Now Streaming…
Tonal Conversations: The Promise
Animation by Anne Beal
On View: June 4th, 2026 – September 5th, 2026
150 Media Stream is proud to present “Tonal Conversations: The Promise,” a new audiovisual concert of chamber music and animation by artist duo Anne Beal (animation filmmaker) and Christopher Zuar (composer).
The two artists formed their ongoing project, Tonal Conversations, in 2018 as a way to engage thoughtfully with one another’s art forms: animation and music. Their first commission, by 150 Media Stream in 2018 and seen in the video above, planted creative seeds for Exuberance, a 2025 GRAMMY-nominated album, and an enduring body of work.
On June 4th, 2026, the artist duo brought their new project, The Promise, to fruition in its first form at 150 Media Stream. The Promise is a 6-piece chamber music composition with painted animation, featuring string quartet, piano, and clarinet.
The work chronicles a difficult period in the artists’ lives: managing an illness in uncharted territory amidst a global pandemic, the death of a close family member, and a new marriage alight with promise. In their respective art forms, the artist duo explores themes of love, growth, self-forgiveness, and internal commitment, despite the external uncertainty of our times. Chris brought together 6 incredible musicians from NYC and Chicago to perform the world premiere of his new original song cycle, featuring Anne’s painted animation on the 150 Media Stream.
LIVE PERFORMANCES on Thursday, June 4th, 2026:
12pm – 1pm LUNCHTIME ACTIVATION
20-minute performance at 12pm
6pm – 8pm EVENING RECEPTION
20-minute performances at 6pm and 7pm
with artist talk at 6:30pm
PERFORMANCE ENSEMBLE:
Mark Dover – clarinet
Alex Brown – piano
Jaime Gorgojo – violin 1
Henry Zheng – violin 2
Doyle Armbrust – viola
Jean Hatmaker – cello
ABOUT ANNE BEAL
Anne Beal is an award-winning animation filmmaker and multimedia artist whose work merges experimental animation, painting, and sound. Informed by her musical training, she embraces the intuitive elements of cinematic language. Anne roots her animation work in imperfect and unruly mediums, like watercolor and acrylic inks, whose flow cannot be entirely controlled. In both personal and commissioned work, she investigates Play, female empowerment, and mental health. She has created animation for diverse clients, from Harvard Women’s Health to ANTI- Records.
Anne earned her BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), where she pursued animation, directing, and sound design. She has been awarded artist residencies at MacDowell, Yaddo, and the Hambidge Center for the Arts and Sciences in support of her current multimedia production. Her work has screened at renowned animation and film festivals including Ottawa, Annecy, London, Chicago International Film Festival, and many more.
Anne taught animation in the Film/Video/New Media/Animation Department at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago from 2014-2017 and has since been on faculty at the Rhode Island School of Design and the School of Visual Arts. She lives and works in NYC where, in addition to making commissioned work and teaching, she collaborates with her husband on the GRAMMY-nominated jazz orchestra and animation project, Tonal Conversations.
ABOUT CHRISTOPHER ZUAR
Christopher Zuar’s music has been performed internationally by the WDR Big Band, Danish Radio Big Band, hr-Bigband, and the Brussels Jazz Orchestra. He has written arrangements for such notable artists as saxophonists Immanuel Wilkins and Ben Wendel, vibraphonist Joel Ross, and vocalist Theo Bleckmann.
In 2025 Zuar was nominated for a GRAMMY for Best Original Composition for “Communion,” from Exuberance, his second full-length studio album. The 60-minute song cycle features seven interwoven compositions performed by the Christopher Zuar Orchestra and guest soloists. Jazz pianist Fred Hersch describes Exuberance as “…a mature statement by a great composer in his prime, performed by a stellar ensemble with passion and care.”
Zuar is a two-time MacDowell fellow (‘22, ‘17) and a 2018 Corporation of Yaddo Guest. He has garnered numerous awards and commissions, including the 2021 Symphonic Jazz Orchestra Commissioning Prize, the 2020 Copland House Residency Award, and the 2020 SCI Jazz Composition Award. Zuar’s debut album, Musings, was released on Sunnyside Records in 2016 and received a spot on DownBeat magazine’s Best Albums of 2016 and runner-up Debut of The Year in the NPR Jazz Critics Poll.
Christopher Zuar is a member of the Jazz Arts faculty at the Manhattan School of Music. He holds a Master of Music degree from the Manhattan School of Music and a Bachelor of Music degree from the New England Conservatory of Music, both in jazz composition.
Streaming Next… Olalekan Jeyifous in partnership with MAS Context
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