Miss Myra and The Moonshiners are a formidable 5-piece swing band bringing a fresh female-driven perspective to traditional New Orleans and hot club jazz, playing a broad repertoire of classic tunes from the ‘20s and ‘30s and inspired originals. With powerful vocals, a smoking horn section, and sweet rhythm, they are guaranteed to lift your spirits and set your feet to tapping.

Miss Myra is a threat on every level.  Her golden voice will bring you from rock bottom to ecstasy and back while her driving guitar rhythm holds the Moonshiners together. Her style of hard hitting swing guitar is reminiscent of Django Reinhardt. She also draws influence from legendary blues guitarists such as Leadbelly and Blind Boy Fuller. If you let her near a piano, you’ll hear virtuosity from ragtime to Lizst.

“It is literally impossible to be sad or still when listening to these guys. More infectious than yellow fever, more personality than Sybil, more fun than bathtub whiskey and more soul than any kids this age should have. I love this band!”    ~Kevin Bowe, Producer, Songwriter (Etta James,”Let’s Roll”)

Recently named “One of Ten Innovators to Watch in 2021” by Smithsonian Magazine, Barron Ryan tickles the keys with a debonair flair that turns everything you thought you knew about concert piano on its proverbial ear. Ryan’s repertoire covers jazz and ragtime classics and ventures into new territory with original compositions that are turning heads around the globe.

In 2019, Ryan noticed a shocking lack of funk-, pop-, and country-inspired classical music. Realizing he could fill that void, he composed the Magic City Sonata and a dance suite called Suite Thing. Those works are now published and recorded on his third solo record, First of Its Kind.

Ryan is following in his favorite composers’ footsteps by publishing his original works in the public domain. He offers his work as a gift to the world, and as a chance to collaborate with artists from around the globe.

This innovative and energetic young ensemble is making waves in the classical music world with their fresh approach to music-making. Kassia Ensemble’s commitment to empowerment and mutual respect creates an environment of exuberant freedom, where musicians are given free reign to explore the upper limits of excellence and collaboration.

The result is an inspiring and refreshing variety of classics to contemporary composers, with so much variation in instrumentation that a single evening may include everything from a harp trio to a bass quintet, piano concertos to chamber orchestra and everything in between.

The members of the Kassia Ensemble came together in an effort to supersede the gender barrier that is prevalent in classical music. The decision was made to form an all-female ensemble in efforts to create an empowering environment of mutual respect and support which frees women to collaborate and express themselves at the highest levels of musicianship, artistry, and performance. The Kassia Ensemble promotes female entrepreneurship and leadership in the arts, while simultaneously embracing the performers’ unique experiences as women that deepen and expand their own creative output.