Susan von Seggern

Public Relations

Korean Content Streamer KOCOWA Celebrates Their 5th Anniversary by Releasing Five of the Top Korean TV Shows Available Exclusively on KOCOWA

08/09/2022 by Susan von Seggern

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Los Angeles, CA – The number one 100% Korean content streamer KOCOWA is excited to celebrate its 5th Anniversary this summer by offering its dedicated audience of K-culture fans five popular Korean TV shows exclusively on the KOCOWA app and on their channel on select partners such as Prime Video, Roku and Comcast.

In addition to KOCOWA Exclusives hits like It’s Beautiful Now and Tracer, the five new exclusive shows are Merry Queer, the very first Korean LGBTQ+ reality dating show; Boar Hunt, a new drama about all of the secrets brought to light as a mountain village searches for a missing child; No, Thank You, a show about a new wife learning to deal with her traditional in-laws; High Kick!, a beloved ensemble sitcom in a vein similar to Modern Family; and Dopojarak: Story of Homme the K-Wanderer, that features huge stars like Kim Jong Kook from Running Man, Noh Sang Hyun from Pachinko, Ji Hyun Woo from the recent hit Young Lady and Gentleman, Joo Woo Jae from Love Naggers, and Olympian Hwang Dae Heon, as they travel around the world introducing people to all things Korean.

KOCOWA has been on a fantastic trajectory since its 2017 launch with 40% YOY growth. In addition to the app and device partners Apple, Google, Roku, Samsung, LG Smart TVs, etc., KOCOWA has also set up B2B deals with a number of partners including MVPDs Comcast Xfinity X1, Flex + Cox Communications, The Roku Channel, Amazon Prime Video, OnDemandKorea, among others, with more to come.

In addition to having a solid presence in North America with English and Spanish subtitled content KOCOWA is also available in Central and South America, and in Brazil with Portuguese subtitles. KOCOWA is also responding to its large Spanish-speaking fan base by doubling the amount of its hit shows now available with Spanish subtitled content.

CEO of waave Americas, the parent company of KOCOWA, KunHee Park notes, “leading the wave of Korean content going global has been exceptionally gratifying these past five years. Being able to bring a diverse array of content to our audiences is very important to us. Seeing the ever-increasing subscriber base for KOCOWA, along with other Korean global hits, and pop stars like BTS, show the world is very interested in Korean content. We are excited to bring some of the best and most diverse Korean TV to a global audience as we continue to expand to new territories and offer programming subtitled in more languages.”

Truly the ultimate destination for Korean entertainment, on KOCOWA customers can watch select shows on the same day they air in Korea, like their favorite idols on music chart shows, and dig into thousands of high-quality library titles. Discovery is easy, as audiences can immerse themselves in award-winning relatable comedies and dramas, and hilarious reality competitions. For fans of K-pop, there are more than enough idols’ moments to binge on.

KOCOWA makes Korean TV accessible to new viewers by showcasing the Top 10 current series, featuring an impressive lineup of addictive hits, including It’s Beautiful Now, Weightlifting Fairy, Kim Bok-joo, The Penthouse, Hwrang: Warrior Poet Youth, and long-time fan favorites like Running Man and Home Alone. BTS recently performed their latest single live on the popular Korean show Music Bank K-Chart, and fans worldwide were able to see it via the KOCOWA app.

As the service provider in the Americas with the largest library of Korean content, KOCOWA has quickly risen as an international platform since 2017. KOCOWA’s millions of viewers are diverse, with 90% of viewers of non-Korean ancestry, in the prime under 44 age demographic, and female. Programming is available in real-time after broadcast airtime in Korea, making KOCOWA the preferred destination for fans to watch new series, and award-winning library titles, or to discover new and exciting Korean content available only on KOCOWA.

About wA and KOCOWA
wA is a joint company between the top three Korean broadcasters – KBS, MBC, SBS, plus SK Telecom. wA launched KOCOWA, a subscription video streaming platform in the Americas in 2017, with primary audiences in the United States, Canada, and Brazil. KOCOWA provides a robust lineup of over 25,000 hours of Korean Dramas, Reality, and K-Pop content in multi-languages on its direct platform. For more information please visit: www.kocowa.com.

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Filed Under: Entertainment, Events, Streaming Content, Television

Korean Content Streamer KOCOWA and The Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) to Host an immersive K-Drama and Running Man Booth at KCON Los Angeles on August 19-21, 2022

08/09/2022 by Susan von Seggern

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KCon Collage of imagesLos Angeles – Korean content streamer KOCOWA and The Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA), a South Korean governmental agency that oversees and promotes the advancement of the Korean content industry, are teaming up to host a booth themed around fan favorite K-Dramas and the top-rated and long-running Korean TV show, Running Man, at the 10th Anniversary KCON LA 2022 event taking place at the Los Angeles Convention Center from August 19-21, 2022.

KOCOWA is a joint company between wavve Americas (wA), and the top three Korean broadcasters KBS, MBC, and SBS, along with SK Telecom. KOCOWA’s international service allows customers to access new authentic content from Korea daily via their mix of K-Dramas, K-Pop, K- Reality, and K-Variety, in addition to thousands of hit and highly rated library titles.

“With Korean content’s mainstream wave in the Western Hemisphere breaking recently, we are excited to be the only streamer 100% dedicated to Korea’s fresh storytelling and diverse programming,” said wA CEO KunHee Park. “As a niche streaming service with broad reach, KOCOWA is well-positioned to be competitive in the battle among streaming services by super-serving fans of Korean-produced content. We are looking forward to meeting our viewers in person and providing them some fun at KCON LA 2022.”

“The love and demand for Korean content is by no means secret but has become a global sensation with record-breaking content and K-Pop artists such as Squid Game and Parasite, to BTS and Blackpink,” says Sung Ho Ju, the director of KOCCA USA. “KOCCA is excited to be part of this year’s KCON LA 2022. We look forward to meeting and celebrating all things Korean with Hallyu fans at the event. We will continue to support the Korean content industry so that more audiences around the world will have a chance to fall in love and to engage with Korean culture and content.”

KCON LA 2022 is the world’s largest fan celebration of Korean culture and music. The event launched in Los Angeles in 2012. It features an entire convention center to explore K-Pop, K-Drama, K-Beauty, K-Food, and beyond through engaging panels, an expo overflowing with innovative products and idol appearances, KCON LA 2022-exclusive programs, and artist engagements giving fans a chance to meet their favorite K-Pop stars—along with star-studded “M COUNTDOWN” concerts featuring K-Pop legends alongside the hottest rookies in the industry.

Running Man is a reality-variety show that stars Yu Jae Seok, Kim Jong Kook, Haha, Jee Seok Jin, Song Ji Hyo, Lee Kwang Soo, Jeon So Min, and Yang Se Chan. In each episode, they must complete missions at various places to win the race. Each mission is action-packed and hilarious as each member tries to beat the others using their wits and skills. Each week is filled with fun that includes trust and betrayal, knowledge and skills, physical strength and outrageous penalties. Sometimes, they work as a team and cooperate for one common goal. Other times, they betray each other throughout the race in order to win all the honor and glory for themselves. Viewers can be brought to tears each week from laughing at their silly antics!

With its global success, Running Man has welcomed appearances from Hollywood actors like Jackie Chan (episode 135), Tom Cruise, Simon Pegg, Henry Cavill (episode 410), Ryan Reynolds (episode 482), and K-pop stars, including BTS. All seasons of Running Man are available to view on KOCOWA. The show has also made its stars Yoo Jae Suk, Haha, Jee Seok Jin, Kim Jong Kook, Song Ji Hyo, Jeon So Min, and Yang Se Chan into globally recognized stars as well.

At the KOCOWA x KOCCA booth, fans will be able to play games from the show and insert themselves into their favorite K-Dramas and pose with beloved characters selected by the fans themselves. They will also be giving away collectible dolls and items from their hottest shows signed by the stars. Between KOCCA and KOCOWA, stars and idols have been known to stop by the booth for photos, so KCON LA 2022 attendees should check the booth often to see who they might meet!

As the service provider in the Americas with the largest library of Korean content, KOCOWA has quickly risen as an international platform since 2017. Programming is available in real-time after broadcast airtime in Korean, making KOCOWA the preferred destination for fans to watch new series and award-winning library titles or to discover new and exciting Korean content only available on KOCOWA.

About wA and KOCOWA
wA is a joint company between the top three Korean broadcasters – KBS, MBC, SBS, plus SK Telecom. wA launched KOCOWA, a subscription video streaming platform in the Americas, in 2017, with primary audiences in the United States, Canada, and Brazil. KOCOWA provides a robust lineup of over 17,000 hours of Korean Dramas, Reality, and K-Pop content in several languages on its direct platform. For more information, please visit: www.kocowa.com

About KOCCA
As the umbrella government agency for South Korea’s content industry, the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) supports creating and maintaining the content industry ecosystem in Korea. KOCCA supports a wide range of creative industries, including game, animation, character licensing, K-Pop, fashion, and broadcasting. KOCCA actively supports these industries via production support, marketing, global expansion, talent development, funding support, cultural technology development, and policy research. For more information, please visit: www.kocca.kr/en.

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Filed Under: Entertainment, Events, Streaming Content, Television

In Time for Marvel’s Multiverse, Epic Games’s Metaverse, and The Matrix Resurrections, MIT and Game Industry Alum to Release The Simulated Multiverse October 15

10/11/2021 by Susan von Seggern

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In a follow up to The Simulation Hypothesis, MIT Computer Scientist Rizwan Virk explores the idea of the Multiverse from the lens of Simulation Theory, Video Games, and the Mandela Effect

San Francisco, CA – September 20, 2021 – MIT computer scientist and Silicon Valley video game designer Rizwan Virk announced the much anticipated follow up to his bestselling book, The Simulation Hypothesis, will be published October 15. The book comes as interest in multiverses and metaverses are at an all-time high with the release of The Matrix Resurrections in December, Marvel’s ongoing Multiverse storyline, and the exciting developments of Epic Games’ Metaverse.

The Simulated Multiverse explores deeper questions about the nature of space and time in all possible universes. Virk explores the idea that parallel universes are a result of different runs of the simulation, with variables changed, an idea first proffered by Philip K. Dick, and a rational explanation for the mysterious Mandela Effect. By tying science fiction ideas and Virk’s extensive knowledge of computer science, quantum physics and video games, this book expands our idea of our world.

“When the Matrix came out in 1999, it was in the realm of science fiction,” said Virk. “With today’s advancements in Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality and the Metaverse, a simulated universe is not far away.

“With The Matrix 4 and Free Guy, this is the year of simulation movies; but multiverses are extremely popular too, appearing in everything from TV shows like Marvel’s Loki and What If… to The CWs The Flash and Superman & Lois. In this book, I explore how a multiverse might work.”

This book addresses the idea that there are multiple versions of us in different timelines, like multiple processes running inside a giant computer and explains everything from parallel universes in quantum physics to the Mandela Effect.

Virk is the founder of Play Labs @ MIT, a video game startup incubator at the MIT Game Lab, and co-founder, advisor and investor in many video game startups.

The Simulated Multiverse is for computer scientists, science fiction and comics fans, video game enthusiasts, and those looking to understand the nature of reality.

The author is also announcing that translation rights for his previous book, The Simulation Hypothesis, have been acquired will be published into a number of languages/countries, including Chinese (via China Machine Press) Portuguese (via Citadel), French (Editions Extraordinaires), and Japanese (via Tokuma Shoten).

The new book is available for pre-order in Paperback or eBook format now and will be released on October 15, 2021. Pre-ordering can be done at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08XFR749T/ or by visiting the authors website at http://www.zenentrepreneur.com/.

About the Author:
A graduate of MIT and Stanford, Rizwan (“Riz”) Virk is a successful entrepreneur, angel investor, bestselling author, video game industry pioneer, and independent film producer. Virk was the founder Play Labs @ MIT (www.playlabs.tv) a startup accelerator for playful technologies held on campus at the MIT Game Lab, and is currently at the School for the Future of Innovation in Society at Arizona State University’s College of Global Futures.

His previously published books include: Zen Entrepreneurship (Bayview, 2013), Treasure Hunt: Follow Your Inner Clues to Find True Success (Watkins, 2017), The Simulation Hypothesis (Bayview, 2019), and Startup Myths and Models: What You Won’t Learn in Business School (2020, Columbia University Press).

Virk’s video games have included Tap Fish, which was downloaded over 50 million times, and games based on TV shows like Penny Dreadful and Grimm. Virk has been an investor and founder in many startups, including Telltale Games (creator of narrative games based on The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones), Tapjoy and Discord. He has been a producer on Thrive: What on Earth Will It Take?, Knights of Badassdom, starring Peter Dinklage, the TV show The Outpost, and adaptations of the works of Philip K. Dick and Ursula K. Le Guin.

Visit his author and professional websites at www.zenentrepreneur.com and www.bayviewlabs.com.

Praise for the Simulated Multiverse and the Simulation Hypothesis:
“How am I unreal? Riz Virk counts the ways. So many ways we might all live in one (or more) simulated worlds. Palpable ‘reality’ may be as delusional as our old notion that the heavens revolved around Earth. And just like Galileo did then, Virk may help open our eyes to a greater (if humbling) cosmology.”
—David Brin, author of EXISTENCE, The Postman and EARTH.

We are used to thinking of the afterlife as a sort of simulation with less reality than our world of solid objects … However, a few cutting-edge thinkers have posited that this world in which we live is a simulation. In his second book on the subject of simulation, Rizwan Virk walks us through the concept of a computer-generated reality that Philip K. Dick posited in the speech that he delivered in Metz, France, in 1977. This volume is well-researched and eminently readable for any interested reader. The topic is fascinating, and the writing is clear. Perhaps The Matrix is more than a science fiction film; perhaps it reveals some truth about our world and our lives in this world. Read this book, if you dare.
—Tessa B. Dick, author of Conversations with Philip K. Dick, wife of Philip K. Dick

Refining his impressions of the progress of AI since his research at MIT… Virk has expanded his thesis in the wider scope of the multiverse, building on the framework of pioneers such as Nick Bostrom and Kurzweil. The result is a new challenge not only to theories of simulation, but to what constitutes reality itself, and human illusions of our rightful place within it.
—Jacques Vallée, venture capitalist, author of Forbidden Science

Virk … makes a cogent, clear-eyed guide to the head-spinning science of parallel universes, quantum indeterminacy, and the possibility—terrifying or relieving—that our perceived reality is in fact part of a great simulation.
—Publishers Weekly

I’m grateful to be living in a branch of the multiverse where if I’m asked to go into more detail about the relationship between Total Recall and quantum physics, I can simply point someone in the direction of this comprehensive and entertaining book. To quote a certain 1999 blockbuster: Woah.
—Rodney Ascher, director of A Glitch in the Matrix

“In The Simulated Multiverse, Riz Virk takes simulation theory and The Matrix to a new level. Using computational tools – complexity, artificial intelligence, video games and quantum computing – Virk explains an interpretation of our world that sounds like science fiction: that we are living multiple parallel timelines. If you want to get glimpses not only of our possible digital futures, but also of multiple parallel pasts and presents, read this book!”
—Brad Feld, venture capitalist and author of The Startup Community Way

“MIT scientist’s ‘Simulation Hypothesis’ makes compelling case for The Matrix.”
—The Next Web

“Those looking to expand their brains for a few hours should enjoy this cerebral work. A well-crafted discussion of simulation that is unexpectedly persuasive.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“In The Simulation Hypothesis, Riz Virk provides a deft and knowledgeable blend of video game history, hard science speculation, and science fiction references. Whether or not you believe we all exist in a simulation, I found it both fascinating and entertaining.”
—Noah Falstein, former chair of the IGDA, former Chief Game Designer at Google

The Simulated Multiverse
An MIT Computer Scientist Explores Parallel Universes, The Simulation Hypothesis, Quantum Computing and The Mandela Effect

by Rizwan Virk
Bayview Books | October 15, 2021. Available as e-book and Paperback ISBN: 978-1954872004

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Filed Under: Books, Events, Tech

14th Annual Angel City Jazz Festival Presents Myra Melford, plus the Jamie Baum Septet+1 at the Skirball Center October 15

10/11/2021 by Susan von Seggern

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Los Angeles, CA – September 16, 2021 – Angel City Arts ends the 14th Annual Angel City Jazz Festival with performances from two of the top women jazz players, festival favorite Myra Medford plus the Jamie Baum Septet+1 October 15 at the Skirball Center, 2701 N Sepulveda Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90049, at 8pm. Info and tickets are available at https://angelcityjazz.com/event/myrajamie/.

Myra Melford, whom the New Yorker called “a stalwart of the new-jazz movement” — has spent the last three decades making original music that is equally challenging and engaging. She’s explored an array of formats, among them ruminative solo-piano recitals (as she’ll perform at this show), deeply interactive combos, and ambitious multidisciplinary programs.

Since debuting on record as a bandleader in 1990, she’s built a discography of more than 25 albums as a leader or co-leader, and has been awarded numerous DownBeat poll placings, a 2000 Fulbright Scholarship, a 2012 Alpert Award in the Arts for Music and, between 2013 – 2016, a Guggenheim Fellowship, the Doris Duke Performing Artist Award, and the Doris Duke Residency to Build Demand for the Arts.

The Other Side of Air, the most recent release by her quintet Snowy Egret, was named one of the best jazz recordings of 2018 by the New York Times and one of NPR Music’s 50 Best Albums of 2018. “This is music with an endless capacity for elasticity and surprise,” NPR wrote, “along with an affirming spirit of coherence.” http://myramelford.com

NYC jazz flutist/composer, Sunnyside Records artist and 2014 Guggenheim Fellow, Jamie Baum, released her 6th CD, Bridges with The Jamie Baum Septet+, in May 2018. Internationally recognized and listed in DownBeat Critics Polls every year since 1999, she’s toured in over 35 countries and worked/recorded with many renown and diverse jazz artists ranging from Randy Brecker, and Roy Hargrove, to Ralph Alessi, Anthony Braxton, and Wadada Leo Smith, and many more.

A brief backstory… The Jamie Baum Septet was formed in ’99 and has been Baum’s compositional muse ever since. With two highly acclaimed CDs and several tours under their belt, Baum expanded the group in 2010 to the current Septet+. Their Sunnyside release, In This Life (2013), was met with much positive attention, Baum noted: “So many wonderful things came from that recording that I could not have anticipated. Not only was I nominated in 2014 by the Jazz Journalists Association for ‘Flutist of the Year,’ but my band, The Jamie Baum Septet+, was nominated as ‘Best Midsize Ensemble of the Year’ – in the same list with only two other bands, The Wayne Shorter Quartet and Steve Coleman’s Five Elements!” https://jamiebaum.com

In addition to Jamie leading and playing flute, her current Septet+ includes Jonathan Finlayson on trumpet, Sam Sadigursky on alto sax and bass clarinet, Chris Komer on French horn, Brad Shepik on guitar, John Escreet on piano, Ricky Rodriguez on bass, and Jeff Hirshfield on drums.

For more information on the Angel City Jazz Festival and to purchase event tickets please visit http://www.angelcityjazz.com/.

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14th Annual Angel City Jazz Festival Presents Billy Childs Jazz Chamber Ensemble with Dianne Reeves at The Ford October 14

10/11/2021 by Susan von Seggern

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Los Angeles, CA – September 15, 2021 – Angel City Arts enters the third week of their 14th Annual Angel City Jazz Festival with Billy Childs Jazz Chamber Ensemble featuring special guest Dianne Reeves Thursday, October 14 at The Ford, 2580 Cahuenga Blvd E, Los Angeles, CA 90068 at 8 pm. Info and tickets are available at https://angelcityjazz.com/event/jazzchamber/.

Billy Childs has emerged as one of the foremost American composers of his era, perhaps the most distinctly American composer since Aaron Copland – for like Copland, he has successfully married the musical products of his heritage with the Western neoclassical traditions of the twentieth century in a powerful symbiosis of style, range, and dynamism. A native of Los Angeles, Childs grew up immersed in jazz, classical, and popular music influences. By the time of his graduation from USC, Childs was already an in-demand performer in the LA jazz scene, soon thereafter he was discovered by trumpet legend Freddie Hubbard. He recorded and performed with a number of other influential jazz musicians including J.J. Johnson, Joe Henderson, and Wynton Marsalis. Thus far in his career, Childs has garnered thirteen GRAMMY nominations and four awards. In 2006, Childs was awarded a Chamber Music America Composer’s Grant, and in 2009 was the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship. He was also awarded the Doris Duke Performing Artist Award in 2013, and most recently, the music award from The American Academy of Arts and Letters in 2015. https://billychilds.com

Five-time Grammy winner Dianne Reeves is the pre-eminent jazz vocalist in the world. As a result of her breathtaking virtuosity, improvisational prowess, and unique jazz and R&B stylings, Reeves received the Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Performance for three consecutive recordings – a Grammy first in any vocal category. Featured in George Clooney’s six-time Academy Award nominated Good Night, and Good Luck, Reeves won the Best Jazz Vocal Grammy for the film’s soundtrack. Reeves has recorded and performed with Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. She has also recorded with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra conducted by Daniel Barenboim and was a featured soloist with Sir Simon Rattle and the Berlin Philharmonic. Reeves was the first Creative Chair for Jazz for the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the first vocalist to ever perform at the famed Walt Disney Concert Hall. https://diannereeves.com

Child’s Jazz Chamber Ensemble players are Larry Koonse on guitar, Carol Robbins on harp, Daniel Rotem on sax, Dan Chmielinski on bass, Christian Euman on drums, and Sara Andon on flute. They will be joined by Reeves along with Moira Smiley on vocals and Alexander Gedeon presenting a poetry recitation. They will also be accompanied on some numbers by The Lyris Quartet, a string quartet that focuses on the music of living Los Angeles composers. Its members are Alyssa Park and Shalini Vijayan on violin, Luke Maurer on viola, and Timothy Loo on cello.

For more information on the Angel City Jazz Festival and to purchase event tickets please visit http://www.angelcityjazz.com/. For the Angel City Jazz Festival COVID safety policy, please see https://angelcityjazz.com/safety-policy/.

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Family Office Portal to Host Family Office/Venture Capital Mixer September 14 at Meat Market Steakhouse Palm Beach

09/14/2021 by Susan von Seggern

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Family Office Portal LogoPalm Beach, FL – August 24, 2021 – Family Office Portal (aka FOPort) a recently launched hub of a community comprised of over 5000 ultra-high net worth individual, single, and multi-family offices, the asset managers they work with, service providers, early-stage companies and other members of this unique professional network geared to making the lives of its members easier, more profitable, and more enjoyable, is excited to host their first 2021 event, a family office/venture capital mixer at the Meat Market Steakhouse 191 Bradley Place, Palm Beach, FL 33480 on September 14 at 5:00 pm.

The event will be hosted by FOPort CEO, Peter Apostol, who has an extensive background working with family offices, alternative investments and lifestyle services. Peter worked with a South Florida based family office packaging and syndicating investments before he began to develop an international family office community.

Apostol notes, “we’re excited to hold our event at Meat Market as it’s long been a personal favorite and one of Palm Beach’s staple locations, I’ve held many successful events there and the team is one of the best in the hospitality business,” adding, “since launching we’ve gotten great interest in our platform from all over Palm Beach, South Florida, and globally, and it will be wonderful to get the network together in person and more importantly have them meet each other for discovery opportunities.”

Family Office Portal curates a network of investors and issuers to connect investors with investment opportunities that match their personal mandates and preferences. Family Offices and UHNWI’s that choose to join this exclusive community are able to view or be directly connected with vetted issuers.

Family Office Portal also partners with best-in-class technology solutions that help family offices in all that they do. Through a range of technologies from basic to incredibly dynamic and complex solutions, FOPort offers the convenience of aggregation and consolidation of these tools, discounted rates, streamlined account management and more. These technologies help family offices with everything from automated and compliant investment processes, and peer to peer due diligence, to enhanced lifestyle experiences, and much more.
Family Office Portal enables members to browse and connect with rare family office sponsored opportunities, the kind that are spoken for before they are public, including early-stage companies that are poised to disrupt industries, or otherwise grow through strategic value add partnerships, investments, etc.

Those interested in attending the event should email RSVP@FOPort.com to register.

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14th Annual Angel City Jazz Festival Presents Elliott Sharp & Jeff Parker + Muttdoggs with Petra Haden at the Lodge Room October 10

09/14/2021 by Susan von Seggern

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Los Angeles, CA – September 9, 2021 – Angel City Arts ends the second weekend of their 14th Annual Angel City Jazz Festival with a highly anticipated premiere performance of Elliott Sharp & Jeff Parker as a duo, plus the Muttdoggs with Petra Haden October 10 at Highland Park venue, the Lodge Room, 104 N Ave 56 2nd floor Los Angeles, California 90042, at 8pm. Info and tickets are available at https://angelcityjazz.com/event/muttdogs/.

American multi-instrumentalist, composer, and performer Elliott Sharp is a central figure in the avant-garde and experimental music scene in New York City and globally for over 30 years, Elliott Sharp has released over eighty-five recordings ranging from orchestral music to blues, jazz, noise, no wave rock, and techno music. He leads the projects Carbon and Orchestra Carbon, Tectonics, and Terraplane, and has pioneered ways of applying fractal geometry, chaos theory, and genetic metaphors to musical composition and interaction. http://www.elliottsharp.com

Jeff Parker is recognized as one of contemporary music’s most versatile and innovative electric guitarists and composers. With a prolific output characterized by musical ideas of angularity and logic, he works in a wide variety of mediums – from pop, rock and jazz to new music – using ideas informed by innovations and trends in both popular and experimental forms. He creates works that explore and exploit the contrary relationships between tradition and technology, improvisation and composition, and the familiar and the abstract. His sonic palette may employ techniques from sample-based technologies, analog and digital synthesis, and conventional and extended techniques from over 40 years of playing the guitar. An integral part of what has become known as “The Modern Chicago Sound,” he is a longtime member of the influential indie band Tortoise, and is also a founding member of Isotope 217˚, and Chicago Underground. https://www.jeffparkersounds.com/

Muttdoggs are an experimental project put together by fest favorite Motoko Honda, eclectic drummer and circuit bender Joe Berardi, and legendary SoCal bass player Mike Watt. They’ll be joined on this gig by noted vocalist and violinist Petra Haden.

Mike Watt co-founded and played bass guitar for the rock bands Minutemen, Dos, and Firehose. He is also the frontman for the supergroup Big Walnuts Yonder, a member of the art rock group Banyan and is involved with many other musical projects. From 2003 until 2013, he was the bass guitarist for The Stooges. Watt has been called “one of the greatest bassists on the planet.” CMJ New Music called Watt a “seminal post-punk bass player.” Readers of NME voted Mike Watt one of the “40 Greatest Bassists of All Time” and LA Weekly awarded him the number six spot in “The 20 Best Bassists of All Time.” http://www.hootpage.com

Motoko Honda is a concert pianist, composer, and interdisciplinary artist who has created a distinctive sound through her holistic approach to music, and her exceptional sensitivity in relating to other art forms and technologies. Employing a “virtuoso technique paired with her intensely imaginative mind” (LA Splash Magazine), and with stylistic influences ranging from jazz to Indonesian music to contemporary prepared piano with electronics, Motoko’s compositions and structured improvisations are intended to affect the skin, organs and minds of the listener rather than simple recitations of rhythmic and harmonic themes. Called both a “keyboard alchemist” (LA Times), and the “embodiment of a muse” (Metaljazz), Motoko’s performances transport audiences on sonic adventures that transcend the boundaries and conventions of contemporary music. https://www.motokohonda.com

Joe Berardi has a long history in the Los Angeles experimental underground music scene, both as composer and performer. Mainly known as a drummer/percussionist, he also plays a variety of instruments, from keyboards to marimba to the occasional cello and viola, along with homemade instruments, sound objects, samplers, synths and toys. His side business, F Hole, provides an outlet for his work in electronics. He creates, builds and sells circuit bent instruments, effects pedals and other sound-making devices, and uses these instruments in his improvisations and recordings. Since first coming into prominence as a member of the groundbreaking avant-rock band The Fibonaccis, Berardi has been involved in a wide assortment of musical ventures, from rock and pop to experimental and free improvisiation. His unique style and use of percussive objects and found sounds within the traditional drum kit have made him a highly sought collaborator. http://www.noncredo.com

As a singer, instrumentalist and composer, Petra Haden has built an impressively varied and accomplished discography. She has released a number of albums which often showcase her unique talent for constructing complex, evocative A-cappella arrangements by inventively layering multiple tracks of her own voice. She is a former member of the alt-rock quartet That Dog and since has collaborated with a broad array of artists including Bill Frisell, the Foo Fighters, the Decemberists, and Susannah Hoffs. As one of the triplet daughters of the late, legendary jazz bassist and composer Charlie Haden, Petra grew up around music and learned about harmony at a very young age Her early fascination with the violin and other instruments led her to develop an uncanny ability to use her voice to recreate the sounds of the instruments she heard, and to develop elaborate pop, jazz, blues and classical arrangements based on those sounds. http://www.petrahaden.com

For more information on the Angel City Jazz Festival and to purchase event tickets please visit http://www.angelcityjazz.com/.

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14th Annual Angel City Jazz Festival Presents Five Band Orenda Records Fest within a fest at 2220 Arts + Archives October 9

09/14/2021 by Susan von Seggern

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Los Angeles, CA – September 8, 2021 – Angel City Arts continues the second weekend of their 14th Annual Angel City Jazz Festival with the Orenda Records Fest Saturday, October 9 at Echo Park area venue, 2220 Arts + Archives, 2220 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90057 (formerly the beloved Bootleg Theater) at 8 pm. Info and tickets are available at https://angelcityjazz.com/event/orenda-records-fest/.

Since 2014, Orenda Records has been a catalyst for creativity and expression in the Los Angeles music scene and beyond. Beginning with a group of core artists, the label has grown quickly, encompassing a huge range of stylistic approaches to inventive music-making from across the US and Europe, and is fast approaching its 100th release! For this special performance at the 2021 Angel City Jazz Festival, Orenda Records presents a lineup of artists that represent both the original core and new horizons of the label and the Los Angeles music scene with Jon Hatamiya’s Big Band, the Bridge to Everywhere project directed by composer Derrick Skye, the Cathlene Pineda Quartet, Alexander Noice’s NOICE, and label founder and artistic director Dan Rosenboom’s Quartet.

Trombonist, composer, and B.A.C. Endorsing Artist Jon Hatamiya (Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, Michael Bublé, Kyle Athayde Dance Party) is one of the most promising trombonists to come out of the Sacramento area and is rapidly making a name for himself on both the New York and California music scenes. He was recognized in Jet Magazine as the only trombonist on Wynton Marsalis’s list of “Who’s Got Next”, which highlighted the next generation of emerging jazz artists. Jon recently released his debut album as a leader More Than Anything on Orenda Records in early 2020, as well as an electronic EP Some Might Say (Revisited) in December 2020.

Jon Hatamiya’s Big Band will premiere a new piece commissioned by the Los Angeles Jazz Society for their Jeff Clayton Memorial New Note Award. The Big Band players are Jon Hatamiya – trombone/composer/arranger; Saxes: Alex Hahn, Albert Baliwas, Devin Daniels, Chris Sullivan, Nicole McCabe; Trombones: Steven Robinson, Lemar Guillary, Ido Meshulam, Jake Kraft; Trumpets: Ryan DeWeese, Rigo Velez, Harry Ostrander, Aidan Lombard; Rhythm: Adam Hersh – piano/synths, Colin Cook – guitar, Yunus Iyriboz – guitar, Logan Kane – bass, and Colin McDaniel – drums.

Bridge to Everywhere celebrates cultural diversity by bringing people together to experience interwoven musical traditions to foster a more inclusive society. Bridge to Everywhere is a Los Angeles-based classical chamber ensemble and arts organization dedicated to supporting composers, performers, and educators who celebrate cultural diversity through interwoven musical traditions. Through collaborations, performances, and education programs, the organization strives to build bridges between instruments, genres, cultures, and people. Founded in 2015 by artistic director Derrick Skye, Bridge to Everywhere has been presented by Boston Court Pasadena, Brand Library & Art Center, Compose LA, Miles Memorial Playhouse, Eagle Rock Music Festival, Theatre Raymond Kabbaz, and has worked with Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, American Composer’s Forum, Salastina Music Society, and Bridge Projects. The ensemble has premiered and performed works by Derrick Skye, Reena Esmail, Juan Pablo Contreras, Philip Graulty, James Waterman, Anna Kouchnerov, and Poovalur Srinivasan.

The Orenda Records Fest Bridge to Everywhere group includes Rachel Iba – Violin, Nikki Shorts – Viola, Chris Votek – Cello, Rachel Mellis – Flute, Mark Gutierrez – Bass, Philip Graulty – Guitar, James Waterman – Percussion, and Saili Oak –Voice

Cathlene Pineda is a highly sought pianist and composer in the Los Angeles area. In June 2020, Orenda Records released Cathlene’s third album of original music, Rainbow Baby, which chronicles her progression through motherhood, birth, and loss. It was hailed by Jazz Times as “beautifully articulated.” DownBeat said, “The majority of Rainbow Baby comes off as a blue exploration of Pineda’s psyche; the music’s no less gorgeous or entrancing. The emotional backing of California pianist Cathlene Pineda’s Rainbow Baby is startling…the courage to write music about such a personal experience should be recognized.”

In addition to Pineda, her Quartet on the Orenda Records Fest are Kris Tiner – Trumpet, David Tranchina – Bass, and Tina Raymond – Drums.

Alexander Noice is a composer, guitarist, producer, and bandleader based in Los Angeles. Known for his highly personalized style of composition and playing, best displayed by his ensembles NOICE and Falsetto Teeth, Alexander has been a highly sought musician in the creative music scene in Los Angeles and abroad for the past decade. Noice has performed and toured extensively throughout the United States, Europe, Australia, Japan, and South America performing with many notable artists such as Charlie Haden, Wadada Leo Smith, Vincent Gallo, Art Ensembles of Chicago’s Famoudou Don Moye, Vinny Golia, and Dan Rosenboom to name a few. His newest project, simply called NOICE, is a Los Angeles-based ensemble that seamlessly melds art rock, electronica, post minimalism, and jazz into a singular, mesmerizing sound. The ensemble is celebrated for its electrifying live performances – acrobatic in its execution and cinematic in scope. They released their debut NOICE album in 2019 to critical acclaim.

NOICE on the Orenda Records Fest includes Argenta Walther – Voice, Karina Kallas – Voice, Gavin Templeton – Alto Saxophone, Miller Wrenn – Bass, and Andrew Lessman – Drums.

Dan Rosenboom is an internationally recognized trumpet player, composer, and producer. He is known as a prolific member of the Los Angeles creative music scene, having released more than 25 albums of original music as a solo artist and bandleader, and has supported over 60 artists across nearly 100 releases on his label, Orenda Records. Rosenboom frequently performs on major film and television soundtracks, highlighted by the latest Star Wars trilogy, with such notable composers as John Williams, Danny Elfman, James Newton Howard, Alan Silvestri, and Alexandre Desplat. He has also performed often with such elite ensembles as the LA Philharmonic, the LA Chamber Orchestra, and the LA Opera. His own music eschews genre distinctions and draws from such disparate influences as jazz and Black American music, metal and experimental rock, contemporary classical music, folk music from around the globe, and a broad range of progressive music from the avant-garde. He studied music at the Eastman School of Music, CalArts, and UCLA, earning advanced degrees. The Los Angeles Times has called Rosenboom “a musician dedicated to exploration and expression, regardless of anyone’s imagined boundaries,” and “a phenomenon.”

Players in the Dan Rosendboom Quartet for the Orenda Records Fest are Joshua White – Piano, Richard Lloyd Giddens Jr – Bass, and Mark Ferber – Drums.

For more information on the Angel City Jazz Festival and to purchase event tickets please visit http://www.angelcityjazz.com/. For the Angel City Jazz Festival COVID safety policy, please see https://angelcityjazz.com/safety-policy/.

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14th Annual Angel City Jazz Festival Presents FREE Event with the Pan Afrikan People’s Arkestra at LACMA October 8

09/14/2021 by Susan von Seggern

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Los Angeles, CA – September 7, 2021 – The second weekend of Angel City Arts 14th Annual Angel City Jazz Festival kicks off with their popular FREE event in partnership with Jazz at LACMA, bringing Los Angeles’ legacy African-American big band, the Pan Afrikan People’s Arkestra to the museum’s outdoor stage Friday, October 8 at 6 pm. This concert is a special celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra, which was founded by revered pianist Horace Tapscott in 1961. This year also marks the 30th anniversary of the Jazz at LACMA concert series. Info on the free, walk-up event is available at https://angelcityjazz.com/event/papa/.

The Arkestra (Ark or PAPA for short) started as a collective of jazz musicians and other artists who were fired up like no other. The Ark was also formed as a response to the racial inequality in the US. Artists subjected to prejudice who saw opportunities denied to them found an outlet to express themselves via the Ark (perhaps influencing later groups like the Association for the Advancement of Creative Music and the Art Ensemble of Chicago). The ensemble began with a few people rehearsing in Horace’s garage, and they were soon doing free shows at parks and churches, workshops at schools, and other public events. Since its inception, the Ark has been performing with an ever-expanding roster of talented artists. Some notable members include: Kamasi Washington, Phil Ranelin, Sonija “Maia” Harper, Arthur Blythe, Adele Sebastian, Kamau Daaood, and Dwight Trible just to name a few. The Ark is currently mixed with veteran members as well as young musicians, all led by Mekala Session, with the help of Jamael Dean, both second-generation Arksters, and the elders of the group. It’s quite likely that Ark members who have led Los Angeles’ recent Black Jazz Renaissance will be playing on the gig.

For more information on the Angel City Jazz Festival and to purchase event tickets please visit http://www.angelcityjazz.com/. For the Angel City Jazz Festival COVID safety policy, please see https://angelcityjazz.com/safety-policy/.

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14th Annual Angel City Jazz Festival Presents Corey Fogel Group, and Amirtha Kidambi’s Elder Ones at 2220 Arts + Archives October 2

09/14/2021 by Susan von Seggern

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Los Angeles, CA – September 2, 2021 – Angel City Arts first weekend of their 14th Annual Angel City Jazz Festival hosts the Corey Fogel Group, and Amirtha Kidambi’s Elder Ones Saturday October 2 at Echo Park area venue, 2220 Arts + Archives, 2220 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90057 (formerly the beloved Bootleg Theater) at 8pm. Info and tickets are available at https://angelcityjazz.com/event/coreyfogelamirthakidambi.

Amirtha Kidambi is invested in the creation and performance of Creative Music, from free improvisation and avant-jazz, to experimental bands, Carnatic voice and new music. She is a composer, vocalist, scholar, educator, activist and organizer, informed by anti-racism, decolonization and anti-capitalism and is the co-organizer of Musicians Against Police Brutality and co-founder of South Asian Artists in Diaspora (SAAID). As a bandleader, she is the creative force behind the protest infused band Elder Ones and vocal group Lines of Light, receiving critical praise from such publications as The New York Times, Pitchfork, Downbeat and The Wire Magazine. Kidambi topped the categories of “Rising Star Vocalist”, “Rising Star Composer” and “Rising Star Jazz Group” in the Downbeat Critics Poll for 2019 and “Female Vocalist” in El Intruso’s International Critics Poll. Kidambi is a key collaborator in Mary Halvorson’s latest sextet Code Girl, Angels & Demons with Darius Jones, duos with Luke Stewart, Maria Grand and Matteo Liberatore, and several projects with William Parker. Kidambi had the opportunity to collaborate with and receive mentorship from Muhal Richard Abrams and Robert Ashley before their passing. She has released records as a leader and collaborator on Northern Spy and Astral Spirits. http://www.amirthakidambi.com.

Amirtha plays the harmonium, synthesizer, and sings with her group The Elder One who include Max Jaffe (Normal Love, Leverage Models, Unnatural Ways) on drums, Matt Nelson (tUnE-yArDs, Battle Trance, GRID) on soprano sax and electronics, and Eva Lawitts (Stimmerman, Sister Helen, Three Body Problem) on bass.

Corey Fogel is a percussionist, composer, and visual artist living and working in Los Angeles. He is active in many genres such as rock, jazz, noise, folk, and chamber music, and creative contexts including performance art and video. Recent collaborations include: Julia Holter, Tashi Wada, Yoshi Wada, Patty Waters, Abigail Levine, Simone Forti, Odeya Nini, Archie Carey, Raven Chacon, Michael Winter, Maya Dunietz, John Butcher, John Russell, Misha Marks, Brian Allen, Alexander Bruck, Patrick Shiroishi, Liz Glynn, Jennifer Levonian, Chris Speed, Mark Dresser, Ezra Buchla, Tony Malaby, Devin Hoff, John Dieterich, and Carlin Wing. Fogel’s works have been presented at The Hammer Museum, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Human Resources LA, Redling Fine Art, Los Angeles; The Wulf, Museo de Arte Contemporaneo de Oaxaca, REDCAT, and New Music for Strings Festival: Reykjavik. His performance work was also included in the J. Paul Getty Museum’s Pacific Standard Time Performance and Public Art Festival. Corey was awarded The California Community Foundation 2014 Fellowship in Visual Arts, and is currently finishing his PhD in UC Irvine’s Integrated Composition, Improvisation, and Technology (ICIT) program. He was recently Time, Space, Money Artist-in-residence at Human Resources LA, where he installed a new body of graphic score murals for improvising musicians. https://www.coreyfogel.com

The balance of the Corey Fogel Group includes Beth Schenck (Eivind Opsvik + Jeff Davis, Kelly Watson, Phil Rodriguez Group (Underbelly)) on alto sax, Blue Note recording artist Judith Berkson (Kronos Quartet, Wet Ink, Yarn/Wire) on piano and vocals, and Mattie Barbier (RAGE Thormbones, gnarwhallaby, wasteLAnd music) on trombone and electronics.

For more information on the Angel City Jazz Festival and to purchase event tickets please visit http://www.angelcityjazz.com/.

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