Welcome to the Wisconsin Flute Festival

Few musical ensembles earn top marks for their “deft choreography,” (The Wall Street Journal) but The Fourth Wall is no ordinary ensemble. Part chamber music group, part theatre company, part modern dance troupe, part circus act, The Fourth Wall blends music, theatre, dance, and acrobatics into a new hybrid art form. This trio of musicians creates new interdisciplinary works and reinterprets classic repertoire to make music that leaps off the stage. 

Flutist Hilary Abigana, bass trombonist C. Neil Parsons, and percussionist Greg Jukes founded the ensemble in 2010 out of a shared interest in creating work that stretches the boundaries of instrumental performance. The Fourth Wall inspires and delights audiences across North America with their hybrid arts performances in venues ranging from performing arts centers to elementary school cafegymnatoriums, from an off-Broadway run at the SoHo Playhouse in New York City to ABC Television’s The Gong Show. The Fourth Wall is a favorite at Fringe theatre festivals in the US and Canada, having sold out shows in Edmonton, Indianapolis, Minneapolis, Orlando (Patrons’ Pick, Critics’ Choice, and Veteran Producer awards), and Winnipeg, where they received 5 stars from both the CBC, Manitoba and the Winnipeg Free Press for their vaudeville-inspired show, “Fruit Flies Like a Banana” and their nostalgic journey into childhood, “Fallen from the Toy Box.” In 2022, the ensemble expanded their reach across the Atlantic to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, putting on 51 shows in 25 days at the world’s largest performing arts festival. Their newest show, “Without a Net”, takes their work to literal new heights utilizing a 18’ high circus rig to add aerial acrobatics to the show. “Without a Net” was named Best Family Show at Orlando Fringe in 2023. 

The Fourth Wall offers workshops, masterclasses, and performances that teach students how to incorporate interdisciplinary performance techniques into their creative work. The trio has been in residence at universities across the US from Alaska to Virginia and given masterclasses and presentations at illustrious conservatories including Juilliard, Eastman, and Oberlin. Each year, The Fourth Wall connects with thousands of elementary age students through in-school programs as a teaching ensemble for Arts for Learning programs in Massachusetts and Indiana.