The Velvet Party

Glam rock and other luxurious sounds by DJ Backspin in the Courtyard

DJ Backspin (Freddy Fontaine) first dreamed of being a DJ at age 14. Decades later, after gaining local acclaim for his work at a wide range of venues, the Brockton native launched his own entertainment company in 2010. With over 23 years behind the decks, DJ Backspin is now one of the premier DJs in Greater Boston and New England. Expanding his career, DJ Backspin has taken his talents overseas to countries such as the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Bermuda, and Mexico. With his passion for music and signature sound, Backspin takes pride in being a versatile DJ with an eclectic range of music in his library to keep the crowd entertained all evening!

Designs by Boston Magazine's "Best Clothing Designer" 2024, Daniela Corte

Daniela Corte still remembers the sense of awe she felt upon touching her first bolt of silk. Her father, a Buenos Aires based designer, had taken her with him on a trip to a textile warehouse. He handed her a fabric swatch to play with, and in doing so changed her world forever. Daniela was instantly mesmerized by the shimmery, velvety material and since that moment dreamed of creating clothes that instill the wearer with the very same sense of wonder and luxury.

Like most things - this didn’t happen instantly. But after receiving training in the family business, learning English, immigrating to the United States, graduating from the Boston School of Fashion Design, and working with several well-known Boston designers, her dream finally became a reality. In October of 2000, she assembled a team of fellow female Latinx immigrants and founded her eponymous women’s line.
 

Rhett Price and DSharp

Rhett Price and DSharp‘s approach to violin performance has proved to be a hit around the world as well as online. The duo, who tour separately as solo artists, perform genre-fusing renditions of pop and hip-hop hits on violin. In addition to their reimagined versions of popular songs, they both create violin compositions of their own - unique, virtuosic, energetic pieces of art - many of which can easily hold their own beside the biggest club bangers of today, gaining them hundreds of millions of views online and creating buzz around the world.
 

Separately and together, Rhett Price and DSharp have graced some of the most sought after stages around the globe with their electrifying, energetic live performances, and have recorded with many of the biggest artists in the world.
 

Ian Coury and Catherine Bent 

Ian Coury is an award-winning 10-string bandolim (Brazilian mandolin) player from Brazil who has shared stages with Brazilian legends like Toninho Horta and Hamilton de Holanda. At twenty-one years of age, he is a gifted composer and a phenomenal master of his instrument.

English-born cellist and composer Catherine Bent, an alumna of Cirque du Soleil, has performed and recorded with artists as diverse as Joe Jackson, Lee Konitz, Donna Summer, and poet laureate Robert Pinsky. She tours in Brazil and Europe and has a worldwide reputation as the leading cellist in Brazilian choro music.

The two have a musical connection that transcends their backgrounds and crystallizes around their passion for the Afro-European traditions of Brazil.