Ensemble Bio

Lawler + Fadoul

The engaging and illuminating duo of Zara Lawler, flutist, and Paul J. Fadoul, marimbist, hailed as “a great treat,” (Classical WETA, Washington, DC) offers audiences an unexpected mélange of classical virtuosity, lively commentary, theatrical flair and a small dose of indie rock sensibility. The duo’s repertoire ranges from delightful arrangements of classics to newly written pieces for their unusual instrumentation, and even includes a few one-act plays.  Their debut album, Prelude Cocktail, was called “collaborative artistry at its finest” by the music blog I Care If You Listen.  Recent highlights include a residency in Western Mass as part of Chamber Music America’s Residency Partnership Program, tours of West Virginia, Ohio, Michigan and Tennessee, and a New York appearance at Mannes School of Music’s Glassbox Performance Space.  In 2016, L+F incubated and premiered their theatrical concert, Clickable: The Art of Persuasion, at the cell theatre in New York City.  Clickable includes commissioned works by Canadian composer Jason Nett, American composer Ralph Farris, and hip-hop poet Liza Jessie Peterson, and was released as an album in 2020 on Ravello Records.

Since 2003, Lawler + Fadoul have performed together in many of North America’s most prestigious venues and concert series, including the Kennedy Center, Strathmore, the Cerritos Center, the Kravis Center, Trinity Wall Street, the Tribeca Performing Arts Center, the Edmonton Recital Society, McMaster University’s Celebrity Concert Series, and the Percussive Arts Society International Convention.

Lawler + Fadoul are dedicated to increasing the repertoire for their unique instrumentation. Their ongoing Gronica Project began with the duo’s own transcriptions of works by Bach, Chopin, Shostakovich, Debussy, Gershwin and others. They have also commissioned new preludes by American composers Katherine Hoover and Roshanne Etezady.  These 38 new works for flutes and mallet instruments were all recorded on the duo’s first album, Prelude Cocktail, and represent a new body of work for their instrument combination.

Dedicated and inspiring educators, Lawler + Fadoul are an In-School Ensemble for the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, DC. On behalf of the NSO, the duo creates interactive concerts for children from pre-K thru 6th grade, and performs in public schools throughout the DC metro area. Break it Down!, their educational show on how instruments and music come apart and can be put back together, was created for and premiered at the Kennedy Center’s Family Theater, and returned to the Kennedy Center in 2020. The duo is currently working on a new commission from the Kennedy Center which will debut at the Family Theatre in 2021-22.

Downloadable bios (.doc), onesheet and tech rider (.pdf):

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