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Iris Fellows at the Green Room
11/06/25 @ 1:30 pm - 3:00 pm
$20
Crosstown Arts presents Iris Fellows at The Green Room
The Green Room at Crosstown Arts
Thursday, November 6, 2025
Doors open at 7 pm | Show begins at 7:30 pm
Tickets: $20 in advance (plus fees) | $20 at the door
Join our Fellows, Roberta dos Santos, cello, and Alexandre Negrão, violin, for an eclectic night of music in this intimate setting. From the lyricism of Brazilian masters Osvaldo Lacerda and Chiquinha Gonzaga, to the intensity of Shostakovich’s String Quartet No. 7, this program spans worlds of sound and emotion. The program also includes Tucker Fuller’s contemplative The Road Ahead inspired by Thomas Merton’s reflections on faith, and Clarice Assad’s Canções da América, bursting with color and rhythm. Featuring Iris artists Marisa Polesky, violin; Aaron Tubergen, viola and David Carlisle, percussion.About the Fellows:
Originally from Belem do Pará, Alexandre Negrão started his violin studies when he was 7 years old at the Fundação Amazônica de Música. Alexandre is a former member of the Theatro da Paz Symphony Orchestra and has served as acting concertmaster from 2014 to 2016.
Alexandre has studied in a special international string program in Southern Louisiana at Nicholls State University under the direction of Prof. James Alexander in Fall 2016. After completing the program, Alexandre auditioned and was admitted with full scholarship for his undergraduate studies at the University of Missouri – School of Music. He has graduated with master’s in music degree in violin performance in the class of Professor Eva Szekely this August 2025 and was the violin chair for the New Music Ensemble under the direction of Dr. Stefan Freund.
Currently he dedicates his time to discover and perform music from underrepresented composers from Brazil and the USA. While teaching and guiding young musicians in the community, Alexandre help students to find their on paths in music and in life.
Roberta dos Santos is an avid chamber musician and advocate for contemporary music. A Brazilian cellist, Roberta collaborates with some of the most diverse and renowned composers to elevate underrepresented voices in the music scene, both in Brazil and internationally.
As an educator, Roberta has dedicated over a decade to teaching at Associação Músicos do Futuro in Taboão da Serra, her alma mater. She is a Suzuki-certified instructor, trained under Dr. Tanya Carey, and she has mentored students at the Detroit Symphony Orchestra Civic Youth Ensembles.
Roberta continues to influence the next generation of musicians through collaborations with the Memphis Youth Symphony Program, PRIZM Ensemble, and other initiatives, while also maintaining a private studio in the U.S. and Brazil. Roberta is a doctoral candidate in cello performance at the University of Memphis, where she also serves as a teaching assistant. Her doctoral research explores themes of social justice and race within Brazilian classical music. Her principal mentors include Ji Yon Shim Anderson, Felipe Avellar de Aquino, Dennis Parker, Brian Snow, and Kimberly Patterson.
