Kleinhans Music Hall has announced its annual fundraiser Rhythm and Brews will take place on Friday, June 16 from 6:00 pm-9:00 pm in the Mary Seaton Room at the famed Buffalo venue.
Buffalocal will again bring together wide representation from the Western New York brewery scene. In addition to selections from 12 breweries, patrons will be able to taste high-end cuisine courtesy of Oliver’s, Britesmith, Creekview Restaurant, and Marcato by Oliver’s, all part of the Schutte Hospitality Group.
Kleinhans Music Hall was built in 1940 thanks to the generosity and vision of Edward and Mary Seaton Kleinhans, who made their fortune from the clothing store that bore their name, and the stewardship of their charitable dreams by the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo. The hall was designed by the Finnish father-and-son team of Eliel and Eero Saarinen, along with architects F.J. and W.A Kidd. Kleinhans is known for its combination of graceful structural beauty and extraordinary acoustics.
In 1989, the hall was designated a National Historic Landmark, the highest designation of significance a site or structure can receive. Today, the hall plays hosts to performances by the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and Buffalo Chamber Music Society, the Just Buffalo Literary Center’s Babel series, and touring acts such as Fiona Apple, Cowboy Junkies, Bill Burr and others.
Proceeds from the event will benefit Kleinhans Music Hall’s programming including the annual National Geographic Live Speakers Series and the upkeep of this National Historic Landmark building.
True to the very nature of the venue, music will be provided by My Cousin Tone’ and The John Bacon Quintet!
My Cousin Tone’ is a jazz band of talented and extraordinary musicians. The band plays classic jazz, jazz blues, hard bop, and jazz soul from the era when Blue Note, Prestige, Verve, and Riverside all produced a collection of jazz tunes that will live on forever. Our sets includes jazz vocals from the Great American Songbook. The band benefited from the fantastic guidance and arrangement talents of Dick Griffo , the legendary alto sax player formerly with Woody Herman and now honors his memory along with the memory of Jim Kurzdorfer, the great bassist and original member of Spyro Gyra who served as a mentor. Come and re-live the era of jazz greatness.
Journeyman drummer and educator, John Bacon Jr, leads this quintet of young professionals. The John Bacon Quintet pays tribute to Buffalo’s musical legacy and gives its members an opportunity to share their own unique voices, all while challenging the status quo of what it means to play jazz in Buffalo. This quintet is a do not miss!
General admission event tickets are $45, but a limited number of VIP tickets are available for $75 which include early admission at 5:00 pm: first tasting of brews, and reserved table seating.
Tickets can be purchased at the Kleinhans Music Hall Box office by calling 715-885-5000 or online at www.kleinhansbuffalo.org.
Bardavon in Poughkeepsie has announced the November arrival of The State Ballet Theatre of Ukraine, performing Cinderella, at Ulster Performing Arts Center (UPAC).
The State Ballet Theatre of Ukraine will present their captivating two-act performance of Cinderella, one of the most beloved stories of all time. The full-scale production follows the beautiful maiden’s story as she seeks her handsome Prince Charming.
With the help of a little magic, she discovers that dreams really can come true. Featuring graceful dancers, enchanting music, and beautiful costumes, this classic fairy tale is a treat the whole family will enjoy.
This stunning and unique production of featuring the music by Sergei Prokofiev, includes virtuoso solo parts, famous characters and dynamic music.
This particular Cinderella ballet was created by the State Ballet Theatre of Ukraine to give audiences an unforgettable experience, immerse them in a fairy tale and help them believe in miracles.
Working on the ballet, they primarily focused on the children in the audience. Therefore, the costumes, scenery, and props turned out to be exciting, bright and colorful. Their main goal is to make a child, having seen this ballet, want to come to the theater again.
The performance will take place on Friday, November 10 at 7:30pm at UPAC. Member tickets are on sale Thursday, March 23 at 10:00am and a General Public on sale begins Friday, March 24 at 10:00am. Tickets start at $51
Purchase your tickets in person at the Bardavon Box Office, 35 Market Street, Poughkeepsie: (845) 473-2072 or in person at the UPAC Box Office, 601 Broadway Kingston: (845) 339-6088 or email the Bardavon Box Office boxoffice@bardavon.org, or purchase online at www.ticketmaster.com.
The Binghamton Philharmonic returns on Saturday, March 25 at 3pm at the Broome County Forum Theatre with “Pops at the Forum,” a fun performance filled with cherished classics for the whole family.
Featured at Pops at the Forum are Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story; Rodgers and Hammerstein’sThe Sound of Music; Hans Zimmer’s Pirates of the Caribbean Suite; and Georges Bizet’s Carmen Suite. The performance will also include Leroy Anderson’s quirky The Typewriter, featuring soloist Sam Lazzara.
Sam Lazzara, a typewriter soloist, has had a career that has taken him to concert halls around the country and throughout the world. He is principal percussionist with the Binghamton Philharmonic played with opera star Jesseye Norman, pop/theater legends Carol Channing, Skitch Henderson, Rita Moreno, John Pizzarelli, Lucie Arnaz, Susan Lucci, Marnie Nixon, Suzanne Vega, Bob Newhart, Don Rickles, Steven Rieneke, Megan Hilti, the Singing Nun Christina Scuccia, Annie Golden and The Irish Tenors.
Sam has toured the country with the New York City Opera, performed with The Mark Morris Dance Company and toured the Czech Republic and Poland performing the music of Karlhein Stockhausen. His work has been broadcast nationally on NPR and heard on the TV show Grey’s Anatomy. Sam can be seen on the big and small screen in the HBO mini-series Mildred Pierce, Wall Street 2, Mr. Popper’s Penguins, The Good Shepherd, and recently in the indie film, 40 Winks. The New York Times wrote, “Sam Lazzara is a firm and stabilizing presence on percussion. (Anne Midgette).”
There will be a pre-concert Organ Recital from 2:30-2:50pm. Nancy Wildoner from the Binghamton Theater Organ Recital will be playing a pre-concert recital on the 1922 Rober-Morton IV/24 Theatre Pipe Organ.
All children 17 and under get in for free, courtesy of season sponsor Visions Federal Credit Union. For tickets and more information, contact the Binghamton Philharmonic box office at 607-723-3931 or visit www.binghamtonphilharmonic.org
The Sembrich in Bolton Landing announced the 2023 Summer Festival Trailblazers, celebrating the singular achievements of outstanding individuals in arts and culture, beginning on June 11 and running through Aug. 30.
The Sembrich Museum.
Those who attend The Sembrich can experience music, history, and nature all at once, with museum exhibitions and an annual summer festival. It was once the teaching studio of Polish soprano Marcella Sembrich, one of the most famous musicians at the turn of the 20th century. Visitors can discover her legacy, which includes over 400 performances at the Metropolitan Opera and faculty positions at both the Juilliard Graduate School and the Curtis Institute of Music. The summer festival includes an exciting mix of world-class musicians, noted musical scholars, and a free film series.
Recently, The Sembrich received a total of $120,400 in grant funding from New York State to support new and ongoing initiatives, awarded through two agencies, the NYS Council on the Arts (NYSCA) and I LOVE NY/New York State’s Division of Tourism. Director of Institutional Advancement Caleb Eick said “these funds will allow us to continue to grow and expand our programs and presence in our community. We are excited to undertake new initiatives and further solidify The Sembrich and our region as a world-class cultural destination.”
The 2023 Summer Festival Trailblazers showcases singular achievements of outstanding individuals in arts and culture, from David Smith to Marin Alsop and Alma Mahler to Philip Glass, there will be 23 individual events throughout the summer months beginning on June 11 and running through Aug. 30. The Sembrich’s Artistic Director Richard Wargo spoke on the itinerary for the festival, showcasing an exciting series of programming.
The art world has always had trailblazers, those unique individuals who forged a route through the wilderness for others to follow. Our festival this summer is built around a number of these innovators…modernist sculptor David Smith, conductor Marin Alsop, musicians Grigor Piatigorsky and Alma Mahler, composers Franz Liszt, Philip Glass and Lin-Manuel Miranda, to name just a few. A number of our featured performers can be said to be “trailblazers” in their own right: guitar and cello duo Boyd Meets Girl, the all-female horn quartet Genghis Barbie and Hub New Music, whom the Boston Globe praised as ‘contemporary chamber trailblazers.’
The Sembrich’s Artistic Director Richard Wargo
The highlights of the festival begin with “In the Footsteps of Piatigorsky,” a studio talk and performance by cellist Evan Drachman, dedicated to his celebrated grandfather, Gregor Piatigorsky, one of the pre-eminent string players of the twentieth century. The music featured includes Rachmaninoff, Tchaikovsky, and Rubinstein, happening June 17 at 2 p.m. The Sembrich’s lakeside subscription Promenade Series enters its second season with an exciting lineup of groups including the Adirondack Jazz Repertory Ensemble, guitar and cello duo Boyd Meets Girl, and the leading post-feminist all-female horn group Genghis Barbie.
Genghis Barbie.
A staple in The Sembrich’s Summer Festival, World Music Wednesdays brings cultural traditions from across the globe to the shores of Lake George. Featured this year includes tango traditions with the Latin-Grammy artist Pedro Giraudo and his Tango Quartet, Celtic dances with Poor Man’s Gambit, and Georgian polyphonic singing with acclaimed choral group Iberi. The Sembrich’s Film Series this year features CODA (2021), Koyaanisqatsi (1982), The Conductor (2021), tick…tick…BOOM! (2021), and Elvis (2022).
The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing on July 15 is a presentation with vintage photos by Betty Spinell about forbidden love, jealousy, and mental instability that resulted in a shocking, cold-blooded murder. The ensuing “trial of the century” mesmerized the public and helped close the curtains on America’s Gilded Age. Discover the life and inspirations of turn-of-the-century muse and femme fatale, Alma Mahler on July 19 at 2 p.m. featuring quotes from her diary and music by Mahler, Strauss, and Schoenberg performed by Robert Osborne, bass-baritone and Tammy Hensrud, mezzo-soprano.
Featuring some of the finest concert artists in the classical music scene, the Alfred Z. Solomon Masterwork Series celebrates monumental figures in arts and culture including sculptor David Smith, Jean Francaix, Franz Liszt, and more. Artists performing include 25-year-old virtuoso pianist Llewellyn Sanchez-Werner, the trailblazing quartet HUB New Music, and members of The Philadelphia Orchestra.
Llewellyn Sanchez-Werner
On Aug. 16 at 2 p.m. The Sembrich brings “Hamilton: The Man, The Musical, The Cultural Phenomenon,” to the venue, featuring musical theater historian John Kenrick and a lively studio talk that explores New York native Lin-Manuel Miranda’s trailblazing blend of hip-hop and Broadway styles in the revolutionary musical Hamilton. Finally on Aug. 26 at 6 p.m., there will be an elegant cantina-style gala performance on the lakeshore featuring rising operatic star, tenor Leonardo Sánchez, titled “Mi México Querido” (“My Beloved Mexico”). The performance includes the color, tradition, and passion of his beloved Mexico, featuring instruments like the guitar, guitarrón, vihuela, and accordion – pillars of traditional Mexican music.
For a full listing of events, or to purchase tickets visit here.
For a band with such a rich and vast musical archive like the one belonging to The Grateful Dead, when a search for a show recording comes up completely empty, it’s almost hard to fathom. But that appears to the be the case for a Grateful Dead show on March 17, 1970 with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra which has a legacy that seems to grow with each passing year, as pleas for any video or audio recordings continue to go unanswered. In a tragic case of irony, this particular show seems to feature some of the most avant-garde music and experimental visuals of the band’s still fledgling touring career. All we’re left with is a scant trail of news clippings, the recollections of those who were present, and a pretty valid reason as to why any media will never surface.
This performance, which was billed as a benefit for the Orchestra called the Philharmonic Rock Marathon, took place at Kleinhans Music Hall, where the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra still plays to this day. This particular gig in 1970 was billed as a collaboration between the worlds of classical and rock music and the first of its kind. After a cancellation by The Byrds, who were originally scheduled to appear, the Grateful Dead swooped in and would seem to serve as more than an adequate replacement for this type of experimentation. The band even waived their normal appearance fee, jumping at the chance to work with Lukas Foss, a renowned German-American pianist and conductor who was musical director of the Buffalo Philharmonic at the time.
‘The Dead’ are accepting expenses but waiving their usual huge fee, to help the Philharmonic benefit and for the ‘privilege and delight,’ as they put it, ‘of working with Lukas Foss.’ It will be a four-hour concert in six parts, any one of them a major event. The whole program, in fact, is history-making as the first fully-shared concert by a rock group and symphony orchestra.
Buffalo Evening News, March 17, 1970
As promised, the performance offered a myriad of musical collaborations that were no doubt enhanced with a state-of-the-art $4000 light rig that was brought in, with a laser beam shone through a prism bathing the music hall walls in color. Between this and a motorized lift platform in the orchestra pit that the band played on, which at one point would rise when they played and lower when the orchestra took over, the Grateful Dead’s fingerprints on the modern day jam scene only grow more evident.
Finally, the merging of two musical forms, the Dead and the Philharmonic in an old-time jam session. Also on the program will be a new concept in light shows. Laser beams!
Joe Fernbacher, from the Spectrum, University at Buffalo, March 13, 1970
The Grateful Dead and Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra were joined by another band on stage as well, The Road. All three outfits, under the stewardship of Lukas Foss, combined to produce a night full of incredible music that, sadly, seems to have gone unrecorded. The first portion of the evening saw Lukas Foss at the piano, backed by members of all three groups, playing his own piece called “Non-Improvisation,” a 1967 composition for four players (clarinet, violincello, piano & percussion), based on the first movement of Bach’s concerto for harpsichord in D minor. The aim was for all the musicians to create a rhythmic and electronic counterpoint to the piano, which seemed to be a much easier hurdle for The Dead to clear than The Road.
As conductor Foss played his Bach non-improvisation, the Road came in around him with their wall of sound, providing a bit too much rhythm & shout and not enough freeform experimentation. The Dead worked their wave of music more adeptly around this freeform style.
Deadbase Review
The Road did get a set of their own at some point afterwards, though the few reviews found online seem to focus more on the Dead Head-heavy crowd vocally urging them off the stage, clamoring for their band to return. Naturally, with no known recordings, the song selections for the Dead’s set that followed are sparse at best. But we do know “Dark Star” was prominently involved, a song in its full experimental glory in 1970. And in the night’s sense of collaboration, the band even brought on a third drummer to join in the musical fray.
The Dead uses two drummers, Mickey Hart and Billy Kruetzmann, to form a ‘figure 8’ of sound around the guitars and organ. This duo broke from the set rhythm of ‘Dark Star’ into a ping-pong drumming contest, adding a new beat with each volley. They closed the match with a duet synchronizing move for move. Lynn Harbold, Philharmonic percussionist, joined in this number on Hart’s drums doing a fine job.
James Brennan, from the Buffalo Evening News, March 18, 1970
After the first of two billed sets of standalone Grateful Dead music, Foss returned to the stage with a battery of sub-conductors to lead the orchestra in the American premiere of his “Geod,” where the laser show with the aforementioned prism and laser beam seem to have been prominently involved. “Geod” required five conductors to give cues to play audibly and inaudibly. Most of the music was said to be very quiet, familiar tunes played against a soft curtain of sustained tones, with snippets of wind phrases added for context. “Taps,” “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” “Going Home” and a very slow “Merrily We Go Along” were just some of the tunes heard in this sequence which even had the audience participating as well.
Sounds included gentle singing from the orchestra, organ, harmonica, percussion & mandolin. The audience joined in clapping at once point, and by the end of the performance was making knocking, popping mouth sounds that seemed to fit quite well.
Thomas Putnam, from the Buffalo Courier Express, March 18, 1970
The Grateful Dead then played their second set of the evening, though few details are available. The only other known song selections from this evening appear to be a “Saint Stephen,” which saw firecrackers thrown on stage at one point, and a set closing “Turn on Your Lovelight” helmed by Pigpen. Reviews of the show seem to pay more attention to the crowd’s palpable love of the band and the energy present at Kleinhans Music Hall this evening.
When the Dead got warmed up, it seemed the audience would not be content with anything less than having the Dead finish the concert by themselves. Speaker fuzziness spoiled the first number, but after the sound system was improved the group went through several numbers with good effect, including a long performance in which the beat had most of the audience clapping and dancing.”
Deadbase Review
After a second set of Dead music, the Buffalo Philharmonic returned to the stage, conducted by Foss for two John Cage pieces titled “Variations II” and “Variations III.” This reportedly featured tuxedoed members of the Orchestra walking down the aisles, all playing small triangles in time, creating an eerie, funereal-like atmosphere that surely was a sharp juxtaposition from the euphoria that seemed to be present earlier.
The final segment of the Philharmonic Rock Marathon gave the musicians one last chance to produce this revolutionary blend of rock and orchestral music. Both The Road and The Dead were brought back on stage to join the Buffalo Philharmonic with half of the Orchestra assigned to each. Another conductor led The Road’s section at one end of the hall and Foss conducted the Grateful Dead and its half of the Orchestra at the other end. With conductors issuing verbal instructions on how and when to play, the two sides went back and forth in a musical free for all, closing out the evening in grandiose fashion.
The closing rock-Philharmonic challenge is the most exciting new concept of contemporary music. As the groups and orchestras jammed, the atmosphere was intensified with a laser-beam light show. Rapid patterns and curves of pure light chased along the walls in time with the music like frantic balls of yarn…As an evening of rock and symphony avant-garde it was not only entertaining and often exciting, but carved new territory for players and listeners in both styles.
James Brennan, from the Buffalo Evening News, March 18, 1970
Unfortunately, this magic doesn’t seem to have been captured anywhere except in the minds of those who were present. Monetary rewards have even been offered at this point for anyone who may have a recording of this hidden somewhere among their stash. But there appears to be a logistical reason as to why this will never appear. According to the Philharmonic archivist, union rules made taping impossible, and recordings of live symphonic concerts without recording fees were forbidden. Add in the factor of the sheer size of taping equipment in 1970 and it’s no wonder that there wasn’t much of a Tapers Section at this show.
That being said, if anyone does happen to stumble upon any possible leads of a recording of this show featuring the Grateful Dead and the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, they are eagerly encouraged to contact NYS Music or Chris Foss, son of Lukas, at fosscb@gmail.com.
Discover Grateful Dead shows from over the years across New York State with our interactive map below
Caramoor, a cultural arts destination located on a unique 80-plus-acre estate in Northern Westchester County, has announced its events for the 2023 summer season.
Some of the many talents coming to Caramoor this summer.
Caramoor’s curated concert season presents performers representing a vast array of backgrounds and lived experiences, including classical live performances, American roots, jazz, and more. The estate sits on beautiful grounds, including the historic Rosen House, a stunning mansion listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Edward J. Lewis III, Caramoor’s President and Chief Executive Officer, elaborated on the experiences one can have at the venue.
True to the vision of our founders, Caramoor is the place where you can be transformed by the convergence of an exciting and diverse mix of remarkable live music performances, stunning gardens and grounds, and the beauty of an art-filled historic home. The Caramoor experience leaves both the artist and audience refreshed and renewed and compels all to return again and again.
Edward J. Lewis III
There are five venues for performances, for more large-scale ones, those can go beneath the open-sided tent of the Venetian Theater surrounded by woods (cap: 1,220), while casual concerts on Friends Field offer a more relaxed vibe (cap: 1,000). More intimate settings include the outdoor Spanish Courtyard (cap: 388) and the Sunken Garden, the venue for Caramoor’s Music & Meditation series, classical guitar performances, and more. This summer, guests can attend intimate classical recitals in the Music Room, which was once the living room of Caramoor’s founders, Walter and Lucie Rosen (cap: 192).
The summer season runs from June 17-Aug. 18. Tony, Emmy, and Grammy Award–winning singer and actor Audra McDonald opens with an Opening Night Gala featuring classics from the Great American Songbook, led by her longtime musical director Andy Einhorn conducting the Orchestra of St. Luke’s (OSL).
Described as “one of the most versatile and galvanic ensembles in the U.S,” by WQXR, OSL returns twice this summer, first with passionate pianist Hélène Grimaud and conductor Lina González-Granado for a program of Gabriela Lena Frank’s Elegía Andina, Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G and Brahms’s Second Symphony on July 16. The next performance on Aug. 6 features MacArthur “genius grant”-winning cellist Alisa Weilerstein, along with conductor Roderick Cox, joining OSL for Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No. 1, as well as Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 and George Walker’s Lyric for Strings.
Audra McDonald
New Music
Brooklyn Rider performs its “Four Elements” program at Caramoor on June 23, exploring the elements (earth, air, water, and fire) as a metaphor for the complex inner world of the string quartet and the current health of planet Earth. The program also includes works by Shostakovich, Osvaldo Golijov, and a Suite of American Folk Songs, collected/transcribed by Ruth Crawford Seeger and arranged by Brooklyn Rider violinist Colin Jacobsen.
Caramoor’s 2022-23 Ernst Stiefel String Quartet-in-Residence (ESSQIR) is the Ivalas Quartet – with a mission to champion diverse voices and spotlight Black and indigenous composers. Their yearlong residency concludes with a performance on June 29, including the world premiere of a Caramoor commission by Derrick Skye, a composer with Ghanian, Nigerian, Native American, and British/Irish ancestry who believes music is a doorway into the understanding of other cultures. Also on the program are works by Jessie Montgomery, Carlos Simon, and Eleanor Alberga.
Hailed by The New York Times as “a lush, brooding celebration of noise,” Andy Akiho’s Grammy-nominated Seven Pillars comes to Caramoor on June 30, his most ambitious project to date. Performed by Sandbox Percussion, the evening-length work is the largest-scale chamber music work that Akiho has written and that Sandbox has commissioned, their ongoing collaboration on the piece has spanned the past eight years. There will be a 7:00 p.m. pre-concert talk with members of the ensemble.
TheNew York Times declared that “America’s most astonishing choir…” The Crossing, led by Donald Nally, “combines an embrace of the new, a social conscience, and fearless technique.” They will perform the New York premiere of Ted Hearne’s FARMING for free on July 9 in the Sunken Garden. There will also be a pre-concert talk with Hearne, Nally, and director Ashley Tata.
Finnish violinist Pekka Kuusisto and celebrated American composer and pianist Nico Muhly collaborate on an intimate evening of unexpected musical connections on July 27. They reunite in a different format the following night, when The Knights perform the New York premiere of Muhly’s violin concerto titled Shrink, with Kuusisto as soloist. The Knights are dedicated to transforming the orchestral experience and eliminating barriers between audience and music.
The Knights
The rotating annual Sonic Innovations sound art exhibition is curated by Chicago-based sound artist and Northwestern University professor Stephan Moore. New this summer is Dyning in the Dovecote by Liz Phillips, an interactive sound installation where one can hear sounds of water, insects, dove calls and bird wings flicke, while underwater sound transducers create ripple patterns on the surface of the fountain. The official opening of Sonic Innovations and the grounds will take place at “Soundscapes” on June 4.
Baroque Music: Caccini’s Alcina, Handel’s Acis and Galatea, Ruckus
Caramoor welcomes the Boston Early Music Festival production of Francesca Caccini’s La liberazione di Ruggiero dall’isola d’Alcina, the first known opera by a female composer, to the Venetian Theater on June 25. Co-music directors Paul O’Dette and Stephen Stubbs and director Gilbert Blin lead a stellar cast of Baroque soloists including mezzo-soprano Mireille Lebel, tenor Colin Balzer, and mezzo-soprano Virginia Warnken Kelsey. July 7 brings Baroque supergroup Ruckus, with soloists Rachell Ellen Wong– the only early music artist ever to win the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant – on violin and Emi Ferguson on flute.
On July 23, another Baroque opera graces the stage, the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, with the original 1718 version of Handel’s Acis and Galatea, one of the composer’s most popular dramatic works, led by Richard Egarr. There will be a pre-concert lecture with MIT professor emeritus and Handel scholar Ellen T. Harris.
Chamber music and recitals
July 13 has Davóne Tines at the intimate Spanish Courtyard with a program of spiritual and intellectual exploration titled Recital No 1: Mass, with pianist Adam Nielsen, featuring works by Caroline Shaw, J.S. Bach, Tyshawn Sorey, Margaret Bonds, and Julius Eastman. Austin-based, internationally celebrated Miró Quartet, formed in 1995 and one of Caramoor’s earliest quartets-in-residence, performs as well.
The Dover Quartet returns with classical saxophonist, composer, and 2022 Avery Fisher Career Grant winner Steven Banks, performing Banks’s recent quintet Cries, Sighs, and Dreams. July 20 brings pianist-composer Conrad Tao, performing a collaborative event with choreographer-dancer Caleb Teicher titled “Counterpoint.” It is a dynamic interplay of piano and tap dance that includes works by J.S. Bach, Brahms, Mozart, Gershwin, Ravel, Schoenberg, and more.
Pianist Garrick Ohlsson, who 53 years later remains the only American to have ever won the Chopin International Piano Competition, performs an all-Chopin recital in the Venetian Theater on July 30. This summer, Tengyue Zhang – who received First Prize in the 2017 Guitar Foundation of America (GFA) International Concert Artists Competition, plays music by J.S. Bach, Domenico Scarlatti, Albéniz, Rameau, and more at the Sunken Garden on Aug. 3.
A new series debuting this summer, Recitals in the Music Room comprises hour-long programs on Saturdays in the late afternoon. Alexander Hersh is joined by pianist Christopher Goodpasture for the first concert on July 8, including works by Debussy, Paul Wiancko, Webern, Mendelssohn, and Sollima. Chinese pianist Zhu Wang, winner of the 2020 Young Concert Artists International Auditions, will perform the music of Schumann, Beethoven, Stravinsky, William Grant Still, and Zhang Zhao on Aug. 5.
Jazz Festival and Events
Caramoor’s annual Jazz Festival returns on July 22, presented in collaboration with Jazz at Lincoln Center and headlined by six-time Grammy-winning vocalist and MacArthur Grant recipient Cécile McLorin Salvant. Caramoor’s second Hot Jazz Age Frolic, featuring the 17-piece Eyal Vilner Big Band, takes place in the Friends Field tent on June 18. Two-time Grammy winner Samara Joy performs on Aug. 4.
Samara Joy.
Broadway/Pops: Over the Rainbow: The Music of Harold Arlen
Stage, jazz, and television artist Aisha de Haas, celebrated vocalist Mikaela Bennett, and Broadway actors and singers Nicholas Ward and Julie Benko join multi-faceted, Tony Award-winning orchestrator and musical director Ted Sperling for “Over the Rainbow,” an all-Harold Arlen evening in the Venetian Theater. Composer of over 500 songs, Arlen collaborated with some of the 20th century’s most notable lyricists on songs including “Over the Rainbow,” “Stormy Weather,” “Get Happy,” and more. The event takes place on July 8.
To celebrate Independence Day, Curt Ebersole and the Westchester Symphonic Winds return to Caramoor on July 2 for their annual Pops & Patriots concert. There will be guest vocalists and more performing patriotic tunes.
American Roots: Brandy Clark, Mary Chapin Carpenter & more
Caramoor’s American Roots Music Festival, an all-day celebration of the best in Americana, blues, folk, and bluegrass, returns on June 24. Headlining the festival this summer is acclaimed singer/songwriter and ten-time Grammy nominee Brandy Clark. Her songs have been recorded by the likes of George Strait, Carly Pearce with Patty Loveless, Toby Keith, Reba McEntire, Sheryl Crow, and many others, and she co-wrote the score for the new Broadway musical Shucked. Daytime artists for the American Roots Music Festival include Sunny War, Miko Marks, and the Mike Block Trio, with more artists to be announced soon.
On Aug. 5, Mary Chapin Carpenter performs her most recent album The Diry and the Stars. She is the winner of five Grammy Awards, two CMA Awards and is one of only 15 women inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Mary Chapin Carpenter
This summer, six Roots and world music concerts are held for the Concerts on the Lawn series, happening at Friends Field. The series opens on June 22 with a nod to Juneteenth featuring the Harlem Gospel Travelers. Closing out the Caramoor season and Concerts on the Lawn on Aug. 18 is Chicago-based singer/songwriter Neal Francis, whose new album In Plain Sight is a “must hear” according to Rolling Stone.
Global Music: Oumou Sangaré, Arooj Aftab, DakhaBrakha & more
Plena Libre are multi-Grammy-nominated masters of the traditional Puerto Rican plena and bomba styles, fusing well-loved traditions with modern Afro-Caribbean influences. On July 1, they will be performing at Caramoor. With roots in Ukrainian folklore and music filtered through punk, cabaret, rock, and hip-hop, DakhaBrakha is an award-winning quartet from Kyiv. On July 14 they will combine various instruments from multiple countries and powerful vocals to create an evening of “ethnic chaos” and national pride.
Grammy Award-winner Oumou Sangaré mixes traditional African percussion, distinctive vocals, and progressive social criticism, returning to the Venetian Theater at Caramoor after 12 years on July 15. She will perform a program that ranges from traditional Wassoulou music to contemporary African sounds, as well as songs from her recent critically acclaimed album, Timbuktu.
Brooklyn-based singer and composer Arooj Aftab, the first Pakistani woman to win a Grammy, brings her new project “Love in Exile” to Friends Field on July 29 with two of her most trusted collaborators, pianist Vijay Iyer and multi-instrumentalist Shahzad Ismaily. The New York Times said: “Her voice is contemplative, breathy and relaxed, with the intimacy of indie-pop and jazz though she occasionally uses the microtonal embellishments of classical South Asian singing.”
Brooklyn-based electronic indie band Balún fuses Caribbean rhythms, Dembow (old-school reggaeton), intelligent dance music (IDM), and dreamy dance-pop tunes with the traditional sounds of their Puerto Rican homeland. On Aug. 11, they will be performing “music that you can sleep to while dancing.” Aug. 16 brings what NPR describes as “a sonic experience of epic proportions” in the form of composer, bandleader, and bassist Michael Olatuja, blending the sounds of Lagos, Nigeria (his hometown), London (his birthplace), and New York (his current home).
Music and Meditation in the Garden
Promoting mindful listening, the Music & Meditation in the Garden series on three Saturday mornings in July in the Sunken Garden comprises a meditation led by Jennifer Llewelyn followed by a performance. The first event on July 1 features the duo of violinist and ERS alum Tessa Larkand bassist Michael Thurber, member of Stephen Colbert’s house band.
Next on July 15 is Celtic harpist Maeve Gilchrist, whose music has been described by the Irish Times as “buoyant, sprightly, and utterly beguiling” performing with guitarist Kyle Sanna. The series concludes with a string quartet performance from the Harlem Chamber Players on July 29.
Children’s Programming
Caramoor also mentors young professional musicians and provides music-centered educational programs for young children. One of Caramoor’s new ventures this summer is devoted to its youngest demographic: children ages 2–6 and their guardians. On Friday mornings at 11 a.m., the series Concerts for Little Ones, featuring world-class artists, will invite children to sing and dance to diverse styles of music. On July 7, the Musiquita program is presented by husband-and-wife team Blanca Cecilia González and Jesse Elder, who playfully explore Spanish and English music and song.
On June 18, a family concert with the Eyal Vilner Swing Band called “Gotta Swing!” will explore the history of jazz with dancers Nathan Bugh, Gaby Cook, Jennifer Jones, and Ray Davis.
Bassoonist Alexander Davis, one of Caramoor’s teaching artists, brings along some friends on July 14 to give a guided tour of his unique woodwind instrument. Finally, on July 21 two-time Grammy-nominated trumpeter Alphonso Horne brings the series to a close with the irresistible rhythms and energy of New Orleans jazz.
For more information on Caramoor’s 2023 summer season events and to purchase tickets, go here.
Brooklyn-based ensemble Sammy Rae and The Friends have announced they will embark on a fall headline tour, which includes a stop in Ithaca.
On Sept. 24, the band will perform at the State Theatre of Ithaca, five days after beginning their tour on Sept. 19. After the fall headline tour ends, the band will head back to the UK, where they will have a headline show in London.
More than a band, Sammy and The Friends are a family. The diverse group of performers flourishes in any environment with a combination of all-for-one and one-for-all camaraderie, palpable chemistry, deft virtuosity, and vocal fireworks. Their most recent singles include the soul-infused “Closer To You,” and last summer’s jazzy retro pop single “If It All Goes South.” The latter was accompanied by a music video starring Barbara Lochiatto, who appeared in Netflix’s 2020 documentary Some Kind of Heaven as a widow looking for love. Inspired by Lochiatto’s story, Sammy reached out to her to join the music video.
Prior to the fall tour, Sammy and The Friends are scheduled to perform at Carnegie Hall on March 15, for the 18th annual Music Of fundraising performance, The Music of Paul McCartney. Other musicians scheduled to perform include Nancy Wilson, Lake Street Dive, Natalie Merchant, and more. The upcoming performance marks only the beginning of a jam-packed 2023 for the band.
Summer will keep the group busy, as well. On June 15, they will make their debut appearance at Central Park Summer Stage, shortly followed by another debut at the Bonnaroo on June 18. At the Green River Festival on June 24, the band is scheduled to headline.
If you’re interested in seeing Sammy Rae and Friends perform in Ithaca, tickets go on sale starting March 10.
Sammy Rae & The Friends Confirmed Tour Dates
Wed, Mar 15 New York, NY @ Carnegie Hall (The Music of Paul McCartney) Thur, June 15 New York, NY @ Central Park Summerstage Sat, Jun 24 Franklin County Fairgrounds (Northampton, MA) @ Green River Festival Sun, Jun 18 Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival Tue, Sept 19 South Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground Wed, Sept 20 Portland, ME @ State Theatre Thur, Sept 21 Boston, MA @ Roadrunner Sun, Sept 24 Ithaca, NY@ State Theatre of Ithaca Tue, Sept 26 Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues Wed, Sept 27 Detroit, MI @ Majestic Theatre Thur, Sept 28 Toronto, ON @ HISTORY Sat, Sept 30 Bridgeport, CT @ Sound on Sound Sun, Oct 1 Millavale, PA @ Mr. Small’s Theatre Mon, Oct 2 Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall Wed, Oct 4 Chicago, IL @ Riviera Theatre Thur, Oct 5 St Paul, MN @ Palace Theatre Fri, Oct 6 Kansas City, MO @ Madrid Theatre Sun, Oct 8 Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre Tue, Oct 10 Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot Wed, Oct 11 Jackson, WY @ Center for the Arts Fri, Oct 13 Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom Sat, Oct 14 Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo Sun, Oct 15 Portland, OR @ McMenamins Crystal Ballroom Tue, Oct 17 San Francisco, CA @ The Warfield Wed, Oct 18 Los Angeles, CA @ The Novo Thur, Oct 19 San Diego, CA @ House of Blues Sat, Oct 21 Tempe, AZ @ Marquee Theatre Thur, Nov 16 London, UK @ Eventim Apollo Fri, Nov 17 Bristol, UK @ SWX Sat, Nov 18 Manchester, UK @ New Century Hall Sun, Nov 19 Glasgow, UK @ Queen Margaret Union
Watch Sammy and The Friends perform live at Brooklyn Steel.
Empire State Youth Orchestra (ESYO) has named two winners plus a runner-up in its annual Lois Lyman Concerto Competition, who will be performing with the orchestra on April 2 at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall.
The Lois Lyman Concerto Competition has been an ESYO tradition for decades, and encourages ESYO Symphony Orchestra members to perform a concerto of their choice. Each participant performs a ten-minute slice of their piece from memory in front of a panel of judges.
Empire State Youth Orchestra (ESYO) challenges and inspires young people to achieve excellence through music in a progressive learning environment leading to high-level performance opportunities. More than 500 youth from New York’s Capital Region and western New England are selected by audition each year to perform in ESYO. With 13 performing ensembles and orchestras suiting a range of playing levels, members receive training from outstanding conductors and coaches, and tutelage from extraordinary guest artists.
The winners are Yu-Heng Wang, who performed the Bartok Viola Concerto, and William Lauricella, who performed Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2. The runner-up was Liam Sullivan, who performed Saint-Saëns’ Cello Concerto No. 1. Yu-Heng and William now have the honor of performing their concertos with the full ESYO Symphony Orchestra during the ensemble’s concerts in April and October, respectively.
Yu-Heng has been playing viola since he was in fourth grade and has been an ESYO member since seventh grade. “Ever since eighth grade, I told myself that I would win the Lois Lyman Concerto Competition. I was determined to one day play in front of an orchestra”.
“What was most difficult for me was the fact that I had to balance my auditions for various music schools, as well as auditions for various summer programs along with the concerto competition. As deadlines inch closer, I become more and more stressed about whether or not I am going to have it ready by the date of the competition. But thanks to my less busy schedule at school combined with help from my teacher, I was able to greatly increase my efficiency in learning and preparing the concerto. Luckily, I had already been playing the first movement of the concerto for around a year now, which helped a lot, as it is the most difficult portion of the piece. I learned that once you’ve gotten the notes of a piece down in the memory, all you have to do is relax and let the bow and fingers do the work, and everything will turn out fine.”
Yu-Heng will perform Bartok’s Viola Concerto in full on April 2, 2023 at Troy Savings Bank Music Hall along with the rest of the ESYO Symphony Orchestra. The orchestra will also perform Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring and Li Huanzhi’s Spring Festival Orchestra, as well as a movement of Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5, which will serve as a preview of the orchestra’s season-closing concert at Carnegie Hall on June 4.
Tickets to the Empire State Youth Orchestra concerto competition will take place on April 2 at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall.
The Musicians of Ma’alwyck announce their first live concert since 2020 with Celestial Melodies, celebrating the music of William & Catherine Herschel and their contemporaries, taking place March 11 and 12 in Schenectady and Albany.
The Musicians of Ma’alwyck are a flexible-size chamber ensemble in residence at the Schuyler Mansion New York State Historic Site and Schenectady County Community College. Founded in 1999 by violinist and director Ann-Marie Barker Schwartz, the group specializes in music performed in America during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. They were named the best chamber music ensemble of the Capital Region for both 2008 and 2009 by Metroland and were nominated for the Eddies Music Award.
The ensemble released its first commercial CD in 2016, Music in the Schuyler Mansion, which the Times Union called “elegant and charming,” and their second in 2021, Hyde Hall & the Silver Goddess: Operatic Brilliance of Auber, Bellini, Meyerbeer, and Rossini from the Drawing Room.
The Celestial Melodies program will feature the music of composers and astronomers William and Catherine Herschel, as well as others. The concert will include not only the music of the Herschels and their contemporaries but a visual component as well, a specially developed sky show, with dazzling images and unique looks at the constellations as they appeared in Herschel’s lifetime. The program also features the world premiere of a new work Invocation by Max Caplan, inspired by the NASA data sonification project.
William Herschel was born into a musical family, with his father being a professional oboist and himself a fine violinist, harpsichordist, and organist. He came to England in the 1750s as a member of the Hanover Band and worked as the Bath Church’s organist and director of the orchestra and concert series. He is known for his incredible astronomical discoveries, which include the discovery of infrared radiation, astronomical spectrophotometry, the planet Uranus and far-seeing telescopes. Herschel’s younger sister Caroline was also an outstanding musician and astronomer, she was the first female astronomer to receive a salary and in 1828 she was awarded the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society.
Their first performance of Celestial Melodies will take place in Schenectady on March 11 at the Museum of Innovation and Science, and tickets are $35. The second performance will be at Schuyler Mansion New York State Historic Site in Albany, and tickets are $40 for general admission and $10 for students. Reservations are strongly suggested as seating is limited. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit here.
Bela Fleck, Edgar Meyer, and Zakir Hussain, along with Rakesh Chaurasia, have announced a US tour supporting their upcoming album, As We Speak. The group will tour throughout April and May, with a performance at The Town Hall in New York City on May 4, and the Troy Saving Bank Music Hall on May 5. Their upcoming album is scheduled for release on May 12, through Thirty Tigers.
From left to right: Bela Fleck, Zakir Hussain, Edgar Meyer, and Rakesh Chaurasia. Credit: Jeremy Cowart
As We Speak showcases the quartet’s various abilities and the wide range of influences at their command. Consisting of 12 songs, the album combines the complexity of Indian rhythm with the groove of a funky bass line. The show is sure to be one you’re not going to want to miss.
The album’s first piece, “Owl’s Misfortune” was written by Fleck. The song is intended to “echo the different worlds we all come from,” according to Fleck. “I imagined creating a world where classical language could live alongside Indian musical rhythmic ideas—and since I wrote it, bluegrass lives there too,” Fleck added.
The core trio was formed while Fleck and Meyer were searching for a third member for their triple concerto, to mark the opening of Nashville’s Schermerhorn Symphony Center. Zakir came to mind, who was eager to write for an orchestra. The three then collaborated on Fleck’s 2009 album The Melody of the Rhythm, recorded with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra under Leonard Slatkin.
The trio then met Chaurasia while in India on tour for The Melody of the Rhythm. Hussain already knew Chaurasia through his uncle, Indian flute legend Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, and invited him to sit in on their tour, and their chemistry shined. “I think we wanted to see if we could do something a little more organic with just a small group,” says Meyer. “What I think is good about this quartet is that everybody has to stretch in the direction of the other people,” added Fleck.
Pre-order / pre-save As We Speak here. Tickets for the group’s tour areon sale now. In addition to the quartet’s performance at The Town Hall in New York City and the Troy Saving Bank Music Hall on May 5, a November US tour is to follow.
As We Speak Tour Dates
April 19 Nashville, TN Schermerhorn Symphony Center
April 20 Atlanta, GA Emory University
April 21 Germantown, TN Duncan-Williams PAC
April 22 Boone, NC Appalachian State University
April 23 North Bethesda, MD The Music Center at Strathmore
April 25 Charleston, SC Charleston Gaillard Center
April 27 Danville, KY Norton Center for the Arts
April 29 Cutler Bay, FL The Moss Center at South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center
April 30 Charlotte, NC Belk Theater at Blumenthal Performing Arts Center
May 2 Munhall, PA Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall
May 3 Norfolk, VA Virginia Arts Festival
May 4 New York, NY The Town Hall
May 5 Troy, NY Troy Saving Bank Music Hall
May 6 Boston, MA Celebrity Series of Boston at Berklee Performance Center
