Nu Deco Ensemble presents
Nu Deco Ensemble ft. Betty Who
Jacomo Bairos | Sam Hyken
Co-Founders & Artistic Directors
Program
Tree Speak // Hyken/Lebos/Lopez/Matthews
Spark // Gabriella Smith
Pharrell Suite // Hyken/Lebos/Lopez/Matthews
Intermission (20 minutes)
Special collaboration featuring Betty Who
You Can Cry Tomorrow // Sam Hyken
Blow Out My Candle // Sam Hyken
One of Us // Sam Hyken
Stop Thinking About You // Sam Hyken
Blue Heaven Midnight Crush // Sam Hyken
Taste // Simón Martinez and Paula Srur Carcar
Friend Like Me // Sam Hyken
I love You Always Forever // Ziv Kartaginer
Somebody Loves you // Sam Hyken
Betty Who
If you need to know anything about Australian-American pop trailblazer Betty Who, it’s that she is a survivor. Born Jessica Newham in Sydney, Australia, the classically trained singer, dancer, and multi-instrumentalist has experienced practically every dimension of pop cultural visibility: going viral on the bombastic strength of 2014 single “Somebody Loves You,” soundtracking Netflix’s Queer Eye reboot with “All Things,” forming deep ties with foundations like GLAAD and the Trevor Project and becoming an LGBTQ+ icon due to her infectious, always-inclusive artistry. Moving from the rigid major-label machinery to rediscovering her power as an independent artist, Betty Who kicked off her latest, most triumphant chapter on her fourth studio album, Big, which she wrote in its entirety. Together with longtime friend and collaborator Martin Johnson (Boys Like Girls), who also worked on Betty’s 2014 debut Take Me When You Go, Betty explores self-love and acceptance on songs like “She Can Dance,” the power of female friendship on “I Can Be Your Man,” and career perseverance on the joyous “Blow Out My Candle.” On Big, Betty sings with as much pop exuberance as she always has, but her latest — and greatest — is the most open-hearted and personal work she’s ever produced.
In 2023, Betty made her Broadway debut as Persephone in the Tony Award winning show HADESTOWN.
Nu Deco Ensemble
Nu Deco returns to the iconic Miami Beach Bandshell as part of our momentous 10th season celebration featuring the trailblazing pop icon, Betty Who. The classically trained singer, dancer, and multi-instrumentalist has experienced practically every dimension of pop cultural visibility: going viral on the bombastic strength of 2014 single “Somebody Loves You,” soundtracking Netflix’s Queer Eye reboot with “All Things,” forming deep ties with foundations like GLAAD and the Trevor Project and becoming an LGBTQ+ icon due to her infectious, always-inclusive artistry. The program for this captivating evening will also feature new music by award-winning composer Gabriella Smith titled Spark, an exciting Nu Deco original composition, and our acclaimed Pharrell Suite, featuring reimaginations of some of his biggest hits as a GRAMMY-winning producer like “Hot in Herre,” “Rock Your Body,” “Happy,” and more.
Since its inception in 2015, Nu Deco Ensemble has exploded onto Miami’s eclectic musical scene captivating audiences, holistically engaging with its community, and fusing innovative, genre-bending orchestral performances and collaborations with the highest levels of musical artistry. Called a “chamber orchestra for the 21st century” by The New York Times, their performances have featured artists including Wyclef Jean, Allen Stone, Macy Gray, Monsieur Periné, Jacob Collier, and Ben Folds; reimagined orchestral suites of the music of Michael Jackson, Lauryn Hill, The Beatles, and Aretha Franklin; symphonic masterworks from Bernstein, Stravinsky and Gershwin; and new music from some of today’s most exciting living composers.
Thank you to our supporters who helped make this performance possible!
Nu Deco Ensemble Personnel
Conductor
Jacomo Bairos
Flute
Emilio Rutllant
Oboe/English Horn
Adèle-Marie Buis
Clarinet
Elias Rodriguez
Bass Clarinet
Nuno Antunes
Bassoon
Gabriel Beavers
Horn
Chris Komer
Trumpet
Omar Lateef
Trombone
Gabriel Colby
Percussion
Matthew Nichols
Juanmanuel Lopez
Hannah Gallamore
Drums/Hand Drums
Armando Lopez
Murph Aucamp
Electric Bass
Andrés Feret
Guitar
Aaron Lebos
Piano
Dan Strange
Keyboards
Jason Matthews
Violin 1
Matt Albert
Michelle Skinner
Ari Urban
Violin 2
Dina Kostic
Kiku Enomoto
Abby Young
Viola
Yael Kleinman Hyken
Chauncey Patterson
Cello
Aaron Merritt
Ashley Garritson
Double Bass
Juan Carlos Peña
Production Team
FOH Engineer
Charlton Williams
Monitor Engineer
Theo Braun
A2
Niall MaCaulay
Stage Tech
Nick Altadonna
Lighting & Video Designer
Pete Agudelo
Imag Operator
Gabriel Torres
Librarian/Score Reader
Adriana Fernandez
Production Assistant
Andres Hernadez
Photographer
Alex Markow
Video Director
Matthew Ebisuzaki
Camera Operators/SugarShack Media
Eddie Kopp
Arian Antonucci
Justin Kaczmarek
Dave Alpert
Spencer Paterson
Nu Deco Organization
Interim Executive Director
Courtney Ford
C.E.O | Co-Artistic Director
Sam Hyken
Conductor | Co-Artistic Director
Jacomo Bairos
VP, Programming & Production
Kristina Villaverde
Director of Audio
Charlton William
NXT Director
Michelle Skinner
Personnel Manager
Abby Young
Board Liaison and Executive Coordinator
Kelly Jimnez
Artistic Programs Coordinator
Elizabeth Guerra
Grant Writer
Jessica Kaschube
Nu Deco Board of Directors
Carlton Ford, Chair
Rebekah Monson, Vice Chair
James Wolcott, Treasurer
Adam Schwartzbaum, Secretary
Jacomo Bairos
Daniel Baltzegar
Samuel Baum
Michael D. Berman
Kevin Kwan Loucks
Sam Hyken
Nancy Levitt Davis
Carolina Menendez
Gianira Obregon
Ana Mari Ortega
Jerra Spence
Alexander Tecle
Thank you to our supporters!
Foundation & Government Supporters
Al & Jane Nahmad Family Foundation
Arison Arts Foundation
Cornelia T. Bailey Foundation
Bank of America Foundation
The Cowles Charitable Trust
The Kirk Foundation
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
Lynn & Louis Wolfson II Family Foundation
Miami Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs
The City of Miami Beach, Cultural Affairs Program, Cultural Arts Council
The Ortega Family Fund at The Miami Foundation
Peacock Foundation
The Jorge M. Perez Family Foundation at The Miami Foundation
YoungArts Foundation
This concert was made possible with the support of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners
Nu Deco’s programs on Miami Beach are supported by the City of Miami Beach, Cultural Affairs Program, Cultural Arts Council.
Corporate Sponsors
Nespresso
Individual Supporters
Dr. Benjamin Abo
Brian Adler
Jacomo Rafael Bairos
Daniel & Katherine Baltzegar
Gerry Barad
Samuel Baum
Lisa Beal
Elaine Berkowitz
Michael & Melinda Berman
Kathy & Bob Bernstein
Lisa & Bob Better
Emily Borababy & Adam Einhorn
Jill Braufman & Daniel Nir
Carolina & Christian Crews
Jeffrey Davis & Michael T. Miller
Joan De Pontet
Cristina Dominguez & Michael Grunwald
Patti Elias & Corey Hoffman
Chris Evans
Carol & Robin Faber
Nelly Farra
Anonymous in honor of Rebecca Fishman Lipsey
Matthew Ferrara
Betty & Joe Fleming
Cheriene Floyd
Carlton Ford
Courtney Ford
Denise & Phillip Foreman
Joe & Rachel Furst
Richard French & Jacqueline Greenberg
Seth & Liebe Gadinsky
Marina Ganopolsky
Susan L. Gordon
Dr. Rafael Gosalbez
Mark Gottfried & Karen Milles
Carly Grimm
Patricia Guinn & Jared Lilienstein
Nick Hamann
The Ronald Schrager & Wendy Hart Charitable Foundation
Erica Hartman-Horvitz & Richard Horvitz
Jackie Hassine
Russ Herman & Barbara Schuman
Maggie Hernandez
Mark Henderson & Bruce Wolfe
Rita Holloway
Bonnie Hyken
N. Abraham Issa
Lawrence & Jackie Kamin in honor of Carlton Ford
Ana & Neisen Kasdin
Kristen Khoury
Madeleine Kreitman
Brad Lake
Jacqueline Lalonde
Daniel & Valerie Landis
Ivonete Leite
Daniel Lewis & Valerie Dillonwitz
Nancy Levitt Davis
Alan & Diane Lieberman
George Lindemann
Dr. Willie & Lyra Logan
Radmila Lolly
Kevin Kwan Loucks
Jane Schoninger Marcus
Carter & Laura McDowell
Janet Melk
Carolina & Manuel Menendez
Daniel & Amanda Meneses
Leslie Miller Saiontz
Rebekah Monson
Stephen Nechtow
Natalie Norfus
Tracie Paul
Jeff & Marci Pearl
Meredith Porte
Laura & James Quinlan
Luis Ramirez & Kimberly Thompson
James & Catherine Redding
Team Ressler
Mark & Jennifer Rockwood
Victoria Rogers
Vivian & Gaby Roiz-Vilchez
Johanna Rousseaux
Michael & Jennifer Samway
Mary & Saul Sanders
Jaleh & Jeff Samway-Bast
David & Sydney Schaecter
Adam Schwartzbaum
Nicole Seymour
Marc & Noa Shinderman
Michael & Nicole Simkins
Deborah Slott & Ken Rivkin
Daniel Spear
Austin Stewart
Alexander Tecle
Mary Thieme
Randi & Warren R. Trazenfeld
Alexandra Villoch & Cesar Mendoza
Teresa Galang-Viñas & Joaquin Viñas
Dale & Diane Wallace
Gary L. Wasserman & Charles A. Kashner
Laura & Kenneth Wernick
Seth Weinberger & Barbara Goodman
H. Jordan Weitz & Robin Weitz
Jason Wiesenfeld & Tamara Galinsky
James & Bea Wolcott
Jessie Wolfson
Randi Wolfson & Chris Adamo
Brandon & Kara Yarckin
David & Linda Young
Michael Zwerner