Episode 3

Ariel Clayton Karaś - Opus 216 (Violin, thoughts on indie musician life)

Published on: 29th December, 2020

In this episode: meet our host and producer, Liz Huff, and our guest, Ariel Clayton Karaś, violinist, independent musical professional, and founder of Opus 216! Audio engineering by Bruce Gigax. Theme music by Ryan Charles Ramer, video for archives by Nate Lockwood, cover art by Alexandra Harsha, VO by Randall Fusco. If you want to support the show, go to PayPal @AndNowTheMusic, and thank you!

Violinist Ariel Clayton Karaś performs for more and manages 200+ events annually as founder of Cleveland-based ensemble OPUS 216, and as director of Classical Revolution Cleveland. Via OPUS 216, she collaborates with numerous Cleveland institutions to create unique, dynamic, and meaningful performances.

As a soloist, she performs regularly in healthcare and is one of Cleveland Clinic’s veteran Musicians in Residence. Her interests span multiple genres, from classical, to Irish fiddle, to the reimagining of pop and jazz.

She has been featured on broadcasts for Cleveland’s WCLV and NPR stations, and her music was featured in the 2016 documentary Violins of Hope, narrated by Oscar-winning actor Adrien Brody. As an orchestral musician, she recently served as concertmaster alongside the Chicago Jazz Orchestra, and as concertmaster for the orchestra accompanying Michael Buble’s 2019 arena show in Detroit.

Ms. Clayton Karas enjoys a multi-faceted career as a performer, educator, collaborator, and contractor, and recently completed her 2018 tenure as Gordon Square Arts District’s first Musician In Residence.

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About the Podcast

And Now The Music
A show about music, bringing you great musicians and fantastic sound!
A show about music, bringing you great musicians and fantastic sound!
Your Host and producer: Liz Huff, singer, performer, educator, improvisor, and your guide to the musicians and music we bring you each episode.

Your Sound Guy: Bruce Gigax,  long time audio engineer for The Cleveland Orchestra, now doing even more fun things in classical, jazz, choral, and Health Journeys Guided Imagery.

The Musicians: different every time, often people who are skilled in several areas including: classical, jazz, and world music. Eclectic!

Theme Music: by composer Ryan Charles Ramer.

Voiceover: Randall Fusco.

Cover Art: by Alexandra Harsha.

Video Archives: by Nate Lockwood.

And Now The Music is brought to you by Notes To Music Productions, LLC.
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About your host

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Liz Huff

A versatile performer, Liz Huff does concert work, theater, improv, and collaborative arts projects throughout the Midwest and locations as far-flung as Estonia, Northern Ireland, and Finland. Music and comedy have led Liz to performing on many diverse stages and venues including Severance Hall, internationally renowned jazz venue, Nighttown, and the Del Close Marathon at the Upright Citizens Brigade in NYC. As an educator Liz teaches improv at Baldwin Wallace Community Arts School, leads musical theater/opera masterclasses, storytelling and communication workshops, and coaches voice. She taught numerous Distance Learning classes at the Cleveland Institute of Music for 12+ years, for ages k-12 and senior citizens.

An advocate for new work in theater and music, Liz has premiered works by a number of composers, including Ryan Charles Ramer (numerous works) and Marshall Griffith. A graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Music, she studied improv at The Annoyance Theater in Chicago. She is a voting member of the Recording Academy (Grammys).