NYS Music 202​2

Category: Classical

  • Maverick Concerts Full Summer of Music Returns In 2022

    A national historic treasure nestled in the woods near Woodstock, Maverick Concerts returns this summer with a full schedule. Beginning in July and playing throughout September, the Maverick Concert Hall features world class music such as Classical, Jazz, and Contemporary concerts.

    The Maverick 2022 season begins on Saturday evening July 2nd, with a special 50th Birthday bash in celebration of the acclaimed NEXUS Ensemble. The celebration will be led by Woodstock legend Garry Kvistad and features special guests Paul Winter and Brazilian pianist Henrique Eisenmann. 

    Opening festivities will continue on Sunday July 3rd with an 85th birthday nod to American music living legend Philip Glass. This concert features classics of Beethoven and Bach – by two of the most exciting stars in classical music today, pianist Simone Dinnerstein and violinist Tim Fain. 

    Jazz, contemporary, and world music hold a special place on Saturday nights at Maverick Concerts. Sunday afternoons of Classical music have been the foundation of the Maverick Concerts since the very first Festival in 1915, and that tradition continues. Likewise, Woodstock legends will continue to share the stage with talents from all over the musical world.

    Maverick Concerts 2022 Schedule 

    Sat. July 2: NEXUS Percussion 

    Sunday, July 3: Simone Dinnerstein and Tim Fain 

    Sunday, July 10: Escher String Quartet

    Saturday, July 16: Simi Stone & Friends 

    Sunday, July 17: Daniel Gortler 

    Saturday, July 23: Happy Traum and Friends featuring Cindy Cashdollar 

    Sunday, July 24: Quatuor Danel

    Saturday, July 30: Simon Shaheen Trio 

    Sunday, July 31: Miro Quartet 

    Saturday, August 6 – 11 am – 12: Christian Sands/Maverick Family Concert 

    Saturday, August 6: Christian Sands Trio 

     Sunday, August 7:  Horszowski Trio 

    Saturday, August 13 – 11am – 12: Terrence Wilson/Maverick Family Concert 

    Saturday, August 13: Steve Gorn and Friends 

    Sunday, August 14: Harlem Quartet with Brandon Patrick and Terrence Wilson

    Saturday, August 20: Anthony de Mare 

     Sunday, August 21: Borromeo Quartet

    Saturday, August 28: Annual Chamber Orchestra Concert w/Caroga Arts Ensemble 

    Sunday, August 29: Amernet Quartet; Kasa Quartet 

    Saturday, September 5 – 11:00 am – 12: Catalyst Quartet/Maverick Family Concert 

    Saturday, September 5: Bill Charlap Trio

    Sunday, September 6: Catalyst Quartet with Dashon Burton 

    Saturday, September 10: Jerome Jennings with Laurin Talese 

    Sunday, September 11: Roman Rabinovich 

    Maverick Concerts Full Summer of Music Returns In 2022

    Ticket Information

    The Maverick Concert Hall is located at 120 Maverick Road, Woodstock. Reserved seating and general admission tickets for all concerts are available online here. Maverick Family Concerts (Saturday afternoons on August 6th, 13th and September 3rd) are free for ages 16 and under and $5 for adults. 

  • Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts announces grant winners

    The Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts (ALCA) announced the recipients of the Restart NY Regrants 2021-22 “Mini-Grant” awards. The grants issued by the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) support regional live musical performances whose ability to play in front of audiences was curtailed by the COVD-19 pandemic. The funds were part of the state’s Round 2 Restart NY pandemic relief fund.

    adirondack lakes center for the arts

    The ALCA will distribute the funds across Clinton, Essex, Franklin, and Hamilton counties. A total of $45,500 across 20 projects will be distributed in the four counties. All of which are served by the ALCA.

    By working alongside statewide a governmental organization like NYSCA the ALCA is able to distribute funding to parts of the state that otherwise might not receive public funding. The goal of doing so is to attempt to provide access to the arts in all parts of New York state.

    Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts Grant Winners

    • Adirondack Wind Ensemble, Inc., fiscal sponsor for sponsored applicant Frontier Saxophone Quartet: “Frontier Saxophone Quartet concert” – music (Clinton [C])

    • Ballard Park Foundation: “Ballard Park Concert Series” – music (Essex [E])

    • Clinton County Historical Association: “The Haudenosaunee Creation Story & Sculptures” – storytelling [C]

    • Community String Orchestra of the Adirondacks: “Music for Contemplation” – music [E]

    • CVW Long Lake Public Library: “Café Livre” – music & visual arts (Hamilton [H])

    • East Branch Friends of the Arts: “Pride & Prejudice: An Original Musical” – theater and music [E]

    • Foothills Art Society, Inc.: “The King’s Brass” – music (Franklin [F])

    • Hill and Hollow Music, Inc.: “Hill & Hollow Music Performance Series” – music [C])

    • John Brown Lives!: “The Agitators—Presenting Frederick Douglas and Susan B. Anthony” – theater [E]

    • John Brown Lives!, fiscal sponsor for artist applicant Peter Seward of Lake Flower Landing:  “Sound & Vision”: music [E]

    • Keene Valley Library: “Something for All Ages” – theater and music [E]

    • Paul Smith’s College: “Music Over the Marsh at the Paul Smith’s VIC” – music [F]

    • Piano by Nature Inc.: “Harp String Eternal” – music [E]

    • Schroon Lake Arts Council: “Schroon Lake Live!!! Concert Series – A World of Music on Schroon Lake” – music [E]

    • Tupper Arts: “Summer at the Sunset Stage!” – music [F]

    • Society for Strings, Inc./Meadowmount School of Music: “Meadowmount at The Grange” – music [E]

    • St. William’s on Long Point: “Music in the Adirondack Winter” – music [H]

    • Town of Indian Lake: “Indian Lake Music in the Park(s) and More” – music [H]

    • Town of Wilmington, fiscal sponsor for artist applicant Carl Rubino: “Three concerts by Carl Rubino” – music [E]

    • Whallonsburg Grange Hall, Inc: “Grange Winter/Spring 2022 Concert Series” – music [E]

  • The Orchestra Now to Present New Voices From The 1930s at Carnegie Hall

    The Orchestra Now (TŌN) will soon host their final performance in their Carnegie Hall season on Thursday, May 12. This musical night will include the renowned director of this orchestra, Leon Botstein, along with pianists Gilles Vonsattel and Frank Corliss. This night will also present mezzo-soprano Deborah Nansteel.

    Orchestra Now

    Corliss is the director of the Bard College Conservatory of Music, while Vonsattel is a Swiss soloist and Bard Conservatory faculty member. Furthermore, being apart of The Metropolitan Opera as a mezzo-soprano, Nansteel has landed the role of Alisa in Lucia di Lammermoor for this season. 

    New Voices From the 1930s will take place in the Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage of Carnegie Hall. Corliss will perform William Grant Still’s Dismal Swamp, which is a portrayal of captive peoples seeking freedom. Nansteel will perform, Karl Amadeus Hartmann’s Symphony No. 1, Essay for a Requiem, regarding conditions under the Nazi regime. Lastly, Vonsattel’s performance is based on Mexican Symphonic Orchestra music director and composer, Carlos Chávez’s virtuosic Piano Concerto.

    Tickets for this event are available on the Carnegie Hall website. It is essential for ticket holders to adhere to the venue’s safety protocols.

    In addition to TŌN’s show at Carnegie Hall, on May 7 and 8 this same program will be performed at the Fisher Center at Bard. To accommodate viewers this event will be live streamed for free on both dates; those attending must RSVP to attend the concert.

    Towards the end of May on the 22, TŌN will provide a free concert performance at the Peter Norton Symphony Space, called Liszt & Bartók. Led by TŌN resident conductor Zachary Schwartzman, Hungarian composers Franz Liszt, Béla Bartók, Emmerich Kálmán, and Zoltán Kodály will have the spotlight during this event. Advance RSVP is suggested and those in attendance must comply with the venue’s health and safety requirements.

  • ‘Check In’ With MVW’s First Single from Upcoming Album, Featuring Matt Ox

    Michael Vincent Waller’s foray into the world of hip hop continues with his latest single, “Check In,” featuring teenage YouTube star and rapper, Matt Ox. The highly touted classical composer’s latest endeavor comes on the heels of his debut hip hop project, the Lex Luger assisted, CLASSIC$.

    MVW now recruits the frenetic Matt Ox, who has amassed tens of millions of views, with his breakout song “Overwhelming” amassing 31 million views. “Check In” will serve as promotion for MVW’s sophomore album, Connections. Continuing to draw on the parallels between his life as a composer and hip-hop producer.

    The theme of the upcoming project is entitled ‘Connections,’ MVW reveals.” “This first single channels that ethos of branching out into the hip hop landscape and making revelations through collaboration and furthermore, the title for the project was derived from a bar in [the song’s first verse], “I am way too connected, too many connections.

    Connections are what MVW has continued to foster, as he has developed working relationships with many talented acts like Atlanta-bred Lil Gotit and Good Music artist Valee. Jumping head-first into a new creative space, an invigorated MVW has churned out his second project in less than a year.

    Matt Ox, whose newer releases have seen him experiment with his vocal ranges, shows his versatility. On “Check In” he rhymes in a start & stop flow focusing on cadence and annotation. 

    As a producer MVW is equally parts free-wheeling and controlling. Preferring to give leeway on artistic freedom while focusing on the song’s structure and vocal tones on his beats. 

    Overall, Matt was given freedom to be inventive and true to his voice in the chorus and verse, but how the final arrangement and orchestration played out was very meticulous and true to the way I like to work on records that is starting to feel like a melodic signature for the music I’m working to produce and release into the world.

    MVW’s quest to explore classical sounds within the frame of contemporary trap sounds require a great attention to detail. On “Check In” Matt Ox’s enigmatic flow on eerily inviting loops are structured for rhythmic optimization and his pursuit has brought him, Connections. 

    The vocals could be considered more complex in their delivery and intonation than maybe appears on the surface, or from first listen. I think the more one sits with the material and marinates on how the vocals are arranged with the beat, the exact placement and timing in relation to the bars and feel of the cadence.

    MVW’s continues the road to Connections with another Matt Ox assisted single, also featuring Valee and 645AR releasing on April 22 and a spring/summer timetable set for the album.

  • Chamber Music Society in NYC Creates Two-Part PBS Film

    The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center in NYC closed its doors for two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, in a two-part PBS film Chamber Music Society Returns, the story of CMS’s return to live concerts is told. It will be airing nationally on April 8, and then on the 15th.

    CMS is one of eleven constituents of the largest performing arts complex in the world, the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. CMS brings the experience of great chamber music to more people than any other organization of its kind through its many performances, education, recording, digital, and broadcast activities.

    Musicians perform Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, photo by Cherlynn Tsushima.

    The PBS film will explore the passion for making music that pushed the CMS community forward. The film features behind-the-scenes footage at CMS’s rehearsal studios, offices, and backstage. Musicians will reveal their relief at finally leaving the pandemic, and long-awaited performances full of emotion, embrace, and tears of joy.

    The first part Setting the Stage features violinist Arnaud Sussmann, bassist Joseph Conyers, cellist David Finckel, and pianist Wu Han talking about how frightening the early stages of the pandemic were, and how music helped them during that difficult time. Viewers get to see the everyday work of chamber musicians, and see performances of both solo Bach and work from the opening night concert.

    The second part Bringing Down the House explores the aftermath of opening night, and the challenges of finding a way to safely gather over a dozen wind players to play as performing were considered risky early in the pandemic.

    CMS artistic director David Finckel spoke about why live music is special.

    Listening to a recording is like looking at a painting on a wall. It can be a great painting, but it doesn’t change. It’s always exactly the same. The live performance, though, is so far beyond the recording or the painting on the wall in that it’s like watching the artwork itself being recreated by the artist in front of your eyes in real time. Because live is always an interpretation. It’s never the same twice.

    The CMS PBS documentary will be airing on April 8 and 15, and the trailer is out now.

  • Lara Downes to make Special Appearance at the Arthur Zankel Music Center on April 14

    Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) will partnering with Skidmore College this upcoming April 14 at 7:30 p.m. for a night of music with Lara Downes at the Arthur Zankel Music Center. During this time Downes, will play homage to underrepresented American composers, including Florence Price, Scott Joplin, and Billie Holiday. She will also tap into the honorary George Gershwin and Morton Gould to bring to life their music from the 1900s.

    Lara Downes Arthur Zankel Music Center

    Coming from a civil rights background, Downes is not only a high demand performer, but also hosts her own series on NPR called “Amplify”. On her show she discusses with BIPOC artist what it is like to be in the music industry, with focuses on shaping the identity of a new era with bold vision, powerful mission and the inspiring energy of a transformative time. However, her work does not end there. In fact, Downes is a Billboard Chart-topping recording artist, producer, curator, activist, and arts advocate.

    Lara Downes

    Furthermore, her work with Skidmore College will begin on April 13 during her piano masterclass for music majors at 5:30 p.m.

    What a thrill for our students to witness Lara’s great artistry and experience a one-of-kind program in our beautiful performance space. And, how lucky for them to also participate in a masterclass with her.

    Evan Mack, professor of music at Skidmore College

    Tickets for Downes’ performance at the Arthur Zankel Music Center will be $30 for general admission and $10 for all collegiate students and faculty with a valid school ID. However, Skidmore students enrolled in the music program will have free admission. Skidmore College plans to follow COVID-19 protocol and strongly encourages guests to be fully vaccinated and masked at the performance. For tickets or more information click here or visit Spac.

    Downes’ following visit to Saratoga will be towards the end of the Summer on August 4. She will perform two premieres: The Strayhorn Concerto and Price’s Piano Concerto in One Movement, during her Saratoga Performing Arts Center debut. For more information visit  SPAC.

  • Triveni, performing Indian Classical Music, arrive at The Egg on April 10

    Zakir Hussain, Kala Ramnath, and Jayanthi Kumaresh will come together for the first time as a trio for the 2022 Triveni tour. They will make a stop at The Egg in Albany on Sunday, April 10 at 3pm, as part of The Egg’s Rhythm International series.

    These leading Indian classical exponents of their respective instruments – tabla, violin and Saraswati veena – are each also renowned as a virtuoso collaborator, pathbreaker and educator, advancing the art of their particular instruments to remarkable levels in the context of their classical traditions and beyond.

    triveni

    The musicians have been honored in India and abroad with numerous awards, and each has successfully toured all over the world with their own acclaimed solo projects. 

    The name Triveni derives from the mythical site of the union of three sacred rivers in India, and the name aptly represents the confluence of the varied musicalities which the three maestros bring to this collaboration. A hallmark of Zakir Hussain’s iconic career has been his groundbreaking work at the forefront of brilliant musical dialogues between Hindustani (North Indian) and Carnatic (South Indian) music.

    With Kala Ramnath, an innovative representative of North Indian raga tradition, Jayanthi Kumaresh, the leading exponent of the ancient South Indian veena, and Zakir Hussain seamlessly stitching North and South Indian rhythm traditions to provide a bridge for veena and violin to meet, Triveni promises to be a fluent, joyous and entirely original musical conversation, a sonic experience of the highest order. 

    Zakir Hussain 

    The pre-eminent classical tabla virtuoso of our time, Zakir Hussain is appreciated as one of the world’s most esteemed and influential musicians, one whose mastery of his percussion instrument has taken it to a new level transcending cultures and national borders. Along with his legendary father and teacher, Ustad Allarakha, he has elevated the status of the tabla both in India and around the world. 

    Triveni

    He is the recipient of countless awards, including two Grammys, Padma Bhushan, Padma Shri, and Officier in France’s Order of Arts and Letters. Voted “Best Percussionist” by both the Downbeat Critics’ Poll and Modern Drummer’s Reader’s Poll over several years, Zakir was honored with SFJazz’s Lifetime Achievement Award at their 2017 Gala for his “unparalleled contribution to the world of music.” 

    Kala Ramnath 

    Maestro Kala Ramnath with her “Singing Violin” stands among the world’s finest, most inspirational instrumentalists. Most significantly in an Indian context, in May 2017, she was awarded the illustrious Sangeet Natak Academy Puraskar for her contributions to the violin in Hindustani Classical Music.   

    Triveni

    Born into a dynasty of prodigious musical talent, one which has given Indian music such violin legends as her paternal uncle Professor T. N. Krishnan and paternal aunt Dr. N. Rajam, Kala’s violinistic vision began manifesting early. Recognizing her innate talent, her astute grandfather, Vidwan A. Narayan Iyer, took her under his tutelage. 

    Acknowledged as a virtuoso of staggering proportions, Kala has performed at the most prestigious music festivals in India. She has appeared on world stages including the Sydney Opera House, Paris’s Théâtre de la Ville, London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall, San Francisco’s Palace of Fine Arts, Singapore’s Esplanade, New York’s Carnegie Hall, the Rudolstadt Festival in Germany, and the Edinburgh Music Festival in Scotland. 

    Dr. Jayanthi Kumaresh 

    With her mesmerizing glides, the timing and purity of her notes, and her soulful playing, Dr. Jayanthi Kumaresh has been captivating audiences around the world for thirty years and is one of the leading Veena (roughly, the Indian lute) artistes today.

    Triveni

    Apart from several prestigious venues and festivals in India, Jayanthi has performed at many international festivals, including the San Francisco Jazz Festival, the Darbar Festival, the Queensland Music Festival, the Darwin Music Festival, and the Adelaide Music Festival, and at prestigious venues such as the United Nations in New York, the Palladium, Indiana, the Théâtre de la Ville, Paris, and the Northwest Folklife Festival, Seattle. 

    Blending the traditional and the innovative in her music in terms of content, technique, virtuosity, and expression, Jayanthi seeks to express the true voice of the Veena, which transcends the boundaries of language and region. 

    Tickets for The Egg performance of Triveni are available here.

    Triveni Tour Dates

    3/24/2022Mount BakerBellingham, WA
    3/26/2022Seattle Theatre GroupSeattle, WA
    3/27/2022KalakendraPortland, OR
    3/29/2022Museum of Instruments Phoenix, AZ
    3/31/2022BYU Provo, UT
    4/2/2022University Wyoming Laramie, WY
    4/5/2022Walton Arts Center Fayetteville, AR
    4/7/2022University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, PA
    4/8/2022McCarter Theatre Princeton, NJ
    4/9/2022NJPACNewark, NJ
    4/10/2022The Egg Albany, NY
    4/12/2022Pittsburgh Cultural Arts Pittsburgh, PA
    4/14/2022Sixth&i Washington, DC
    4/17/2022Global Arts LiveSomerville, MA
    4/19/2022Davidson Theatre Columbus, OH
    4/20/2022Cleveland Museum of Art Cleveland, OH
    4/23/2022Indian Classical Music Circle Austin, TX
    4/24/2022Wortham Center Houston TX
      

  • Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra Presents Summer Chamber Music Camp

    For the first time, The Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra is proud to present its Summer Chamber Music Camp. The week-long camp will take place from Monday, June 27th to Friday, July 1st from 9 AM to 1 PM at the Christ Episcopal Church.

    Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra

    The camp will be led by Philharmonic violinist Debrah Devine. An official member of the Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra since 2015, Devine has showcased her talent and leadership for years now. Additionally, the acclaimed violinist has been teaching for twelve years now. She is the perfect fit for this opportunity.

    The Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra has been performing concerts since 1949, marking over seventy years of live music. Those who attend the camp will be working with experts in chamber music.

    Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra

    Middle and high school students who attend will receive daily practice time, ensemble coaching, and in-depth masterclasses.  Camp participants will also receive daily snacks, a camp t-shirt, and two complimentary tickets to the Philharmonic’s Summer Chamber Music Series. The camp will conclude with a public concert at the Phelps Mansion Museum at 7 PM. Camp participants will receive two complimentary tickets to this event.

    Auditions for the camp will be held on Saturday, April 23rd. Tuition will be $165. Need-based scholarships are available through The Agency.  To register and for more information, click here or contact the Binghamton Philharmonic Office at 607-723-3931.

  • The Indie Collaborative To Celebrate Earth Day With Performances From 20 Award-Winning IC Artists At Carnegie Hall This Spring

    On April 25th the Indie Collaborative (IC) will host an Earth Day Celebration, a night of blended music including jazz, rock, classical, Americana, and theatrical, at the Weill Recital Hall in Carnegie Hall.

    The Indie Collaborative

    This show was to first take place in April of 2020, but unfortunately it has been rescheduled twice to accommodate the safety and health requirements during an ongoing pandemic. Therefore, the performers are truly excited to show off their talents and make this Earth Day Celebration an unforgettable one.

    This performance will be broken down into two acts, the first presents the possibilities and newness of “The Beginning” and the second follows with the “Reality” of the situations. There’s only one way to discover what happens in the end, which is why The Indie Collaborative have worked hard to establish such an event with amazing artists.

    This show is produced by Eileen Sherman, along with emcee Grant Maloy Smith. Lastly these are the following performers: Alan Storeygard, Alex Otey, Amy Otey, The Bluestone Sisters, Benjamin Lerner, David S. Goldman, Elaine Romanelli, Helen O’Shea, Grant Maloy Smith, Jerome Brooks Jr., Leti Garza, Mike Greenly, Mowgli Giannitti, Noshir Mody (with his band, Benjamin Hankle, Campbell Charshee, Yuka Tadano, Ronen Itzik), Ricky Persaud, Jr. (with his brother, LilNicky Persaud), Ryan VanDenBoom, Sophia Agranovich, Thomas Hutchings, and Yocontalie Jackson.

    The Earth Day Celebration will be at 8PM come the day of the performance, but the doors will open at 7;30PM. Standard tickets are $60, student/senior tickets are $40, and Indie Collaborative members are $36 each. The IC discount code can be found in the members chat upon request for it. Additionally, full vaccination and masking is required, including at least one booster shot. For more information and to acquire tickets visit the Carnegie Hall website.

  • ESYO appoint new Music Director, Etienne Abelin

    The Empire State Youth Orchestra has appointed Etienne Abelin as new Music Director. Abelin is from Basel, Switzerland and was described as a “post-classical pioneer” by BBC Music Magazine.

    Etienne Abelin Music Director ESYO
    Etienne Abelin was appointed the new Music Director of the ESYO on March 7, 2022.

    “Etienne possesses that rare combination of brilliant vision and compassionate empathy,” said Rebecca Calos, Executive Director of the ESYO. “Our students were captivated from his first moment in rehearsal and since then they have been abuzz about his creative energy and passion.”

    Prior to joining the ESYO, Abelin worked with renowned, Italian composer Claudio Abaddo. During his tenure with Abaddo he was selected as a founding member of the Lucerne Festival Orchestra.

    Holding numerous degrees Abelin brings a breadth of experiences to his new role. He is a classically trained violinist, who studied at the Musik-Akademie Basel, Indiana University, and at Oberlin College. He also studied conducting at the Eastman School of Music at the University of Delaware. Finally, he also holds an Executive MBA from the University of St Gallen in Switzerland.

    His latest venture was, Music-Eyes, a non-profit that created an educational tech platform that helped teach music animation. That same innovative spirit will serve him well as ESYO looks to open a new chapter after that difficulties it faced during the pandemic.

    “There are many fascinating developments in music and music education today, and I’m especially looking towards integrating with other music genres and art forms, particularly through technology. I’m excited to help position ESYO as an incubator for new collaborations and for new ways of connecting our young musicians with local communities,” said Abelin.