This Valentine’s Day, A Far Cry invites you to an immersive evening celebrating love in all its forms—devotional, romantic, maternal, and even a little messy. Heart Strings tugs at the full emotional spectrum, from aching tenderness to joyful devotion to complicated longing.
Curated by Crier Rafael Popper-Keizer, the program pairs sweeping, emotionally charged music with live poetic responses by Anthony Febo, a Puerto Rican poet, teaching artist, and performer whose work centers joy, identity, family, and resilience. Delivered in real time, Febo’s poetry responds directly to the music onstage, offering fresh emotional entry points and bridging sound, story, and lived experience.
The stage itself becomes part of the experience, adorned with flower sculpture installations by Christine Arveil, a French-American painter and installation artist whose work is shown internationally and reflects on survival and the persistence of beauty and love. Together, sound and space transform the concert hall into a lush, romantic environment that heightens the drama and intimacy of the evening.
And the connection doesn’t end with the final note. Following the performance, audiences are invited for a chocolate and wine reception, with the option to take part in a 60-minute facilitated conversation experience in partnership with Skip the Small Talk—an organization founded in Boston to combat loneliness and spark meaningful human connection. Using prompts inspired by the concert, participants will rotate through a series of guided, one-on-one conversations—an opportunity to reflect, connect, and meet someone new. (Optional/free add-on; advance sign-up encouraged.)
Whether you're out with your sweetheart, your best friend, or treating yourself to something special, this evening is designed to leave you moved, connected, and maybe even a little love-struck.
Musical Program
Devotional Love: Johann Sebastian Bach | O Mensch, bewein dein Sünde groß, BWV 622 arr. Max Reger
Maternal Love: Anna Clyne | Within Her Arms
Romantic Love: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky | Souvenir de Florence; II. Adagio cantabile e con moto
Complicated Love: Leoš Janáček | String Quartet No. 1 “Kreutzer Sonata” (arr. Zenas Hsu)
Love of Humanity: Valerie Coleman | Tracing Visions
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