His current creative platform is Peter DiMuro/Public Displays of Motion (PDM), a company that develops and performs original artistic works of dance and dance/theatre most often through collaborative methods. The company cultivates arts literacy, advocacy and engagement - often due to the nature of intersectionality and collaboration that is a hallmark of the company's work. PDM is intergenerational and multi-abled, often engaging guest community and professional performers as partners in creation. PDM was formed in the early 2000's and ramped up production with Peter's return to Boston in 2013. Recent support for PDM has included a Bessie Schönberg Fellowship at The Yard; a Next Steps Grant/Boston Foundation/ Aliad Fund, two Creative City Boston/New England Foundation for the Arts commissions, a Boston LAB Grant.
As Executive Artistic Director of The Dance Complex, Peter continues to invest in advancing the craft of choreography and the field of dance, creating an arc of programs for young-to-established dance-makers. Peter was Artistic Director of Liz Lerman Dance Exchange 2003-2008, capping a 15-year relationship as performer and lead-artist. He was named the 2018 inaugural choreographer in residence at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Peter has received three commissions from Boston Landmark's Orchestra, each premiered at the famed Hatch Shell on Boston's Esplanade. Commissioned by public art presenter Now +There, Peter has created performance installations for the visual artists Liz Glynn and Nick Cave. A long relationship with The Rose Kennedy Greenway has produced 3 new site specific works, and a site specific dance festival. Peter is the recipient of an Arts Fuse Award in 2016; and a Lifetime Achievement in the Arts Award from Salem State University.
Fahandej is the founder of “A Father’s Lullaby, “ a multi-year, co-creative initiative that interrogates racial bias and structural racism in the United States criminal justice system. Fahandej defines the project as a “Poetic Cyber Movement for Social Justice”. Fahandej is a Senior Co-Creation Research-Practitioner at MIT Open Documentary Lab and an assistant professor of emerging and interactive media at Emerson College where she launched a pioneering XR Co-Creation initiative focused on mass incarceration; where students, probation officers, formerly incarcerated fathers, and their children co-create personal documentary projects using AR, VR, Volumetric Filmmaking, and 360° technology.
Fahandej serves as a consultant in the field of emerging media storytelling, emphasizing equity-based technology integration. She provides mentorship for various initiatives, including the Indigenous Immersive Incubator and the Climate Future Worlding project at MIT's Co-creation Studio, and also mentors fellows at the MIT Open Documentary Lab. Fahandej is an active contributor to initiatives that focus on Access and Disability Innovation, as well as the Augmentation and Future of Public Spaces working groups. Additionally, she holds a board position at the Boston Center for the Arts and the New Media Caucus, where she advances initiatives dedicated to racial equity, decolonization, and internationalization efforts.
Yvette Janine Jackson
Assistant Professor | Harvard University, Department of Music
Recent reviews have praised Mr Vargas for his “highly emotional and thoughtful” playing and his “striking energy and uncompromising honesty”. Highlights of the upcoming 2023 season include a series of recitals in New England and California featuring music of what is to be his debut album titled “Souvenirs” as well as his debut with the National Symphony of Ecuador performing Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in honor of the composer’s 150th birth anniversary.
Besides his concertizing, Mr. Vargas is involved in several exciting projects that demonstrate the wide spectrum of his musical interests: The Roxbury Piano Program, Festival Esmeraldas and Roxbury Concert Series.