NYS Music 202​0

Category: News

  • Opera Saratoga Keeping the Love of Opera Alive with New Series

    Opera Saratoga has launched a new series of online programming called OPERA SARATOGA: CONNECT!. This comes in response to the recent limitations placed on many in the music industry from the Coronavirus Pandemic. Moving away from the standard path of releasing archived material that many other organizations have taken, Opera Saratoga has developed six new programs including Daily, Kids, Symposia, Classes, Trivia and Mentorship.

    Opera Saratoga’s Artistic and General Director Lawrence Edelson explained: “We have decided to launch programs for our audiences that have been created specifically for the way people engage online producing a combination of newly created video performances for social media, as well as new opportunities to enjoy and learn about opera that are more interactive. Opera Saratoga has always focused on building community. OPERA SARATOGA: CONNECT! was designed to allow us to do just that – connect digitally with our community. Each element of this initiative allows audiences to enjoy opera, classical vocal music, and musical theater in a different way, from short videos released every day throughout the summer featuring members of our Festival Artist program, to interactive trivia games, classes, and symposia, featuring guests from around the globe.”

    Programming will be a combination of free and a few paid activities to which there are scholarships available for those experiencing financial hardships during the pandemic. This will provide a wide opportunity for many to experience opera classical vocal music, and musical theater in many different ways right from your home. Complete details about each of the six programs as part of OPERA SARATOGA: CONNECT! may be found online. 

    For over 50 years Opera Saratoga, formerly known as Lake George Opera, has been a pillar in the upstate community for world class opera. Not only do they perform for more than 25,000 people at the annual Summer Festival but also have become the launching point for emerging operatic artists. They utilize not only their own stage but also the cultural, historic and natural resources of the surrounding Saratoga Springs, the Lower Adirondack and New York State Capital areas to bring unique and innovative opportunities to the public.  

    Check out below their newest opera ‘The Selfish Giant’ based on the classic children’s story by Oscar Wilde. This was produced remotely after the start of COVID-19 in partnership  with the New York City based company American Lyric Theater.

  • A new virtual age for the Village Vanguard begins

    New York City’s legendary Village Vanguard invites you to join them Saturdays starting June 13 at 7 p.m. EDT for a 75 minute live streaming concert. A matinee will follow the next day at 2 p.m. EDT. Admission for each performance will be $7.

    First up on the lineup will be The Billy Hart Quartet featuring  drummer Billy Hart joined by a phenomenal group of artists including tenor saxophonist Mark Turner, pianist Ethan Iverson and bassist Ben Street. 

    After closing its doors on March 16 due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, just three weeks after the club’s 85th birthday, many were left wondering how indefinite the closure would be. Virtual concerts have become the revival answer for many and now The Vanguard is back with four weekends currently slated with performances. Please continue to check the website and follow the club on Instagram @vanguardjazz and Facebook for updates on upcoming shows. 

    Village Vanguard

    Livestream schedule:

    June 13-14 – Billy Hart Quartet featuring Mark Turner, Ethan Iverson and Ben Street

    June 20 – 21 –  Vijay Iyer Trio featuring Nick Dunston and Jeremy Dutton   

    June 27 – 28 – Joe Martin Quartet featuring Mark Turner, Kevin Hays and Nasheet Waits

    July 4 – 5 – Joe Lovano Trio Fascination featuring Ben Street and Andrew Cyrille

  • CMAC Cancels 2020 Summer Concert Season

    CMAC (Constellation Brands-Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center) announces the cancellation of their 2020 summer concert season due to COVID-19. This decision was not made lightly but the safety of their staff, patrons, performers, and community is the priority. They are working to reschedule most of their summer 2020 performances currently. 

    Lynyrd Skynyrd performing Free Bird at CMAC in 2019.

    The performing arts center was founded in 1983 by Marvin Sands. He believed it was needed in the Canandaigua community because of the important role that arts and culture play in the quality of the community. CMAC still lives up to that role today providing arts and culture to the community. This year is just a pause, not the end of anything for CMAC. 

    CMAC is working to have their cancelled and postponed 2020 dates moved to the 2021 season. Cancelled shows include: Trey Anastasio Band, Old Domino, Brandi Carlile, Collective Soul, Tim McCraw, Norah Jones, Steve Martin and Martin Short. Postponed shows include: RATT, Luke Combs, and The Final Tour Ever with Kiss. They have already rescheduled two shows for 2021. Tedeschi Trucks Band was rescheduled for June 30, 2021 and Thomas Rhett for August 22, 2021. 

    For more information on CMAC and their events visit their website. For more information and to purchase tickets for Tedeschi Trucks Band click here or Thomas Rhett click here.

  • City of Cohoes to Review Managment Proposals for Historic Cohoes Music Hall

    The city of Cohoes is in process of reviewing management proposals for the historic Cohoes Music Hall. The closure of the concert hall this past April cost the city a financial loss of nearly $200,000, led to a cancelation in contracts with previous managers, Holly Brown and her Music Hall Arts Alliance; they were in charge of management and organization, including the Playhouse Stage Company and show production, ran by Owen Smith.

    city of cohoes
    Lotus performes at Cohoes Music Hall, Nov. 2019.

    Since canceling the contracts with the previous management companies, the city of Cohoes has been accepting new management proposals from potential applicants. A committee of “independent experts” that formed following the substantial revenue loss the city suffered in April has been organized and will be reviewing the proposals in search of a best fit. Mayor of Cohoes, Bill Keeler, announced the six proposals received via a Facebook post. Of the six proposals the committee faces, two are from previous managers Holly Brown and Owen Smith. The other four proposals listed in Mayor Keelers post include Guthrie/Bell productions from Albany; the Hall, from Niskayuna; Lopolito, from Monroe; and Just Imagine, from Rensselaer.

    “All of these proposals would achieve the goal of continuing the high caliber of entertainment we have seen in the Music Hall in recent years while achieving six figure annual savings for the taxpayers,” said mayor Keeler in a statement, reassuring that those involved in the committee “have deep connections to our community and are experts in their respective fields.”

    Previous contract holder Owen Smith remains hopeful, stating in an email that he feels “really good about the proposal we submitted and are staying hopeful! We really hope we have the opportunity to keep building momentum at the Hall.”

    After reviewing, the committee will be conducting interviews to further aide in their decisions of who will pick up the contract in the coming months. According to the Facebook post made by mayor Keeler, a new management contract is anticipated by late July.

    For updates and announcements, follow The Cohoes Music Hall on Facebook and Twitter

  • James Casey launches Aux Chord, an online music venue

    Despite the pandemic, the show must go on for live musicians. James Casey, longtime touring member of the Trey Anastasio Band, is launching Aux Chord, an online music venue offering ticketed livestream events to soften the blow of canceled gigs for artists and fans alike.

    Aux Chord
    James Casey is performing at Aux Chord’s inaugural event on Thursday, June 11.

    Back in February, Casey foresaw the pandemic’s potential to erase an entire year’s worth of concert dates for himself and other artists. He began brainstorming with his partner Ayla Cobb while quarantined in New York City, and with the help of web developer Stephen Small, they created Aux Chord: A Live Streaming Venue.

    “The goal of Aux Chord is to supply a place for the music community to continue to grow and thrive, and supply a place for music fans to be able to see great live music with great picture and sound,” Casey explains. “I doubt we’re the first to do this, and we definitely won’t be the last, but hopefully this can be a positive thing for the artists at large.”

    Aux Chord’s first event, a live showcase starring Casey, is Thursday, June 11 at 9 p.m. ET. Upcoming performers on the service include Jennifer Hartswick and Nick Cassarino, Natalie Cressman and Ian Faquini, Louis Cato and Erin Boyd. Tickets are available now at auxchord.live.

    The site’s performances are behind a paywall, and musicians set their own prices and receive the majority of ticket revenues. The fees are nominal and transparent, allowing fans to support artists without fear of gouging or high overhead.

    “Hopefully this can be a resource for musicians, especially independent artists, in a time where we honestly aren’t able to perform and do what we’ve been working towards our whole lives. But what we can do is these live streams and create art for people to consume, especially considering that everyone is going through a whole lot right now,” Casey said. “This isn’t like going live on Facebook or Instagram and busking. The platform is about elevating that experience and really performing for the people. We’re putting on a show.”

  • “Talk – Action = Zero”: a New Album to Combat Injustice

    On Friday, June 5, Bank Robber Music and Rough Trade Publishing released Talk – Action = Zero, a collaborative album which hopes to create awareness and fight against the injustices that the Black community face as a result of police brutality.

    Talk Action Zero


    The album was created after the recent murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. Their stories mirror those of countless other African Americans. This collaboration album is a reaction to these injustices and will hopefully make more Americans aware of the wrongful treatment of BIPOC all over the country. The album has been the group project of Jay Watts, Bartees Strange, Rogue Wave, Crashing Hotels, Nick Andre, Lateef The Truthspeaker, Superchunk, Damon & Naomi, as well Lonemoon, a trans woman of color.

    Several New York-based artists have also made contributions to the album; Phantogram (Saratoga Springs) and New York City artists Jesse Malin, Matthew Caws of Nada Surf, Worriers, as well as Sulene, lead guitarist of Fun., all make contributions to the album.

    All of the proceeds of the album will go towards Black Visions Collective, an organization founded in 2017 which aims to bring about justice for all Black people and work to create “a world in which ALL Black Lives Matter”. The organization is based in Minnesota, where George Floyd was wrongfully murdered by police on May 25. The officers are currently being brought to justice, but the fight for equality is far from over.

    Talk – Action = Zero is now available on Bandcamp and donate to George Floyd and Breonna Taylor’s families if possible.

  • A Step Towards Reform for Broadway

    With the recent murders of African-American men and women like George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, several BIPOC Broadway workers–actors and crew members alike–have begun to speak out against the racism which plagues Broadway and other theatre communities all across the country. Many, like writer and actor Griffin Matthews, have expressed that they are tired of the relentless racism which exists on Broadway, and reform is on the way.

    broadway reform

    Even in the time of this global halt, the Broadway Advocacy Coalition will hold a three-part forum for the African-American members of the Broadway community. The forum will be held over three days: June 10, 11, and 12. 

    Day one is dedicated to healing, where all will be welcome to share any experience in which they have been forced to deal with racism in the theatre industry. Day one is intended to be a safe space of only African-American people. Day two is for listening; African-American industry professionals will tell their experiences and look towards breaking the bias held in white allies and encouraging those allies to look inward and examine this bias. Day three, which is an extension of day two, is centered around accountability. Broadway’s inherently racist building blocks will be examined, and the group will discuss building a better Broadway which is truly more inclusive. 

    This forum is not only to be a means of support for countless African-American Broadway workers, but will hopefully force Broadway to begin to recognize its roots in racism and rebuild the system in a more honest way. Registration for each online event is available now.

  • Bill and Ted are back to face the music in new trailer

    It’s been 25 years since we last heard from Bill and Ted, who performed “God Gave Rock and Roll To You” in front of the world, thus leading to world peace. Now they’re middle-aged dads and are on a mission once again to be excellent to each other, and to party on. Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter return this summer in Bill and Ted 3: Face the Music with the new trailer debuting today.

    bill and ted trailer

    The plot of the film focuses on Bill and Ted, who are back in San Dimas, CA, yet still have to fulfill their destiny by writing a hit song.

    It looks like time-travel is once again on tap, as well as a visit to hell to meet Death, played by William Sadler, reprising his most excellent role from 1991’s Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey. The release date is not yet set due to COVID-19 but we can most likely look for a late summer/early fall release.

  • NYC Erupts in Music Led by Jon Batiste in Support of Black Lives Matter

    Jon Batiste, bandleader of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” led a musical march through NYC in support of the Black Lives Matter protests. The musical march took place on June 6 at 1PM in Union Square. The protest was peaceful and musical in nature. 

    Batiste is a notable jazz musician on top of being the bandleader of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Batiste has his band Stay Human and also serves as the Music Director of The Atlantic and the Creative Director of the National Jazz Museum in Harlem. He was nominated for “Saint James Infirmary Blues” in the Best American Roots Performance category in 2018 in the Grammy Awards.

    Jon Batiste advertised the event on his Twitter saying, “This is our response to the deep rooted systemic injustice we have yet to fix, a fact made abundantly clear by the public execution of another black person. This is a movement that exists because I believe the power of art & music is divine.”

    The musical march started at Union Square and went all the way to Washington Square Park. Batiste explained to CNN’s Bill Weir that this protest was bringing people together over a common outrage and that there are things people need to start doing. He said, “Look at what we are doing. We’re using music to bring people together of all races, of all genders, for Black lives. We have to get to protests and we have to get to voting. 100 million people did not vote in the last election. We’re battling three candidates Donald Trump, Joe Biden and apathy.”

    Watch the CNN videoclip bellow.

  • Movement to make The Apollo Theater an official Broadway House gains momentum

    There are 41 theaters on Broadway and they each have one thing in common: none are owned by African-Americans. The Apollo Theater, located on 125th street in Harlem, opened its doors to the public in 1914 and has been a vibrant piece of New York’s history and culture ever since. Many jazz, R&B, and soul legends began their paths to fame at the Apollo theater’s famous amateur nights. The theater has been both a state and city landmark since 1983 and still remains an important part of New York theater to this day. Despite this, it is not considered a Broadway theater.

    apollo theater broadway
    photo by Jamie Huenefeld

    The only thing which distinguishes Broadway from Off-Broadway is the number of a theater’s seats. All Broadway theaters must have 500 seats or more; theaters with 99-499 seats are deemed Off-Broadway. The Apollo Theater has 1,506 seats.

    A petition to make the Apollo Theater a Broadway theater has been attracting attention in the past few days. If it were a Broadway theater, yhe Apollo would be eligible for Tony Awards and become involved in Tony nominations. As the Apollo Theater works to represent the cultural diversity of New York City, many believe that more BIPOC actors and team members would be nominated for Tony awards were the theater given leeway in the nominations.

    The Apollo Theater is currently closed with no events scheduled through June 30.