Artists and performers from across Europe come together on Saturday, September 13, for EU State of the Arts Night, a unique after-hours program of musical performances, art installations, interactive projects, and thought-provoking conversations at the Smithsonian Arts + Industries Building.

European food and drinks will be available for purchase at our pop-up market, and the night closes out with an electro-house dance party.

Presented by the Delegation of the European Union in cooperation with the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, EU State of the Arts Night spotlights the vibrancy and diversity of the arts in America and Europe and the artistic ties connecting people across the Atlantic.

In collaboration with the embassies of Denmark, Germany, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, and Sweden, artists from each of these countries will be on hand to perform and talk with visitors about their work.

 

South Stage

7:00pm – Guitarists Conor Malone & Justin Jordan – IRELAND

7:40pm – Felix Moseholm, Double Bass & Esteban Castro, Piano – DENMARK

8:20pm – Dr. Rudolf Budginas, Piano Trio – LITHUANIA

8:55pm – Samuel Aaron Peters & Karin Rosnizeck, Piano + Vocals – GERMANY

9:30pm – Elsa Nilsson’s Band of Pulses – SWEDEN

10:20pm – DJ party with One4U & MasGallo – FRANCE

 

West Stage

7:00pm – Talk: Building Community Through Music

7:30pm – Talk: Storytelling and Placemaking to Shift Collective Thinking

8:00pm – Talk: Continuing Tradition in Today’s Evolving World

8:30pm – Dr. Spyros Koliavasilis & Nicholas Mitrione – GREECE

9:15pm – Pedro Jóia, Guitar & Claire Alrich, Dancer – PORTUGAL

9:15pm – Jack Marcin, Guitar & @diFFFerentDances – POLAND

 

 

About the artists:

Czech Republic

Štěpánka Jislová (1992) graduated from the Ladislav Sutnar Faculty of Design and Art in Pilsen. Sh is a Czech illustrator and comics artist. Born in 1992, she resides in Prague. She has published her short comics stories in various Czech (Aargh!, Caves, Bubblegun, Xerox) and foreign (Bobla, Dirty Diamonds, CBA) magazines. Her comics story The Tree was awarded first prize in 2013 edition of CZ.KOMIKS. She participated in the comics symposium The Superheroes of Eastern Bloc (2015) and was awarded a Californian residency in Wilkinson College as a part of Getting to know Europe grant. Her short comic stories were published in various domestic and international anthologies. She is the (co) author of seven comic books, the latest being Heartcore, an intimate autobiography about love, relationships and the toxic cycles we often find ourselves in.

 

Denmark

Felix Moseholm of Copenhagen, Denmark, is one of the exciting voices on the double bass today. While he is best known for his work with Brad Mehldau, his musical background is rooted in an early encounter with the classical cello repertoire. After playing the cello for 10 years, he made the switch to double bass. At age 18, Felix moved to New York, fueled by curiosity and a desire to learn about American culture and music. In New York, Felix received mentorship by Gerald Cannon and George Coleman, among others, while earning his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Juilliard (2018–2023). He quickly integrated himself into the local scene as he began performing regularly in and around the city while keeping up with his schoolwork. Today Felix appears on multiple recordings, the latest being Samara Joy’s Portrait, released in the fall of 2024. He can also be seen playing in Isaiah J. Thompson’s NPR Tiny Desk concert on YouTube. In NYC, he maintains a busy performance schedule both locally and on tour. He is a recipient of the Horace Parlan Talent Award, Irene Diamond Scholarship, and Augustinusfonden, along with other awards and honors. felixmoseholm.com/ 

Esteban Castro is a Brooklyn-based pianist and composer born in 2002. Esteban started playing piano at age 3, and quickly started improvising and composing at a young age. Esteban furthered their studies in both jazz and classical music privately with teachers including Fred Hersch and Phillip Kawin, and by participating in many high school programs such as the Manhattan School of Music Precollege and Jazz House Kids. In 2020, Esteban started studies at the Juilliard School on a full tuition scholarship, and graduated with their Bachelor of Music in 2024. Since moving to New York, Esteban Castro has performed nationally and internationally as a leader, and as a sideman for bands led by artists such as Ambrose Akinmusire, Billy Drummond, Francesco Cafi so, Peter Evans, Joe Farnsworth, Giveton Gelin, Russell Hall, Harish Raghavan, and Ben Solomon, among others. In 2016, Esteban was the youngest-ever first prize winner of the Montreux Jazz Piano Solo Competition. Later, they were selected as a finalist for the 2023 American Piano Awards, and is a winner of the 2025 Gilmore Festival Bell Young Jazz Award.

 

Finland

Laura Lappi is interested in observing and examining how architecture and spatial environments influence our perceptions and affect reality. In particular, her focus is on the experience and emotional charge of different places and the fluid boundaries between reality and fiction. Her sculptural practice explores the relationship among physical spaces, manmade structures, and the human mind—the psychogeography of places. lauralappi.com/ 

 

France

One4u grew up in the eastern suburbs of Paris, surrounded by hip-hop culture. In 1995, he was one of the lucky few to see (then unknown) Daft Punk play live in a warehouse, and he has been hooked on house music since then. His passion led him to Los Angeles, where he got his first break as a DJ playing for the legendary TRAX Records label. He is now a resident DJ at Eaton Radio, spinning funky beats from the most exciting French electronic music labels. He has delivered vibrant sets all over DC, including at Flash, FEE:, Amelie wine bar, the National Gallery of Art, Dupont Underground, and, more recently, ESL Shaw.

MasGallo is the founder and resident DJ of New York’s House of House. He has performed extensively in Paris and New York and across Central America, with his most celebrated sets stemming from his many years playing at Burning Man. Born and raised in Paris, MasGallo spent more than a decade in California and several years in Central America, experiences that continue to shape his distinctive sound. His work spans French and Latin house, deep house, deep tech, and techno. Renowned for his meticulous approach, MasGallo curates each performance with precision, crafting immersive journeys that establish atmosphere and narrative.

 

Germany

Karin Rosnizeck is the founder and artistic director of Expats Theatre, dedicated to bringing thought-provoking contemporary works by international playwrights to Washington, DC. Expats Theatre selects works that give voice to the human dilemmas and sociopolitical debates of our time, adding vital intercultural, often female, perspectives. ExPatsTheatre.com

American co-performer: Samuel Aaron Peters is a pianist, composer, and songwriter grounded in blues, folk, ragtime, and American roots music. He’s currently based in Washington, DC, and studied piano performance at Huston-Tillotson University in Austin, Texas. Samuel has performed at historic venues such asl Antone’s, the Victory Grill, Skylark Lounge, and even Lincoln Center in New York, where he performed part of the chorus for Wynton Marsalis’s Abyssinian Mass.

 

Greece

Dr. Spyros Koliavasilis, winner of the 2025 Maryland Heritage Award, is a gifted vocalist and multi-instrumentalist performer with expertise in traditional Greek music and rebetiko (Greek blues) and a passion for other genres, such as ethno-jazz and world music. He has been invited to perform at prestigious venues including the Library of Congress and many universities, museums, embassies, and music festivals. With expertise on oud, kemane (Cappadocian lyra), laouto-guitar, and 18 other instruments, his music blends traditional elements, timeless improvisations, and contemporary sounds that transport you to another time and place.

American coperformer: Nicholas Mitrione is a protégé  of oud master Dr. Spyros Koliavasilis and has studied Greek music with him for nearly a decade. They regularly perform together, sharing their love for traditional Greek music around Maryland, the DC metropolitan area, and beyond,often performing as the duet known as Melos. Mitrione performs bouzouki, laouto, oud, and guitar.

Ireland

Conor Malone was born in County Clare in the west of Ireland and grew up in a musical family rich in the Irish language and tradition. After an education at Rice College, Conor moved to Dublin to advance his musical career. Now based in Washington, DC, he has toured across Ireland, England, and France and has played in the US at the Kennedy Center, SXSW, Burning Man, and more. He even had a musical cameo in the awarded and beloved Irish film The Commitments.

American co-performer: Justin Jordan

 

Lithuania

Rudolf Budginas is a genre-defying concert pianist, arranger, producer, and educator whose performances fuse classical, pop, jazz, and cinematic styles. Originally from Lithuania, he earned his doctorate in music at USC and is currently chair of the Music Department at Santa Rosa Junior College. Known for his electrifying stage presence and passion for education, Rudolf inspires audiences and students alike, breaking boundaries to make classical music vibrant, relevant, and alive. music.santarosa.edu/staff/dr-rudolf-budginas

American co-performers:

James Paterson is an electric/upright bassist fluent in many styles, with roots in jazz and classical practices. He is in his third year of college education for jazz studies and has performed at festivals such as the Reno Jazz Festival. He has accompanied professionals such as Jerry Dixon, Paul Masse, and Mario Cantone, and his performances span from  clubs to auditoriums. James’s style brings a dynamic presence to every performance.

John Whitney is a drummer with a powerful, precise, and versatile style that has earned him recognition on both national and international stages. He has toured extensively across the US and Europe, performing with and supporting renowned bands and artists under the Warner Brothers Music label. John is best known for his work with bands such as City Sleeps, Goldfinger, Kingsborough, the Used, and Funeral, for which his hard-hitting yet musically sensitive drumming has anchored both live shows and studio recordings. Over the years, he has shared the stage with iconic artists including ZZ Top, Joan Jett, Robert Cray, and Norman Greenbaum, showcasing his ability to adapt to a wide range of musical styles and audiences.

Beyond rock and alternative music, John collaborates with genre-defying pianist Rudolf Budginas in Midnight Blue Trio, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in modern performance.

 

Poland

Jack Marcin Wiśniewski is a classical guitarist with deep roots in Latin music, blending fiery bachata and merengue traditions with Polish soul. He is known in the Latin world as El Polaco de la Bachata, and his distinctive sound fuses virtuosic classical technique—he holds a master’s in guitar performance from Hunter College—with the passionate rhythms of the Caribbean. He has performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Symphony Space, Brooklyn Public Library, and the Warsaw Fingerstyle Festival, and he has toured internationally across Europe and the Americas. His debut CD, Clásico, met with critical acclaim, and he is currently recording a new project that reimagines Polish melodies through the lens of Latin guitar. thejackmarcin.com. Instagram: @thejackmarcin

 

American co-performer: @diFFFerentDances is a movement-based artist and dance educator based in Queens. Over the past decade, her choreographic works have been presented at Theater Row, Triskelion Arts, CPR—Center for Performance Research, Greenspace, Mark Morris Dance Center, Hudson Guild, Martha Graham Studio Theater, GK Arts Center, and Symphony Space. Outside of physical space and finite time frames, she is consistently performing in digital spaces via her improvisational movement practice, #lifetimeimprovchallenge. Instagram: @diFFFerentdances/

 

Portugal

Pedro Jóia is one of the top Portuguese guitar players, composers, and musical directors. He has played both solo and with different formations in Europe, Asia, South America, and Africa. He began playing the guitar at age of seven and holds a degree in classical guitar from the National Conservatory in Lisbon. Since then, he has studied flamenco guitar with well-known stars including Manolo Sanlúcar. He regularly writes music and scores for theatrical and  cinematic /TV productions. In 2008, he was awarded the Carlos Paredes Prize for À Espera de Armandinho, a solo album on which he interpreted the works of the great 20th-century Portuguese guitarist and composer Armando A. Freire. For several years, he lived in Rio de Janeiro, where he played and recorded with great names of MPB, including Ney Matogrosso and Simone and Gilberto Gil, among others. He has recorded with one of the biggest names of fado music, Mariza, and with the band Resistência. In 2020, he recorded and edited the album Zeca, partly dedicated to the works of José Afonso, for which he won, for the second time, the Carlos Paredes Prize in 2021.

Claire Alrich is a multidisciplinary artist living in Washington DC. A trained dancer, Claire’s art practice centers the body and the somatic experience even as it moves across mediums to include: installation, dance production, 2-D art, and sculpture. Based in DC since 2014, Claire’s work has been seen at Dance Place, ‘but, also’ gallery, RhizomeDC, The Capital Fringe Festival, The Source Festival, and the Performatica Festival in Puebla, Mexico. Beyond her individual practice, Claire is a consummate collaborator and an active part of the DC art community. Career highlights include co-founding the performance collective Area Woman, organizing and curating The Shed Gallery, performing as a company member with darlingdance, and creating costumes for Heart Stück Bernie and Extreme Lengths Productions. Claire is also the Field/DC site coordinator, regularly leading workshops in the Fieldwork feedback method. Her work is supported through the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities Individual Artist Fellowship. https://www.clairealrich.com 

Sweden

Flutist and composer Elsa Nilsson’s work engages high-level improvising and layered, cinematic orchestration. Her artistry is an earnest and actionable desire to collaborate with multimodal artists and the changing world around her. The Gothenburg, Sweden, native is the 2018 winner of the National Flute Association’s Jazz Flute Competition and the recipient of multiple Chamber Music America grants, including a 2022 New Jazz Works grant for Band of Pulses. Elsa has a bachelor’s in music from Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle and a master’s in music from NYU. She has served as a professor of Rhythmic Analysis and Socially Engaged Artistry at the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music since 2020 and has led master classes across the US.

 

About the band

Santiago Leibson is a Brooklyn-based, Argentinian-born jazz pianist and composer. His music is situated at the frontier of jazz, improvised music, classical, and contemporary music. As an active member of the New York music scene, he has worked with artists such as Tony Malaby, Guillermo Klein, Michael Attias, Francisco Mela, Sean Conly, Gerald Cleaver, and many more. In 2019, Santiago made his Carnegie Hall debut, playing a solo concert of original and classical compositions at the prestigious series Sophia Rosoff Presents, organized by the Abby Whiteside Foundation, with a repeated concert in 2022. 

 

Marty Kenney has performed with musicians such as Art Lande, Billy Drummond, Rich Perry, Steve Slagle, Allan Harris, Rez Abbasi, Brandon Seabrook, Brian Krock’s Big Heart Machine, David Berkman, and the New York Standards Quartet, featuring Tim Armacost and Gene Jackson. 

Born in Santiago de Chile, Rodrigo Recabarren has been based in NYC since 2009. He has worked with artists such as Guillermo Klein, Brad Shepik, Melissa Aldana, Camila Meza, Claudia Acuña, Rafał Sarnecki, and André Carvallo, among many others. He has performed in Europe, the United States, Asia, and Latin America in prestigious venues like the Blue Note, 55 Bar, Smalls, and Jazz at Lincoln Center, among many others. He is the founder of the Tresillo music school in Santiago de Chile. He has produced dozens of albums and tours around the world with his projects.

For more about the band, see Band of Pulses—Elsa Nilsson