Pictured: Violinist, Samantha Bennett. Photo courtesy of ensembleNEWSRQ.

As part of The Ringling’s “Art of Performance Series,” ensembleNEWSRQ (enSRQ) presents “Paris Refraction,” a four-part “micro festival” that explores new music compositions that embody or have been inspired by the City of Light. Violinist Samantha Bennett and percussionist George Nickson, enSRQ’s founders and co-artistic directors, explain that the festival is a collaboration with principal members of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, ensembleNEWSRQ Core and guest artists, and “some of new music’s brightest stars.”  They add that the four-concert festival will be presented in both Dallas and Sarasota, with faculty and students of Southern Methodist University’s (SMU) Meadows School of the Arts involved in the Dallas presentation. The festival will be presented at SMU in Dallas, April 23, 24, 25, and 28. In Sarasota, the festival is May 9, 7:30 p.m.; May 10, 7:30 p.m.; and May 11, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., at the Historic Asolo Theatre, 5401 Bay Shore Road, Sarasota. Single tickets are $30-40. For more information on ticket packages and single tickets, including student ticket pricing, visit https://www.ringling.org/event/ensemblenewsrq/ or call 941-360-7399.

Pictured: Violinist, Samantha Bennett. Photo courtesy of ensembleNEWSRQ.