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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

​

(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)

​

​

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

​

​

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

​

​

LECTURES + TEACHING RESIDENCIES

 

​

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

​

​

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

​

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 

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