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Firey String Sistas!

The Firey String Company (FSCO) , founded by Nioka Workman, ‘pushes the art of string playing to the next level’. We are striving to create safe and nurturing environments for improvising string players to produce new work, share, learn new skills and network. We have a passion for empowering female artists and composers particularly those artists that often don’t have the opportunity to perform in festival settings or in educational showcases. The FSCO Season involves six family art showcases, highlighting dynamic female composers, a string improviser series, a yearly Radiance festival and six summer sessions/workshops. The Firey String Sistas! are the heart and soul of the Firey Strings Company. The core members are Charisa Dowe Rouse (violin), Jennifer Axelson (violin, viola), Riza Printup (harp), Melissa Slocum (bass) and Nioka Workman (cello). These artists all maintain exciting performance schedules as ‘band’ leaders all year around. As Firey String Sistas!, the group successfully mixes Jazz, World, Folk and new music presenting a dynamic and educational performance. The Firey String Sistas! expand to a larger 10 piece ensemble for the yearly Radiance Festival, for the summer sessions and throughout the calendar year. FSCO artist have extensive backgrounds in Jazz, World, Folk, and American classical music. They are improvisers, composers and develop original compositions that are presented during the year. They are currently members of Chamber Music America. The Firey String Sistas! have performed at Symphony Space, the Joffrey Ballet, Dwyer Cultural Center, Many Colors of A Woman Festival, the Puffin Cultural Forum, Intersection International, BAM Café Live, WBAI and FSCO's Radiance Festival 2013 featuring Jay Rodriguez, Geraldine Eguiluz, Hamiet Bluiett/Frank Lacey Ensemble at Shape Shifter’s Lab, Brooklyn.

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1
Album Review

Firey String Sistas!: That's What She Said...

Read "That's What She Said..." reviewed by Hrayr Attarian


The innovative and versatile cellist Nioka Workman leads the, New York based, dynamic ensemble Firey String Sistas, on the group's captivating sophomore album. The delightful That's What She Said... consists of eight originals that explore various styles with a jazzy sensibility and thematically cohesive manner. The tracks range from the soulful to the stately veering occasionally into Latin territory. “Adversidad" is a wistful, passionate melody that violinist Marlene Rice plays over the hypnotic, sashaying beats of the band. ...

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Album Review

Firey String Sistas!: Firey String Company Book 1: The Blues Series

Read "Firey String Company Book 1: The Blues Series" reviewed by Chris Becker


The New York-based acoustic string ensemble Firey String Sistas! includes violin, viola, cello, double bass and harp and can, depending on the demands of the music it performs, expand from four to six to 10 pieces. What sets it apart from a growing number of chamber groups that program and play jazz, contemporary classical and other styles of improvised music are the improvising skills of each individual player. This is an ensemble where each member can navigate or leave behind ...

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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

That's What She...

Self Produced
2017

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Firey String Company...

Firey Strings Company
2013

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