Frisson Films

Frisson Films creates videos focused on the filmed
expression of classical music through the collaboration of artists of all disciplines, and increase the knowledge of the general public about classical music by inviting the general public to film showings or other similar programs.

Don’t You Weep When I’m Gone features acclaimed baritone Will Liverman’s performance and personal arrangement of the traditional African American Spiritual. Liverman was most recently heard as Papageno in The Magic Flute at the Metropolitan Opera and we were honored to have him on our screen.

Artist Will Liverman

Director/Editor Ryan Rivard

Producers Elyse Anne Kakacek & Ryan Rivard

Director of Photography Jon O'Sullivan

Sound Recordist and Mixer Jacob Sachs-Mishalanie

Special Thanks Nany Ranger

Frisson’s second film served as the music video for Elyse Anne Kakacek’s album, Untethered. Behold the Archer’s Skill fuses a modern art song by living composer Valerie Saalbach with traditional henna tattoo art created by GZHenna. The art song features Sanskrit poetry translated into English by late poet Steven Kowit and the beautiful accompanying skills of Felix Jarrar.


Soprano Elyse Anne Kakacek, Soprano
Piano Felix Jarrar, Piano
Henna Artist Gilbert Zamora
Composer Valerie Saalbach

Elyse Anne’s Kakcek’s Untethered available via True Capture Records

Director | Editor Ryan Rivard

Producers Ryan Rivard and Elyse Anne Kakacek
Director of Photography Jon O'Sullivan
Sound Matthan Black
Additional Cinematography (Henna & Church B Cam) Ryan Rivard

Echo is a short film that combines solo violin by Kelly Hall-Tompkins with interpretive aerial dance by Alexandra Peter as a cathartic expression of the emotions surrounding the Black Lives Matter Movement; giving voice to oppression as a way of speaking against it.

Echo was awarded Best Short Dance Film by the Vesuvius International Film Festival in Italy and is currently featured as part Kelly Hall-Tompkins' segment on WQXR's Artist Propulsion Lab.


Shostakovich Violin Concerto No. 1 in A Minor- Cadenza

Violin Soloist Kelly Hall-Tompkins

Movement and Choreography Alexandra Peter

Produced and Directed by Elyse Kakacek and Ryan Rivard

Cinematographer Jon O'Sullivan

Editor Celine Clarke

Audio Engineer Bill Siegmund, Digital Island Studios

Special Thanks to Martin Jeiven