FIELD HALL ARTISTS-IN-RESIDENCE PROGRAM

The Artists-in-Residence (AIR) Program at Field Arts & Events Hall transforms Port Angeles into a center for artistic creation, cultural exchange, and community engagement. Building upon Field Hall’s mission to be a home for arts and events that bring people together and strengthen community, the AIR program shifts the organization beyond traditional presenting into a model of artistic creation and production. Artists are invited to the North Olympic Peninsula for extended residencies to develop new work while engaging deeply with local residents through workshops, masterclasses, lectures, open rehearsals, school visits, and public performances.

Through partnerships with schools, libraries, senior centers, cultural organizations, and regional arts institutions, the program creates meaningful opportunities for community members to participate in the creative process itself, fostering lifelong learning and strengthening the cultural vitality of the region.

ABHISHEK MAJUMDAR • 2026-2028

PLAYWRIGHT & DIRECTOR

Arts Professor of Theater, NYU Abu Dhabi
Global Network Fellow, New York University
Program Head of Theatre, NYU Abu Dhabi
Artistic Director, Nalanda Arts Studio, India
Global Artist in Residence, Field Arts and Events Hall, Washington

Internationally acclaimed playwright and director Abhishek Majumdar will undertake a developmental residency focused on the creation of a new theatrical work.

Known for his powerful storytelling, global perspective, and exploration of social and political themes, Majumdar’s residency will include script development, staged readings, artist conversations, and educational workshops for emerging playwrights and theater artists.

Residency Activities
• New play development and research
• Public readings and audience feedback sessions
• Workshops for local writers and theater practitioners
• Community conversations exploring storytelling across cultures

Internationally Acclaimed Playwright Abhishek Majumdar Named Global Artist-in-Residence at Field Arts & Events Hall

Two-year residency will bring new artistic creation, community engagement, and a major international environmental opera project to the Olympic Peninsula. Field Arts & Events Hall is proud to announce the appointment of Abhishek Majumdar as its Global Artist-in-Residence for a two-year residency that will position Port Angeles as a center

September 23, 2026 No Comments

BENJAMIN HUNTER • NOVEMBER 2026

VIOLINIST, CULTURAL HISTORIAN & STORYTELLER

Seattle-based musician Benjamin Hunter will lead a residency exploring music, storytelling, and regional history. Through performance, oral-history practices, and community dialogue, Hunter’s work will help connect audiences to the diverse cultural narratives that shape the Pacific Northwest.

Residency Activities
• Community storytelling and oral-history gathering
• Musical performances and workshops
• Educational programming in schools and libraries
• Development of new works inspired by local stories and heritage

KRONOS QUARTET • FEBRUARY 2027

INNOVATIVE CHAMBER MUSIC ENSEMBLE

The internationally renowned Kronos Quartet will undertake a creative residency focused on the development of a new climate-change-themed opera and related community engagement programming. For decades, Kronos has expanded the possibilities of chamber music through bold collaborations and works that address urgent contemporary issues.

Residency Activities
• New opera workshops and development sessions
• Public forums exploring art and climate action
• School engagements and interdisciplinary learning opportunities
• Work-in-progress performances and discussions

BYRON AU YONG • MAY 2027

COMPOSER, EDUCATOR & COMMUNITY-CENTERED ARTIST

Acclaimed composer and arts leader Byron Au Yong will undertake a creative residency at Field Arts & Events Hall to advance the development of Forest Aeternam, an ambitious multidisciplinary music project that invites people to listen and sing with trees while reimagining humanity’s relationship with nature, memory, loss, and environmental stewardship. Drawing inspiration from acoustic ecology, ritual traditions, community-based music-making, and the forests of the Pacific Northwest, the work explores pathways for responding to climate grief and cultivating collective resilience.

During the residency, Au Yong will develop new musical and participatory elements for the project, engaging local residents in creative explorations that connect artistic expression with environmental awareness. Envisioned as a large-scale work for singers, instrumentalists, and community participants, Forest Aeternam combines performance, listening practice, storytelling, and public ritual to create meaningful experiences that strengthen connections among people, place, and the natural world.

Residency Activities
• Creative development and composition for Forest Aeternam
• Community listening and singing experiences in natural environments
• Workshops exploring music, ecology, and climate resilience
• Public conversations on art, ritual, and environmental stewardship
• Open rehearsals and work-in-progress presentations
• Collaborative engagement with local artists, students, and community members to explore relationships between creativity and place

PAST RESIDENCIES AT FIELD HALL

MARTHA REDBONE • SEPTEMBER 2026

VOCALIST, COMPOSER & CULTURAL STORYTELLER

Martha Redbone and her collaborators will continue the development of “Appalachian Elegy”, based on the celebrated work of author and poet bell hooks. Blending Indigenous, Appalachian, folk, blues, and soul traditions, the residency will support the expansion of this powerful work into a fully realized song cycle that explores themes of identity, belonging, place, and justice.

Residency Activities
• Song-cycle development and rehearsal
• Community storytelling workshops
• Public conversations about bell hooks’ legacy
• Performances and work-in-progress presentations

CHARLIE ALBRIGHT • OCTOBER 2026

CONCERT PIANIST & IMPROVISER

Renowned pianist Charlie Albright will utilize Field Hall’s facilities to record a new album of spontaneous improvisations inspired by the landscapes, stories, and community of the Olympic Peninsula. Widely recognized for his virtuosity and imaginative musicianship, Albright’s residency will merge artistic creation with educational engagement.

Residency Activities
• Recording sessions for a new improvisational album
• Masterclasses for piano students
• School and community outreach programs
• Interactive demonstrations on improvisation and creativity

JESSIE MONTGOMERY • OCTOBER 2026

COMPOSER, VIOLINIST & EDUCATOR

One of America’s most celebrated contemporary composers, Jessie Montgomery will use her residency to advance the creative development of a new opera project intended for future production in partnership with the Metropolitan Opera. The residency will provide dedicated time for musical exploration, collaboration, and public engagement around the process of creating large-scale contemporary opera.

Residency Activities
• Opera composition and development
• Open rehearsals and behind-the-scenes presentations
• Composer talks and educational workshops
• Mentorship opportunities for young musicians and composers