Radulović, a star Serbian violinist whose recording career spans 20 years, champions the power of music to bring people together. His standout performances are lauded for their unique energy and candor, depth of expression, and adventurous programming. In recognition of his contributions to the arts, he was appointed Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Republic.
Founded by violinist Nemanja Radulović in 2008, Double Sens is an ensemble that embodies musical dialogue, freedom, and cross-cultural exchange. Double Sens is composed of French and Serbian musicians brought together by Radulović, reflecting his artistic vision of breaking down boundaries between genres, traditions, and styles. The ensemble’s sound moves fluidly between classical repertoire, Eastern European folk influences, and contemporary expression, marked by rhythmic vitality, emotional intensity, and a strong sense of collective storytelling.
[This is the first installment of our annual guide to local shopping. Please note the Holiday Stroll will be held this Friday and Saturday.]
New Canaan Music, located at 90 Main St., offers not only instruments for rental and purchase, but also lessons for all levels. We stopped in to talk to owner Phil Williams and store manager Gaby Beecher about what’s on offer for this holiday season. Here’s a transcription of our interview. ***
New Canaanite: It’s early, but how are things going at the start of the holiday shopping so far?
Phil Williams: There seems to be a lot of traffic in town.
For this installment in our local holiday shopping series, we talk to Phil Williams, owner of New Canaan Music at 90 Main St. Here’s a transcription of our conversation. ***
New Canaanite: How are things going so far for the holiday shopping season?
Phil Williams: We kicked things off this season, symbolically and in reality, with the Holiday Stroll on Friday night and Saturday. It really seems to be picking up in earnest. That’s a defining marker.
[Editor’s Note: This Q&A interview with New Canaan Music owner Phil Williams kicks off our holiday series spotlighting local businesses, running daily through Christmas.]
The holiday shopping has officially arrived on Main and Elm Streets downtown with Black Friday. We dropped into New Canaan Music at 90 Main St. to talk to owner Phil Williams about what holiday deals he and his staff are offering at the popular store. (Williams himself is a New Canaan resident who serves on the Carriage Barn Arts Center board of directors, and has served in the past as a member of the Planning & Zoning Commission and New Canaan Chamber of Commerce board member.) Here’s a transcription of our conversation. New Canaanite: For people who don’t know New Canaan Music, tell them about your store.
Ten years ago, New Canaan resident Phil Williams opened up a music shop with nothing but what he calls “hope and a dream.”
Today, New Canaan Music has expanded to two stores and, here in town, has become a hub for music lessons and instruments while Williams has become deeply involved with the community as a business owner. After seeing an opportunity in New Canaan at a time when it had no music store, Williams built a business plan to “give back to the community,” he said.
New Canaan Music provides customers with music lessons and the option to rent or buy instruments, catering to a variety of music needs and experiences. They have had “known celebrity music people come in as customers as well as the aspiring beginner,” Williams said.
Whether it’s doing “set up work for a band going on the road that’s been a national act since the 1970’s” or having “a child break a string on a ukulele,” New Canaan Music offers a place for every age of music lover. Starting in 2013 in a smaller shop on Elm Street, New Canaan Music soon outgrew its space and moved to a new location at 90 Main St. “From our first location we had three lesson studios that we had converted into four—here we have eight lesson studios where we do lessons six times a week from Monday through Saturday,” Williams said.
