Sons of Serendip
Classical crossover stars Sons of Serendip will perform holiday tunes and original compositions Saturday, December 21st, at Lancaster Elementary School Theater. Clockwise from top left are lead vocalist Micah Christian, pianist Cordaro Rodriguez, cellist Zachary Brown, and harpist Jahmori Simmons.
Ten years after the quartet Sons of Serendip discovered their distinctive sound and introduced themselves to the nation as finalists on NBC’s America’s Got Talent, the Billboard-charting foursome returns to Kilmarnock December 21st to perform songs from their holiday-themed album Christmas: Beyond the Lights. The show, hosted by the Rappahannock Foundation for the Arts (RFA), starts at 7:30 PM at the Lancaster Elementary School Theater, 191 School Street. Theater doors open at 7 PM.
“We are thrilled to have this stylist quartet back with us,” said Jamie Tucker, RFA board president. “They are known for their heart-warming interpretation of traditional holiday tunes as well as their storytelling and original compositions. Their fresh sound defines the classical crossover genre, blending classical and popular styles to create something new.”
The quartet’s self-described “cinematic pop sound,” which the New York Times described as “silky beyond reason,” is grounded by classical instruments – harp, cello, piano and voice. Pianist Cordaro Rodriguez, who along with lead vocalist Micah Christian founded the quartet and composes and arranges its music, said the group seeks to explore the modern and the timeless.
“There is an interaction of pain, yearning, and hope in what we create,” he told Crossover Music Magazine. “It’s almost as if our music is saying to someone, ‘I know it hurts; I can feel it. Here, maybe this will help.’”
In their decade together, Sons of Serendip has released four albums and toured throughout the United States, performing 60 to 100 shows per year. Their performances include collaborations with Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops, the Plymouth Philharmonic Orchestra, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and Broadway performer Cynthia Erivo, as well as a performance for the Creative Arts Emmy Awards and the 15th anniversary gala of the Boston-based nonprofit One Family, where they opened for John Legend.
In 2020, the group performed for Oprah Winfrey’s Vision Tour’s closing celebration in Denver. Two years later, Sons of Serendip traveled to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to represent the United States at the World Expo.
Sons of Serendip’s self-titled debut album, released in 2015, placed in several categories on the Billboard Charts, including No. 4 on Heatseekers, which tracks emerging artists. Their second album, Christmas: Beyond the Lights, was released later that year and also charted. Their third album, Life + Love, was released in 2017, followed in 2020 by Mosaic, which Christian considers their most creative and personal album.
“Eight out of the fifteen songs on the album are originals,” Christian told Crossover Music Magazine. “Much of this album was recorded while we were in quarantine, so many of the covers were songs that capture the spirit of our time. And the originals shared more about our personal stories of love and hope.”
The quartet’s name didn’t come about by accident, well actually it did, a whole series of accidents.
“We weren’t looking to become a group; it fell into our laps while we pursued other dreams,” Christian told the magazine. The original quartet met in graduate school at Boston University, where Christian was studying theology and Rodriguez, law. When the original cellist, who grew up a block away from Rodriguez in Charlotte, North Carolina, arrived at the university, he eventually learned that his childhood friend was there and they reconnected. Meanwhile, one of the cellist’s first roommates just happened to be a harpist. The three musicians clicked, soon adding another friend of Rodriguez’s, Christian, a performer with an ethereal vocal sound.
In 2014, Christian, on a lark, persuaded his friends to audition for “America’s Got Talent.” For a name, the quartet turned to a 12th century Persian tale in which the protagonists go on a journey and make discoveries by accident that benefit their lives. The tale was “The Three Princes of Serendip,” the inspiration for a common word – serendipity – and now a most uncommon musical group.
Lead vocalist Micah Christian, a native of Randolph, Massachusetts, became interested in music at an early age and in his senior year of high school earned a solo in a district choir performance. In college he performed 90-100 concerts each summer as part of the Cape Cod-based a cappella group, Hyannis Sound, his “vocal bootcamp.”
Cordaro Rodriguez began teaching himself piano at the age of 10 and became well-versed in other instruments as well as in music production. He has produced music for several well-known international artists such as Verbal, Kylie Minogue, CREAM, and Def Tech.
Current harpist and producer Jahmori Simmons hails from Atlanta and the University of Georgia. His career highlights include 26 BRIT-certified Silver, Gold, and Platinum singles and albums in the U.K., as well as Multi-Platinum Certifications in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Hungary, and Poland. Most recently, he collaborated with Fantasia Barrino and Taraji P. Henson in the 2024 rendition of the film "The Color Purple.”
Classically trained cellist Zachary Brown focuses on pushing the boundaries of progressive cello playing in his writing and collaborations. He has been a guest artist and instructor at The Savannah Music Festival, New Directions Cello Festival, Ithaca Summer Music Academy, and Owens College. Performing at classical venues like Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, the New York City-based cellist has also performed with The Turtle Island String Quartet, Terence Blanchard, Queen Latifah, Ashanti, Jadakiss, and Gospel artists such as Tye Tribbet, Hezekiah Walker, Donald Lawrence and more. Brown also performs regularly on Broadway in the pit of Hadestown and A Beautiful Noise.
RFA’s 2024-25 season continues February 8 with Good Shot Judy, the mid-Atlantic’s No. 1 high octane swing band. For details and single tickets for the Sons of Serendip December show ($45), visit www.rappahannockfoundation.org or call 804-438-5555. Tickets are $50 at the door.