Category: News Desk

  • Lyle Lovett And John Hiatt Team Up For Run Of Joint Tour Dates, 6 Shows Across NYS

    The multitalented and legendary artists Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt are prepared to take the stage with one another this fall in an array of new announced tour dates. The joint performances will begin at the world renowned Carnegie Hall in NYC on October 2nd, halfway through Lovett’s “Together On Stage” tour which began July 18th.

    The two highly acclaimed artists have had a long running history of performing with one another, and this specific stretch of performances will take the duo all over the Northeast and Ontario throughout the month of October. The select dates will feature arrangements of Lovett’s critically acclaimed album 12th of June released last year which represents a more reflective side of the artist’s present life.

    Throughout the tour, Lovett will be joined by an arrangement of his Acoustic Group or his Large Band at each location. After Lovett and Hiatt’s performance at Carnegie Hall, the two powerhouse legends will make stops all around NY including in Ithaca, Westhampton Beach, and Buffalo. General sales for the performances go live on July 21st at 10:00 AM.

    Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt tour dates

    July 18—West Kelowna, BC—Mission Hill Winery*

    July 19—Calgary, AB—Jack Singer Concert Hall*

    July 20—Edmonton, AB—Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium*

    July 22—Bonner, MT—KettleHouse Amphitheater*

    July 23—Billings, MT—Downtown Billings*

    July 26—Huber Heights, OH—Rose Music Center at The Heights*

    July 27—Pittsburgh, PA—Stage AE*

    July 28—Lancaster, PA—American Music Theatre*

    July 29—Providence, RI—Veterans Memorial Auditorium*

    July 30—Hammondsport, NY—The Pavilion at Point of the Bluff Vineyards*

    August 2—Plymouth, MA—Plymouth Memorial Hall*

    August 3—Lowell, MA—Boarding House Park*

    August 4—New Brunswick, NJ—State Theatre*

    August 5—Vienna, VA—Wolf Trap-Filene Center*

    August 6—Charlottesville, VA—The Paramount Theater*

    August 8—Richmond, VA—Dominion Energy Center*

    August 9—Durham, NC—Durham Performing Arts Center*

    August 10—Charlotte, NC—Knight Theater*

    August 11—Charleston, SC—Charleston Gaillard Center*

    August 12—Atlanta, GA—Atlanta Symphony Hall*

    August 14—Nashville, TN—Ryman Auditorium*

    August 15—Knoxville, TN—Tennessee Theater*

    August 16—Birmingham, AL—Alabama Theatre*

    August 17—New Orleans, LA—Orpheum Theater*

    August 19—Houston, TX—Hobby Center for the Performing Arts*

    August 20—San Antonio, TX—Majestic Theatre*

    August 21—Austin, TX—ACL Live at the Moody Theater*

    August 22—Austin, TX—ACL Live at the Moody Theater*

    August 23—Austin, TX—ACL Live at the Moody Theater*

    August 24—Fort Worth, TX—Bass Performance Hall*

    September 3—Santa Fe, NM—The Santa Fe Opera*

    September 5—Tucson, AZ—Fox Tucson Theatre†

    October 2—New York, NY—Carnegie Hall‡

    October 3—Ithaca, NY—State Theatre of Ithaca‡

    October 5—Wilmington, DE—The Grand Opera House‡

    October 6—Westhampton Beach, NY—Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center‡

    October 7—Collingswood, NJ—Scottish Rite Auditorium‡

    October 8—Troy, NY—Troy Savings Bank Music Hall‡

    October 10—Buffalo, NY—Kleinhans Music Hall‡

    October 11—Kitchener, ON—Centre In The Square‡

    October 12—Toronto, ON—Massey Hall‡

    October 13—Ottawa, ON—National Arts Centre‡

    October 14—Burlington, VT—The Flynn‡

    October 16—Waterville, ME—Waterville Opera House‡

    October 17—Portsmouth, NH—The Music Hall Historic Theater‡

    October 20—Concord, NH— Capitol Center for the Arts, Chubb Theatre‡

    October 22—Easton, PA— State Theatre Center for the Arts‡

    • *with his Large Band
    • †with his Acoustic Group
    • ‡with John Hiatt
  • Dead and Company’s Cornell Concert Raises $3.1 Million for Non-Profits

    Dead & Company, continuing the legacy of the Grateful Dead’s Barton Hall show at Cornell University, has raised $3.1 million in proceeds from their recent show for their now-complete Final Tour. These proceeds will be donated to the Recording Academy’s MusiCares organization and the Cornell 2030 Project, each non-profit receiving over $1.5 million.

    Cornell University’s Barton Hall. Credit: Steve Malinski

    Dead & Company is made up of former members of the Grateful Dead, with guitarist and vocalist Bob Weir, drummer Mickey Hart, and drummer Bill Kreutzmann. The latter did not join the final tour. They are joined by guitarist and vocalist John Mayer, bassist and percussionist Oteil Burbridge of the Allman Brothers Band, keyboardist Jeff Chimenti of Further and RatDog, as well as drummer Jay Lane of RatDog and Primus.

    The show on May 8 was the 46th anniversary of the May 8, 1977 Grateful Dead Show. Part of the Spring Tour of 1977, considered one of the Grateful Dead’s best tours, the May 8 show at Cornell’s Barton Hall was released on a a three-disc CD and as a five-disc LP for the 40th anniversary of the show. The recording is a part of the National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress.

    Cornell ’77 Poster designed by Cornell alumnus Jay Maybrey

    MusiCares is a non-profit organization founded in 1989, intended to act as a safety net for the music community, supporting the health and welfare of industry professionals through preventative, emergency, and recovery programs. More information can be found on their website.

    Cornell University’s 2030 Project is a campus-wide initiative that works to develop technological solutions and to advance policies for businesses and individuals, seeking to mitigate the effects of climate change. More information can be found on Cornell University’s website.

  • Kyle Smith and Pat Tato to Perform at Funk n Waffles

    Funk n Waffles, a one-of-a-kind venue in Syracuse, will be hosting Kyle Smith and Pat Tato on August 11th as a stop on the “Grill Em All Tour.”

    The Food Network featured venue truly embodies its name – not only do they serve delicious breakfast, lunch, dinner, desert, and of course, waffles, but they truly bring the “funk” with live music every night, and a full bar. Performances by Kyle Smith and Pat Tato ensure a night of ambitious music, delicious food, and talent that you won’t want to miss.

    Kyle Smith, a singer-songwriter from Ventura, California, is best known for his unique blend of “Cali-Reggae,” influenced by Ska, Hip-Hop, and Punk-Rock, a combination that is simultaneously catchy, raw, and truthful. Kyle’s music often pays tribute to his troubled youth and addiction. His self-titled debut EP offers a glimpse into the life he endured, with songs like “Dope Fiend” and “Jaded” referencing his troubled past, all while keeping an uplifting spirit and tempo. Despite his roots, Kyle’s goal in life is to give hope and spread positivity through his music. His raw, natural talent is effortless, and his personality immediately warms up the room, inviting those around into his world.

    Pat Tato, known for his unique, thought-provoking sound, was not always a solo artist. In 2013, the band Baked Potatoes could be found playing nearly every house party, skate shop, and dive bar at SUNY Oneonta. In the years following, Pat and the rest of the Baked Potatoes graduated college and recorded their first full length album, ‘Loaded’ (2016) to much critical acclaim. Following their graduation and album release, the band found themselves taking a hiatus as the original members moved to Ohio, Arizona, Tennessee, and Alaska. Aaron and Pat decided to live on a bus, continuing to play music and drive up and down the east coast, busking on the street. Eventually, Pat shifted focus and started releasing music as Pat Tato. The sound is different, ambitious, lyrical, and thought provoking.

    Since then, Pat Tato has a new band and has started to emerge on the Festival Circuit as an early crowd favorite. He combines set lists of old Baked Potatoes songs with New Pat Tato songs, and continues to evolve and mature into the new sound that is ‘Pat Tato & the Baked Potatoes.’

    To see Kyle Smith and Pat Tato at Funk n Waffles, get tickets here.

  • Rye Bread Festival Brings Oteil and Friends and many more to Schaghticoke Fairgrounds July 27-29

    We’re less than a week from the 47th edition of Rye Bread Festival, held in the Eastern New York hills of Schaghticoke, a gathering of musicians from across the Northeast and beyond, headlined by none other than Oteil Burbridge and Friends over July 27-29.

    rye bread festival

    Rye Bread has been a unique experience since inception, when it was initially held on an island in the Mohawk River, being an event that started as an ‘in the know’ gathering for live music and camping – Neal and Alan Evans performed there in the years prior to forming Soulive – before evolving into a full on festival set in the Capital District at the Schaghticoke Fairgrounds. What started as a backyard party nearly 50 years ago, Rye Bread has steadily grown, from the ground up, into Upstate New York’s premier music and arts festival.

    rye bread festival

    But Rye Bread is more than just a concert festival – this is a family with generations of deep roots, bringing people together through music in a spirit of community and charity, and of course good times for all. Thousands more will be welcomed into the Rye Bread Family with open arms, in their 47th year.

    Al Schneir performing at Rye Bread Festival

    With Burbridge (Dead & Company, The Allman Brothers Band) on bass, the group also features longtime Jerry Garcia Band organist Melvin Seals, Steve Kimock and Tom Guarna on guitar, vocalist Lamar Williams, Jr., John Morgan Kimock on drums and multi-instrumentalist Jason Crosby rounding out a stellar lineup.

    ryebreadfest.com

    Also joining the Rye Bread Festival lineup are the legendary North Mississippi Allstars, led as always by brothers Luther and Cody Dickinson, Cool Cool Cool, Lespecial, Dogs In A Pile, Couch, DJ Logic & Friends, Talkpeck Soundsystem, Brown Eyed Women, Baked Shrimp, Neon Avenue, The Seapods, The Billy Walton Band, Muscle Tough, Super 400, The Nolanauts, Fungkshui, The Rob Beaulieu Band, Mushroom Men, Dr. Jah & The Love Prophets and The Rye Bread Family Band.

    Attendees can expect plenty of unique collaborations between artists throughout the course of the festival, making for a truly memorable weekend of live music.In addition to the stellar lineup of live music, the Rye Bread Music and Arts Festival will feature food and craft vendors on site and festival goers can enjoy plenty of room to stretch out and feel comfortable at the spacious Schaghticoke Fairgrounds, centrally located just minutes north of Albany and south of Saratoga Springs.

    Two -day passes are $125, with single day Friday passes $69 and single day Saturday for $79. Full ticketing info and more can be found at ryebreadfest.com

    Camping Information

    Tenting / Car Camping

    Campsites are 10′ x 30′
    One or two campers per site. $80.00 Three or four campers per site. $150.00
    All campers must arrive at the same time.
    Camping passes are two day only.
    For tent camping, one car is allowed per site, and your car will remain on your campsite.

    Family Camping

    Family camping is on a separate part of the fairgrounds as tenting/car camping with quiet hours between 11:00pm and 7:00am
    Campsites are 10′ x 30′
    One or two campers per site. $80.00 Three or four campers per site. $150.00
    All campers must arrive at the same time.
    Camping passes are two day only.
    For tent camping, one car is allowed per site, and your car will remain on your campsite.

    RV Camping

    Campsites are 16′ x 40′.
    Six campers per site.
    One RV per site (34′ maximum).
    50 AMP Service – No Pigtails (30 amp adapters) Available).
    Full hookups on site.
    All campers must arrive at the same time.
    Camping passes are two day only.
    One tow vehicle allowed per site, and your vehicle will remain on your campsite.
    Additional companion vehicle pass included. Remember all campers must arrive at the same time

    Parking

    Single day pass on-site parking is available for one day pass holders. $20.00. Two day pass on-site parking is available for festival goers that are not camping. $30.00. Companion pass on-site parking is available for RV campers that bring additional vehicles.

  • Upbeat on the Roof Returns Featuring Blue Ranger, Hot Club of Saratoga, And More

    The Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College have announced the return of its popular summer concert series Upbeat on the Roof, occurring each Thursday from July 6 through Aug. 17.

    This year marks Upbeat on the Roof’s twenty-second season, remaining a premier summer destination for the best music created by the region’s musicians. Different genres like folk, R&B, Latin jazz, classical Indian, and pop are all on tap for summer 2023. Included are craft kits for kids aged 5-12 starting at 5:30 p.m. Performances begin at 6 p.m. on the lawn outside the Tang. Bring picnic blankets, camping chairs, and food and drink, and in case of inclement weather, everything will move inside the museum.

    The Tang Teaching Museum at Skidmore College is a pioneer of interdisciplinary exploration and learning. A cultural anchor of New York’s Capital Region, the Tang’s approach has become a model for college and university art museums across the country, with exhibition programs that bring together visual and performing arts with interdisciplinary ideas from history, economics, biology, dance, physics, and more. The Tang is open to the public on Thursdays from noon to 9 pm and Fridays through Sundays from noon to 5 pm, with expanded hours beginning in July to include Tuesdays and Wednesdays, noon to 5 pm.

    Tang Museum.

    Admission to Upbeat on the Roof is free and open to the public. For more information, visit here.

    Upbeat on the Roof Lineup

    July 6: The Albany-based band Blue Ranger reminds us that there are small moments of magic in the everyday. Formed in 2015, the trio has been crafting soft-focused folk that celebrates the beauty in uncertainties with an existential flair. Following their 2018 LP Saving A Beauty comes fresh single “True Blue,” where candid, autobiographical tales dance among a wealth of imaginary characters. The trio brings their folk-influenced sound to improvisatory heights in live settings, the product of countless years of moving sound.

    July 13: For Adrian Lewis (The Age), making music is a portal into how he sees the world, piecing together fragments of introspection and humility, through a reflective and universal lens. Weaving together textural authenticity with his live band, The Age touches on themes of devotion, insecurity, and heartache with an optimistic flair, incorporating Neo-Soul tendencies and the electrifying groove of 70s guitar.

    The Age.

    July 20: Returning to Upbeat is the Hot Club of Saratoga, the Capital Region’s premier gypsy swing ensemble, playing a repertoire that reflects the spirit and style originated by Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli in The Quintet of the Hot Club of France. Most prominently developed in the 1930s and 40s Paris, this genre has been kept alive through a long line of gypsy jazz artists. Most of the tunes Hot Club of Saratoga plays were written or recorded by Reinhardt at some time in his musical life, hot swing music of the 1920s, ’30, and ’40s.

    July 27: Also returning to Upbeat on the Roof Alex Torres & His Latin Orchestra. Formed in October 1980 in Amsterdam, New York, the orchestra is led by the Bronx-born bassist Alex Torres. The 12-piece has performed its original blend of Afro-Caribbean rhythms such as Salsa, Merengue, Cha-cha, Bomba, Plena, and Latin Jazz at hundreds of festivals, performing arts centers, and events. The group last played Upbeat in 2017.

    August 3: Veena Chandra is an internationally renowned sitarist, composer, teacher, choreographer, and founder and director of the Dance and Music School of India in Latham where she teaches Indian classical music. She has been a faculty member at Skidmore College since 1990, teaching sitar in the Music Department. Since 2014, she has also been the Artist Associate in Sitar at Williams College.

    August 10: Zan & The Winter Folk, a Troy-based Americana/folk outfit, create anthems for the revivalists, lullabies for the lonely, and ballads for the hopeful. Paired with lead Zan Strumfeld’s vulnerability and soulful lyrics, The Winter Folk reveal a unique and captivating sound in both their recordings and live performances. Their first full-length album will be released in the fall of 2023.

    Zan & The Winter Folk, photo by Beth Mickalonis.

    August 17: Ending the Upbeat series is Nathan Meltz and The House of Tomorrow. Nathan Meltz writes pop songs about failed utopias, backed up by his band The House of Tomorrow. Combining influences from The Kinks and classic Elephant 6 bands, the band uses fuzzy indie pop songs to tell stories about communities, religious visionaries, and drug cults.

  • Ronnie James Dio Documentary “DIO: Dreamers Never Die” Set To Release On DVD

    Mercury Studios recently announced that “DIO: Dreamers Never Die”, the first-ever career documentary of legendary rock artist Ronnie James Dio, will be released on DVD and Blu-Ray on September 29. There will also be a special Deluxe Edition of the film which will include exclusive merchandise. All of the upcoming versions of the documentary will feature 20 minutes worth of deleted and extended scenes.

    The South by Southwest film festival originally debuted “DIO: Dreamers Never Die” in 2022. The film garnered praise from critics and fans alike, eventually making its way to theaters. Digitally, the documentary can be found on SHOWTIME.

    Ronnie James Dio, was born in New Hampshire but grew up in Cortland, New York. At the age of 5, he began playing the trumpet. Despite piecing together a somewhat successful career on trumpet and bass, Dio became enthralled with heavy rock as he grew up.

    The artist would help to create the band Elf in 1967. While the group’s music was not as hard or heavy as the kind that Dio would eventually be known for, Elf provided the New Yorker a space to experiment and practice his vocals. It was his unique and passionate singing that eventually landed Dio a spot with Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow (Rainbow). 

    “DIO: Dreamers Never Die” chronicles Dio’s transition from a budding instrumentalist into a full fledged rock star with Rainbow.  The vocalist helped to pen and arrange many of the band’s most noteworthy songs. Some of Rainbow’s biggest hits came with Dio, including standout tracks “The Temple Of The King” and “Man On The Silver Mountain”. 

    After leaving Rainbow in 1979, Dio would replace Ozzy Osbourne in Black Sabbath. While the artist would reach mainstream notoriety with the group, he never truly felt at home with the outfit. Dio left Black Sabbath just three years later. The vocalist would go on to create his own band aptly named “Dio” where he released the critically acclaimed album Holy Diver

    The documentary features unseen photos and footage from Dio’s tremendous career. “DIO: Dreamers Never Die” offers an intimate look into the musician’s relationship with manager and wife Wendy Dio, bandmates Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler, and many more. 

    Dio’s estate fully authorized and approved the film. Don Argott and Demian Fenton directed the project. Wendy Dio also executive produced “DIO: Dreamers Never Die.”

    Ronnie James Dio and Wendy Dio

    I wanted this documentary to be authentic, for the fans to see the roller coaster ride that was Ronnie’s life—the good times, the bad times and everything in between, especially including events that even the most diehard fans would not have known about. It’s all in there, right up to the very end

    Wendy Dio

    Powered by Universal Music Group, Mercury Studios remains editorially independent. The studio has actively participated in creating several high-profile documentaries, including “If These Walls Could Sing,” “Contact High: A Visual History of Hip-Hop,” and “Shania Twain: Not Just A Girl.”

    Click here for more details and pre-order information. 

  • Deep In The Valley Festival Returns to From The Ground Brewery in August

    Deep In The Valley Festival announced it will return to Red Hook at From The Ground Brewery on Aug. 19, featuring a wide variety of genres and bands.

    Deep In The Valley Festival

    Last year’s inaugural Deep In The Valley Fest brought together a cross-section of musical genres with a common thread of experimentation and exploration. The lineup exemplified the current batch of Cosmic American travelers, continuing the tradition this year. Returning to From The Ground Brewery, nestled on Migliorelli Orchard in Red Hook, the festival boasts a packed roster of favorites. The venue is a New York State Farm Brewery that is committed to using New York State-grown ingredients, a beautiful backdrop for an exciting day of music. Food will again be provided by Hudson Valley’s own Gracie’s with an on-site record fair by Bash and Pop.

    The event will feature country-flecked garage from Chicago’s Glyders, whose recent debut for Country Thyme has been a favorite all year. Berlin-based songwriter Ned Collette brings his folk formula dipped in cinder and ash, joined by Elisabeth Fuchsia on viola. Massachusetts’ own Gold Dust brings a tender strain of psychedelic folk, while Sunwatchers psych-scratched jazz promises to match the burn of the August sun. Longtime favorites Weeping Bong Band (featuring members of Pigeons and Wet Tuna) will help soothe the burn with a sunset sojourn.

    Garcia Peoples promises to push the boundaries of the cosmic careen, always in their element in the live setting. 75 Dollar Bill leaves the big band behind for an intimate and heady duo set, and Ryley Walker will toast the early evening with a trio performance featuring Andrew Scott Young and Ryan Jewell, reprising their recent trio setup.

    For more information about the Deep In The Valley Festival and to buy tickets, go here.

  • Blind Boys of Alabama Share “Work Until My Days Are Done” Ahead of Upcoming Album “Echoes Of The South”

    After 80 years of hard work, the Blind Boys of Alabama continue to wow audiences and touch souls with the recent release of their praiseworthy single “Work Until My Days Are Done.” The doo-wop, gospel ditty is the second release from the group’s upcoming album Echoes Of The South, which will officially be released to the public on September 8th through Single Rock Records.

    The Blind Boys of Alabama have faced more struggles and success in the music industry than most musicians will in their lifetimes. Their eight decades of experience and pure talent has led them from street performances in the Jim Crow South all the way to being the soundtrack of the Civil Rights Movement, giving them the chance to perform for three different United States Presidents and landing them as legends in the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.

    This dedication and persistence to one another and to their love of music is epitomized in their newest single, as they will not only “work” but “sing” until their days are done. There is no stopping the powerhouse group as they rely on one another and the shared agreement that “as long as everybody gives all that they have to give and we sing songs that touch the heart, we’ll live on forever.”

    Now, after losing their brothers in arms Paul Beasley and Benjamin Moore, the remaining members carry on, releasing their new album Echoes Of The South in their name and memory. Echoes Of The South not only marks the first album that the Blind Boys of Alabama have released in six years but also marks their first ever fully made in their home state, giving the tracks a deeper significance than can be imagined for the music vets.

    The tracklist is similarly rooted in coming home, drawing from the music that’s most inspired them over their careers: long-lost gospel classics, traditional spirituals and timeless R&B/soul cuts made famous by artists like Pops Staples and Curtis Mayfield. These incredible personal touches establish Echoes Of The South as a “homecoming” in countless senses of the word.

    With the two released singles from the album, “Friendship” along with “Work Until My Days Are Done,” it is evident that the Blind Boy’s newest music is some of their best. Their harmonies and messages touch hearts, while their bridges and power take listeners by surprise and never fail to get people on their feet with rafter-raising moments. This is something special that anyone with ears will not want to miss. Until September 8th, the Blind Boys of Alabama’s current members; McKinnie, Jimmy Carter, the Rev. Julius Love, Sterling Glass, and Joey Williams, will be touring the country from this July well into 2024.

    Blind Boys of Alabama Tour

    July 19 – Mendocino Music Festival 2023 – Mendocino, CA

    August 19 – CHOMP – Redmond, CA

    August 27 – Vancouver Wine & Jazz Festival – Vancouver, WA

    September 9 – Paramount Center for the Arts – Saint Cloud, MN

    September 10 – Reif Performing Arts Center – Grand Rapids, MN

    September 11 – Pablo Center at the Confluence – Eau Claire, WI

    September 15 – City Winery Philadelphia – Philadelphia, PA

    September 16 – City Winery Boston – Boston, MA

    September 17 – City Winery New York – New York, NY

    November 19 – Edwin J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall – Akron, OH

    November 26 – Lone Tree Arts Center – Lone Tree, CO

    January 13-20 – Sandy Beaches Cruise 2024 – Fort Lauderdale, FL

    February 8 – Fred Kavli Theatre (with Bobby Rush) – Thousand Oaks, CA

  • Cayuga Chamber Orchestra Announces 2023-2024 Season “Beethoven and Beyond”

    The Cayuga Chamber Orchestra has announced its 2023-2024 season titled Beethoven and Beyond, featuring the four finalists in the search for the next Music Director.

    Music Director Finalists.

    Each finalist will conduct a concert on the CCO’s Orchestral Series during the coming season, including a Beethoven Symphony, a concerto, and a “conductor’s choice.” Candidates include Jeffery Meyer, Guillaume Pirard, Michelle Di Russo, and Octavio Más-Arocas. Meyer recently joined the Orchestral Conducting faculty at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music and serves as Artistic Partner with the Northwest Sinfonietta in Tacoma, Washington. Di Russo is currently the Associate Conductor of the North Carolina Symphony.

    Pirard was a founding member and Co-concertmaster of the Brooklyn-based chamber orchestra, The Knights, and will serve as Visiting Professor of Violin at Ithaca College for the coming academic year. Más-Arocas directs the Michigan State University orchestras, the Mansfield Symphony Orchestra in Ohio, the Marquette Symphony Orchestra in Michigan, and the Clinton Symphony in New York. All four conductors have ties to Ithaca through their work.

    The Cayuga Chamber Orchestra was founded in 1976 and is officially designated “Ithaca’s Orchestra.” Each season includes an Orchestral Series, Chamber Music Series, Holiday concerts, free Family Concerts, and the long-standing Willard Daetsch Youth Outreach Program, which earned the 2015 Yale Distinguished Music Educator award. In 2017, the CCO added a Youth Orchestra program for advanced students, and in 2019, a new Diversity Career Fellowship program was established to provide opportunities for college students from communities that have been historically underrepresented in classical music.

    The 2023-2024 season will also include the popular Chamber Series and a performance of Händel’s Messiah. Concertgoers will be treated to a final concert, Passing the Baton: The Four Seasons, featuring
    Concertmaster Christina Neubauer as soloist. Interim Music Director Grant Cooper will make his final
    appearance on the podium as Interim and the next Music Director will be announced at that concert. A
    special reception is planned immediately following the concert.

    For tickets and more information, visit here.

  • New York Musical Icon Tony Bennett Dead at 96

    New York’s own Tony Bennett, one of the most awarded singers of his generation, has passed away at age 96. His death marks the end of a recent battle with Alzheimer’s Disease and a life filled with chart-topping hits and almost every musical accolade possible, including 20 Grammys, a Lifetime Achievement Award and two Primetime Emmys. His signature jazzy singing style and notable duets with contemporary superstars allowed Bennett to forge a career that lasted nearly 70 years in total.

    (Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage)

    Anthony Dominick Benedetto was born in Long Island City in Queens on August 3, 1926, the son of Italian immigrants. He and his older siblings grew up in poverty in New York, in the face of The Great Depression. Although his father passed away when Tony was only 10 years old, he helped him develop a love for arts and music like Al Jolson and Louis Armstrong. With the help of an uncle who worked in vaudeville. Tony Bennett was already performing live at 13 years old, singing at various Italian restaurants in Queens. He attended New York’s School of Industrial Art but dropped out at age 16 to help support his family. He never gave up on his dream of being a singer though, continuing to amass gigs as a singing waiter at restaurants as well as a a successful run at a Paramus, NJ night club.

    In 1944, Bennett was drafted into the US Army during the latter stages of World War II and even spent time on the front lines at one point in Germany. Upon discharge, he studied at the American Theatre Wing on the GI Bill. Here, he was taught the bel canto singing discipline which would allow to sing him for as long as he did. It was at this time that he also first started to develop his atypical approach of imitating, as he sang, the style and phrasing of other musicians.

    Pearl Bailey gave Tony his big break in 1949, asking him to open for her at a show in Greenwich Village. This led to a deal with Columbia Records where Bennett’s career first started out as a commercial pop singer. His first big hit was “Because Of You,” a ballad with a lush Percy Faith-led Orchestra. It reached #1 on the charts in 1951 and stayed there for ten weeks.

    Bennett continued to score more number ones in the early part of the 50s with songs like his rendition of “Blue Velvet” and “Rags To Riches.” He even had a short-lived television variety show in 1956, The Tony Bennett Show, which served as a replacement to The Perry Como Show. As the age of rock and roll ushered in, Bennett adapted accordingly with more jazz-oriented long form recordings like Cloud 7 and the critically acclaimed The Beat Of My Heart which featured icons like Art Blakey and Candido Camero. He even became the first male pop vocalist to sing with the Count Basie Orchestra.

    Bennett was also a notable advocate for civil rights. He participated at the 1965 Selma to Montgomery marches and performed at a rally the night before Martin Luther King’s “How Long, Not Long” speech. His career and popularity took a noticeable dip in the ’60s and ’70s where he tried, unsuccessfully, to record contemporary rock songs. He bounced around between different labels and even started his own record company called Improv which was out of business by 1977.

    After a near fatal overdose and an ongoing battle with the IRS, Bennett hired his son as manager in an effort to turn his career around. He was able to get his expenses under control, moved him back to New York, and began booking him in colleges and small theaters to distance him from a “Vegas” image. By 1986, Tony Bennett was re-signed to Columbia Records, this time with creative control, and released his first album to reach the charts since 1972, The Art Of Excellence.

    He continued to stay relevant throughout the ’80s and ’90s thanks to the guidance of his new management which regularly booked him on TV shows like Letterman and Late Night With Conan O’Brien. In 1993, Bennett played a string of benefit concerts organized by alternative radio stations around the country, introducing a whole new generation to composers like Cole Porter and Gershwin. He even made an appearance at the MTV Movie Video Awards alongside the Red Hot Chili Peppers, cementing the gap between his and the current generation. His 1994 appearance on MTV’s influential Unplugged is heralded as one of the better episodes and may have marked the peak of Bennett’s popularity.

    Bennett continued to tour extensively throughout the 90s, including a memorable appearance at Glastonbury in 1998, with his financial worries long a thing of the past. He was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and inducted into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame in 1997. Tony Bennett is also a member of the Long Island Music Hall of Fame.

    The latter part of his career may have produced one of his more successful recordings of all time in Duets: An American Classic, which was released in 2006 as part of a celebration of Bennett’s 80th birthday, receiving two Grammy awards and resulting in a slew of corresponding concerts and TV specials. A sequel, Duets II, was released five years later featuring collaborations with artists like Aretha Franklin, Willie Nelson and Lady Gaga. His recording of “Body and Soul” for the album with Amy Winehouse is reportedly the last one she made before her death.

    In 2021, Tony Bennett announced his retirement from concerts and released his final album Love For Sale, another collaboration with Lady Gaga. With this, he broke the record for longest span of top-10 albums on the Billboard 200 chart for any living artist. He also broke the Guiness World Record for the oldest person to release an album of new material, at the age of 95 years and 60 days. Fittingly, his last live performances were also with Lady Gaga in 2021 that was later aired as a television special. Bennett is survived by by his wife, Susan Benedetto; his two sons, Danny and Dae Bennett; his daughters, Joanna Bennett and Antonia Bennett; and nine grandchildren.