The Uncharted Concert Series returns for its 10th year to Greenwich House Music School for six Thursday evening performances. The shows from April 4 to May 9 see alumni artists from the past decade of the concert series. All shows take place in Greenwich Village, Manhattan.
Uncharted is a performance resource for New York City-based musicians seeking to develop original material and premiere first-look projects in an intimate concert setting. The 2024 season include concerts from Camila Meza with Aaron Goldberg, Queen Esther, and Alea.
Also performing are Mireya Ramos with Trevor Turla, Raquel Acevedo Klein, and Dana Lyn with We the Gleaners. This line-up of strong women headliners underlines Uncharted’s commitment to promoting female diversity in performance.
The Uncharted Concert Series sees the performances of various genres like jazz, classical, mariachi, R&B and more. The six shows take all place on Thursday nights from April 4 to May 9. Each act will be unique and ready to move the crowd in more ways than one. All performances are filled with exciting, talented, and diverse vibrations.
This is a concert series that encourages artists to take risks and work out new or existing material, collaborations, and projects for an intimate concert experience. In keeping with Greenwich House Music School’s artist advocacy work, 100% of ticket and merchandise sales go directly to artists.
“The Uncharted series has afforded some of New York City’s most original, diverse, and talented local performers with financial support and physical space to explore fresh directions. On our tenth anniversary, we’re excited to welcome back several of the series’ shining stars for a second chance at new discoveries. We can’t wait to see their ideas come to life at these one-night-only performances in the Greenwich House Music School Recital Hall.”
Rachel Black, Director of Greenwich House Music School
General entry tickets to all shows are $20. Ticket sales include access to a pre-show open wine/beer bar. For more information on the Uncharted Concert Series and to purchase tickets, click here.
The Copland House has purchased a school campus on the New York-Connecticut border, heralding a transformational programmatic and institutional expansion.
The expansion will be a home to a vibrant, multidisciplinary creative community centering the arts in ongoing public conversation, the property, known as Bluestone Farm. It will stand as a vital meeting place, both live and virtual, where artists, music lovers, cultural adventurers, and newcomers of all ages, backgrounds, and identities are welcomed into an exhilarating world of continuous exploration, discovery, and innovation.
The Copland House was formed by Aaron Copland who was one of the most celebrated and profoundly influential musical figures in American history. The composer lived and spent most of his time on a rocky hill atop three acres of woodland in the lower Hudson River Valley hamlet of Cortlandt Manor, less than one hour north of New York City. After his death in 1990, a coalition of local townspeople launched a genuine grassroots movement to preserve and restore this historic residence as the living, enduring embodiment of his seminal artistic and personal legacies and lifelong advocacy of American composers.
The Copland House offers public programs throughout the country, the infamous house also provides recordings, broadcasts, webcasts, film screenings, visual exhibitions, and an annual performance series at its vast new satellite venue at the historic Merestead estate in nearby Mount Kisco.
In 2020, its music ensemble, Music from Copland House was featured on Tiny Desk (Home) concert where they performed from home, and not so tiny writing desk, of Aaron Copland, one of America’s beloved composers. The $3-million, 24-acre complex nestled in the woods in Brewster expansion will allow the Copland House to substantially extend its artistic support, audience reach, public presentations, educational engagement, and programs that uniquely embrace and champion the entire artistic process.Â
The recently announced institutional extension will be an excellent addition to Rock Hill, Copland’s cherished, long-term home in neighboring Westchester County, which continues to play an important role. Even though a small private property cannot accommodate the demands of a nationally recognized arts organization, Rock Hill will always be Copland House’s indispensable institutional and inspirational home. Rock Hill, a National Historic Landmark and exceptional cultural, educational, and civic asset, embodies Copland’s principles and goals and links him to a location and era, even though his influence well surpasses both.
This transaction represents a big milestone for the Town of Southeast. Copland House plans on working with the Town to bring a wide spectrum of musical and cultural programs to the community. This will enhance the quality of life for all town residents in Southeast and the surrounding area.
Thomas LaPerch of Houlihan Lawrence Commercial, the dealâs lead selling broker
To learn or schedule visiting tours, fans can visit here.
February 26 saw the magic of the 37th annual Tibet House US Benefit Concert at Carnegie Hall in NYC. The show saw an eclectic lineup of hugely talented acts including Laurie Anderson, Joan Baez, Maggie Rogers, Maya Hawke, Bowen Yang, and many more.
Joan Baez & Maggie Rogers Perform Bob Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright
Every year, the annual Tibet House Benefit Concert hosts extraordinary and memorable one-night-only performances. The evening had countless standout moments as the artists celebrated the Year of the Dragon.
The Tibetan Monks performed to an entranced audience to start the show. The hypnotizing vocals welcomed Tibet House President Bob Thurman who shared his gratitude for the evening’s co-artistic directorsand the Tibetan people.
Various types of arts were played including quartets of strings which backed a guided meditation session. Acoustic melody, grand ensemble, comedy and poetry. The renowned Philip Glass Ensemble captivated concertgoers. At various points throughout the night, the audience was moved to emotion, and moved to their feet for ovations.
The festivities continued late into the night as the performing artists, VIPs, and Tibet House supporters like Chloë Sevigny, Clairo, Sarah Morris, Jason Weinberg and more enjoyed the elegant post-concert gala at Ziegfeld Ballroom. Proceeds support the work of Tibet House US. Their mission is to protect, preserve, and empower the unique Tibetan culture.
To learn more about the Tibet House and their upcoming events, click here.
Albany Symphony has unveiled its celebratory 2024-2025 season to kick off in October with concerts taking place in a wide variety of Capital Region concert venues, including the legendary Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, the Palace Theater, Proctors, and EMPAC
David Alan Miller, Music Director of Albany Symphony and Grammy-winning conductor.
The 2024/2025 season includes soloists; Yuval Chen, Raman Ramakrishnan, Bokyung Byun, Karen Hosmer, Grace Shryock, Marc Bamuthi Joseph, Harmony Zhu, Amaryn Olmeda, Kala Ramnath, Stephen Williamson and Third Coast Percussion. This season’s new work will include Tania León, Joan Tower, Nicky Sohn, Daniel Roumain, Loren Loiacono, Missy Mazzoli, Reena Esmail, Bobby Ge, Clarice Assad, Sophia Jani, and Christopher Theofanidis.
The programming for this season has been curated by the award-winning conductor David Alan Miller. “We are thrilled to share our new season with you,” said Miller. “In addition to many of the greatest classics of all time, we are looking forward to introducing you to some of the most beautiful and inspirational new and recent works by the most compelling living American composers. We also look forward to working with an amazing group of guest artists, including a brilliant up-and-coming guest conductor who graduated from Guilderland High School! I promise you an absolutely unforgettable, thrilling journey of musical exploration. My brilliant Albany Symphony musician colleagues have never sounded more beautiful!”
The 2024-2025 season features several brilliant soloists. Beloved Albany Symphony oboists Karen Hosmer and Grace Shyrock will perform at the Holiday Mozart and Vivaldi concert. Harmony Zhu, a teenage prodigy who made her debut with the Albany Symphony in 2020, will perform Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. Kala Ramnath, a seventh-generation violinist specializing in Hindustani (Indian) classical music, will perform. Prize-winning guitarist, Bokyung Kim will premiere a new concerto written for her by Nicky Sohn. Amaryn Olmeda will perform Samuel Barber’s Violin Concerto under the baton of guest conductor, Lidiya Yankovskaya, Music Director of Chicago Opera Theater, who grew up in Guilderland, NY.
The 2024-2025 season runs from October through the American Music Festival in June. The deadline to renew the subscription is April 14. Through the Nielsen Associates’ Student Access Program, students can purchase discount subscriptions and enjoy the full benefits of being a subscriber for as little as $45. To purchase a subscription online, fans can visit here or call the Albany Symphony Box Office at 518-694-3300.
Albany Symphony 2024/2025 Season:
**Artists, programs, venues, and dates subject to change
TCHAIKOVSKY’S FIRST CONCERTO
Palace Theatre, October 19, 2024
Yuval Chen, piano
Tania León: Pregón (world premiere)
Pyotr I. Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1
Carl Nielsen: Symphony No. 4 “The Inextinguishable”
DVORAK’S “NEW WORLD”
Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, November 16 + 17, 2024
Raman Ramakrishnan, cello
Bedřich Smetana: “The Moldau” from Má vlast
Joan Tower: Cello Concerto “A New Day”
Antonín Dvořák: Symphony No. 9 “From the New World”
HOLIDAY MOZART & VIVALDI
Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, December 21 + 22, 2024
Bokyung Byun, guitar
Karen Hosmer & Grace Shyrock, oboes
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Eine Kleine Nachtmusik
Johann Sebastian Bach: Sinfonia from “Christmas Oratorio”
Nicky Sohn: Guitar Concerto (world premiere)
Antonio Vivaldi: Concerto for Two Oboes
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Symphony No. 35 “Haffner”
THE MAGIC OF CHRISTMAS
Palace Theatre, December 8, 2024
BEETHOVEN’S PASTORIAL
Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, January 11 + 12, 2025
Mark Bamuthi Joseph, speaker
Carlos Simon: Fate Now Conquers
Daniel Bernard Roumain /
Marc Bamuthi Joseph: Forgiveness, Suite for Spoken Word & Orchestra
Ludwig Van Beethoven: Symphony No. 6, “Pastoral”
RACHMANINOFF’S PAGANINI RHAPSODY
Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, February 15 + 16, 2025
Harmony Zhu, piano
Randall Thompson: A Trip to Nahant
Sergei Rachmaninoff: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
Loren Loiacono: Sleep Furiously
Robert Schumann: Symphony No. 1, “Spring”
BARBER’S BREATHTAKING VIOLIN CONCERTO
Proctors, March 8, 2025
Lidiya Yankovskaya, guest conductor
Amaryn Olmeda, Violin
Missy Mazzoli: Orpheus Undone
Samuel Barber: Violin Concerto
Antonín Dvořák: Symphony No. 7
BOLÉRO
Palace Theatre, April 5, 2025
Kala Ramnath, violin
Maurice Ravel: Boléro
Reena Esmail: Concerto for Hindustani Violin
Hector Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique
MUSIC OF JOHN WILLIAMS
Palace Theatre, May 3, 2025
AMERICAN MUSIC FESTIVAL: WATER MUSIC
EMPAC, June 14, 2025
Stephen Williamson, clarinet
Third Coast Percussion
Bobby Ge: Water Music (world premiere)
Clarice Assad: Percussion ConcertoSophia Jani: What do Flowers do at Night?
Banjo great Béla Fleck has announced his latest project, expanding and exploring George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, just in time for its centennial.
Available on February 12, 100 years to the day Gershwin premiered the work at Aeolian Hall in NYC, Fleck will pay homage to the legendary composer while redefining an American classic. Fleck’s Rhapsody in Blue album includes three variations: “Rhapsody in Blue(grass),” “Rhapsody in Blue(s),” and the classic orchestration, but with banjo featured instead of piano, performed by the Virginia Symphony Orchestra and conducted by Eric Jacobson. “Rhapsody in Blue(grass),” also commemorates the 100th birthday of the great Earl Scruggs. The set also features Gershwin’s “Rialto Ripples” and “Unidentified Piece for Banjo,” an unrecorded and unreleased gem discovered at the Library of Congress.
“It’s very much like a ragtime tune through a Gershwin lens, with a highly catchy melody and some surprising harmonic moves at the ends of phrases,” Fleck says. “He didn’t write out the harmony, but the implications seemed to point clearly towards ‘I Got Rhythm’ types of chords, though a little more quirky. To keep the authenticity of the piece, I played it on an old gut-string, five-string banjo.”
Béla Fleck was born and raised in New York City, and over the last four decades, he has boldly gone where no banjo player has before. He has earned 16 GRAMMY awards in different areas, including country, pop, jazz, instrumental, classical, and world. Fleck has had a lifelong love for Gershwin and his compositions. He took his homage further and decided to incorporate bluegrass instrumentation instead of a full orchestra for some areas.
“A piano player can play Rhapsody a lot faster than I can,” adds Fleck. “But the truth is, they’ve played it so much that it sometimes gets rushed through. I’d listen and think, ‘There is so much in there but it’s going by so fast that I’m not getting it all.’ That gave me a window into a way to reinterpret those parts on banjo. It could be a new experience for listeners rather than hearing it banged out on piano for the twenty-fifth time. It might even be revelatory.”
Photo credit: Jeremy Cowart.
He’s joined by the core band from his GRAMMY-winning My Bluegrass Heart band: Michael Cleveland, Sierra Hull, Justin Moses, Mark Schatz, and Bryan Sutton. Rhapsody in Blue(s)—the blues version—features longtime Fleck collaborators Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, and Victor Wooten.
Béla Fleck added a solo banjo rendition of Gershwin’s “Rialto Ripples,” a ragtime novelty that initially flopped when it premiered in 1916. “My wish is that George Gershwin might have loved it, that he might have thought, ‘Hmmm, this is not what I expected, but the musicians certainly brought something different to it.’”
On May 4, 2024, at Carnegie Hall, Rhythm, Raga & Rhapsody will celebrate the music of Béla Fleck, including his New York premiere of Rhapsody in Blue performed with the Aeolian Orchestra, conducted by Eric Jacobsen. The multi-artist night will also feature My Bluegrass Heart, tabla master Zakir Hussain, pianist Bruce Hornsby, and woodwind player Anat Cohen.
Rhapsody in Blue will be available on LP, CD, and streaming. Order here.
Bela Fleck 2024 TOUR DATES
March 9 Lincoln, NE Lied Center for Performing Arts ~ April 3 Buffalo, NY Kleinhans Music Hall ^ April 4 Oakville, Ontario Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts ^ April 5 Kingston, Ontario Kingston Grand Theatre ^ April 6 Stowe, VT Spruce Peak PAC ^ April 9 Ottawa, Ontario Centrepointe ^ April 10 St. Catharines, Ontario Partridge Hall ^ April 12 State College, PA The State Theatre ^ April 13 Goshen, IN Goshen College ^ April 14 Lexington, KY Lexington Opera House ^
April 24 Skokie, IL North Shore PAC * April 25 Kohler, WI Kohler Memorial Theatre * April 26 Royal Oak, MI Royal Oak Music Theatre * April 27 Wilkesboro, NC MerleFest *
April 28 New Orleans, LA New Orleans Jazz Festival May 4 New York, NY Carnegie Hall (Rhythm, Raga & Rhapsody)
June 13 Groton, MA Groton Hill Music Center ^
June 14 Kingston, NY Ulster PAC ^
June 15 Hartford, CT The Bushnell ^
June 16 Kennett Square, PA Longwood Gardens
June 18 Boulder, CO Chautauqua Amphitheater #
June 20 Telluride, CO Telluride Bluegrass Festival (house band)
June 21 Telluride, CO Telluride Bluegrass Festival #
July 12 Vancouver Island Musicfest #
July 16 Breckenridge, CO Riverwalk Center #
July 17 Aspen, CO Aspen Music Festival #
July 18 Santa Fe, NM The Lensic PAC #
July 27 Lyons, CO RockyGrass ^
Oct 18 Pelham, TN CaveFest ^
Ticket information *My Bluegrass Heart ^Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn ~Béla Fleck w/ Symphony # Béla Fleck, Edgar Meyer, Zakir Hussain featuring Rakesh Chaurasia
Women have made many contributions to classical music as both composers and performers, yet their work often receives far less attention compared to their male counterparts. This spring, the Geneva Music Festival will host its annual Spring Benefit Concert and silent action on International Women’s Day, with a program that spotlights these oft-forgotten contributors to classical music.
The Geneva Music Festival was founded in 2011 by Geneva, New York violinist Geoffrey Herd as a weekend of chamber music in his hometown. Now in its 14th season, the festival has grown 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.
On March 8, the Carr-Petrova Duo will perform a concert featuring works for viola and piano by female composers in Froelich Hall on the Hobart and William Smith Campuses.
The concert program, entitled “HERS” is a collaboration of pianist Anna Petrova and violist Molly Carr. Playing together since their student days, they subsequently formed a duo and have traveled the world. Petrova said, “When one creates this kind of partnership, the most important and compelling thing is the musical partnership and the personal partnership. We’d played with many other people before, but she and I just clicked on a musical and personal level very well; it was a natural fit.”
Pianist Anna Petrova and violist Molly Carr
Synthesis and serendipity are the themes behind many of the pieces on the program. Composer Vivian Fung created a piece based on the music of Hildegard Von Bingen, which had its debut during the pandemic, with musicians recording their individual parts remotely and then sending the recordings to be compiled together. Carr and Petrova reached out nearly simultaneously to ask Fung about crafting a piece based on Von Bingen’s work, and Fung rearranged her orchestral piece for viola and piano. “It was serendipitous, meant to be,” said Petrova.
“Andrea Casarrubios’s piece was commissioned in 2021 and we approached Vivian Fung during the pandemic as we started brainstorming composers we wanted to play. Molly was the one who started to forge the idea of all female composers, and it all started to come together into a program.” “HERS” came out of this organic synthesis between friends.”
The last piece on the program is a “staple of the viola repertoire and a very beautiful piece of chamber music. It forged the path of the viola becoming a solo instrument; with pieces like the Clark sonata, the viola was seen as an instrument that can take the spotlight.” While it’s more common to find duos written for piano and violin, Petrova and Carr believe the viola has much to offer. “In terms of playing with the instrument, I really love the viola, its color and voice. It has an almost human voice, very heartfelt and visceral. I’ve never felt like I’m giving up something.”
“’HERS’ is something that we’ve pieced together for a few years now. During the pandemic we actually lived together for about nine months; during those nine months we took a road trip and in the car we were enjoying singing together all our favorite songs. Beyonce’s ‘Halo’ was one of the songs we really loved and the idea of commissioning a piece inspired by that song came up. We really wanted to play something from the pop genre that was different from the usual classical repertoire, but that could still stand its ground on the classical stage. That is how ‘Halo’ was created – with the incredible imagination and compositional skills of Brazilian jazz pianist and composer Henrique Eisenman who weaved a beautiful fantasy on a theme by Beyonce.
The Geneva Music Festival’s biggest fundraising event of the year, the Spring Benefit Concert and Auction, is now live and runs through March 9 at 12pm. Browse through an array of items, from captivating paintings to exclusive Finger Lakes experiences, guaranteed to delight all. Help Geneva Music Festival reach their fundraising goal and continue bringing exceptional music to the greater Finger Lakes community. Start bidding here.
The auction goes live during the Spring Benefit Concert intermission with auctioneers Don Wertman and Susan Henking leading the proceedings, offering a chance to bid on your favorite items.
The Geneva Music Spring Benefit Concert will be held March 8, 2024 in Froelich Hall on the Hobart and William Smith Campuses. Tickets are $75 per person, and the ticket price includes a reception with light fare and biodynamic wines from the celebrated Hermann J. Weimer Winery. To find out more, and to purchase tickets, visit here.
The Sembrich has announced its 2024 summer festival “A Century of Sembrich,” celebrating 100 years of Marcella Sembrich’s musical legacy on Lake George. The festival features a spectacular line-up of today’s acclaimed concert artists and works by composers in Sembrich’s artistic circle.
Experience music, history, and nature at The Sembrich in Bolton Landing, featuring museum exhibitions and an annual summer festival with an exciting mix of world-class musicians, noted musical scholars, and a free film series. Listed on the National Historic Register, The Sembrich was once the teaching studio of Polish soprano Marcella Sembrich, one of the most famous musicians at the turn of the 20th century. Visitors can discover her storied legacy, including over 400 performances at the Metropolitan Opera and faculty positions at the Juilliard Graduate School and the Curtis Institute of Music.
“When Marcella Sembrich had a boathouse on her summer estate rebuilt as a teaching studio, she brought music to the shores of Lake George. We’re proud to continue that tradition of music on the lake and to celebrate our centennial with an exciting lineup of concerts, films, and special events,” says Richard Wargo, The Sembrich’s Artistic Director and Composer-in-Residence. “As ever, Marcella Sembrich remains our guiding star – a spirit of excellence that we strive to uphold.”
Marcella Sembrich (I.C. Mackeown. Date Unknown). From The Sembrich Collection.
The 2024 festival begins on June 5 and runs through August 31.
On opening night at 7 p.m., Opera Saratoga brings festival artists to the Sembrich. Includes an evening of standards from Cosi fan tutte and Guys and Dolls – provided by one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious opera training programs. Opera Saratoga serves the communities of Saratoga Springs, the Lower Adirondack, and New York State Capital areas by providing access to world-class opera through the production of an annual Summer Festival, year-round activities, extensive educational programs, mentorship of emerging operatic artists, and unique opportunities for the public to experience opera.
Saturday, June 9 at 2 p.m. features the Young Writers Showcase, celebrating the region’s most promising young artists with an afternoon of vocal and instrumental music, in both classical and popular styles. June 15 at 2 p.m. brings a member appreciation event to the Sembrich; a conversation with the host of Sirius XM’s Symphony Hall Vincent Caruso, discussing his journey through classical music and radio. Also features a guest performance by Joel Brown and the Finger Lakes Guitar Quartet.
“A Century at Sembrich” continues with a Juneteenth celebration featuring Pulitzer prize-winning composer Anthony Davis. Soprano Christine Jobson, bass-baritone Carl DuPont, and pianist Alan Johnson perform excerpts from Davis’s acclaimed operas, X – The Life and Times of Malcolm X, Amistad, Tania, and The Central Park Five, all portraying momentous actions and engagements crucial to black Americans. Davis will also treat the audience to a piano improvisation and discuss his works.
Composer Anthony Davis. Photo Courtesy of the Artist.
The 2024 festival features the acclaimed Sembrich film series, with The Magic Flute on June 24, The Opera House on July 8, Fitzcarraldo on July 28, the US premiere of Lost Voice on Aug. 12, and Falling for Figaro on Aug. 26. All films start at 7:30 p.m.
On Wednesday, June 26 at 2 p.m. The Seagle Festival presents a sampling of the festival’s exciting 2024 lineup: Brigadoon, DonGiovanni, Cold Mountain, and Sweeney Todd. Now in its 109th anniversary season, it is the premier opera and music theater-producing organization in the Adirondack region and the oldest summer vocal training program in the United States.
Featuring some of the finest concert artists on the classical music scene, the Alfred Z. Solomon Masterwork Series celebrates monumental figures in Marcella Sembrich’s artistic circle. On July 6 at 7 p.m., “Classical Splendor” features violinist Ruben Rengel and pianist Ahmed Alom performing Brahms, Lizst, Stravinsky, and more.
Violinist Ruben Rengel. Photo Courtesy of the Artist.
The Mastwork Series continues on Aug. 4 at 7 p.m. with “Composers Sembrich Knew” – an evening of chamber music by members of The Philadelphia Orchestra, including works by Puccini, Brahms, and Kreisler. The final performance on Aug. 17 at 7 p.m., “Violinist Kinga Augustyn,” brings the acclaimed violinist back to Bolton Landing for an evening of masterworks, including the de Beriot concerto performed by Marcella Sembrich at the Metropolitan Opera in 1884.
For one night only on July 11, literary dramatist Betty Spinelli and members of The Sembrich Board and Staff will offer an exclusive glimpse into the Gilded Age life of Marcella Sembrich by showcasing a selection of her treasured and rarely displayed possessions, including a diamond bracelet from the Czar of Russia, a silver tribute from Enrico Caruso, and the famous Queen of the Night costume from the Metropolitan Opera premiere of Mozart’s The Magic Flute.
Sembrich’s 2024 festival features the Promenade Series, perfect for a casual evening or date night on the lakeshore. This year’s series features the Zeger – Pesaturo accordion/violin duo (July 13 – 7:00 p.m.), the cutting-edge woodwind quintet WindSync (July 27 – 7:00 p.m.), and acclaimed guitar/violin duo ArcoStrum (August 21 – 7:00 p.m.).
WindSync Woodwind Quintet. Photo by Carlin Ma.
The Sembrich’s popular lakeside matinee series celebrating music from around the globe – World Music Wednesdays – returns this summer. This year’s events include “Harmonia Ensemble” (July 17 – 2:00 p.m.) highlighting music from Marcella Sembrich’s homeland in Eastern Europe, “Jomion and The Uklos” (August 7 – 2:00 p.m.) exploring unique traditions from West Africa, and “Cantrip” (August 28 – 2:00 p.m.) closing the series with beloved Celtic tunes.
The Sembrich doesn’t forget the family, with two family fun-packed events. “Interstellar Cinderella” performed by WindSync (July 25 at Rogers Park) is a delightful performance for the entire family, introducing five wind instruments of the orchestra, complete with costumes and choreography. “Dragon’s Breath” performed by emerging artists from Seagle Festival (August 1 at The Sembrich) is a charming original children’s opera by Evan Mack, with a libretto by Joshua McGuire, exploring themes of coping with anger and other difficulties. Follow young Alan as he gains wisdom in dealing with his own emotions.
Violinist Kinga Augustyn, performing at the Masterworks Series. Photo by Dale Jabagat.
On Aug. 24 at 7 p.m. is the World Premiere of At That Hour, a James Joyce-inspired chamber opera written expressly for The Sembrich studio. Also on the program, works by Haydn and Beethoven. Commissioned for The Sembrich’s 2024 centennial celebration in partnership with The American Center for New Works Development at Seagle Festival, this new work by Composer-in-Residence Richard Wargo will be performed by artists from Seagle Festival and the Hyperion String Quartet.
The Sembrich brings down the curtain on its centennial summer with an elegant candlelit evening featuring music by one of the world’s most beloved composers, Frédéric Chopin on Aug. 31. Piano virtuoso Christopher Johnson performs some of the most enduring works by this “Poet of the Piano,” exploring the master’s full range of expression. Johnson will pay tribute to Marcella Sembrich with a delightful paraphrase by Franz Liszt of the soprano’s signature song, Chopin’s “The Maiden’s Wish.” The performance will be followed by a Parisian-style lakeside reception, accompanied by the string duo of Amanda and Jonathan Brin.
Tickets and the full-season schedule are available here.
The Sembrich’s 2024 Summer Festival Schedule
June 5, 7:00 PM – Festival Artists from Opera Saratoga June 9, 2:00 PM – 2024 Young Performers Showcase June 15, 2:00 PM – An Afternoon with Vincent Caruso June 19, 7:00 PM – A Juneteenth Celebration with Anthony Davis June 24, 7:30 PM – FILM: The Magic Flute (1975) June 26, 2:00 PM – Seagle Festival Season Preview
July 6, 7:00 PM – Classical Splendor July 8, 7:30 PM – FILM: The Opera House (2017) July 11, 7:00 PM – A Night at the Museum July 13, 7:00 PM – Leah Seger – Cory Pesaturo Duo July 17, 2:00 PM – Harmonia Ensemble July 25, 11:00 AM – Interstellar Cinderella by WindSync July 27, 7:00 PM – WindSync Woodwind Quintet July 28, 7:30 PM – FILM: Fitzcarraldo (1983)
August 1, 10:00 AM – Seagle Festival: Dragon’s Breath (Children’s Opera) August 4, 7:00 PM – Composers Sembrich Knew August 7, 2:00 PM – Jomion and The Uklos August 12, 7:30 PM – FILM: Lost Voice, The Story of Marcella Sembrich (2024) August 17, 7:00 PM – Violinist Kinga Augustyn August 21, 7:00 PM – ArcoStrum August 24, 7:00 PM – At That Hour: A Chamber Opera After James Joyce (World Premiere) August 25, 2:00 PM – At That Hour: A Chamber Opera After James Joyce (Encore Matinee) August 26, 7:30 PM – FILM: Falling for Figaro (2021) August 28, 2:00 PM – Cantrip August 31, 6:00 PM – Chopin by Candlelight
On February 24, the Binghamton Philharmonic performed a crowd-pleasing pops concert – with a twist. In “Pops at the Forum,” rather than sticking to the timeworn pops formula of show tunes and light classics, Maestro Daniel Hege led the orchestra in a satisfyingly dynamic mix of opera excerpts, overtures, film music, and even rock.
Percussionists Steve Mathiesen, Elaina Smales, Sam Lazzara, and Joel Smales
The show spotlighted the talents of several of the Philharmonic’s world-class musicians. Principal cellist Hakan Tayga, along with percussionists Julie Licata, Steve Matthiesen, Sam Lazzara, and the father-daughter team of Joel and Elaina Smales, provided dramatic solos in Tan Dun’s atmospheric “Crouching Tiger” Concerto. Principal flutist Karen Bogardus and oboist Evan Ocheret phrased their solo lines sinuously in Fauré’s delicate Pavane in F-sharp minor. The orchestra’s trumpet section – Frank Campos, Ben Aldridge, and Jud Spena – brought the heat in Leroy Anderson’s toe-tapping “Bugler’s Holiday.” And the whole audience whistled along enthusiastically to the “Colonel Bogey” March (known to some as the “Comet” song!).
Meg Cronin and Haiden Scanlan
Other highlights of the show were Wagner’s famous Ride of the Valkyries, the brass-heavy “Fanfare on Amazing Grace” by living African American composer and Upstate New York native Adolphus Hailstork, and a hard-driving orchestral arrangement of the Led Zeppelin classic “Kashmir,” with Sam Lazzara rocking out once again on solo drum.
Lisa Reynolds, Lois Zuck, and Dan Reynolds
As usual, it was a pleasure to see many children and teens in the audience; one young Hakan Tayga fan seated directly in front of this reviewer played air cello along with the soloist’s every note. The rest of the audience was just as appreciative, leaping to its feet spontaneously at the close of the concert. “Pops at the Forum” was a wonderful addition to the Philharmonic’s season line-up, and a great way to while away a winter day!
Katelyn Jackson, Elaina Neubert, Megan Lewis, Allayna Bidwell, and Ava CiriglianoJudi Hess and Vikki Collazo
The Schenectady-Saratoga Symphony Orchestra have announced it is time for “Animaniacs- IN CONCERT.” The show takes place February 24, 8pm, at MainStage at Proctors.
Animaniacs is an iconic, animated, Warner Bros series from the early 90s. The show includes the classic, energetic hits of the show’s soundtrack coupled with the wonderful, majestic talent of the Schenectady-Saratoga Symphony Orchestra.
This tour stop of Animaniacs: In Concert stars the show’s original Emmy-Winning composer, Randy Rogel, on piano and the voice talents of Emmy winner Rob Paulsen.
Fans of all ages will experience “Animaniacs” like never before-especially those who grew up watching the series. The show is for adults and kids alike.
Voice Actor Rob Paulsen
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit AtProctors.org.
Musical Director Leon Botstein will lead the American Symphony Orchestra in a rare performance of the massive Gurre-Lieder orchestral composition on March 22. The concert will be held at Carnegie Hall and marks the 150-year anniversary of Arnold Schoenberg’s birth.
Performances of Gurre-Lieder are very rare due to its massive orchestral size of over 200 musicians. The American Symphony Orchestra will honor Arnold Schoenberg, the mind behind the cantata.
The performance also celebrates the 150th anniversary of Schoenberg’s birth, and the centennial of Gurre-Lieder’s 1913 world premiere in Vienna. The grand concert also marks the closing of the ASO’s 2023-2024 season at Carnegie Hall.
Arnold Schoenberg
The guest artists of the performance are soprano Felicia Moore, mezzo-soprano Krysty Swan, and tenor Dominic Armstrong. Along with these talented individuals are also tenor Brenton Ryan, bass-baritone Carsten Wittmoser, and bass-baritone Alan Held.
The performance of Gurre-Lieder is nothing short of grand. The American Symphony Orchestra will certainly put on an unforgettable show, with hundreds of talented musicians displaying each intricate sound of the cantata.
The American Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall
For more information on ASO, please visit americansymphony.org. To purchase tickets for the March 22 show, click here.
