260423T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260423T203000
DTSTAMP:20260411T043236
CREATED:20260304T140427Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260331T164707Z
UID:10592-1776970800-1776976200@cityofasylum.org
SUMMARY:Thursday Night Jazz: Stephan Crump Sextet (Sponsored by Cucina Alfabeto)
DESCRIPTION:Grammy-nominated bassist Stephan Crump—with a sextet\, blending jazz and chamber instruments—presents Slow Water in concert.  The 67-minute piece was inspired by Water Always Wins\, a book by science journalist Erica Gies about humankind’s relationship to water. Crump grew up in Memphis\, near the Mississippi… and in Slow Water you can hear the bubbles of peat beneath the water\, the birds above\, the rustle of breezes and pounding of storms\, and the river’s ever-shifting rhythms. \nThe Sextet: \nBass: Stephan Crump  \nTrombone: Jacob Garchik \nTrumpet: Kenny Warren \nVibraphone: Yuhan Su \nViola: Fung Chern Hwei \nViolin: Erica Dicker \nThis program is sponsored by Cucina Alfabeto. Although you are welcome to dine in the restaurant—all concert tickets are free…with row seating\, as always.
URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/cucina-alfabeto-presents-stephan-crumps-slow-water/
LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, United States
CATEGORIES:Other
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cityofasylum.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/stephan-crump-requested-image.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260505T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260505T203000
DTSTAMP:20260411T043236
CREATED:20260409T182631Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260409T182631Z
UID:10750-1778007600-1778013000@cityofasylum.org
SUMMARY:Story Club PGH Presents: Story Slam! (Unraveled)
DESCRIPTION:Since 2022\, it’s been our pleasure to partner with Story Club (created by the former producers of The Moth Pittsburgh) for their monthly nonfiction storytelling series\, Story Slam. Together\, we aim to showcase a diverse range of voices and create a space for stories that resonate across backgrounds\, perspectives\, and experiences. Each month\, we welcome open mic storytellers to the stage to share six-minute tales that tackle a pre-selected theme. This May\, Story Club PGH asks that you spin us a yarn connecting to the theme Unraveled.  \nEach month\, the top storyteller\, as voted by viewers\, will win a free City of Asylum t-shirt. Learn more here or sign up for an open mic slot at the slam. Not interested in storytelling but still want to participate? Try joining a judging team and help decide the winners instead! \nAbout the Host: \nAlan Olifson is an award-winning humor columnist and comedian and was the regular host of Pittsburgh’s monthly Moth StorySlams. He created the acclaimed storytelling series Wordplay at Bricolage Theater and now produces the new storytelling/talk show Speakeasy at Arcade Comedy Theater. His book\, Manchild: My Life without Adult Supervision\, from Six Gallery Press\, is available wherever you buy books—hopefully somewhere local. \nAbout Your Visit:  \nThe in-house bar at Cucina Alfabeto will be open for drinks only. Seating in the restaurant and bar is available on a first-come\, first-served basis.
URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/story-club-pgh-unraveled/
LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, United States
CATEGORIES:Other
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://cityofasylum.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/STORY-CLUB-2025.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260507T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260507T210000
DTSTAMP:20260411T043236
CREATED:20260106T185837Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260407T152645Z
UID:10413-1778180400-1778187600@cityofasylum.org
SUMMARY:Jazz Poetry 2026: The Messthetics & James Brandon Lewis
DESCRIPTION:In a month celebrating infusion\, collaboration\, and unique\, incredible performance\, who better to herald in Jazz Poetry 2026 but newly crowned Artist of the Year (DownBeat Magazine) James Brandon Lewis? The beloved six-time headliner returns to City of Asylum this May with a fresh new sound and his punk-jazz group\, the Messthetics. \nThis performance features improvisational collaborations with visiting poets\, followed by a brief intermission\, and then a full set from the band. \nFeatured Musicians: \nJames Brandon Lewis: saxophone \nAnthony Pirog: guitar \nJoe Lally: bass \nBrendan Canty: drums \nAbout the Band:  \nJoe Lally was onstage\, playing at full throttle\, when he realized that his band had found a true kindred spirit. It was the fall of 2021\, and the Messthetics—the instrumental trio of Lally on bass\, his former Fugazi bandmate Brendan Canty on drums\, and guitarist Anthony Pirog—were at Brooklyn venue the Bell House\, digging into their uptempo riff workout “Serpent Tongue.” Joining them for the piece was a special guest\, acclaimed jazz saxophonist James Brandon Lewis\, making only his second cameo with the group after a drop-in at another New York show back in 2019. That first meeting had been a success\, but this time\, Lewis’ presence sparked something new. \nAbout Your Visit:  \nThe in-house restaurant\, Cucina Alfabeto\, is open for dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. Please visit OpenTable or call 412-435-1111 to make a reservation.
URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/jazz-poetry-2026-the-messthetics-james-brandon-lewis/
LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, United States
CATEGORIES:Concert,Reading
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://cityofasylum.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/JAMES-BRANDON-LEWIS-05072026-1.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260514T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260514T210000
DTSTAMP:20260411T043236
CREATED:20260407T150033Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260407T150033Z
UID:10734-1778785200-1778792400@cityofasylum.org
SUMMARY:Jazz Poetry 2026: Spanish Pianist Marta Sánchez's "For the Space You Left" & Poems by City of Asylum Writers-in-Residence
DESCRIPTION:Photo Courtesy: Marta Sánchez \nJazz Poetry 2026 at City of Asylum continues with Spanish pianist Marta Sánchez’s official album release concert! \nDuring periods of isolation and solitude\, Marta composed her album\, For the Space You Left. Shaped by two very different emotional landscapes\, the music began in 2017 during a residency at MacDowell\, where Marta applied with the intention of experimenting with piano preparation and confronting one of her long-standing fears: playing solo piano. \nOn her inspiration and composition of the album\, Marta shared\, “I had always been uncomfortable exposing myself alone at the instrument\, and creating a solo project felt like the most direct way to face that fear and grow through it. At the time\, I was interested in translating my compositional language—built around layers\, interlocking rhythms\, and counterpoint—into a single timbre. Preparation became the solution: by altering the piano’s sound\, I could create multiple internal voices\, transforming one instrument into a small ecosystem of contrasting textures.” \nHer time at MacDowell was an intense and solitary experience\, living alone in a remote cabin\, surrounded by woods and snowstorms\, often spending entire days without seeing anyone. That isolation\, combined with a sense of vulnerability and self-doubt\, deeply informed the music written there. The pieces from that period carry a quiet melancholy\, fragility\, and a raw openness which comes to life in this album’s live performance.  \nIn addition to celebrating the release of Marta’s album\, this Jazz Poetry performance will feature collaborative\, experimental performances with four City of Asylum Exiled Writers-in-Residence. \nAbout the Artist: \nBorn and raised in Madrid\, Spain\, pianist and composer Marta Sánchez is actively working in the contemporary creative music scene in New York City and around the globe. Charting a significant path through her innovative and original music\, she has reached an international audience\, gaining significant global recognition. Marta’s main project\, her quintet\, was created soon after she moved to New York. She has since released four albums: Partenika (2015)\, Danza Imposible (2017)\, and El Rayo de Luz (2019). All of the albums received high praise from American press. Partenika in particular received great reviews from The New York Times\, Downbeat\, All Music\, All About Jazz\,and many more. In addition to her quintet\, Marta recently released a new record with her trio\, featuring Savannah Harris on drums and Chris Tordini on bass\, titled Perpetual Void on the Intakt label. The album has been widely praised and received a 4.5 star rating from Downbeat. Marta has toured the United States\, Europe\, South America\, and Central America. She has performed as a leader or as a sideman at prestigious venues and prominent festivals such as the North Sea Jazz Festival in the Netherlands\, Jazzaldia in San Sebastian\, Inntone in Austria\, Eurojazz in Mexico City\, Eurojazz in Athens\, Jazz Festival Vitoria Gasteiz\, Winter Jazzfest in New York\, and Madrid\, among many others. Marta has been actively collaborating with other artists\, playing and recording in David Murray’s Quartet\, Maria Grand’s duo\, and the Anna Weber and Angela Morris Big Band\, among others. In 2017 and 2021 she received the prestigious grant for a residency from the MacDowell Colony\, where Marta wrote prepared piano repertoire.  \nAbout Your Visit:  \nThe in-house restaurant\, Cucina Alfabeto\, is open for dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. Please visit OpenTable or call 412-435-1111 to make a reservation.
URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/jazz-poetry-2026-marta-sanchez/
LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, United States
CATEGORIES:Concert,Reading
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://cityofasylum.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/MARTA-SANCHEZ-05142026.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260521T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260521T210000
DTSTAMP:20260411T043236
CREATED:20260407T152340Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260407T152340Z
UID:10737-1779390000-1779397200@cityofasylum.org
SUMMARY:Jazz Poetry 2026: Poet-Vocalist Erika Denae J's "In the Mood For" (Book Launch & Album Teaser)
DESCRIPTION:Photo Credit: Kitoko Chargois. Photo Courtesy: Erika Denae J. \nIn this unique Jazz Poetry performance\, multi-disciplinary artist Erika Denae J launches her poetry collection\, In the Mood For. A perfect fit for this festival’s long history of melding poetry and music\, the poems in Erika’s collection also make up the lyrics of her upcoming companion album. It is a fusion of alternative jazz and soul that explores the pursuit of contentment at the intersection of self.This program features special arrangements by James Johnson III. \nIn the Mood For—where poetry inspires music and music inspires poetry—explores themes of forgiveness\, self-love\, faith\, and healing. It is meant to embolden readers and listeners to express their fullest selves. This aim was burgeoned from Erika’s personal experience of minimizing the most authentic parts of herself. \nThese poems and compositions echo an awakening and resurrection of the innate within. They encourage all who engage with them to explore any moods or needs freely\, to inspire richness in such freedom of oneself\, and to remove anything that has disrupted that freedom.  \nThe production of Erika’s book\, In the Mood For\, and her forthcoming album were funded by The Pittsburgh Foundation.  \nFeatured Artists: \nErika Denae J: poems\, lyrics\, vocals \nJulia Flowers: vocals \nKeea Dorsey: vocals \nMatt Mason: backup vocals \nJennifer Orchard: violin  \nShannon Lock: viola \nWill Teegarden: cello \nTommy Lehman: trumpet \nJohn Shannon: guitar \nTheron Brown: piano \nDenzel Chismar-Oliver: bass \nJoe Garner: percussion \nJames Johnson III: drums\, arrangements \nAbout the Artist: \nErika Denae J is a musical artist\, writer\, and graduate student pursuing a Master of Music Therapy\, whose work centers on the power of shared narrative and wellness. On stage\, she laces the classic and modern sound of jazz into a seamless voice of swing and soul. Off stage\, she is a committed advocate for mental health and youth development\, leveraging the creative arts to inspire healing and wholeness. In 2022\, Erika released her debut EP\, Rx Melodies\, alongside Rx Conversations—a vlog series exploring mental and emotional wellness within the context of faith. These pillars of artistry and advocacy continue to define her current trajectory as she expands her reach through academia\, recorded music\, poetry\, and prose. \nAbout Your Visit:  \nThe in-house restaurant\, Cucina Alfabeto\, is open for dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. Please visit OpenTable or call 412-435-1111 to make a reservation.
URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/jazz-poetry-2026-erika-denae-j/
LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, United States
CATEGORIES:Concert,Reading
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://cityofasylum.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/ERIKA-DENAE-J-05212026.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260609T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260609T203000
DTSTAMP:20260411T043236
CREATED:20260211T163753Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260312T181442Z
UID:10524-1781031600-1781037000@cityofasylum.org
SUMMARY:Artist in Exile: Oleksandr Frazé-Frazénko’s Ceramic Knives (Ukrainian Spring Songs)
DESCRIPTION:Photo Credit: Thom Pietryka\, Photo Courtesy: Oleksandr Frazé-Frazénko \nCeramic Knives is a Ukrainian-American band blending raw folk roots with experimental textures\, a post-punk attitude\, and haunting harmonies. Formed by multi-disciplinary artist and City of Asylum Writer-in-Residence Oleksandr Frazé-Frazénko and his wife\, vocalist Mari Frazé-Frazénko\, the duo reimagines traditional Eastern European songs through a cinematic lens—part ritual\, part rebellion. Their stripped-down live performances weave together ghostly vocals\, atmospheric guitar\, and analog electronics\, evoking a sound that is both ancient and eerily contemporary. Now based in Pittsburgh\, Ceramic Knives channels themes of exile\, memory\, and resistance into a sonic landscape that cuts deep.  \n \nFeatured Musicians: \nOleksandr Frazé-Frazénko: guitar\, vocals \nMari Frazé-Frazénko: bass\, vocals \nVsiudysvoia: vocals \nLesya Verba: vocals\, bandura \nHugo Cruz: drums \nAbout the Artist: \nOleksandr Frazé-Frazénko is a Ukrainian filmmaker\, writer\, musician\, and translator from Halychyna—a region suspended somewhere between Central Europe and historical amnesia. He is the author of the bestselling novel Nothing Is Under Control and one half of Ceramic Knives\, the love child of a blues guitar and a haunted drum machine. As co-founder of OFF Laboratory\, he publishes and translates voices silenced or distorted by war\, exile\, and censorship. Currently based in Pittsburgh\, Oleksandr is a Research Scholar at Chatham University and was previously a Research Scholar at the University of Pittsburgh. He is a Writer-in-Residence at City of Asylum.  \nAbout Your Visit:  \nThe in-house restaurant\, Cucina Alfabeto\, is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/artist-in-exile-oleksandr-fraze-frazenko/
LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, United States
CATEGORIES:Concert
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://cityofasylum.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/OLEKSANDR-FRAZE-FRAZENKO-03042026.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260721T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260721T200000
DTSTAMP:20260411T043236
CREATED:20251219T182339Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260205T192409Z
UID:10395-1784660400-1784664000@cityofasylum.org
SUMMARY:On Topic: Free Expression with Jacob Mchangama & Nadine Strossen
DESCRIPTION:Nadine Strossen\, New York Law School Professor Emerita and former president of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)\, and Jacob Mchangama\, the Founder and Executive Director of The Future of Free Speech\, discuss the history and ongoing importance of free expression in our republic. By tracing the Enlightenment origins of free speech\, unpacking the history of the First Amendment\, and exploring how the Supreme Court has applied these timeless principles to thorny legal issues\, these free speech experts will provide salient background and context to current controversies and highlight the centrality of free expression to the maintenance of democratic government. This program will be moderated by Julie Silverbrook\, Vice President of Civic Education at the National Constitution Center. \nProgram presented in partnership with the National Constitution Center. The Center brings together people and perspectives\, across America and around the world\, to learn about\, debate\, and celebrate the greatest vision of human freedom in history\, the US Constitution. \nAbout the Authors: \nJacob Mchangama is the Founder and Executive Director of The Future of Free Speech. He is a research professor at Vanderbilt University and a Senior Fellow at The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE). In 2018\, he was a visiting scholar at Columbia’s Global Freedom of Expression Center. He has commented extensively on free speech and human rights in outlets including the Washington Post\, the Wall Street Journal\, The Economist\, Foreign Affairs\, and Foreign Policy. Jacob has published in academic and peer-reviewed journals\, including Human Rights Quarterly\, Policy Review\, and Amnesty International’s Strategic Studies. He is the producer and narrator of the podcast “Clear and Present” Danger: A History of Free Speech and the critically acclaimed book Free Speech: A History From Socrates to Social Media\, published by Basic Books in 2022. He is the co-author of The Future of Free Speech: Reversing the Global Decline of Democracy’s Most Essential Freedom (forthcoming 2026). He has received numerous awards for his work on free speech and human rights.  \nNadine Strossen\, New York Law School Professor Emerita and Senior Fellow at FIRE (the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression)\, was President of the American Civil Liberties Union from 1991 to 2008. An internationally acclaimed free speech scholar and advocate\, who regularly addresses diverse audiences and provides media commentary around the world\, Strossen serves on the advisory boards of the ACLU and several academic freedom/free speech organizations. She is the Host and Project Consultant for Free To Speak\, a three-hour documentary film series distributed on public television in 2023. Her most recent books are: The War On Words: 10 Arguments Against Free Speech—And Why They Fail (coauthored with FIRE President Greg Lukianoff) (2025); Free Speech: What Everyone Needs to Know (2023); and HATE: Why We Should Resist It with Free Speech\, Not Censorship (2018). In 2023\, Strossen received the National Coalition Against Censorship’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Free Speech. \nAbout Your Visit:  \nThe in-house restaurant\, Cucina Alfabeto\, is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/on-topic-free-expression-with-jacob-mchangama-nadine-strossen/
LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, United States
CATEGORIES:Reading
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://cityofasylum.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/ON-TOPIC-01252025-1.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261027T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261027T210000
DTSTAMP:20260411T043236
CREATED:20260223T170726Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260312T181523Z
UID:10567-1793127600-1793134800@cityofasylum.org
SUMMARY:PGHwrites: Andrew Swensen & Yan Pang's "Shelter" (Musical Theatre Production)
DESCRIPTION:Photo Courtesy: Andrew Swensen \nThis special PGHwrites program features a staged performance of Andrew Swensen and Yan Pang’s Shelter\, building off the showcase held at City of Asylum last fall. Shelter tells the story of scars carried from childhood into adulthood\, exploring how they distort our vision of ourselves and damage our relationships\, but also ultimately create the challenges by which we claim our strength and achieve self-determination.  \nPaige\, our protagonist\, takes a journey through a series of memories\, traveling with her childhood self through her past. Her life telescopes into an unhealthy mix of self-serving selflessness and psychological isolation\, a well-wrought “shelter” that she has constructed from the pain of life. She emerges on the other side when she confronts her own role in what she has become\, releases her blame toward her mother\, and opens herself to the prospect of a genuine\, balanced connection to another.  \nAbout the Artists: \nAndrew Swensen (Book and Lyrics) began work on Shelter in 2020 and has had the remarkable good fortune to work with composer Yan Pang since 2023 in order to bring this musical to life. When not writing musicals\, Swensen serves as a faculty member at the Conservatory of Performing Arts at Point Park University\, working in the MFA program Writing for the Stage and Screen and in the Department of Cinema\, and he is the Executive Director of the Chamber Orchestra of Pittsburgh. Past creative projects include being the co-author and lyricist of the musical The Golden Door; the co-writer\, producer\, and executive producer of the film Journey to Normal; and the executive producer of the film In Service. His professional background includes work with a variety of nonprofit organizations\, spanning performing\, visual\, and narrative arts. Previously\, he held faculty positions at Brandeis University\, Hamilton College\, Wellesley College\, and Western Michigan University\, and his teaching and research have spanned narrative and aesthetic theory\, comparative cultural studies\, literature\, and film. \nYan Pang (Composer) began working with librettist Andrew Swensen in 2023 on Shelter and has found incredible reward in creating the musical voice and vision for this work. As this work comes to life\, she is so grateful to have the opportunity to share the work with audiences. Pang’s career has spanned the roles of a composer\, performer\, educator\, and scholar\, with work exploring the range of possibilities in intercultural music creation. Her compositions blend Chinese folk traditions with Western operatic and music-theater forms to explore themes of resilience\, solidarity\, and immigration. Her works have been featured in international collections and competitions\, including For Archie\, Nowhere Home\, and The Others (Contemporary Music Score Collection\, UCLA). She is also the songwriter and music director of the album Glory Times (China Science & Cultural Audio-Video Publishing House). As a performer and composer\, Pang has worked regularly in performance-based and collaborative contexts\, including performing original compositions for MIXTAPE Dance in collaboration with choreographer Jason “J-Sun” Noer and music director Stefon “Bionik” Taylor. Pang holds a faculty position as Assistant Professor of Music at Point Park University\, where she teaches a range of courses in support of programs in theater\, musical theater\, and dance.  \nAbout Your Visit:  \nThe in-house restaurant\, Cucina Alfabeto\, is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
URL:https://cityofasylum.org/program/pghwrites-andrew-swensen-yan-pangs-shelter-musical-theatre-production/
LOCATION:Alphabet City\, 40 W. North Avenue\, Pittsburgh\, PA\, 15212\, United States
CATEGORIES:Reading
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://cityofasylum.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Shelter-White.png
ORGANIZER;CN="City of Asylum":MAILTO:info@cityofasylum.org
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