Author: Faith Logue

2024 River To River Festival in NYC Lineup Announced

Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC) is pleased to announce the 23rd annual River To River Festival from June 7 – 23, 2024.

Celebrating local artists and honoring creative diversity across disciplines, The River To River Festival is Downtown New York City’s leading free summer arts festival. This year’s River To River Festival aligns with LMCC’s 50th-anniversary celebrations.

Created in the aftermath of 9/11 to heal and celebrate New Yorkers’ resiliency through the power of art, the River To River Festival is an opportunity for New Yorkers to engage with their local artistic community across disciplines, all for free. A champion of independent artmaking since 1973, and the driving force behind this unique festival for over 20 years, the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council has been a proud proponent of the experimentation and exploration that the festival provides to the community. LMCC is marking five decades of championing independent artists and fostering vibrant cultural communities throughout New York City.

Manhattan’s Arts Council, LMCC has expanded its work and reach beyond Lower Manhattan and LMCC now serves the entirety of the borough, from Governors Island to Inwood. 50 years on, the organization stands as a pillar of strength, boasting renowned artist service programs and a rich and diverse alumni community. LMCC has sustained the city’s arts landscape, spearheading cultural revitalization efforts in the Financial District after 9/11 and securing essential resources for artist communities affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

River to River 2023 Closing Concert. Photo credit: Cherylynn Tsushima.

In honor of this milestone, the 2024 festival features LMCC residency and grants alumni from the Extended Life program working across disciplines, with a captivating array of dance, music, video, installation, and exhibitions that reflect the interdisciplinary, diverse ethos of LMCC. Featuring 13 projects of live art, performances, and participatory events (including seven premieres) in public spaces throughout Downtown New York, the 2024 River To River Festival explores themes of resonance, reconsideration, and resistance.

2024 River To River Artists include mayfield brooks, Jesi Cook, Leslie Cuyjet, Miguel Gutierrez, Kayla Hamilton and Kate Speer, John P. Hastings, NIC Kay, jaamil olawale kosoko, Samita Sinha, Elisabeth Smolarz, Nattie Trogdon + Hollis Bartlett, Stories from the Stoop & Billion Oyster Project, and LMCC’s Workspace. 2023-24 Artists-in-Residence are Francheska Alcántara, Blanka Amezkua, Lucas Baisch, Elvira Clayton, Francisco Donoso, SaraNoa Mark, Miriam Simun, Corinne Spencer, Alex Strada, Cici Wu, and Jessica Lagunas

Events range from the local and participatory, the open and artistic, to the sweet and memory-laden, as in the cases of Love for NYC Waterways: Stories from the Stoop, in partnership with Billion Oyster Project. It is a Moth-style storytelling and open mic event that celebrates the legacy of the Blackwater stewards of New York, and Elisabeth Smolarz’s (2012 artist-in-residence) presentation of ice cream flavors inspired by her experiences during her 2012 artist residency on Governors Island.

Nile Harris. Photo by Cherylynn Tsushima.

Other highlights include Samita Sinha’s June 20 performance of Tremor. This special iteration is performed in a duet with Cecilia Vicuña presented in the historic and resonant space of Federal Hall. Sinha and Vicuña infuse their vibrations and lineages into the dense history and monumentality of the site, opening other ways of sensing, knowing, being, and being together.

Honored this year with LMCC’s 2024 Sam Miller Award for Performing Art, celebrated choreographer Miguel Gutierrez will present THE POWER OF THE BOUNCE on June 7. An interactive, high-energy dance performance complete with group choreography, aerobics, and costumes, come in costume and learn the famous “Aerobicon” dance that Miguel created to Le Tigre’s “Deceptacon” in 2000.

Doing more than double duty, choreographer mayfield brooks will use found objects, sound, light, movement, and projection to conjure an abyssal underwater world that transforms the formerly munitions storage warehouse into an imagined site of a decomposed whale. Both presentations are a culmination of brooks’ project Whale Fall, originally commissioned by Abrons Arts Center and virtually premiered as an experimental dance film in 2021 during the height of the pandemic.

Dates, times, and locations are subject to change—be sure to check here for up-to-date information. Please note that all events are free, but due to limited capacity, some require advance registration. RSVPs open May 21, 2024.

May 3, 2024
Live Nation Concert Week Offering $25 Tickets to Dozens of Shows in Buffalo

2024 marks ten years of Live Nation’s highly celebrated Concert Week. Music and comedy fans in the U.S. and Canada can purchase $25 tickets between May 8-14, getting access to over 5,000 Live Nation shows, including several in Buffalo.

In honor of its milestone anniversary, Live Nation also announced its global expansion of Concert Week to over 20 countries in addition to North America this year, including those in Australia, Asia, Europe, the UK, and the Middle East. Across the globe, Live Nation will celebrate Concert Week throughout May with other special offers, promotions, and giveaways for fans.

For fans in the U.S. and Canada, this annual program marks the start of the summer concert season, creating excitement among concertgoers as they gear up to fill their calendars with unforgettable live performances from their favorite artists. Concert Week tickets include all fees upfront in the $25 all-in cost.

This limited-time ticket offer encompasses over 900 artists in pop, Latin, hip-hop, country, R&B, rock, metal, electronic, comedy, and more. From 21 Savage, Alanis Morissette, Cage The Elephant, Celeste Barber, Dan + Shay, Dierks Bentley, Feid, Janet Jackson, Meghan Trainor, New Kids On The Block, Peso Pluma, Sean Paul, Thirty Seconds to Mars and beyond. Concert Week offers something for everyone and features venues of all sizes from clubs and theaters to amphitheaters and arenas.

Tickets for Concert Week in the U.S. will be available starting with T-Mobile and Rakuten early access beginning on Tuesday, May 7. The general on-sale for Concert Week will begin on Wednesday, May 8 at 10 am ET through Tuesday, May 14 at 11:59 pm, or while supplies last.

SOME OF THE 2024 PARTICIPATING SHOWS IN BUFFALO

Artpark

5/25 – Gary Clark Jr.

7/1 – Orville Peck

7/6 – Norah Jones

7/16 – Jamey Johnson

7/19 – Train

7/22 – The Flaming Lips

7/29 – Two Door Cinema Club

8/17 – Bush

Buffalo Riverworks

8/6 – Chevelle

Darien Lake

6/8 – Hardy

6/22 – Niall Horan

6/23 – Bert Kreischer’s Fully Loaded Comedy Festival

6/25 – James Taylor

6/27 – Kenny Chesney

7/3 – Third Eye Blind

7/5 – Janet Jackson

7/7 – Kidz Bop Kids

8/1 – Jason Aldean

8/6 – Queens of R&B

8/14 – Barbie The Movie

8/20 – Avril Lavigne

8/22 – New Kids On The Block

9/10 – Falling in Reverse

9/12 – Lynyrd Skynyrd

9/17 – Outlaw Music Festival

9/27 – Creed

KeyBank Center

6/15 – Lionel Richie

9/27 – Tom Segura

Kodak Center

10/10 – Dane Cook

May 3, 2024
Cooperstown Summer Music Festival Launches 26th Season with Special Mother’s Day Concert Featuring Ariel Quartet

The Cooperstown Summer Music Festival is excited to inaugurate its 26th season with a special Mother’s Day program featuring the acclaimed Ariel Quartet – taking place on Sunday, May 12th at 4 pm at Christ Episcopal Church in Cooperstown.

Ariel Quartet (PC Marco Borggreve).

Renowned for their passionate performances and remarkable artistry, the Ariel Quartet will surely captivate the Cooperstown audience with a program featuring Ravel’s evocative String Quartet and Schumann’s masterful String Quartet No. 3. Attendees will also indulge in classic French madeleine cookies, adding sweetness to the occasion.

Founded in 1999 by flutist Linda Chesis, the Cooperstown Summer Music Festival has been bringing world-class chamber music performances to the Cooperstown area for decades. The festival has featured performances by the American, Juilliard, St. Lawrence, Jupiter and Jasper, String Quartets, and more. Concerts are held in venues across Cooperstown, including the grand Otesaga Hotel, The Farmers’ Museum, and Christ Church, the church of author James Fenimore Cooper.

We’re delighted to present the Ariel Quartet for this special event. Schumann’s quartet with its ‘Clara motif’ expressing his deep love for his wife, is a fitting choice for Mother’s Day. Clara Schumann was a remarkable woman and modern-day inspiration who balanced a thriving career as a touring concert pianist and celebrated composer with managing a household and their eight children. Clara’s motif is a testament to her enduring influence on her husband’s life and music.
Linda Chesis, Artistic Director of CSMF.

“We’re thrilled to be part of the festival and celebrate Mother’s Day with music,” said the members of the Ariel Quartet. “We look forward to sharing our love of chamber music and honoring the mothers who have enriched our lives.”

Tickets are $30 for adults and $15 for students and children. Tickets can be purchased in advance either online or over the phone by calling Purplepass Tickets at 800-316-8559 and selecting Option 1. Please note there is a $2 service fee per phone order. Tickets will also be sold at the door, as available.

May 1, 2024
Geneva Music Festival Gears up for 14th Season

The Geneva Music Festival is gearing up for a stunning new concert season from May 18 to June 9, with artists old and new, a special “musical mixology” evening, and free community outreach events.

The Festival theme for this year is “Light/Dark”, an exploration in contrasts. While some concerts will use the theme literally, featuring pieces inspired by times of day; others will play with it figuratively, using contrasting pairs such as love and hate, or peace and war.

The Geneva Music Festival was founded in 2011 by Geneva, New York violinist Geoffrey Herd as a weekend of chamber music in his hometown. The festival has grown over fourteen years to a nearly month-long event that draws thousands of attendees from across the Finger Lakes region. Each year, the Festival continues its mission of inspiring people with world-class chamber music and engaging diverse audiences in its outreach programs.

Artists-in-residence will be joined by several talented musicians participating in the Festival for the first time. Fusion ensemble Biriba Union will kick off the season at local winery Ravines on May 19 with a tantalizing synthesis of Brazilian beats, bluegrass, jazz, classical, hip-hop, funk, and pop. Also new to the Geneva Music Festival are the storied Brentano String Quartet, performing May 30 at the Gearan Center; and the Kate McGarry and Keith Ganz Ensemble, who will wow listeners with enchanting jazz vocals at the Cracker Factory on June 2.

Not to be missed this season is the first-ever “Musical Mixology” night at the Linden Social Club. An immersive experience, the evening will pair each of four pieces of live music with a bespoke drink and a small plate.

In addition to ticketed events, the Geneva Music Festival also engages in a wide array of community outreach events, visiting local schools, and the Boys and Girls Club, and offering free concerts for the community at the Geneva Public Library (May 29, 5:30 pm) and the Geneva Welcome Center (June 4, 8:15 pm)

With artists new and old, inventive concert venues, and exceptional musicianship, this concert season’s cycles of light and dark in music renditions promise to be the best yet.

To learn more, and to purchase tickets, visit here.

May 1, 2024
Billie Eilish Announces “HIT ME HARD AND SOFT: THE TOUR” With Three Dates at MSG

Following the news of her highly anticipated third studio album HIT ME HARD AND SOFT, set for release on May 17, Billie Eilish has announced arena dates, produced by Live Nation, for her HIT ME HARD AND SOFT: THE TOUR. Eilish will stop at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday, October 16; Thursday, October 17; and Friday, October 18, 2024.

Billie Eilish’s forthcoming album, HIT ME HARD AND SOFT was written by Billie Eilish and FINNEAS, her brother and long-time collaborator, who also produced the album. HIT ME HARD AND SOFT will be available on all digital platforms, and in a continued effort to minimize waste and combat climate change; across all physical formats in limited variants on the same day, with the same track-listing and using 100% recyclable materials.

Eilish will continue her long-standing partnership with environmental nonprofit REVERB on this tour, building on the success of previous efforts, which resulted in over $1 million donated to greenhouse gas reduction and climate justice projects, more than 150,000 fan actions, and much more. Sustainability efforts on this tour will include reducing greenhouse gas pollution, decreasing single-use plastic waste, supporting climate action, and updating concession offerings to promote and encourage plant-based food options with Support+Feed.

Photo by William Drumm.

Fans are encouraged to join the effort to make the BILLIE EILISH HIT ME HARD AND SOFT: THE TOUR more sustainable. Where possible, take public transportation and carpool to and from the shows to help reduce greenhouse gas pollution and encourage more public transportation options. Thrift outfits to avoid fast fashion, and bring an empty reusable water bottle or donate for a custom RockNRefill Nalgene bottle to fill up at the free water refill stations located at each venue.

Tickets for BILLIE EILISH: HIT ME HARD AND SOFT: THE TOUR will be available starting with the American Express® Presale beginning on Tuesday, April 30, with additional presales running throughout the week. Any remaining tickets will be available during the general on-sale starting Friday, May 3. On-sale start times vary by market, check local listings for more information.

BILLIE EILISH HIT ME HARD AND SOFT: THE TOUR – NORTH AMERICA*

Sun Sep 29 – Québec, QC – Centre Videotron

Tue Oct 01 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena

Wed Oct 02 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena

Fri Oct 04 – Baltimore, MD – CFG Bank Arena

Sat Oct 05 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center

Mon Oct 07 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena

Wed Oct 09 – Newark, NJ – Prudential Center

Fri Oct 11 – Boston, MA – TD Garden

Sun Oct 13 – Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Paints Arena

Wed Oct 16 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden

Thu Oct 17 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden

Fri Oct 18 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden

Sat Nov 02 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena

Sun Nov 03 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena

Wed Nov 06 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena

Fri Nov 08 – Cincinnati, OH – Heritage Bank Center

Sun Nov 10 – Saint Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center

Mon Nov 11 – Saint Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center

Wed Nov 13 – Chicago, IL – United Center

Thu Nov 14 – Chicago, IL – United Center

Sat Nov 16 – Kansas City, MO – T-Mobile Center

Sun Nov 17 – Omaha, NE – CHI Health Center Omaha

Tue Nov 19 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena

Wed Nov 20 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena

Tue Dec 03 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena

Thu Dec 05 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena

Fri Dec 06 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena

Sun Dec 08 – Portland, OR – Moda Center

Tue Dec 10 – San Jose, CA – SAP Center at San Jose

Wed Dec 11 – San Jose, CA – SAP Center at San Jose

Fri Dec 13 – Glendale, AZ – Desert Diamond Arena

Sun Dec 15 – Inglewood, CA – Kia Forum

Mon Dec 16 – Inglewood, CA – Kia Forum

Tue Dec 17 – Inglewood, CA – Kia Forum

HIT ME HARD AND SOFT: THE TOUR – AUSTRALIA

Tue Feb 18, 2025 – Brisbane, Australia – Brisbane Entertainment Centre

Wed Feb 19, 2025 – Brisbane, Australia – Brisbane Entertainment Centre

Fri Feb 21, 2025 – Brisbane, Australia – Brisbane Entertainment Centre

Sat Feb 22, 2025 – Brisbane, Australia – Brisbane Entertainment Centre

Mon Feb 24, 2025 – Sydney, Australia – Qudos Bank Arena

Tue Feb 25, 2025 – Sydney, Australia – Qudos Bank Arena

Thu Feb 27, 2025 – Sydney, Australia – Qudos Bank Arena

Fri Feb 28, 2025 – Sydney, Australia – Qudos Bank Arena

Tue Mar 4, 2025 –Melbourne, Australia – Rod Laver Arena

Wed Mar 5, 2025 – Melbourne, Australia – Rod Laver Arena

Fri Mar 7, 2025 – Melbourne, Australia – Rod Laver Arena

Sat Mar 8, 2025 – Melbourne, Australia – Rod Laver Arena

HIT ME HARD AND SOFT: THE TOUR – EUROPE/U.K./IRELAND

Wed Apr 23, 2025 – Stockholm, Sweden – Avicii Arena

Thu Apr 24, 2025 – Stockholm, Sweden – Avicii Arena

Sat Apr 26, 2025 – Oslo, Norway – Telenor Arena

Mon Apr 28, 2025 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Royal Arena

Tue Apr 29, 2025 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Royal Arena

Fri May 2, 2025 – Hannover, Germany – ZAG Arena

Sun May 4, 2025 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Ziggo Dome

Mon May 5, 2025 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Ziggo Dome

Wed May 7, 2025 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Ziggo Dome

Fri May 9, 2025 – Berlin, Germany – Uber Arena

Thu May 29, 2025 – Cologne, Germany – Lanxess Arena

Fri May 30, 2025 – Cologne, Germany – Lanxess Arena

Sun June 1, 2025 – Prague, Czech Republic – O2 Arena

Tue June 3, 2025 – Kraków, Poland – Tauron Arena

Wed June 4, 2025 – Kraków, Poland – Tauron Arena

Fri June 6, 2025 – Vienna, Austria – Stadthalle

Sun June 8, 2025 – Bologna, Italy – Unipol Arena

Tue June 10, 2025 – Paris, France – Accor Arena

Wed June 11, 2025 – Paris, France – Accor Arena

Sat June 14, 2025 – Barcelona, Spain – Palau Sant Jordi

Sun June 15, 2025 –Barcelona, Spain – Palau Sant Jordi

Mon Jul 7, 2025 – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro

Tue Jul 8, 2025 – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro

Thu Jul 10, 2025 – London, UK – The O2

Fri Jul 11, 2025 –London, UK – The O2

Sun Jul 13, 2025 – London, UK – The O2

Mon Jul 14, 2025 – London, UK – The O2

Wed Jul 16, 2025 – London, UK – The O2

Thu Jul 17, 2025 – London, UK – The O2

Sat Jul 19, 2025 – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live

Sun Jul 20, 2025 – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live

Tue Jul 22, 2025 – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live

Wed Jul 23, 2025 – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live

Sat Jul 26, 2025 – Dublin, Ireland – 3Arena

Sun Jul 27, 2025 – Dublin, Ireland – 3Arena

April 30, 2024
Sonya Cohen Cramer Honored With “Crankie” Video Ahead of First-Ever Collection at Smithsonian

Sonya Cohen Cramer (1965-2015), the singular vocalist, graphic designer, and art director is being honored with an unreleased track and video ahead of the first-ever collection dedicated fully to her music, You’ve Been a Friend to Me, released on May 17 via Smithsonian Folkways. This 30+ years body of work reveals the full arc of her musical life as a member of one the most important families in folk music history.

Sonya Cohen Cramer, photo by Patti Perret.

Sonya Cohen Cramer was raised in a family committed to revitalizing the oldest songs of the American musical canon. Like her father John Cohen of The New Lost City Ramblers and her mother Penny Seeger,  she believed in the transformative qualities of folk songs and traditional ballads. You’ve Been a Friend to Me is the first collection featuring her singing, and it reveals the full arc of her musical life through collaborations with her aunt Peggy Seeger, uncle  Pete Seeger, Elizabeth Mitchell, Daniel Littleton, and the folk-fusion group Last Forever. She was the granddaughter of musicologist Charles Seeger and the avant-garde composer Ruth Crawford Seeger, and her godfather was Folkways founder Moe Asch.  While shaped by the roots of her family tree, the radiating and clear sound of Cramer’s voice is distinctly her own. 

Known mainly for her graphic design work for Folkways, her musicianship during her time in the New York Times-acclaimed folk band Last Forever (featuring composer and producer Dick Connette) was admired by the likes of Jeff Buckley, Loudon Wainwright III, Meredith Monk, and Joe Boyd. The upcoming project reveals her life as both a familial and mission symbol of the Folkways ethos, committed to revitalizing the oldest songs of Folkways Records and the American musical canon.

Peggy Seeger and Ewan MacColl recorded a version by Christina MacAllister of Aberdeenshire, Scotland, in 1962. The music video, created by illustrator, graphic designer, and printmaker Dio Cramer, uses the traditional storytelling form called the “crankie” or moving panorama: a backlit scroll that’s cranked across two dowels to unfold its narrative.

For more information about Sonya cohen Cramer visit here. Watch the “crankie” music video made by Dio Cramer below.

April 30, 2024
The Brubeck Collection At Wilton Library Launches Digital Archive Of Jazz Legend Dave Brubeck

One of the world’s premier jazz archives, The Dave Brubeck Collection at Wilton Library (Wilton, CT), announced the launch of its enhanced and interactive digital archive, making the 22,000+ item collection catalog easily searchable and browsable online for the first time to everyone worldwide.

Dave Brubeck & Louis Armstrong (The Brubeck Collection). Credit: Don Hunstein/SONY Records

This new digital archive includes a thousand digitized photos, recordings, scores, and documents. For more than 128 years, Wilton Library has served as the cultural and intellectual center of Wilton, CT with the mission to inform, enrich, connect, and inspire the community.

This robust collection, established by Dave Brubeck and his wife features unreleased music, interactive tour maps, photos, correspondence, concert programs, posters, and song timelines from the biggest–selling jazz single of all time “Take Five” – which Dave Brubeck Quartet member Paul Desmond composed 65 years ago – to Brubeck’s achievements in the classical world with his prolific compositions.

Made available on International Jazz Day, this rich resource shares Brubeck’s legacy with musicians, students, researchers, jazz aficionados, and anyone curious about the artist’s broad cultural impact and many dimensions: from his music and family life to his involvement in the 1950s and 60s Civil Rights Movement and beyond.

Creating an online digital archive for The Brubeck Collection was an essential step in making its broad scope of materials accessible worldwide. Dave Brubeck was an internationally renowned musical pioneer and we have been honored to steward his legacy, at Wilton Library and now everywhere. We hope people will enjoy visiting us online as well as in person, where the full range of this large and important collection can be experienced.
The Brubeck Collection Curator Michael Bellacosa.

Dave Brubeck (1920-2012), pianist and composer whose legendary career spanned more than six decades, was one of the most popular and innovative musicians in the jazz world. The Dave Brubeck Quartet’s acclaimed 1959 Time Out album was the first jazz album to sell a million copies, and the album’s track “Take Five” remains the biggest–selling jazz single of all time. Other well-known Brubeck works that have become jazz classics include “Blue Rondo à la Turk,” “In Your Own Sweet Way,” “Unsquare Dance,” and “The Duke.”

In addition to his decades of success in jazz, Brubeck had a lifelong interest in interweaving jazz and classical music. His compositions include the popular Christmas choral pageant “La Fiesta de la Posada,” ground-breaking collaborations with Leonard Bernstein, “Upon this Rock”—written for Pope John Paul II’s U.S. visit, and “Elemental Brubeck,” choreographed by Lar Lubovitch and part of the San Francisco Ballet’s repertoire.

He was a revered performer at international jazz festivals and concert halls and performed at the White House many times. Throughout his career, he received numerous honors and awards including the National Medal of Arts from President Clinton, the GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and a 1954 TIME magazine cover as the leader of a new jazz age. Brubeck was designated a “Living Legend” by the Library of Congress and on his 89th birthday in 2009, he received the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors Award.

Active in the 1950s & 60s Civil Rights Movement, Brubeck refused to play anywhere audiences were segregated, saying “jazz would always represent the music of freedom.” While serving in World War II, Brubeck’s Wolf Pack Band was the first integrated military band.

After amassing the archival collection, Dave and Iola Brubeck sent the materials to their alma mater in 2000. After Dave and Iola passed, the Brubeck family decided to place the Collection at Wilton Library located in the family’s hometown for more than 60 years.

For more information and to explore the Brubeck Collection, visit here.

April 30, 2024
Ashokan Center Presents a Living Tradition of Scottish Music with Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas Duo

The Ashokan Center has announced they are hosting a special public concert featuring the celebrated Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas Duo on Sunday, May 12, 2024, at 3:00 PM.

They will be joined by fiddler Emerald Rae and cellist Summer McCall, as well as Ashokan Music and Dance Camp founders Jay Ungar and Molly Mason, in a musical program that explores the emotional and chronological range of traditional Scottish music.

Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas Duo.

The Ashokan Cenuper is a unique non-profit organization with a 55-year history of youth outdoor education and 42 years of cultural preservation at summer Music & Dance Camps for adults and families. They have recently expanded outreach to offer local in-school and after-school arts and nature programming and increased access to their 385 acres of forests through guided hikes, day passes, and community events. The Ashokan Center has been a registered Historic Landmark since 2016.

The Sunday afternoon concert will conclude the Ashokan Center’s eleventh annual Scottish String Fling weekend, where fiddlers and cellists learn tunes by ear – initiated by Fraser in 2014. It is part of a decades-long tradition of music and dance camps founded by Jay Ungar and Molly Mason at the Ashokan Center and is one of many music camps created and led by Fraser over the decades — including the Valley Of The Moon Fiddle Camp in the Santa Cruz mountains of northern California, where Fraser first met an eleven-year-old budding cellist named Natalie Haas in 1995.

“It was just a life-changing experience for me,” says Haas. “It’s where I discovered traditional music.” Today, Natalie Haas is a world-renowned and highly in-demand performer and educator in her own right, and the Fraser/Haas duo partnership has endured for more than twenty years, through six acclaimed recordings and countless performances at concerts and festivals worldwide.

The strength of a duo is amazing; you can sort of ‘live’ ideas together, and I’m lucky to be playing with someone who is so simpatico. Every concert we do celebrates the music and its power to transport, to lift us… and we are highly likely to be test-driving new arrangements, new ideas, surging on forwards.
Alasdair Fraser.

Alasdair Fraser is one of the greatest carriers of the Scottish fiddle music tradition with expressive playing, mastery of his instrument, and deep understanding of his native music. Since 2003 Fraser has thrilled audiences internationally with their virtuosic playing, their near-telepathic understanding, and the joyful spontaneity and sheer physical presence of their music.

Natalie Haas is one of the most sought-after cellists in traditional music today. She and Fraser have toured as a duo for over twenty-three years, wowing audiences at festivals and concerts worldwide with their unique sound. A Juilliard grad with decades of touring and collaboration experience, she is an expert teacher and guide for cellists looking to support and shine.

Joining the duo is Summer McCall, a Celtic cellist, fiddler, and dancer and Emerald Rae, an American Fiddler & Folksinger with powerhouse vocals, groovy percussive fiddle, and eclectic songwriting style.

When possible, the Ashokan Center tickets work on sliding scale admission. Tickets to this concert start at $20 for the suggested price and $10 as the minimum price per ticket for all-age tickets. For more information about the Ashokan Center, visit here.

April 27, 2024
Bernadette Peters to be honored with Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2024 Chita Rivera Awards

Multi-award-winning actress Bernadette Peters will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2024 Chita Rivera Awards.

Photo by Andrew Eccles.

The 2024 Chita Rivera Awards will take place on Monday, May 20 at 7:30 p.m. at The Skirball Center for the Performing Arts (566 LaGuardia Place). All proceeds benefit the NYC Dance Alliance Foundation Scholarship Program and the new Chita Rivera Training Scholarship. The NYCDA Foundation is an IRS-approved 501(c)(3) committed to broadening performing arts awareness while advocating education and high standards of excellence in dance.

Throughout her illustrious career, Bernadette Peters has dazzled audiences and critics with her performances on stage, film, television, in concert, and on recordings. She has garnered numerous accolades including three Tony Awards, a Golden Globe, four Emmy and four GRAMMY Award nominations, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Best known for her work on stage and one of Broadway’s most critically acclaimed performers, she just concluded a highly successful West End debut in the Cameron Mackintosh production of Old Friends, celebrating the life and work of Stephen Sondheim.

Peters has starred as Dolly Gallagher Levi in the hit musical, Hello, Dolly! and City Center’s Encores! Production, A Bed and a Chair: A New York Love Affair featuring the music of Stephen Sondheim and orchestrations by Wynton Marsalis. Before that, she starred on Broadway in Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music and Follies. Peters earned a Drama Desk nomination for her unforgettable portrayal of the Witch in Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods.

She also enjoys a career that boasts an impressive list of television credits, most recently the Apple TV+ series, High Desert, and a guest-starring role on the NBC-TV series, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist for which she earned an Emmy nomination. Other TV appearances include The CW’s Katy Keene; CBS All Access’s The Good Fight; and Amazon Prime’s Golden Globe-winning series, Mozart in the Jungle.

She has lit the silver screen in over 30 films throughout her distinguished career. She received a Golden Globe Award for her memorable performance in Pennies From Heaven. Other film credits include The Jerk, The Longest Yard, Silent Movie, Annie, Pink Cadillac, Slaves of New York, Woody Allen’s Alice, Impromptu, It Runs in the Family, Coming Up Roses, The Broken Hearts Gallery, and most recently, a surprise appearance in the popular Jonathan Larson biopic, tick, tick…BOOM!

She has recorded six solo albums and numerous original Broadway cast recordings. Peters devotes her time and talents to events that benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Her “pet project” Broadway Barks, co-founded with Mary Tyler Moore, is an annual, star-studded dog and cat adoption event that benefits shelter animals in the New York City and tri-state area.

The American Theater Wing honored Bernadette Peters’ efforts and awarded her with the Isabelle Stevenson Tony Award which recognizes an individual from the theatre community who has made a substantial contribution of volunteered time and effort on behalf of one or more humanitarian, social service, or charitable organizations, regardless of whether such organizations relate to the theatre. She is also a New York Times best-selling author who has penned three children’s books.

Carrying the name of one of the great dance icons of the American musical theater, the Chita Rivera Awards celebrate dance and choreographic excellence – past, present, and future. The awards honor the superb achievement of each nominee while recognizing the talents and passion of every theatrical choreographer and dancer. Additionally, through education and scholarships, the awards are committed to nurturing future generations and preserving notable dance history.

We are thrilled to honor Bernadette Peters with this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Over an unbelievable career spanning over six decades, Bernadette has starred on stage and screen, performed concerts around the world, written children’s books, and as a humanitarian, has saved hundreds of animals with her charity Broadway Barks. Having Joel Grey on hand to present her Award will make this a truly unforgettable evening.
Joe Lanteri, Founder and Executive Director of the New York City Dance Alliance Foundation, Inc.

Tickets to the Chita Rivera Awards are available now.

April 26, 2024
The Head And The Heart Announce Summer Headlining Tour Coming to Albany, Rochester, and La Fayette

The Head And The Heart have announced a headlining run of summer North American dates, beginning July 20 in West Des Moines, IA., and concluding August 20 in Moorehead, MN. The group is coming to Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards on July 24, Palace Theatre on July 28, and Kodak Center on July 29. They are also opening for The Black Keys at MSG on Oct. 30.

Photo Credit: Shervin Lainez

The Head And The Heart will be joined on select dates by Phosphorescent, Michigander, Madison Cunningham, and Houndmouth.

2023 was a triumphant year for the group, who sold out the iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre outside Denver for the seventh time, co-headlined a tour with The Revivalists and Father John Misty, and launched their own music festival, Down in the Valley, in Napa, CA. The event featured acoustic and full-band sets from The Head and the Heart plus some of today’s top folk and rock talent, including Dawes, Miya Folick, and Faye Webster. The group was touring in support of their fifth studio album, Every Shade of Blue – released in 2022.

Initially self-released in 2011, The Head And The Heart’s self-titled breakout debut produced instant classics including “Rivers and Roads,” “Down in the Valley” and “Lost In My Mind” (#1 at AAA) and is now certified Gold. 2013’s Let’s Be Still and 2016’s Signs of Light settled into Billboard’s Top 10 Albums chart. The single “All We Ever Knew” became the band’s first #1 at on the Alternative chart and was also #1 at AAA for nine straight weeks. The band’s fourth full-length, Living Mirage, was released to critical praise in 2019.

The band has appeared in Cameron Crowe’s Roadies and their music has been featured in countless other commercials, films, and TV shows. The Head And The Heart has performed 15 times on national television, including appearances on Ellen, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, Austin City Limits, and more.

For more information and to purchase tickets to their upcoming tour, visit here.

The Head And The Heart Tour Dates

6/30 Hartford, CT The Capitol Groove Festival *

7/12 Bend, OR Hayden Homes Amphitheater !

7/14 Seattle, WA Day In Day Out Festival *

7/19 Saint Paul, MN Minnesota Yacht Club *

7/20 West Des Moines, IA Val Air Ballroom &

7/21 St. Louis, MO Saint Louis Music Park &

7/24 La Fayette, NY Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards &

7/25 Burlington, VT Waterfront Park &

7/28 Albany, NY Palace Theatre &

7/29 Rochester, NY Kodak Center &

7/31 Wilmington, NC Greenfield Lake Amphitheater &

8/1 Charleston, SC The Refinery &

8/2 St. Petersburg, FL Jannus Live &

8/3 Orlando, FL House of Blues Orlando &

8/6 Birmingham, AL Avondale Brewing Co. &

8/7 Little Rock, AR Robinson Center &

8/8 Wichita, KS The Cotillion &

8/10 Bellevue, NE Outlandia *

8/12 Morrison, CO Red Rocks Amphitheatre $

8/13 Morrison, CO Red Rocks Amphitheatre #

8/15 Aspen, CO Belly Up Aspen ^

8/17 Bozeman, MT The ELM ^

8/18 Columbia Falls, MT Scout & Gather ^

8/20 Moorehead, MN Bluestem Amphitheatre ^

9/14 Templeton, CA Whale Rock Music & Arts Festival *

9/17 Tulsa, OK BOK Center %

9/18 Austin, TX Moody Center %

9/20 Louisville, KY Bourbon & Beyond *

9/21 Houston, TX Toyota Center %

9/16 Phoenix, AZ Footprint Center %

9/27 Los Angeles, CA Kia Forum %

9/28 Palm Springs, CA Acrisure Arena %

9/29 Mountain View, CA Shoreline Amphitheatre %

10/10 Pittsburgh, PA PPG Paints Arena %

10/11 Toronto, ON Scotiabank Arena %

10/12 Cleveland, OH Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse %

10/13 Grand Rapids, MI Van Andel Arena %

10/16 Charlotte, NC Spectrum Center %

10/18 Nashville, TN Bridgestone Arena %

10/19 Atlanta, GA State Farm Arena %

10/21 Philadelphia, PA Wells Fargo Center %

10/24 Columbus, OH Nationwide Arena %

10/26 Indianapolis, IN Gainbridge Fieldhouse %

10/27 Knoxville, TN Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center %

10/30 New York, NY Madison Square Garden %

11/2 Baltimore, MD CFG Bank Arena %

11/7 Chicago, IL United Center %

11/9 Milwaukee, WI Fiserv Forum %

11/12 Detroit, MI Little Caesars Arena %

With The Decemberists (!), Phosphorescent (&), Michigander (^), Madison Cunningham ($), Houndmouth (#)

The Black Keys (%)

April 25, 2024