"defies category" - The Wall Street Journal
PRESS QUOTES
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“The singers' voices resounded thrillingly midst of the sea of humanity all around... seems like a miracle. ” — The New York Times
“… defies category… delicate chamber music juxtaposed with blaring electronica... anguished harmonic friction…
a stronger erotic charge than punk rock.”
— The Wall Street Journal
“… a perfect synthesis of opera and media. Combining tribal and post-modern influences, Small holds court
and doesn’t lose heart. The creator, composer, and writer of this Multi-Media Concert is a petit- powerhouse, incorporating folk and art rock.”
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— The Theater Times
“One of the “10 Best Films of 2014”
(on “Butter on the Latch” - psychological thriller feature film directed by Josephine Decker in which Small is protagonist)
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— Richard Brody, New Yorker Magazine
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“[Black Sea Hotel] creates a swirling sonic palette that skips around nimbly. It’s a sound that expertly
plays with melody and harmony fashioning a musical world equally familiar and fantastical.”
— John Schaefer (Soundcheck, WNYC)
“There is an energizing newness to this ‘Delirium Construction,’ a humble and humbling view
of humanity that feels authentic, even poetic... what you take away from the Tableau is a kind of peace...” — The Washington Post
“[Black Sea Hotel] performs with a refined emotion that hits with the magnetic pull of rock-bound sirens.
Just tie me to the mast now…”
— National Public Radio
“I felt the earth veritably turning. I was truly transported.”
— Lenny Kaye (Patti Smith Group)
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“… Small’s true talent [as a photographer] is for exploring the grotesque lurking just below that idealized
façade… Small is one of the top emerging photographers working today.”
— American Photo Magazine
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“… an an engrossing symphony of human experience.”
— The Photoletariat
“In a world that often distances us from feelings of genuine emotion, [Small’s photography] compels us
to speculate on the human condition.”
— Platform Gallery
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“Black Sea Hotel are The Ramones of Balkan a cappella song. They infuse this already-wild traditional music
with their own gutsy sound that is, by turns, dissonant and driving, lyrical and ethereal.” — WFMU
“[Black Sea Hotel] creates a miraculous and transportive alchemy that, for me, transcends the very physicality of music itself.”
— Sirius XM Radio
“Black Sea Hotel captures an other-worldly sonic experience, wonderfully concordant and discordant
(to my post-punk ear), a totally unique sound on this planet.”
— Martin Bisi, Producer (Pixies, Sonic Youth, Swans, Herbie Hancock, Dresden Dolls)
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“One of 2014's most spellbinding shows… The three women [of Black Sea Hotel] held the crowd rapt with intricate, intoxicating counterpoint, tightly dancing tempos, unexpected stops and starts… hypnotic, utterly chilling, or both… they swoop and dive from stratospheric highs
to resonant lows, with eerie close harmonies, ornamented trills, the occasional whoop of delight or dread suddenly cut off cold…
[Their] favorite harmony is A/B-flat/B – can anything possibly be any cooler than that?”
— New York Music Daily
“[Black Sea Hotel has] a reputation for being a sort of punk rock version of Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares… where they really ought to be
is at Carnegie Hall.”
— Lucid Culture
“[Hydra is] soaring Balkan art-rock with bulk and gravitas infinitely more mighty than three voices… Alternately sweeping and austere…
Balkan and Beatlesque.”
— New York Music Daily
“[Black Sea Hotel’s] stark vocal blend is emotionally raw… captivating and raucous.”
— CD Baby
“Small leaves us with a little piece of herself, unguarded and pure, along with it a new understanding of humanity,
if we are open enough to accept it.”
— Eyemazing Magazine
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“[Small's] work is able to stimulate the imagination in the manner of poetry… she enhances the sense that one has entered an
alternative universe.”
— 1000 Words Magazine
“… a showcase for leaping pyrotechnics and strange guttural trills... as intense as it is hypnotic... Black Sea Hotel [has] an extremely
high ceiling.”
— Lucid Culture
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“Small has incredible raw talent” — NY Press
“… Small, in particular, is a revelation... best screen performance at Berlinale 2014”
(on “Butter on the Latch” - psychological thriller feature film directed by Josephine Decker in which Small is protagonist)
— Experimental Conversations
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ABOUT
Press + Curriculum Vitae
AWARDS
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2017 — “Best World Music Album” | GRAMMY Award
co-arrangement w/ Kyle Saana + performance w/ Black Sea Hotel + Yo-Yo Ma
on Silk Road Ensemble’s Sing Me Home
2016 — awarded by the Ministry of Culture of China to travel and lodge for 10 days in Zhengzhou, Henan China for exhibition of work
during China’s International Photographic Art Exhibition
2009 — #2 on iTunes World Music, "Top Album" List (Black Sea Hotel)
2009 — CD Baby, “Editors Pick” (Black Sea Hotel)
2010 — Art of Photography Awards
selected from 13,692 entries for inclusion in annual showcase
2010 — Magenta Foundation’s US Flash Forward; competition winner
2009 — WIN Initiative + Resource Magazine
#1 of 10,000 entries submitted by photographers from 68 countries
2009 – ITS#EIGHT International Talent Support
awarded out of submissions from 65 countries; travel to Italy for exhibition and awards ceremony
2009 — Magnet Media’s Viewfinder’s Challenge; competition winner
2009 — HOW Design Magazine’s Annual Talent Showcase; 1 of 3 awardees
2009 — Masters Cup’s Color Award
nominated as 1 of 30 American photographers selected from 2000 entries and 92 countries
2009 — Santa Fe Prize for Photography; nomination by Brian Clamp
2008 — Critical Mass; 1 of 50 finalists
2008 — Surface Magazine's 10th annual Avant Guardian Competition
chosen as #1 of 8 photographers out of 10 years of contributors; fashion photography
shoot commissioned and published
2008 — American Photography 24
1 of 201 out of 9000 images submitted to to be launched and showcased on Distribute
2008 — Critical Mass; finalist
2007 — awarded 1 in 25 US photographers in Magenta Foundation's International Emerging Photographer Competition
culminating in exhibition and book release at Lennox Contemporary
2006 — awarded 1 of 10 in Jen Bekman's annual Hey, Hot Shot Competition
2006 — awarded a Lens Baby lens for the Creative Vision Award at The Art of Photography Show
2004 — granted exhibition in Art and Commerce’ s Annual International Emerging Photographer Competition
2003 — awarded 1st Place in photo competition at the Popcorn Room Gallery
2002 — awarded Best in Show at the Lakeside Statewide Art Exhibition
1997 — awarded publication in National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts' Right Hemisphere Arts Week Journal
with travel to and lodging in Miami for awards ceremony and master classes in photography
1997 — Advanced Placement Poster, distributed to the art rooms in high schools nationwide
1997 — recipient of the Corcoran Gallery Gold Key Award
1996 — recipient of the Field School’s Weems Award
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PUBLICATIONS
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The New York Times
Wall Street Journal
The Washington Post
The New Yorker
Italian Vogue
Life Magazine
Sony Records
American Photo Magazine
Rolling Stone Magazine
New York Magazine
Surface Magazine
The Huffington Post
Indiewire
Psychology Today
Eyemazing Magazine
New Music Box
International Talent Support
Flavorpill
Time Out New York
Sydsvenskan
Playgirl
Theatre Times
Bushwick Daily
Hudson Valley News
Zoom International
HOW Magazine
Visionaire
Getty Images
Zoom International
Welt Kompakt
Vrij Nederland
Oxford American
Planet Magazine
Vice Magazine
Photo District News
Art-Interview Online
New York Press
NBC Universal
CO-FOUNDED ENSEMBLES
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BLACK SEA HOTEL
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(2006 - present)
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vocal trio; contemporary arrangements of traditional Bulgarian + Macedonian folksongs
Affectionally dubbed “the punk rock version of Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares”
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HYDRA
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(2012 - present)
vocal trio w/ mandolin + electronics; re-imaged folk; art rock; vocal creature
“… soaring Balkan art-rock with bulk and gravitas infinitely more mighty than three voices…
alternately sweeping and austere… Balkan and Beatlesque."
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MULTI-DISCIPLINARY PERFORMANCE
CHAMBER | CHORAL + VOCAL TRIO | ELECTRONIC
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QUESTIONS BROUGHT ON BY THE STRANGERS
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(2019 + 2021)
8 musical movements + movement 0 (spoken word), 45-min
instrumentation: piccolo, flute, 2 clarinets, glockenspiel, marimba, bass drum, snare drum, violin, viola, violoncello, electronics (excluding mvt. 1, 4, and 6 which require only acoustic instruments and no electronics) *the full work additionally requires 2 outside participants / dancers, and possibly digital projection
mvt. 0 - (2:00) — Questions Brought on by the Strangers
mvt. 1 - (6:30) — Behind the Gymnasium
mvt. 2 - (5:50) — Mjeto Si, Mjato Ma
mvt. 3 - (4:14) — Encounters with Strangers
mvt. 4 - (4:20) — The Candy Truck
mvt. 5 - (5:54) — Breakdancing with Professors
mvt. 6 - (1:22) — The Water in Our Eyes
mvt. 7 - (9:00) — Grace Wave
mvt. 8 - (5:54) — Now We Can Take Off Together!
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SECONDARY DOMINANCE
(2017 / 2019)
12 movements, 53-min
written for premiere at HERE Arts Center’s PROTOTYPE Festival
instrumentation: piccolo, flute, sheng, violin, viola, violoncello, electronic backtrack, 3 dancers,
1 mom, 1 dad, film projection
mvt. 1 - (5:24) — Are You The Sun?
mvt. 2 - (2:20) — The Sitter
mvt. 3 - (2:48) — Am I Free?
mvt. 4 - (2:14) — Blowing Dandelions
dream recordings: Shelley Thomas + Jennifer Keane
mvt. 5 - (8:07) — Grandpa’s Kaleidoscope
mvt. 6 - (4:41) — Planet to Planet
add. sound design + chorus/verse structure: Dorian Wolf
lyrical collaboration: Wade McCollum
mvt. 7 - (3:49) — Moma Jeste
invented language based on Bulgarian and Spanish phonetics
mvt. 8 - (6:05) — The Forest Shakes and Sways; And We Are Still
inspired by a Bulgarian folksong “Vetar Vee” (Shopluk region)
arr. Small; add. arr. + comp: Rima Fand
mvt. 9 - (6:09) — Do You Sleep Inside?
mvt. 10 - (1:47) — Kitty Cats + Horses
mvt. 11 - (4:00) — A Dragon Loves Me
inspired by a Bulgarian folksong “Ženish Me Mamo” (Dobrudzha region)
mvt. 12 - (5:54) — In the Night Room
add. sound design + chorus/verse structure: Dorian Wolf
lyrical collaboration: Wade McCollum
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TABLEAU VIVANT OF THE DELIRIUM CONSTRUCTIONS
SKYLIGHT ONE HANSON
2011 — 9-movements, approx. 50-min
instrumentation: 120-participant chorus / performer-dancer-collective, string quartet,
Balkan vocal quartet, 1 soprano, 1 mezzo soprano, 2 live wedding ceremonies (legal matrimony)
conceived, co-composed, co-directed, co-performed: Small
co-composed and arranged, co-performed, and musical direction: Rima Fand
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mvt. 1 - (approx. 10:00) — At Rest: Silence
mvt. 2 - (approx. 5:00) — We Wake: Deh Vieni, Non Tardar
Susanna’s aria from Le Nozze di Figaro
mvt. 3 - (approx. 9:00) — We Sing: “Ibish Aga”
trad. Bulgarian; vocal arr: Small; instrumental arr. + add. comp: Rima Fand
mvt. 4 - (approx. 4:00) — We Dance: “Wildebeest Waltz”
trad. Bulgarian; vocal arr: Small; instrumental arr. + add. comp: Rima Fand
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mvt. 4 - (approx. 4:00) — We Dance: “Wildebeest Waltz”
comp: Small; instrumental comp and add arr: Rima Fand
mvt. 5 - (approx. 2:00) — We Commune: “I Will Be with All of You”
comp: Rima Fand; text: Small
mvt. 6 - (approx. 4:00) — We Rest
mvt. 7 - (approx. 2:00) — We Wake: Shte Pejem Zajedno
comp: Small; aria, invented language
mvt. 8 - (approx. 10:00) — We Breathe
mvt. 9 - (approx. 4:00) — We Depart: C’est L’amour Vainqueur
Nicklausse's “violin aria” from Les Contes d’Hoffmann
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TABLEAU VIVANT OF THE DELIRIUM CONSTRUCTIONS
BATHHOUSE STUDIOS
2011 — approx. 40-min
instrumentation: 30-participant chorus / solo cello, Balkan vocal quartet, 1 soprano,
collective breathing and droning
conceived, co-composed, co-directed, co-performed: Small
co-composed and arranged, co-performed, and musical direction: Rima Fand
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TABLEAU VIVANT OF THE DELIRIUM CONSTRUCTIONS
POWERHOUSE ARENA
2011 — approx. 40-min
instrumentation: 30-participant chorus / solo cello, Balkan vocal quartet, 1 soprano,
collective breathing and droning
conceived, co-composed, co-directed, co-performed: Small
co-composed and arranged, co-performed, and musical direction: Rima Fand
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TABLEAU VIVANT OF THE DELIRIUM CONSTRUCTIONS
GALLERY 9B
2010 — approx. 40-min
instrumentation: 10-person chorus (adults + children), Balkan vocal quartet, 1 soprano
collective breathing and droning
conceived, composed, directed, co-performed: Small
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TABLEAU VIVANT OF THE DELIRIUM CONSTRUCTIONS
92 Y TRIBECA
2010 — approx. 30-min
instrumentation: 10-person chorus (adults + children), Balkan vocal quartet, 1 soprano
collective breathing and droning
conceived, composed, directed, co-performed: Small
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TABLEAU VIVANT OF THE DELIRIUM CONSTRUCTIONS
SALON CIEL
2010 — approx. 25-min
instrumentation: 10-person chorus, 1 female Balkan Singer
collective breathing and droning
conceived, composed, directed, co-performed: Small
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TABLEAU VIVANT OF THE DELIRIUM CONSTRUCTIONS
JEWEL STREET STUDIOS
2009 — approx. 40-min
instrumentation: 30-participant chorus, Balkan vocal quartet
conceived, composed, co-directed, co-performed: Small
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A BOOMERANG OF BLACK FLUORESCENCE;
Music I Forgot to Write In My Teens
2020 — 13 movements, approx. 55-min
instrumentation: voice, electronics, piccolo, flute, clarinet, bassoon, drum machine, violin, viola, violoncello
mvt. 1 - (3:20) — Internally, Eternally
mvt. 2 - (TBA) — Hinged or Mobile?
mvt. 3 - (5:22) — Dance of Frozen Animals
mvt. 4 - (4:42) — Mjeto Boxes
mvt. 5 - (3:13) — Lid on the Box
mvt. 6 - (6:02) — Encounters with Strangers; Part II
mvt. 7 - (3:05) — Watching Rats from my Luxury Shower
mvt. 8 - (2:06) — The Wooden Child
mvt. 9 - (5:54) — Untangling The Wildebeest Waltz: A Dedication to You-Know-Who
mvt. 10 - (3:16) — Rain Dance Gif
mvt. 11 - (TBA) — When a Frog is My Mammal
mvt. 12 - (5:10) — Wake Apnea
mvt. 13 - (2:11) — A Tenth Time Realization
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UNIVERSAL SOUND ARRAY BANNER
2020 — duration TBA
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instrumentation:
flutes, clarinet, contrabassoon, viola, cello, electronics
mvt. 1 - (3:34) — The Infinite Parenthetical
mvt. 2 - (TBA) — Bunny! Leave January Alone; He’s Trying to Meditate!
mvt. 3 - (1:27) — Here Came the Groom
mvt. 4 - (TBA) — Nap Time
mvt. 5 - (TBA) — Chana Projects
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SADILA JANA
2017 — single movement chamber work, 3:27-min
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instrumentation:
Balkan vocal trio, sheng, violin, viola, violoncello
commissioned by Silk Road Ensemble for GRAMMY-winning album: Sing Me Home
trad. Macedonian; vocal arr: Small; instrumental arr: Kyle Sanna
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THE FOREST IS SHAKING AND SWAYING; AND WE ARE STILL
2015 — single movement chamber work, 6:05-min
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instrumentation:
Balkan vocal trio, chorus, string quartet
written for premiere with Brooklyn Youth Chorus + Kronos Quartet, with support from Judd Greenstein
trad. Bulgarian“Vetar Vee”(Shopluk region); comp + arr: Small; add. comp + arr: Rima Fand
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WORKS FOR VOCAL TRIO + QUARTET
(2006 - present)
arrangements of and compositional reinventions inspired by
traditional Bulgarian and Macedonian folksongs
written for Black Sea Hotel + Hydra
instrumentation: Balkan vocal trio / Balkan vocal quartet
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(2:27) — “Panju Pashata”
trad. Bulgarian; arr: Small
(3:10) — “Makedonsko Devojche”
trad. Macedonian; arr: Small
(1:19) — “Bre De Jane”
trad. Bulgarian; arr: Small
(2:44) —“Sadila Jana”
trad. Macedonian; arr: Small
(3:07) — “Spava Mi Se, Lega Mi Se”
trad. Bulgarian; arr: Small
(4:11) — “Ibish Aga”
trad. Bulgarian; arr: Small
(3:28) — “Zhenish Me Mamo”
trad. Bulgarian; arr: Small
(3:29) — “Vetar Vee; Part I”
trad. Bulgarian; arr: Small
(3:30) — “Zablejalo Mi Aguntse”
trad. Bulgarian; arr: Small
(5:15) — “Makja Jana”
trad. Bulgarian; arr: Small
(time varies) — “Magdaleno Muri Malka Mome”
trad. Bulgarian; arr: Small
(time TBA) — “Tri Godini Stana”
trad. Macedonian; arr: Small
(1:20) — “Zheni Ranje”
comp: Small; text: Small, invented language based on Bulgarian and Spanish phonetics
(3:20) — “Jovane Jovanke”
trad. Macedonian; arr: Small
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CONCERTS
Lund Cathedral, Lund Choral Festival - BSH, headlining ensemble | Lund, Sweden
Stallet Världens Musik - BSH | Stockholm, Sweden
Grytnäs Kyrka Church - BSH | Avesta, Sweden
Harbo - BSH | Copenhagen, Denmark
St. Ann’s Warehouse - BSH in collaboration with Kronos Quartet + Brooklyn Youth Chorus | Dumbo, NY
BRIC, “Hungarian Rock” - BSH w/ The Knights | Brooklyn, NY
National Sawdust - BSH in collaboration wtih ACME Quartet + BYC | Williamsburg, NY
Joe’s Pub – “Sxip’s Hour of Charm” - billing w/ Hydra + BSH + Shara Nova + Reggie Watts
+ Sway Machinery| New York, NY
Symphony Space - BSH, collaboration w/ Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares | New York, NY
Irving Plaza - part of vocal duet as opening act for Balkan Beat Box | New York, NY
Bowery Ballroom - Hydra | New York, NY
The Box - Hydra | New York, NY
Joshua Tree Music Festival - BSH | Joshua Tree, LA
Museum of the Moving Image - Hydra | Brooklyn, NY
The Basilica - BSH | Hudson, NY
Balliceaux - BSH | Richmond, VA
MINY Media Center | Brooklyn, NY
San Miguel Mission - BSH | Santa Fe, NM
Shapeshifter Lab – Jessica Brainstorm (predecessor to Secondary Dominance) | Brooklyn, NY
92nd Street Y, Tribeca - BSH | New York, NY
Bulgarian Consulate - BSH | New York, NY
Toy Factory Lofts - BSH | Los Angeles, CA
Ukrainian Museum - BSH | New York, NY
Grand Prospect Ballroom - BSH | Brooklyn, NY
Galapagos Art Space - BSH | Dumbo, NY
International Folk Art Museum - BSH | Santa Fe, NM
Pete’s Candy Store - BSH + Hydra + Jessica Brainstorm | Brooklyn, NY
DROM - BSH | New York, NY
The Cooperage - BSH | Albuquerque, NM
Irondale – BSH + Hydra | Brooklyn, NY
Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture - BSH | Brooklyn, NY
GiG Performance Space - BSH | Santa Fe, NM
The Hive NYC – BSH + Hydra | Brooklyn, NY
Rockwood Music Hall – BSH + Hydra | New York, NY
Branded Saloon - BSH | Brooklyn, NY
The Castello Plan (WFMU simulcast) - BSH | Brooklyn, NY
Balktoberfest - BSH | Washington, DC
Ditmas Acoustic at The Sanctuary - BSH | Brooklyn, NY
Jalopy - BSH | Brooklyn, NY
Mehanata Bulgarian Bar - BSH | New York, NY
Zebulon - BSH | Brooklyn, NY
Fat Baby - BSH | New York, NY
Rose Live Music - BSH | Brooklyn, NY
Balkan Shout Out - BSH | New York, NY
Public Assembly - BSH | Brooklyn, NY
Union Pool - BSH w/ Stumblebum Brass Band + Veveritse | Brooklyn, NY
Brooklyn Masonic Temple - BSH | Brooklyn, NY
Barbes (WFMU simulcast) - BSH | Brooklyn, NY
Sinterklaas Festival - BSH | Rhinebeck, NY
Breezy Hill Orchard Spring Wassail - BSH | Staatsburg, NY
Brooklyn Botanical Gardens - BSH | Brooklyn, NY
Glen Echo Town Hall - BSH | Echo Park, MD
CBGB - Morgan’s Cannon | New York, NY
RECORDINGS
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(upcoming) 2021 — Universal Sound Array Banner
(upcoming) 2020 — A Boomerang of Black Fluorescence; Songs I Forgot to Write as a Teen
2019 — Secondary Dominance
2016 — Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble’s compilation record, Sing Me Home
“Sadila Jana” - vocal performance Black Sea Hotel, vocal arr. Sarah Small, instr. arr. Kyle Sanna
2017 — Dirt Empire’s 40-channel ARC Dome, vocals by Black Sea Hotel
premiered NYC’s Panorama Festival
2015 — “Autopsy of Jane Doe”; vocals for feature film
director: André Øvredal; commissioned by Danny Bensi + Saunder Jurriaans
2014 — Black Sea Hotel recording for music video; “Zhenish Me Mamo”
vocal performance Black Sea Hotel, vocal arr. Sarah Small, director Josephine Decker
2014 — Hydra - self-produced single; “Wake Up”; arr. Rima Fand + Hydra, words. Rima Fand
2014 — Jessi Colter + Lenny Kaye of Patti Smith Group - song collaboration; “Psalm 81”
vocal performance Black Sea Hotel, vocal arr. Shelley Thomas, instrumental arr. Jessi Colter
2013 — Black Sea Hotel self-produced record, The Forest is Shaking and Swaying
vocal arr. + comp. credits: “Sadila Jana”, “Spava Mi Se”, “Ibish Aga”, “Zhenish Me Mamo”
“The Forest is Shaking and Swaying”
2014 – Hydra - self-produced single; “Sonnet 81”
vocal arr. Rima Fand + Hydra; poetry: Pablo Neruda; trans. Rima Fand
2013 — “Butter on the Latch”, feature film - trailer song; “Zhenish Me Mamo”
director: Josephine Decker; vocal performance: Black Sea Hotel; vocal arr. Sarah Small
2010 — Songs and Dances for Life Nonstop arr. collaboration; “Ispukav Poema”
vocal arr. Black Sea Hotel + Rima Fand, instrumental arr. Ansambl Mastika
2008 – Black Sea Hotel - self-produced debut record, Self-Titled
vocal arrangements: Small -“Magdaleno Muri Malka Mome” (Small + Tzvetanka Verimezova), “Dimianinka”
“Panju Pashata”, Spava Mi Se, Lega Mi Se” (Small + BSH), “Makedonsko Dejojche”, “Bre De Jane”
2007 — Black Sea Hotel - self-produced demo EP
vocal arrangements: Small - “Panju Pashata” + “Magdaleno Muri Malka Mome” (Small + Tzvetanka Verimezova)
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FILMOGRAPHY
(2009 - present) — “Docuconcoction of The Delirium Constructions” | A Fantasy Fiction Docuconcoction
director, editor, composer, performer: Small; co-director: Wade McCollum; creative producer: Josephine Decker
2019 — “In the Night Room” - Secondary Dominance | Music Video
conception: Small + Wade McCollum; composer, singer, editor: Small
directors: Wade McCollum + Brian Gonzalez; add. Vocals: Wade McCollum
2019 — “Moma Jeste” - Secondary Dominance | Music Video
conception: Maxx Reed + Sarah Small + Wade McCollum; composer + editor: Small + Maxx Reed
directors: Maxx Reed + Wade McCollum; dance choreographer: Maxx Reed
2019 — “Planet to Planet” - Secondary Dominance | Music Video
conception: Wade McCollum; director + add. vocals: Wade McCollum; composer, singer, editor: Small
2019 — “The Sitter” - Secondary Dominance | Music Video
conception + director + dance choreographer: Maxx Reed; composer + editor: Small
2018 — “Madeline's Madeline” | Narrative Feature
director: Josephine Decker; extra (role: photographer’s assistant): Small
2017 — “Grandpa’s Kaleidoscope” - Secondary Dominance | Music Video
conception + directors: Sarah Small + Wade McCollum
dance choreographer: Vanessa Waters; composer, singer, editor: Small
2017 — “Zhenish Me Mamo” - Black Sea Hotel | Music Video
director: Josephine Decker; composer + singer: Small + Black Sea Hotel
2015 — “Black Soil, Green Grass” | Short Film
director: Daniel Carbone; extra: Small
2015 — Currently Untitled | Short Film
director: Lily Baldwin, associate producer + extra: Small
2014 — “River of Fundament” | Experimental Operatic Film
director: Matthew Barney; composer: Jonathan Bepler; musical direction participation: Small
2013 — “Butter on the Latch” | Narrative Feature
director: Josephine Decker; lead actress: Small
2013 — “Thou Wast Mild and Lovely” | Narrative Feature
director: Josephine Decker; associate producer: Small
2012 — “Sin∞Fin’ The Movie Trilogy”, Feature Film
director: VestAndPage; vocal arr. Willa Roberts; vocal performance: Black Sea Hotel
2012 — Tableau Vivant of The Delirium Constructions - Participants and their Mothers | Rehearsal Short
performance conception + scene director: Small; editor, DP, creative producer: Josephine Decker
2011 — Tableau Vivant of The Delirium Constructions - Skylight One Hanson | Performance Short
conception, performer, composer: Small; composer, performer, musical director: Rima Fand
shooter + editor: Josephine Decker
2007 — “Team Queen” - Triple Creme | Music Video
director: Leah Meyerhoff; still photographer: Small
2003 — “Neurotica” | Short Film
director: Leah Meyerhoff; still photographer: Small
PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITIONS
2022 — Laura and Ancient Instruments; Past and Present | Location TBA
2019 — POP! Gala and Art Auction to benefit Westport Public Art Collections | Westport , CT
2017 — Fast forward // Rewind, Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia | Atlanta, GA
2016 — China International Photographic Exhibition; US Representative | Zhengzhou, China
2012 — 40 Years of Concept Art Gallery, Concept Art Gallery | Pittsburgh, PA
2012 — DeBuck Gallery | New York, NY
2011 — The Delirium Constructions, Skylight One Hanson | Brooklyn, NY
2011 — Atlanta Celebrates Photography: Ones To Watch, Mary Stanley Studio | Atlanta, GA
2011 — Inaugural Exhibition, Neubacher Shor Contemporary | Toronto, Ontario, Canada
2011 — Human/Time/Space, DOB Gallery | Bangkok, Thailand
2011 — Honey, Liloveve Gallery | Brooklyn, NY
2010 — The Delirium Constructions, Gallery 9B, Dumbo | Brooklyn, NY
2010 — The Delirium Constructions, Tribeca Y Gallery | New York, NY
2010 — The Delirium Constructions, Salon Ciel | New York, NY
2010 — 100 Portraits-100 Photographers, Foto Week DC, Corcoran Gallery | Washington, DC
2010 — Art of Photography | San Diego, CA
2010 — Art Taipei Forum, Taipei World Trade Center | Taipei, Taiwan
2010 — Group Show, Bleicher/Golightly Gallery | Santa Monica, CA
2010 — Exquisite Corpse Project, Civilian Arts Projects | Washington, DC
2009 — Bova Image Festival, Bova Reggio di Calabria | Bova, Italy
2009 — The Polaroid Party: Polaroid Artist Group Show | Dumbo Brooklyn, NY
2009 — XTO Nude Image Awards Winners Showcase, Farmani Gallery | Dumbo Brooklyn, NY
2009 — Wild Things; Photography for Animal Lovers, Stricola Contemporary | New York, NY
2009 — Hijacked Book Launch and Exhibition, premiere in Perth, Stuttgart and NYC
2009 — VICE France Photobook Exhibition, Lelieu Unique (LU) | Nantes, France
2008 — Immoral Facts and Fables, Caprice Horn Gallery | Berlin, Germany
2008 — Collectible, Wall Space Gallery, | Seattle, WA
2008 — Ice Cream Social, Sara Nightingale Gallery | Water Mill, NY
2008 — 31 under 31: Women in Photography, Humble Arts Foundation Ladies Lotto, 3rd Ward | Brooklyn, NY
2008 — Photofest, JRB Art at the Elms, Historic Paseo Arts District | Oklahoma City, OK
2008 — Delight and Horror: The Photographs of Sarah Small, 1000 Words Photography
2008 — The Delirium Constructions, Waldermar A. Schmidt Gallery | Waverly, IA
2008 — Portraiture, presented by Getty Images, New York Photo Festival | Dumbo Brooklyn, NY
2008 — Light and Transition, Caprice Horn Gallery | Berlin Germany
2008 — Exhibition, Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction | Bloomington, IN
2008 — Hijacked Book Launch and Exhibition, Australian Center for Photography | Sydney Australia
2008 — Hijacked Book Launch and Exhibition, ArtSource, Fremantle | WA, Australia
2008 — 4th Annual Altpick Awards Showcase, Bellevarado Studios | Los Angeles, CA
2008 — Annual Portfolio Exhibition, The Center for Fine Art Photography | Fort Collins, CO
2007 — Soft Ground: Platform Gallery, Winnipeg | Canada
2007 — Fantasio, National Pop Rock Institute | Prins Hendrikkade, Amsterdam
2007 — Undressed: Looking at Nudes, Umbrella Arts | New York, NY
2007 — Pivot, 3+3 Space, Chaoyang District | Beijing, China
2007 — Indwelling, judged by Joyce Tenneson, Cooper Union | New York, NY
2007 — The Delirium Constructions, Dolce Vita | New York, NY
2006 — Denver International Airport Exhibit, DIA | Denver, CO
2006 — RISD Biennial NYC 2006, Exit Art | New York, NY
2006 — Vice Magazine Photo Issue Exhibition, Silverstein Photography Gallery | New York, NY
2006 — Hey, Hot Shot Awards Show, Jen Bekman Gallery | New York, NY
2006 — The Art of Photography, Lyceum Theatre Gallery | San Diego, CA
2006 — On the Road, The Center for Fine Art Photography | Fort Collins, CO
2005 — Completely Naked, Campbell Works Gallery and Photomonth Festival | East London
2004 — Multiples, Klaus Von Nichtssagend Gallery | Brooklyn, NY
2004 — I Spy, Swift Gallery | Los Angeles, CA
2004 — Photo New York 2004, Broadway Gallery at Metropolitan Pavilion | New York, NY
2004 — Art+Commerce Festival - Emerging Photographers, Tobacco Warehouse | Brooklyn, NY
2004 — Generations ‘04, A.I.R. Gallery | New York, NY
1997 — Sensuality, Washington Center for Photography | Washington, DC
1997 — Advanced Placement Studio Art Traveling Awards Show, The Art Barn | New York, NY
1997 — Advanced Placement Studio Art Traveling Awards Show, The College Board | New York, NY
1997 — Advanced Placement Awards Show, Educational Testing Headquarters | Princeton, NJ
1997 — The College Board National Forum | Chicago, IL
1997 — The Corcoran Award Regional Finalists, The Corcoran Gallery | Washington, DC
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COMMISSIONS | GRANTS | SUPPORT
2017 — commission by HERE Arts Center to develop and premiere Secondary Dominance
at PROTOTYPE Festival
2017 — generous support from Rachelle Cohen to further develop Secondary Dominance
2017 — commission by Dirt Empire (to Black Sea Hotel) to record vocal soundscape for
90’ diameter, 40-channel speaker, immersive ARC Dome; premiere at NYC’s Panorama Festival
2017 — grant from Cornelia and Michael Bessie Foundation to Black Sea Hotel
made possible by Anne Nelson Person and The Century Association
2016 — grant from Ministry of Culture of China for travel to and lodging in Zhengzhou, Henan, China
for awards ceremony and exhibition of work at the Chinese International Photographic Art Exhibition
2015 — grant from Avaloch farm to participate in 4-week composition residency
2011 — support from Sherry Sundick in support of Tableau Vivant of The Delirium Constructions
2015 — commission by Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble to co-arrange and record
“Sadila Jana” for GRAMMY-winning album, Sing Me Home
2011 — generous contribution from Michael Huffington in support of Tableau Vivant
of The Delirium Constructions
2011 — generous contribution from Rachelle Cohen in support of Tableau Vivant
of The Delirium Constructions
2011 — generous contribution from Cathy and Dennis Hepworth in support of Tableau Vivant
of The Delirium Constructions
(2009 - 2011) — Commercial Sponsors: The Balvenie, Hendrick’s Gin, Baked by Melissa, 92Y Tribeca, IZZE Beverage Company, Scheimpflug, ContaminateNYC, Williamsburg Clocktower Bank Building,
Brooklyn Republic, Dogleaf Studios, Snohetta, Sweet Lorens, Shag, Broncolor, Artists Wanted, Bulldog,
The Deconstructive Theatre Project, KelaCalaQ, Stoli, Mesa Coyoacan, Oak Wine Bar and Cafe,
Saldo Drugs, Bottle Shoppe, David Davis Fine Materials, Materials for the Arts, Kobold, K+A Chocolates,
Slideluck Potshow, Culturehall, WINInitiative, GAR-DE, Zeichner Wine & Liquor
2009 — generous contribution from Michael Huffington in support of 10-year-in-the-making
“Delirium Construction”, a Fantasy Fiction Feature Film, based Small’s Tableau Vivant
of The Delirium Constructions
2005 — awarded (with members of BSH) by Trust for Mutual Understanding study and cultural exchange with Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares' soloist Kremena Stancheva in her native Shopluk village, Bulgaria
1997 — granted by National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts a one-week trip to and lodging in Miami for master classes in photography and awards ceremony
1997 — granted Annual Merit Scholarship to attend Rhode Island School of Design
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LECTURES + TEACHING RESIDENCIES
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BLACK SEA HOTEL: BALKAN SINGING
2019 — Queens College - residency | Queens, NY
2018 — First Presbyterian Church - workshop | Santa Fe, NM
2018 — Sjöviks Folkhögskola - workshop + lecture | Avesta, Sweden
2014 — Delirium House - workshop | Brooklyn, NY
2014 — The Lofts - workshop | Santa Fe, NM
2014 — College of William and Mary - residency | Williamsburg, VA
2013 — Bucknell University - workshop + lecture | Lewisburg, PA
2013 — University of Richmond - residency | Richmond, VA
2013 — Commonwealth School, - lecture | Boston, MA
2012 — Apple Mountain Music - workshop | Albuquerque, NM
2011 — Columbia University - residency | New York, NY
2011 — Trevor School - semester-long residency with two girls choirs | New York, NY
2010 — Colby College - residency | Waterville, ME
2008 — Museum of Jewish Heritage - workshop | New York, NY
2008 — John Jay College - lecture | New York, NY
2008 — Westminster College of the Arts - residency | Princeton, NJ
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SMALL: PHOTOGRAPHY + PERFORMANCE
2010 — Apple Store Soho - lecture | New York, NY
2010 — Eddie Adams Workshop - lecture | New York
2010 — The Art of Photography, Where Great Minds Meet - lecture | San Diego, CA2010 — Salon Ciel - lecture | New York, NY
2009 — New York University - senior photography professor | New York, NY
2009 — B+H Events Space - lecture | New York, NY
2009 — International Center for Photography - lecture |New York, NY
2007 — Platform Gallery: Soft Ground - lecture | Winnipeg, Canada
2007 — RISD’s Fine Art Portfolio Reviews - portfolio panel reviewer | Providence, RI
2007 — RISD’s Professional Practices - lecture | Tisch University, New York, NY
2006 — NY Photo Group Salon - lecture | Soho Photo Gallery, New York, NY
2006 — APA / ASMP NY - lecture | APA Office, New York, NY
2006 — RISD Biennial - lecture | Exit Art Gallery, New York, NY
2005 — Maryland Institute College of Art - lecture | Baltimore, MD
(2004-2005) — Jewish Community Center - photography professor
Photograph Your Dreams | New York, NY
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EDUCATION
(2015 - 2017) — Juiliard Evening Division | NYC
professors: Emi Ferguson, Evan Fein, Greg Knowles
2011 — Merita Halili | Mendocino, CA
master classes in Balkan Song
2010 — Mariana Sadovska | NYC
Master Classes in Balkan Song
2008 — Tzvetanka Varimezova | Mendocino, CA
Master Classes in Balkan Song
2008 — Kremena Stancheva | New York, NY
Master Classes in Balkan Song
2007 — Christos Govetas | Iroquois Springs, NY
Master Classes in Balkan Song
2007 — Merita Halili | Mendocino, CA
Master Classes in Balkan Song
2006 — Kera Kichilieva + Aishe Sadovka | Velingrad, Bulgaria
Master Classes in Balkan Song
2006 — Kremena Stancheva| Kovachevski, Bulgaria
Master Classes in Balkan Song
2005 — Carol Freeman | NYC
Master Classes in Balkan Song
2005 — Carol Silverman | NYC
Master Classes in Balkan Song
2004 — Donka Koleva | NYC
Master Classes in Balkan Song
(2004 - 2011) — Rhode Island School of Design, Bachelor’s in Photography | Providence, RI
professors: Gary Metz, Henry Horenstein, Deborah Bright, Anne Fessler, Richard Lebowitz