NeoCollage
Rochester, NY, USA
"Rhapsody"
Megan Bledsoe - electric harp
Stephen Clark - bass
Nick Revel - viola
Curtis Stewart - violin
Rick Williams - percussion

With jazz violin and viola, electric harp, grooving bass and funky, pulsating percussion, NeoCollage is actively blurring the line between the classical and pop genres. NeoCollage was formed in the fall of 2004 at the Eastman School of Music by five friends interested in developing a new musical sound with classical instruments. This new age classical-crossover group incorporates musical styles ranging from jazz to funk to world to free improvisation. Through infectious beats evocative of Justin Timberlake and solid orchestrations suggestive of Panic! at the Disco, the ensemble, cleansed of the pop-music vocal crutch, has created an exciting and virtuosic new genre of music called classical-pop fusion. NeoCollage recorded, produced and released their debut album Against the Current in the fall of 2005, and they toured both the Rochester and New York City areas in 2006. In response to their CD release, the group was hailed as a “source of salvation for eager music buffs” by the University of Rochester’s Campus Times, and the group’s electric live performances are consistently rated as “City’s Choice” in Rochester’s City Magazine. In addition, the album placed the group in the semi-finals of the 2006 Independent Music World Series. With the upcoming release of their second album City Nights, NeoCollage aims to break the boundaries of “classical” instruments, bridge musical gaps, and bring a fresh perspective to the popular music scene.