Grammy-winning Canadian cellist Arlen Hlusko (Puddingstone)

Puddingstone Music will present a special off-island musical salon in collaboration with the Jamestown Arts Center on Saturday, March 14, at 4 p.m., featuring Grammy-winning Canadian cellist Arlen Hlusko in an afternoon of music and dance.

The program, titled “Common Threads: Folk, Bach, and Beyond,” explores how music can sustain connection, courage and hope through a curated blend of folk melodies, classical works and contemporary repertoire.

Hlusko, who sold out performances at Rough Point and the Newport Colony House last year, returns to Rhode Island with a solo recital that opens with an improvisation on “Little Birdie” before moving through the Prelude from J.S. Bach’s Suite No. 6, Leyla McCalla’s Meditation No. 1 and traditional favorites including “Shenandoah” and “Scarborough Fair.” The program also features George Crumb’s Sonata for Solo Cello and the first movement of Zoltán Kodály’s Sonata for Solo Cello, Op. 8, a landmark work rooted in Hungarian folk traditions.

Hailed by Gramophone for her “absorbing originality,” Hlusko has performed from Carnegie Hall to the Guangzhou Opera House and serves as cellist of the Bang on a Can All-Stars sextet.

The concert takes place at the Jamestown Arts Center, 18 Valley St. Small bites, a cash bar and parking will be available.

Advance tickets are available at puddingstonemusic.org.

Ryan Belmore is the owner and publisher of What's Up Newp. He took over the publication in 2012 and has grown it into a three-time Rhode Island Monthly Best Local News Blog (2018, 2019, 2020).

He was named LION Publishers Member of the Year in 2020 and received the Dominique Award from the Arts & Cultural Society of Newport County the same year. He has been awarded grants for investigative and community journalism, and continues to coach and mentor new local news publications nationwide.

Ryan is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists, Online News Association, and Local Independent Online News Publishers. He is committed to the codes of ethics of these organizations: accuracy, independence, accountability, and transparency.

In Newport, Ryan served on the boards of the Fort Adams Trust and Potter League for Animals, and hosted a daily radio talk show for four years.

In 2021, Ryan moved to Alexandria, Virginia, to support his wife Jen's career. He launched The Alexandria Brief in 2025, applying what he learned in Newport to a new community. With the help of some talented on-the-ground contributors, he still runs What's Up Newp — and always will.

Contact: ryan@whatsupnewp.com.