Category: Schenectady

In Focus: Gratefully Yours meet Van Gogh in Schenectady

Schenectady has hosted the Van Gogh Experience for nearly a year now, and while the exhibit itself is worth a visit, the art of the master painter was brought to new levels with the music of the Grateful Dead. Thanks to Sugar Productions and Exhibition Hub Entertainment, Gratefully Yours performed on Saturday, March 4th at the Schenectady Armory in a room lit up with the art of Vincent Van Gogh.

A packed house of fans experienced a surreal audio/visual delight, as the main room of the Van Gogh Experience – where for over an hour, attendees see a career retrospective of Van Gogh’s most famous paintings, brought to life with 3D animation of his work. Add in a full two hours of Gratefully Yours performing Grateful Dead songs, and the pairing was as perfect as could be.

Hearing the “Sunshine Daydream” portion of “Sugar Magnolia” hitting just as the walls were lit up with images of “View of Arles with Irises” and an added sun rising over the sky made for quite the pairing. While “Dark Star” and “Starry Night” did not sync up, there were moment of pure bliss that could not be anticipated as the walls continued to change and the songs progressed.

Gratefully Yours – Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience – Schenectady Armory – March 4, 2023

Setlist: One More Saturday Night, Casey Jones, China Cat Sunflower> I Know You Rider > The Music Never Stopped>Bird Song> Truckin’> Eyes of the World> Scarlet Begonias> St. Stephen> The Other One> Space> Franklin’s Tower> The End, Sugar Magnolia> St. Stephen> The Wheel> Sunshine Daydream, Shining Star> Not Fade Away

March 5, 2023
Proctors Collaborative Announces Global Music Passport Series

Proctors Collaborative and Universal Preservation Hall have announced The Passport Series in collaboration with Music Haven, which will bring global music styles to Upstate audiences this spring.

For 30 years, Music Haven has presented an amazing array of global sounds in Schenectady’s Central Park transporting summer seekers to locales like Yemen, Ukraine, Louisiana, Ireland and Peru without ever having to leave their seats. The Passport Series takes the same beloved world music that patrons of the park series have come to cherish and brings it to Proctors in Schenectady and Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga Springs so the party can continue all year!

“Music Haven is thrilled to expand its partnership with Proctors Collaborative to include UPH as well as the GE Theatre at Proctors,” said series curator Mona Golub. “Our winter/spring Passport Series itinerary boasts exquisite artistry from four distinct locales – two familiar favorites in Ireland and Cuba and two dynamic new destinations in Turkey and Korea. Come travel the world with us one concert at a time!”

Passport Series

The first in the 2023 Passport Series is Dervish at Proctors, Schenectady 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 3. Dervish, the 2019 BBC Radio 2 Folk Award Lifetime Achievement Award winner, has been bringing traditional Irish music to the world for more than 30 years. The line-up includes some of Ireland’s finest traditional musicians, fronted by one of the country’s best-known singers, Cathy Jordan.

Up next in the Passport Series, get transported to Cuba with the 3x Grammy®-nominated Tiempo Libre. “Salsa Night with Tiempo Libre” will be at UPH 8 p.m. Friday, March 24. Tiempo Libre are true modern heirs to the rich musical tradition with its sophisticated performances of timba music, an irresistible, dance-inducing mix of Latin jazz and Cuban song. Dancing is strongly encouraged! When those feet start tapping, that’s the time to get up and dance!

The Passport Series returns to Proctors 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 4 with Aynur. Her vocal style and her albums are praised in both Turkish media and internationally. Aynur has become one of the most well-known musicians from Turkey and a representative of the Kurdish people. She will be following her performance at Proctors by performing at Carnegie Hall.

Lastly, join ADG7 (Ak Dan Gwang Chil) at UPH 8 p.m. Friday, May 5. ADG7 is a multi-award-winning group featuring a rich repertoire inspired by Korea’s sacred, shamanic ritual music (gut) and beloved folk songs (minyo) of Hwanghae Province in the northern reaches of the Peninsula. ADG7 made their first big U.S. splash at globalFEST in 2019, an annual cultural celebration that features the most dynamic music globally.

The Passport Series pass includes a ticket to each of the four winter/spring 2023 shows in the series for $100. Single tickets to each show are also available at the Box Office at Proctors, in person or via phone at (518) 346-6204 Monday-Friday 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m.-2 p.m. or online at proctorscollaborative.org/passport-series.

February 10, 2023
Van Norton Family Foundation Selects ESYO as First Grant Recipient

Schenectady’s Empire State Youth Orchestra (ESYO) have announced that they’ve received a grant of $22,000 from the Van Norton Family Foundation, going towards the CHIME program.

Heather Manthey, Van Norton Family Foundation President and Co-Founder is driven by her mother’s benevolence. She says, “Our Foundation has a three-part mission: to support qualifying organizations that promote the interests of children, assist with the mental and physical health of individuals in our community, and advance the arts.” After researching ESYO, it wasn’t long before Manthey knew that she had found her perfect choice.

Founded in 1979, ESYO is a non-profit organization that is widely known as a premier music education/performance program for youth and has received three ASCAP awards.

The Empire State Youth Orchestra plans to use their stupendous gift to support their CHIME program. Creating Harmony Inspiring Musical Excellence was launched in 2015 to address fundamental inequities preventing universal access to high level music opportunities for youth. Today it is a free after-school program for grades k-12, that empowers youth to develop a strong sense of personal identity and community through ensemble-based music instruction.

The Amplify Our Voice initiative provides the youth of CHIME with a safe place to process deep emotion, explore shared experiences, and amplify their voices to the world. Through reflection, improvisation, and experimentation, the youth of CHIME create an original, multi-level composition in partnership with a guest arranger. This year’s theme, chosen by students, is “Stop Violence & Show Kindness,”. They will be collaborating with composer Adrian Gordon. The CHIME Proctors Orchestra recently performed Gordon’s piece “A Hero’s Journey.”

Currently, in support of their CHIME program, ESYO has received a total of $105,000 from regional and national Foundations. Funders, Rea Charitable Trust, Review Foundation, Carnegie Hall PlayUSA, Barry Alan Gold Memorial Fund,D’Addario Foundation, Henry M. Butzel Foundation, Seymour Fox Foundation and Price Chopper Golub Foundation have all made gracious donations. For more information, visit esyo.org.

January 24, 2023
Renowned Pianist Philip Edward Fisher Reunites with Schenectady Symphony Orchestra

On Sunday, January 29, The Schenectady Symphony Orchestra will return to the main stage at Proctors with Philip Edward Fisher joining.

The performance will encompass illustrious pianist Philip Edward Fisher in Mozart’s “Piano Concerto in D Minor, along with Rossini’s “Overture to the Barber of Seville,” Salieri’s Sinfonia in D Major and Brahms “Variations on a Theme by Haydn.” Fisher’s first collaboration with SSO was during their 20-21 virtual concert season, which resulted in him being featured by the “Back to Basics” program.

Philip Edward Fisher began his music journey at the age of nine and made his first public appearance a year later. At age twelve, he performed “Shostakovich’s Second Concerto at Birmingham’s Symphony Hall”. Years later Fisher acquired degrees from the Royal Academy of Music and the Juilliard School, studying with Christopher Elton, Joseph Kalichstein, and Jerome Lowenthal.

When questioned about what audience members can expect from the upcoming concert, Fisher stated “This is a wonderful program and, although it is centered around the ‘great classicists,’ the audience will get a true taste of the move towards romanticism and the way in which each of these great composers influenced the music that would follow them.” Regarding his opinion about reuniting with The Schenectady Symphony Orchestra, Fisher said, “My first appearance with the orchestra was actually one of my very first performances during the COVID crisis… so I am particularly excited to return and play for a live audience. As enjoyable and fulfilling as the virtual concert was, there is simply nothing that can replace the thrill of making music for a live audience!”

Philip is globally acknowledged as a unique performer of urbane style and exceptional versatility. Touring as a prolific soloist and ensemble musician has allowed Fisher to travel from his home in the United Kingdom to Italy, Austria, Denmark, Finland, Switzerland, Norway, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Japan, Ukraine, and the United States.

Tickets are on sale and available through the Box Office at Proctors, or via phone at 518-346-6204. Tickets are also available online at www.proctors.org.

January 17, 2023