The New York Philharmonic is approaching the 100th anniversary of the annual Young People’s Concerts, a series of programming on Saturday afternoons geared towards children and families. The series aims to inspire music appreciation through interactive displays and performances of timeless classics and world premieres.
Kwamé Ryan, director of ‘Celebration’ – Photo Credit: Zycopolis Productions
This season, the Philharmonic will present four YPCs highlighting the program’s history, modern themes, and future developments. All of the events are directed and designed by Doug Fitch, and take place in the Wu Tsai Theater at David Geffen Hall at 2PM.
The first event, titled Time Capsule, will take place on November 18. Conducted and hosted by Thomas Wilkins, the show takes inspiration from previous Young People’s Concerts, featuring works by Rossini, Elgar, Jessie Montgomery, and Leonard Bernstein. The show will see the world premiere of Bunmi Afariogun (age 11), alongside Fiona Khuong-Huu (age 16) in her NY Philharmonic debut.
Fantasy and Imagination will take place on January 20, conducted by Jerry Hou and hosted by NY Phil Teaching Artist Justin Jay Hines. The show will celebrate imagination and the power of music, featuring Musorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, and new works by Very Young Composers participants.
Photo Credit: Mark Allen
Next, Composing Inclusion will debut on April 20. Conducted and hosted by Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser, in his NY Phil debut, the show will present a collaboration between the NY Phil, American Composers Forum, and The Juilliard School’s Preparatory Division. With selections from William Dawson’s Negro Folk Symphony, the NY Phil will be joined by students from Juilliard’s Preparatory Division and Pre-College Orchestra.
Finally, Celebration will be conducted and hosted by Kwamé Ryan in his NY Phil debut on May 4. Accompanied by Sheku Kanneh-Mason as a soloist, the show closes out the YPC centennial by exploring humor in music throughout history.
Alongside the Young People’s Concerts, the NY Phil presents YPC Overtures, where children can try out instruments, listen to music by Very Young Composers participants, and participate in interactive workshops. YPC Overtures begin at 1PM on the day of the concert.
More information and tickets for New York Philharmonic Young People’s Concerts, visit nyphil.org/calendar.
Well, that October was a treat wasn’t it? But, no rest for the weary live music fanatic. November is hot on it’s heels with a concert cornucopia of it’s own. Here are five delectable morsels to feast your ears on in Rochester this month.
The Bug Jar continues its string of pulling in fresh and interesting talent from abroad with this Italian group coming to little old Rochester. Dumbo Gets Mad is a psychedelic pop band that is textured and rhythmic with a patina of that European stangeness. The bill is rounded out by avant-garde drumming wizard Sean Hamilton, Drippers, and Breastfed to Death. Sure to be another fun one.
Tickets are $15 and music should get going around 9pm.
Almost exactly a year after his last Rochester show, at the Arbor Loft, Charlie Parr returns to town for a gig at the much smaller and more intimate space at Bop Shop Records. If you liked him then you’re gonna love him here, and if you missed him then, no better time or place to get to love him. As we said then: “Through finger picks, slides, foot stomps and that ragged voice with unexpected range, there wasn’t empty space wanting for anything more.”
Tickets are $20/$25dos and music will start right around 8pm.
The best set of jazz in Rochester this year may not happen during jazz fest. Vijay Iyer returns to play a hometown show for the first time in almost a decade with his dynamite trio, with Linda May Han Oh on bass and Jeremy Dutton replacing Iyer’s usual drummer Tyshawn Sorey. But no matter, this is going to be a stunning set of piano trio in the stunning confines of Kilbourn Hall.
Tickets range from $32 to $45 and the show will start at 7:30pm.
In the just a singer with a guitar category of folk music, you can’t really do much better than Jake Xerxes Fussell. This Georgian plumbs the depths of traditional folk and blues music and puts his own magical spin on everything he plays. From Philadelphia, stellar songwriter Rosali will open with a special solo set of her own that should make this one hell of an evening at the old saloon.
Tickets are $20 and the music gets started at 7:30pm.
Lukas Nelson, if you didn’t know, is the son of country legend Willie Nelson, who he of course has played with. He and the Promise of the Real were tapped to be Neil Young’s backing band and he also has sung with Lady Gaga. So yeah, pretty good creds. But Lukas Nelson and the Promise of the Real don’t need to impress you with lineage, these guys are carving out their own legendary path.
The Bacon Brothers are set to play two upcoming shows in New York, as they continue their fall tour lineup across the country. Brothers Kevin and Michael Bacon banded together in 1995 to form The Bacon Brothers, an official name to the musical pairing that has been around since their childhood.
Having released 11 collections of music since then, the duo is looking ahead to two shows in New York State: November 17 at Albany’s The Egg, and November 18 at Westbury’s The Space.
Photo Credit: Jeff Fasano
The Bacon Brothers titled their first album, Forosoco, after their self-described genre, blending folk, rock, soul, and country influences. Most recently, they released “Philly Thing,” a single dedicated to their hometown of Philadelphia. The song benefitted charities Rock to the Future and Kevin Bacon’s own SixDegrees.org.
NYS Music had the chance to interview The Bacon Brothers ahead of their upcoming NYS shows, talking all things music, family, and upcoming projects.
Cara Denton: You’ve coined your own genre – forosoco. As you began your music careers, did you ever feel limited by genre categories, or was it a natural part of your philosophies to work outside those categories?
Michael Bacon: Forosoco is a non-category. Genre distinctions have been a part of popular culture since the radio was invented. It helps the music business focus on narrow marketing strategies that streamline their business model. The key to success in any endeavor is to find out what is different about yourself and get really good at that.
Kevin Bacon: We just go where the song takes us. Sometimes they feel more folky, rocky, soulful, or country. We’ve always said to ourselves let’s not try to stick to a “sound” let’s have our lack of a sound be our sound.
CD: What artists, instruments, or genres of music have shaped your musical education throughout your lives?
MB: I’ve always had two parallel worlds in art music (cello, oboe) and folk music (banjo, guitar ukulele, etc…). As a composer and songwriter, every day I draw from the unique musical ambiance provided by our parents in the house in which the 6 of us grew up.
KB: Wow so many. Starting with Michael and our sister playing guitars and harmonizing. Motown. British Invasion. TSOP. James and Joni. And on and on. I love drums. I had a drum kit in our basement. And congas. Bongos. Etc.
CD: What does playing a show in New York City look like for you? Any pre-show rituals, sightseeing, or food spots you like to hit?
MB: It’s our hometown and beats flying or driving to distant venues. It’s a ten-minute subway ride to City Winery.
KB: Sightseeing?! I’ve lived in NYC since 1976 so pretty much seen the sights. My favorite slice is Joe’s on Carmine if that helps.
CD: Family is a binding force and an important factor in your musicianship – how does that shape your performances, songwriting, or experience as musicians?
MB: Ours is a family business. Families draw apart when they lack connection. I’m really proud, and I take some credit for my brother’s success in the music business.
KB: Family is everything.
CD: Do you have any practices or hobbies outside of music that you turn to to find inspiration or rejuvenate your creativity?
MB: I enjoy sailboat racing, motorboats and crossword puzzles.
KB: Animals and nature. Being on a horse, riding through the hills.
CD: What’s next for the Bacon Brothers? Any new styles, collaborations, or new developments you’re particularly excited about trying?
MB: I’m hoping one of the new songs catches a wave and a lot of people love it.
KB: Very excited about the new record. Never thought we would make this much music!
An ever-musical family, The Bacon Brothers continue to yield tour dates and new music to come. Their recent EP, Erato, released in July of 2022, with five brand new songs. The title track features a belting chorus, resonant guitar strumming, and catchy lyrics. The duo is touring across the country now, with tickets for their shows in Albany and Westbury now available.
BACON BROTHERS UPCOMING TOUR DATES
Nov 11 – Larchwood, IA – Grand Falls Casino and Golf Resort
The Extreme Music Awards has announced their inaugural event to be held in Albany on January 13, 2024. Created by Mike Valente of Upstate Black N Blue Productions, the Extreme Music Awards are set to bring recognition to the Capital Region’s most extreme artists.
The awards ceremony will feature a house band, performing a full concert experience for attendees at Albany’s Empire Live. In addition, prizes will be raffled off including signed drum heads, guitars, gift certificates, and more.
Mike Valente, also a member of hardcore band Brick by Brick, created the Extreme Music Awards alongside a team consisting of RadioRadioX, Capital Underground, That Fuzzing Rock Show and 518Scene.com. The media groups joined together to celebrate and recognize extreme music throughout New York State and the Capital Region.
Tickets are available now and more updates will be available at extrememusicawards.com, including announcements about presenters and judges at the ceremony.
The titans of American classic rock ZZ TOP and Lynyrd Skynyrd have announced 36 additional appearances of their joint co-headlining tour – The Sharp Dressed Simple Man Tour. The tour is set to stop four times in New York, including Syracuse, Bethel, Wantagh, and Darien Center.
ZZ TOP, known for their beards, hotrod cars, spinning guitars, and that magic keychain, and Lynyrd Skynyrd, known for their critically acclaimed album Pronounced Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd, have put their musical talents together for an unforgettable show performing across the United States, now with even more dates, so you have no excuse to miss it.
It was in 1969 Houston when ZZ TOP coalesced from the core of two rival bands, Billy Gibbons’ Moving Sidewalks and Frank Beard and Dusty Hill’s American Blues. ZZ Top‘s 1973 album release, Tres Hombres, catapulted them to national attention with the hit “La Grange,” which is still one of the band’s signature pieces today. Eliminator, their 1983 album was something of a paradigm shift for ZZ TOP.
Their blues roots skew was intact but their high-tech-age trappings were added to the mix that soon found a visual outlet with such tracks as “Sharp Dressed Man” and “Legs” on the nascent MTV. It was one of the record industry’s first albums to have been certified Diamond, far beyond Gold and Platinum, a reflection of sales exceeding ten million units.
As a touring outfit, they have performed before millions of fans over four continents and have been the subject of their own Grammy-nominated documentary titled That Little Ol’ Band From Texas. The band’s line-up of the bearded Gibbons and Hill and Beard, who ironically is clean-shaven, remained intact for more than 50 years. When Dusty temporarily departed the tour in the summer of 2021, Elwood Francis entered the picture accepting the directive from Dusty to be the perfect choice to stand in on the bass guitar and now handles the low-end duties for the band for the present as well as into the future.
The elements that keep ZZ TOP fresh can be summed up in the three words of the band’s internal mantra: “Tone, Taste, and Tenacity.” As genuine roots performers, they have few peers. Their influences are both the originators of the form – Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Jimmy Reed, et al – as well as the British blues rocker Jimi Hendrix who emerged generations before ZZ’s ascendance.
They have sold hundreds of millions of records over the course of their career, have been officially designated as Heroes of The State of Texas, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (by Keith Richards, no less), and have been referenced in countless cartoons and sitcoms. They are true rock icons and, against all odds, they’re really just doing what they’ve always done.
As Lynyrd Skynyrd celebrates the 50 anniversary of the band’s critically acclaimed debut album Pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd’, they resonate as deeply with their multi-generational fan base today as when they first emerged out of Jacksonville, Florida in 1973.
Few ensembles have had a deep impact in creating a lifestyle as Skynyrd has. The band travels forward with a primary mission of celebrating a legacy that honors all who have had a resonating contribution to the lives of hundreds of millions of fans globally. Former members Ronnie Van Zant, Gary Rossington, Allen Collins, Steve Gaines, Ed King, Billy Powell, Bob Burns, and Leon Wilkeson alongside others will forever remain significant contributors to this indelible repertoire and the band’s colorful history.
Today, Lynyrd Skynyrd rocks on with a current line-up featuring Johnny Van Zant, Rickey Medlocke, Damon Johnson, Mark “Sparky” Matejka, Michael Cartellone, Keith Christopher, Peter Keys, Carol Chase and Stacy Michelle.
It’s about the legacy of Lynyrd Skynyrd, and what it stands for, what the fans are all about. There’s nothing like getting out there playing a great show with Skynyrd and seeing people love this music.
Van Zant
With a catalog of over 60 albums, billions of streams, and tens of millions of records sold, Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Lynyrd Skynyrd remains a cultural icon that appeals to all generations.
The artist pre-sale begins on Tuesday, October 31 at 10 AM, and will be available until 10 PM on Thursday, November 2. The public on-sale begins at 10 AM on Friday, November 3. For tickets, and select VIP packages, visit here.
LYNYRD SKYNYRD & ZZ TOP: THE SHARP-DRESSED SIMPLE MAN TOUR DATES:
3/08 Savannah, GA Enmarket Arena
3/09 Estero, FL Hertz Arena
3/14 Greenville, SC Bon Secours Wellness Arena
3/15 Knoxville, TN Thompson-Boiling Arena at Food City Ctr.
3/16 Columbia, SC Colonial Life Arena
3/22 Bossier City, LA Brookshire Grocery Arena
3/23 Southhaven, MS Landers Center
3/24 Macon, GA Macon Amphitheater
3/28 Lexington, KY Rupp Arena
3/29 Greensboro, NC Greensboro Coliseum
3/30 Charleston, WV Charleston Coliseum
4/04 Biloxi, MS Mississippi Coast Coliseum
4/05 Tallahassee, FL Donald L. Tucker Civic Center
4/06 Huntsville, AL Propst Arena at the Von Braun Center
4/12 Evansville, IN Ford Center
4/13 Moline, IL Vibrant Arena
4/14 Green Bay, WI Resch Center
4/18 North Little Rock, AR Simmons Bank Arena
4/19 Lafayette, LA Cajundome
4/20 Corpus Christi, TX American Bank Center
8/09 Mount Pleasant, MI Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort #
8/15 Syracuse, NY Empower FCU Amphitheater at Lakeview
8/16 Bethel, NY Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
8/17 Mansfield, MA Xfinity Center
8/22 Wantagh, NY Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater
8/23 Gilford, NH Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion
8/24 Hartford, CT The Xfinity Theatre
9/05 Alpharetta, GA Ameris Bank Amphitheater
9/07 Virginia Beach, VA Veterans United Home Loans Amph. at Virginia Beach
9/08 Bristow, VA Jiffy Lube Live
9/12 Darien Center, NY Darien Lake Amphitheater
9/13 Clarkston, MI Pine Knob Music Theatre
9/14 Noblesville, IN Ruoff Music Center
9/19 Concord, CA Toyota Pavilion at Concord
9/21 Auburn, WA White River Amphitheater
9/22 Ridgefield, WA RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater
The Beacon Bonfire Music and Art Festival announced its return to the Hudson Valley region this fall, taking place on November 4 and 5 in Beacon. The festival emerged as a community gathering during the pandemic, and evolved into a multi-venue event, showcasing some of the region’s best music, art, and performance.
The festival will take place in 26 indoor and outdoor venues along Beacon’s Main Street. Beacon will host over 400 artists and musicians across over 20 genres, featuring performances from Matt Dickey Group, Ears With Eyes, Rose Stoller, Stephen Clair, Alex Harris, and more.
Photo Credit: Austin Ruffer @austininyourface
In addition to music, the Beacon Bonfire Music and Art Festival will host artistic exhibits from the Ethan Cohen Gallery, Ron English, Frank Hyder, Donna Mikkelson, and Emil Alzamora. Film screenings will take place later in the evening, with both short and feature length programming.
For the kiddie crowd, the festival will offer special kid-friendly programming, including interactive workshops, clay art exhibits, the Steamroller Large Scale Print, and more. Families can enjoy campfires, s’mores, and singalongs on and around Main Street. Children under 12 years old will have free access to the festival.
Photo Credit: Raymond A Wehrli @Zapalandrox
The festival is organized by actors and producers Christian Campbell and America Olivo, Kelly Ellenwood, producer Tim Parsaca, and composer Jeremy Schonfeld. Their aim is to platform regional and local artists in their community, while supporting local art initiatives and performers. All ticket revenue from the festival will go towards the performers.
Tickets, updates, and more information on the festival are available at BeaconBonfire.com.
The Halluci Nation (formerly A Tribe Called Red) announced they are performing at The Sanctuary for Independent Media in Troy on Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023.
Photo credit: Rémi Thériault.
The Halluci Nation is comprised of Bear Witness and Tim “2oolman” Hill, beginning as an act of protest, throwing dance hall parties for Indigenous youth in their hometown of Ottawa to Indigenize the club space after realizing the city’s nightclubs hosted such parties for many different cultures, but none representing the First Nations community. The Halluci Nation takes its name from a phrase coined by John Trudell, to describe the vast global community of people who remember at their core what it means to be human. As a visionary artist and activist, Trudell recognized the connection between his accomplishments and what A Tribe Called Red did intuitively through music and art.
Through groundbreaking stage shows and ever-changing visuals, Bear Witness and 2oolman are working to create media that reflects the modern-day Indigenous identity. They are facilitating a necessary conversation around a subtle and complex representation of the contemporary Indigenous experience. The project is built on collaboration, with the duo collaborating with a diverse set of people, including Yasiin Bey (AKA Mos Def), the Indigenous Australian band, OKA, the Wayuu-Colombian powerhouse, Lido Pimienta, and more.
The next chapter for The Halluci Nation has them further exploring the boundaries of cross-genre collaborations. “We wanted to take the music to another place,” says 2oolman. “We showed a little bit of our ambitious side on our last record and we got to do a lot of songs that we’d been wanting to do for a long time. And this is just the start. We are at the point where we are making music we love, inspired by our everyday lives and the people that surround us. We’ve got so much more coming.”
Photo credit: Rémi Thériault.
This event is part of the Sanctuary Eco-Art Trail project, connecting Indigenous legacy with environmental justice. Located on a block-wide environmental campus in North Central on settler lands, this neighborhood is one of the most under-resourced in New York State, with a long history of disinvestment and environmental contamination. The Eco-Art Trail acknowledges these layered histories as they dream and build towards restored biocultural diversity and robust Indigenous futures.
New Kids on the Block, the Boston native pop act, announced the Magic Summer 2024 Tour, reviving their 1990 tour of the same name.
Special guests Paula Abdul and DJ Jazzy Jeff will join the group as they embark, with stops in Wantagh, Saratoga Springs, and Darien Center.
The tour will kick off on June 14 in Cuyahoga Falls, OH, with stops in Denver, Phoenix, Dallas, Philadelphia, and Toronto. The group will make stops in New York at Wantagh’s Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater on August 4, Saratoga Springs’ Broadview Stage at SPAC on August 11, and Darien Center’s Darien Lake Amphitheater on August 22.
The true ‘magic’ of this tour is in the music, the moments and the memories that we get to create – and recreate – with our amazing fans each night. Feeling all the nostalgic feels of the original Magic Summer, with the bond that we’ve shared throughout the years, will make for a most magical time indeed.
Donnie Wahlberg
As a revival of their 1990 Magic Summer Tour, New Kids on the Block will perform a selection of their greatest hits, fan favorite tracks, and deep cuts for diehard fans. The tour is their first predominantly outdoor tour in 15 years, with many of the same venues from the 1990 tour.
New Kids on the Block will release a revamped version of their 2008 comeback album, The Block Revisited, on November 3. The release will celebrate 15 years since their return from hiatus.
TICKETS: Tickets will be available starting with Fanclub and CITI presales beginning on Wednesday, November 1. Additional presales will run throughout the week ahead of the general on-sale beginning on Friday, November 3 at 10 AM at LiveNation.com.
New Kids on the Block Upcoming Tour Dates
June 14 – Cuyahoga Falls, OH – Blossom Music Center
June 15 – Tinley Park, IL – Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre
June 18 – Clarkston, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre
June 19 – Burgettstown, PA – The Pavilion at Star Lake
June 21 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center
June 22 – Maryland Heights, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
June 23 – Prior Lake, MN – Mystic Amphitheater
June 25 – Kansas City, MO – Starlight Theatre
June 26 – Rogers, AR – Walmart AMP
June 28 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena
June 29 – Salt Lake City, UT – USANA Amphitheatre
July 1 – Highland, CA – Yaamava’ Theater **
July 2 – Wheatland, CA – Toyota Amphitheatre
July 3 – Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre
July 5 – Inglewood, CA – Kia Forum
July 6 – Palm Desert, CA – Acrisure Arena
July 7 – Chula Vista, CA – North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre
July 9 – Phoenix, AZ – Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre
July 10 – Albuquerque, NM – Isleta Amphitheater
July 12 – Austin, TX – Germania Insurance Amphitheater
July 13 – The Woodlands, TX – Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion Presented by Huntsman
July 14 – Dallas, TX – Dos Equis Pavilion
July 16 – Franklin, TN – FirstBank Amphitheater
July 17 – Franklin, TN – FirstBank Amphitheater
July 19 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
July 20 – West Palm Beach, FL – iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
July 21 – Jacksonville, FL – Daily’s Place
July 25 – Charleston, SC – Credit One Stadium
July 26 – Alpharetta, GA – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
July 27 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion
July 28 – Raleigh, NC – Coastal Credit Union Music Park
August 1 – Virginia Beach, VA – Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach
August 2 – Hartford, CT – XFINITY Theatre
August 3 – Hershey, PA – Hersheypark Stadium
August 4 – Wantagh, NY – Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater
August 8 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center
August 9 – Gilford, NH – BankNH Pavilion
August 10 – Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center
August 11 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Broadview Stage at SPAC
August 15 – Philadelphia, PA – TD Pavilion at the Mann
August 16 – Columbia, MD – Merriweather Post Pavilion
August 17 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage
August 22 – Darien Center, NY – Darien Lake Amphitheater
August 23 – Columbus, OH – Nationwide Arena
August 24 – Milwaukee, WI – American Family Insurance Amphitheater
Get ready for a musical extravaganza as the nonprofit Brooklyn Conservatory of Music hosts its eighth annual HOUSE PARTY on Thursday, November 9, from 6 PM to 10 PM. This unforgettable event will transform the Brooklyn Conservatory’s Park Slope Victorian Mansion into a vibrant celebration of music, featuring 20 musical acts spread across indoor and outdoor stages, spanning all five floors of this historic venue.
Courtesy of Brooklyn Conservatory of Music
The HOUSE PARTY isn’t just about music and revelry; it’s a night with a cause. This event raises funds to support the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music’s vital music education and music therapy programs that serve communities throughout New York City to bring high-quality music education and music therapy to thousands of students and clients at public schools and community-based organizations across the city’s five boroughs.
The event is scheduled for Thursday, November 9, 2023, starting with a pre-party at 6:00 PM, followed by the main event from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM and an after-party at 10 PM, all taking place at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, situated at 58 Seventh Avenue in Park Slope, Brooklyn, 11217.
The HOUSE PARTY boasts a spectacular lineup of musical acts, featuring renowned artists such as DJ Spinna, Martha Redbone, Red Baraat, The Brothers Footman, Brass Queens, Duchess, Kiran Ahluwalia, and many more. It’s a diverse and eclectic musical journey that will keep you entertained throughout the evening.
The Brooklyn Conservatory of Music is on a mission to transform lives and build community through the power of music. They offer private music lessons, group classes, ensembles, and music therapy, all within the welcoming confines of their Park Slope home. Through community engagement programs, they bring high-quality music education and music therapy to students and clients across New York City’s five boroughs. The Brooklyn Conservatory of Music is committed to creating a safe, affirming, and inclusive space where people from all walks of life can come together to experience learning, joy, creativity, and healing through music.
Support this fantastic cause, enjoy a night of incredible music, and be part of a community that believes in the transformative power of music. Tickets for this one-of-a-kind soirée are on sale now. Don’t miss the opportunity to be part of what many have called “the best party in Brooklyn.“
The two-time GRAMMY Award-winning Albany Symphony, led by Music Director David Alan Miller, presents a concert that includes one of the most beloved works in the repertory and a soon-to-be new favorite “dance symphony,” evoking early rock ‘n’ roll at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall.
Recognized as one of America’s most innovative and creative orchestras, the two-time GRAMMY Award-winning Albany Symphony is renowned for performances featuring classic orchestral favorites, lesser-heard masterworks, and a diverse array of new music from leading and emerging voices of today. The Symphony has received more ASCAP Awards than any other orchestra in America, as well as several GRAMMY nominations, including the orchestra’s most recent win in 2021.
Led by Music Director David Alan Miller, the Symphony presents a core classical series throughout the region, each featuring a world-premiere or recent composition; a multi-day American Music Festival that celebrates established and emerging living composers; performances by its cutting-edge new music chamber ensemble, the Dogs of Desire; and a family series and holiday concerts in collaboration with youth performing arts groups. The Albany Symphony’s award-winning education programs include Symphony in Our Schools, which brings musicians into classrooms for interactive music education.
Founded in 1930 in New York’s Capital Region, the Albany Symphony serves a diverse regional audience covering more than seven counties and parts of three states. It regularly serves as an ambassador for new music and Upstate innovation beyond the Capital Region.
This gorgeous concert will absolutely delight you, bringing two Romantic masterpieces together with Michael Daugherty’s amazing orchestral tour-de-forces. I’m particularly excited to present Tchaikovsky’s glorious Third Symphony, the work of a brilliant young composer that leads the way directly to his major masterpieces, ‘Swan Lake’ and the Symphony No. 4. Strauss’ ‘Blue Danube,’ and Michael’s ‘Last Dance at the Surf,’ will make everyone want to jump up and dance, and ‘To the New World,’ a riveting tribute to Neil Armstrong and the Apollo 11 mission, is a glorious tone poem about space travel. Audiences of all ages will love this program!
Music Director and Conductor David Alan Miller.
Michael Daugherty, a composer, pianist, and music educator is a long-time friend of the Albany Symphony. Two of Daugherty’s pieces will be performed including, “Last Dance at the Surf” and “To the New World.”
One of Daugherty’s favorite road trips in Iowa, the state where he grew up, was to the majestic Surf Ballroom. Many of America’s famous swing, jazz, and rock-n-roll bands have performed at this venue for music lovers who dance the night away. In memory of Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and The Big Bopper who gave their last performances at the Winter Dance Party tour in 1959 before their plane crashed, and in celebration of the Surf Ballroom being declared a National Historic Landmark in January 2021, Daugherty’s piece will be performed on the November program.
“My dance symphony starts with woodblocks and pizzicato strings, playing a five-note rhythmic groove reminiscent of a Buddy Holly guitar riff. This groove is repeated in various transformations throughout the composition and provides a counterpoint to the main theme, a syncopated ascending melody played in unison by the woodwinds. The main theme goes through elaborate rhythmic and timbral developments, followed by a rousing ‘rockabilly’ section,” Daugherty said.
His piece “To the New World,” is about the 1969 Apollo-11 space mission. Like the rocket, which separated into three stages after lift-off, and the spacecraft, which was divided into three modules, his 22-minute composition is divided into three movements.
“The Blue Danube” is one of the most consistently played pieces in classical repertoire. Johann Strauss Jr. originally wrote the work for a carnival choir with satirical lyrics. The instrumental version, which will be performed at the November concert, is by far the more popular version played today. The piece was first performed in the United States in 1867. For pop culture fans, the piece is used in several movies and shows. Most recently, it was used throughout the 2021 Netflix series, Squid Game. Johann Strauss Jr. was born into a very musical family in Austria. As a child, he secretly took violin lessons because his father wanted him to become a banker, not a musician. However, his mother supported his dreams and Strauss moved forward making music his career.
The evening will conclude with Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 3 also known as Polish. It is the only one of Tchaikovsky’s seven symphonies that is in a major key and the only one to contain five movements. During its first performance in the UK, conductor Sir August Manns referred to it as the Polish symphony because of the recurring Polish dance rhythms in the final movement. The piece was originally premiered in 1875 in Moscow. Ballet lovers may recognize the work from the Diamonds section of George Balanchine’s full-length ballet Jewels premiered in 1967.
The Albany Symphony November Concert will take place at Troy Savings Bank Music Hall on Saturday, November 11, and Sunday, November 12.
