NYS Music 202​0

Category: Classical

  • Empire State Youth Orchestra Announces Annual “Playathon” At Crossgates Mall

    Over 600 members of the Empire State Youth Orchestra (ESYO) will converge at Crossgates Mall in Albany for their annual all-day “Playathon,” this Saturday, February 1.

    Lead by music director Carlos Agreda, this is the biggest fundraiser that the organization hosts every year. Even though music lovers in the community can enjoy the event for no cost, the goal is to raise a total of $65,000.

    ”Playathon represents a valuable opportunity to increase awareness about ESYO and to have a relaxed and direct connection with the community. Some members of the community might not realize how much they love classical music, and if they aren’t able to come to the concert hall then we will come to their space! At Playathon we want to provide exposure and show how fun symphonic music actually is. It’s a chance to see all our ensembles in action and for people to see how much the young musicians love playing music.”

    Carlos Ágreda.

    Setting up in the lounge area on the first floor near Burlington Coat Factory, the event will feature 13 musical ensembles that includes everything from classical and percussion to jazz. Sponsored by Albany Medical Center; University at Albany Foundation and; Wilson, Elser, Moskowitz, Edelman & Dicker LLP; it is the only time attendees will get to see all performing ensembles come together to share their love of music with the public.

    The all day music event ensures that ESYO can stay true to the driving force behind their organization: that no capable musician is left behind regardless of financial restrictions.

    Included in the day is John Keal Music Company’s “Instrument Petting Zoo” where aspiring musicians of all ages can try out brass, woodwinds, and strings. There will also be live auctions were a attendee will have the opportunity to conduct an ensemble during the event. Additional information about ESYO’s program and concerts can be found at esyo.org.  

    “Our Playathon raises critical funds to support scholarships and tuition assistance so that all youth may pursue musical excellence and have serious fun, too.”

    Rebecca Calos – ESYO’s Executive Director.

    PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE 

    10:30AM – 11:15AM – Percussion Ensembles

    11:30AM – 11:45AM – Concertino Strings (Dave Beck conducting)

    11:55AM – 12:20PM – String Orchestra – Auction**

    12:35PM – 1:15PM – Wind Orchestra + Choirs – Auction**

    1:25PM – 2:05PM –  CHIME  (Yates, VC, Proctors)

    2:20PM – 2:50PM – Symphony Orchestra – Auction**

    2:55PM – 3:25PM – Rep Orchestra – Auction**

    3:30PM– 4:05PM – Symphony Orchestra – Auction**

    4:20PM – 4:40PM – Rep Jazz Orchestra

    4:45PM – 5:05PM – Youth Jazz Orchestra

    5:20PM – 5:50PM – Rep Orchestra – Auction**

    5:55PM – 6:30PM – Symphony Orchestra – Auction**

    ** Auction to Conduct Ensembles

  • NYC Concert to Commemorate 75th Anniversary of the Liberation of Auschwitz

    The Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene, Temple Emanu-El Streicker Center, the UJA-Federation of New York, and The New York Board of Rabbis will commemorate the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz with a concert  celebrating the resilience of Jewish music and culture on Monday, January 27, 2020.

    Liberation of Auschwitz

    The concert, organized by the Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust and the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene, will feature renowned violinist and conductor Itzhak Perlman; The Klezmer Conservatory Band; klezmer icons Hankus Netsky, Andy Statman, Frank London, and Lorin Sklamberg; Tovah Feldshuh; Cantor Yitzchak Meir Helfgot; Director Joel Grey and the cast and orchestra of Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish, with musical director Zalmen Mlotek; and HaZamir: The International Jewish Teen Choir, with musical director Matthew Lazar. Additionally, the concert will feature a keynote address by Rabbi Joseph Potasnik, Executive Vice President of The New York Board of Rabbis.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZoGz0EWPY0

    On January 27, 1945, Allied troops entered the Auschwitz concentration camp complex, liberating the more than 7,000 prisoners. More than 1.1 million people had already died in Auschwitz – nearly one million of whom were Jews.

    The concert will commemorate that anniversary – which is International Holocaust Remembrance Day – and underscore the commitment of the Jewish community to never forget and to continue the struggle against antisemitism and all forms of racial and ethnic hatred.

    “The liberation of Auschwitz on January 27 represents the end of one the darkest chapters in our world’s history and a reckoning for humanity,” said Bruce Ratner, Chairman of the Board at the Museum of Jewish Heritage –A Living Memorial to the Holocaust. “On this day we commemorate the Holocaust—a genocide in which 6 million Jews were murdered and millions of other victims of Nazism. Their memories must never be forgotten. This event will celebrate spiritual resistance and heroism in the face of evil, and serve as a unifying moment to insist, ‘never again.’ As we reflect on the past, we must do everything within our power to ensure a future in which we resist all forms of antisemitism, hostility, and bigotry to prevent a recurrence of the horrors of the Holocaust. We must not allow history to repeat itself.”

    The concert will take place at 7:00 PM at Temple Emanu-El, 1 East 65th Street (entrance on Fifth Avenue between East 65th and 66th Streets) in New York CIty. General admission tickets are $54, and reserved seating is $180. Due to limited seating, tickets will be provided on a first come, first served basis. Tickets and additional information can be found here..

    Produced by Moishe Rosenfeld, founder of Golden Land Concerts, the concert features Bonnie Stein of GOH Productions as production manager, and Zalmen Mlotek as artistic director.

  • Life of Ravi Shankar To Be Celebrated in Centennial Series

    The life of classical music composer and sitar virtuoso, Ravi Shankar, will be commemorated throughout the month of May, in celebration of 100 years since his birth on April 7, 1920. Shankar – who passed away in 2012 – is widely recognized as a pioneer in Indian and Hindustani classical music who popularized the use of Indian music in pop culture.

    A five-time Grammy-winner, Shankar is also known for his humanitarian work, being awarded with India’s highest civilian honor – the Bharat Ratna – in 1999. His daughters, Norah Jones and Anoushka Shankar, are both accomplished musicians in their own right, with the former being a nine-time Grammy-winning Jazz composer, and the latter, a respected sitar player.

    The Ravi Shankar Centennial Concerts will feature guest-stars, Philip Glass, Dhani Harrison (son of Beatles lead-guitarist George Harrison), an orchestra composed of Shankar’s disciples, as well as his daughters. United States concert tour dates and ticket information can be found below. A centenary concert is also scheduled in New Delhi, India, for November.

    May 16 – San Diego Civic Center – San Diego, CA (fundraiser for Shanktar Foundation)

    May 19 – Walt Disney Concert Hall – Los Angeles, CA (w/ Norah Jones and Anoushka Shankar)

    May 22 – Chicago Symphony Orchestra – Chicago, IL

    May 29 – Carnegie Hall – New York, NY. (w/ Philip Glass)

    For detailed information regarding Ravi Shankar Centennial Concerts, CLICK HERE.

  • Song Premiere: “The Budding of The Rose” by Jake Bellissimo and Gerald Busby

    With each new year comes the promise of new music, and this year is also the start of a new decade. To usher in the new era, musician Jake Bellissimo has collaborated with legendary composer Gerald Busby on a new song, “The Budding of The Rose.” The song is from Bellissimo’s new album The Motion That We Make, which is set to release later this month.

    Jake Bellissimo Gerald Busby

    Formerly of Rochester, NY, Bellissimo has been living in Berlin, Germany. The song is a cross-Atlantic effort with Bellissimo providing lyrics, and Busby setting them to melody and composing music for viola from his home at the Chelsea Hotel in New York City. The resulting song is sublime. The ardent love song traipses through a sonic garden of delight. It’s contemporary, yet timeless and classic.  

    Busby has resided at the Chelsea since 1977, when his mentor Virgil Thompson procured him a room. A child prodigy, he was playing with the symphony by the age of 15. He started composing later in life, and debuted professionally when he wrote the score of Runes for choreographer Paul Taylor’s dance company. He’s best known for writing the music for Robert Altman’s acclaimed movie 3 Women.

    Bellissimo, in addition to being a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, runs the label Drunk With Love Records. The Motion That We Make is a contemplation on motion, mortality, and coincidences. It is a reflection on the places they’ve been and the people they’ve loved, and those they’ve lost. Watch for the release on January 24 on Drunk With Love Records.