West Stockbridge — Pianist, composer, and producer Rhyuhn Green, a Juilliard student whose work blends classical, jazz, pop, and R&B influences, will perform at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 4, at The Foundry. The Berkshire-based Pluto String Ensemble will open the concert.
Green, an American songwriter and composer, has been described by NPR as “both an extraordinary pianist and a composer,” with music noted for its “wealth of hummable tunes.” His work has been featured by NPR’s “Tiny Desk,” the Philadelphia Orchestra, WRTI, The Juilliard School, Lincoln Center, and the Curtis Institute of Music. One of the youngest members of the Recording Academy/GRAMMY®, he also serves as a GRAMMY U mentor and performs with GRAMMY-nominated and GRAMMY Award-winning musicians.
Green began performing publicly at a young age, opening for major rock acts at Rock Allegiance at age nine. He later performed at Franklin Music Hall and made his New York debut at The Bitter End with his band Zombie Kidz. He studied piano at the Curtis Institute of Music with Michelle Cann and made his Carnegie Hall debut at 12 after winning the Crescendo International Competition.
Green later joined the Marian Anderson Young Artist Program, studied composition with William “Bill” Dougherty, and worked in the jazz tradition with Ruth Naomi Floyd and Jamaaladeen Tacuma. His compositions have been performed by the Philadelphia Ballet, the Manhattan Brass Quintet, musicians from Juilliard and Curtis, and the Abington Symphony. He studies at Juilliard as a Kovner Fellow under David Serkin Ludwig and Valerie Coleman.
The Pluto String Ensemble. Photo by David Noel Edwards.
The Pluto String Ensemble is a Berkshire-based string quartet founded in 2020 by Geivens Dextra, Gerdrose Jean Louis, Gerdlie Jean Louis, and Leila Paredes. Formed during the pandemic, the ensemble has become known in western Massachusetts for chamber music performances that combine classical repertoire with storytelling, history, and community engagement. Their mission focuses on community building and highlighting underrepresented voices in classical music, particularly musicians of color and queer artists.
According to coverage in The Berkshire Edge, the ensemble brings “heart, history, and harmony” to their performances, presenting programs that are not simply concerts but narrative experiences connecting music with historical and cultural themes. Their performances often include spoken introductions and commentary that help audiences understand the background and meaning of the pieces being performed, creating a more personal and educational concert experience.
Their repertoire blends traditional classical string quartet works with music connected to Black history, cultural memory, and social themes, reflecting the ensemble’s mission to expand what a classical concert can be and who it is for. The group is known not just as a string quartet, but as a community-centered chamber group that combines performance, storytelling, and cultural history, and has become an active part of the Berkshire arts scene.
Hear pianist Rhyuhn Green at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 4, with opener Pluto String Ensemble at The Foundry, 2 Harris Street, West Stockbridge. Seating/bar: 7 p.m.; show: 7:30 p.m. Tickets and more information are available on The Foundry’s website or by calling (413) 232-5222.
Parking is limited at the venue, so please utilize one of the three public parking lots in town, one across from the Post Office, one behind Berkshire Bank, and one just off Main Street. Whatever you do, do not park at Trúc Orient Express Restaurant or the Post Office, unless you want to get a parking ticket.