The Cayuga Chamber Orchestra has announced “Holiday Celebration,” its annual holiday concert, to be hosted on December 14 at 3:00 pm.
The concert takes place at Ford Hall at Ithaca College under the baton of Guest Conductor, Grant Cooper. Cayuga Orchestra’s “Holiday Celebration” is the perfect performance to get settled into the festive spirit ahead of Christmas. The program will feature a side-by-side with the CCO Youth Orchestra. The Cayuga Chamber Orchestra was founded in 1976 and is officially designated “Ithaca’s Orchestra.”
Each season includes an Orchestral Series, Chamber Music Series, a Holiday concert, free Family Concerts, and the long-standing Willard Daetsch Youth Outreach Program, which earned the 2015 Yale Distinguished Music Educator award.
Grant Cooper served as Interim Music Director for two seasons, 2022-23 and 2023-24. Cooper had collaborated with the CCO a number of times previously, both as guest conductor and commissioned composer. He remains especially passionate about creating works designed to introduce young audiences to the orchestra and has created a substantial body of works for this purpose, including Rumpelstiltzkin, a Cayuga Chamber Orchestra commission. His wry sense of humor and meticulous dedication to detail, together with his considerable experience as music director and conductor, and thoughtful approach to music making, drew in audience members and musicians alike.
For more information on Cayuga Orchestra’s “Holiday Celebration,” and to purchase tickets online, click here.
Championing artists and their creative process for each step from studio to stage, the Works & Process Spring 2025 season starts in January across New York City and Long Island.
Works & Process Artists-in-Residence, provided with fully funded, week-long LaunchPAD residencies, gather for the first Dance Out East on Long Island on January 9–11, in partnership with The Church in Sag Harbor, Guild Hall of East Hampton, and The Watermill Center.
Also kicking off the season is the third Works & Process Underground Uptown Dance Festival at the Guggenheim New York on January 9–13, as part of JanArtsNYC. The Underground Uptown Dance Festival is one of the city’s largest and most influential arts gatherings and draws more than 45,000 performing arts leaders, artists, and enthusiasts from across the globe.
The 40th season of Works & Process at the Guggenheim continues in the museum’s Peter B. Lewis Theater with events that highlight creative process by blending artist discussion and performance. A highlight of the programming will be a series of social dances in the Guggenheim’s rotunda, including a swing social to open the first Uptown Rhythm Dance Festival in partnership with 92NY.
Dance will to a key aspect of this Works & Process season, with new dances by BalletX, Ballet Hispánico, Andy Blankenbuehler, New Jersey Ballet, Miami City Ballet, and the Vail Dance Festival. All events feature post-performance receptions that continue the conversation and help foster understanding, appreciation, and community.
The upcoming season sees shows at a multitude of venues including the Guggenheim Museum, Manhattan West, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, The Watermill Center, National Sawdust and more. The season also sees multiple sub-series including the 40th Guggenheim Series, Dance Out East in Long Island, Underground Uptown Dance Fest, Rotunda Social Dances, and more.
The season plans to include step by step showcases of various Broadway plays, detailing behind the scenes actions that prepare the play for the big stage. SMASH, inspired by the hit TV show, is finally coming to Broadway this spring.
SMASH is a hilarious behind-the-scenes rollercoaster ride about the making of a Marilyn Monroe musical called Bombshell, it’s got all the iconic songs, kick-ass choreography, and backstage pandemonium that make Broadway the beloved institution it is today. The production will be helmed by five-time Tony Award–winner Susan Stroman and feature a score by Tony, Emmy, and Grammy Award–winning duo Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, who wrote over two dozen songs for the television show (many of which will be heard in the musical); a book by Tony Award–nominee Rick Elice and Tony Award–winner Bob Martin; and choreography by Tony Award–nominee Joshua Bergasse. Members of the creative team will participate in a moderated discussion and excerpts will be performed in advance of previews.
40th Works & Process at the Guggenheim Series – Performance Highlights and Discussions
Boston Lyric Opera: The Seasons by Antonio Vivaldi, libretto by Sarah Ruhl with Anthony Roth Costanzo, Sarah Ruhl, Zack Winokur, and Pam Tanowitz – Jan 14
Miami City Ballet: Annabelle Lopez Ochoa and Pam Tanowitz – Jan 25
Buena Vista Social Club by Marco Ramirez with Saheem Ali, Patricia Delgado, and Justin Peck – Jan 26
Purpose by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, directed by Phylicia Rashad– Jan 27
SMASH by Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman, Rick Elice, and Bob Martin, with Susan Stroman and Joshua Bergasse – Feb 3
Never Alone by Andy Blankenbuehler – Feb 7
Williamstown Theatre Festival: Jeremy O. Harris’s New Play First Look – Feb 9
BOOP! The Betty Boop Musical with Jerry Mitchell – Feb 10
Ballet Hispánico: Tango with Alejandro Cervera, Graciela Daniele, and Matthew Neenan – Mar 3
San Francisco Opera: THE MONKEY KING (猴王悟空) by Huang Ruo and David Henry Hwang with Diane Paulus – Mar 9
BalletX: Maslow’s Peak by Jennifer Archibald – Mar 23
Opera Theatre of Saint Louis: This House by Ricky Ian Gordon, Lynn Nottage, and Ruby Aiyo Gerber – Apr 6
Glimmerglass Festival: The House on Mango Street by Derek Bermel and Sandra Cisneros – Apr 7
New Jersey Ballet: Maria Kowroski and Harrison Ball – Apr 14
The Metropolitan Opera: John Adams’s Antony and Cleopatra – Apr 28
Vail Dance Festival – May 4
The Works & Process 2025 season begins on January 9 and comes to a close on May 15, 2025. To see a complete calendar of events for the upcoming season, and to purchase tickets to any of the events, click here.
The Albany Symphony plans to take the holiday season to new heights with their “Magic of Christmas” concert at The Palace Theatre this December.
The award-winning Albany Symphony provides a whole lot of extra sparkle this holiday season in one of the Capital Region’s favorite holiday musical traditions. On Sunday, December 8, “The Magic of Christmas” fills The Palace Theatre with festive holiday music, family fun and special guests. The Albany Symphony and its sleigh-full of hometown talent will delight and entertain audiences of all ages with an afternoon of holiday musical favorites, a carol sing-along and a visit from the big man in the red suit.
In keeping with the Albany Symphony’s longtime role as a collaborator, the orchestra is proud to be joined by community partners, including The Music Studio, Capital District Youth Chorale, Rince go Brach (formerly Boland) School of Irish Dance, Northeast Ballet, Saratoga Springs High School Choraliers, and Schalmont High School Concert Choir.
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. In addition to an eight-concert subscription season, an annual multi-day American Music Festival including performances by the orchestra’s genre-bending ensemble Dogs of Desire, and a host of education and community outreach events, the Albany Symphony regularly serves as an ambassador for new music and Upstate innovation beyond the Capital Region.
“The Magic of Christmas” takes place from 3:00pm to 5:00pm on Sunday, December 8 at The Palace Theatre in downtown Albany. Conducted by David Alan Miller, prepare for an afternoon of festive family fun and cheer. Sponsored in part by Price Chopper and Market 32, the concert is jam-packed with holiday classics. Like everything the Albany Symphony does, the afternoon includes a medley of familiar and brand-new tunes, including “Joy to the World,” “Sing Noel,” “Santa’s Holly Jolly Little Christmas,” Nutcracker selections with dancers, and much more. In traditional joyful fanfare, audiences join in a Christmas sing-along to close the program.
For more information on “The Magic of Christmas” concert at The Palace Theatre on Dec 8 and to purchase tickets, click here.
Park Avenue Armory in NYC has announced its 2025 season that features bold, transformative artistic experiences from various notable names – Yoko Ono, Jamie xx, and Anne Imhof – among the many.
Comprised predominantly of world and North American premieres, the 2025 season builds on the Armory’s history of presenting masterpieces in spatial music, site-specific concert experiences, genre-defying theatrical works, and elevating singular artistic perspectives from across the world. In the expansive Wade Thompson Drill Hall, these productions will engage with the Armory’s iconic architecture in unexpected ways, offering unique settings for audiences to experience music, photography, and performance.
The historic period rooms will host intimate Recital Series performances and Artists Studio programs curated by Jason Moran, showcasing the talents of visionary artists across genres. These programs will be complemented by Making Space at the Armory, a series of talks and symposia.
Jamie xx
The Armory’s 2025 Wade Thompson Drill Hall programming begins in January with Jamie xx’s In Waves, a co-presentation with Bowery Presents that launches the North American tour for the artist’s first solo album in 10 years. Returning to the Armory following his sold-out residency with The xx in 2014, Jamie xx will perform a career-spanning set with an emphasis on his newest album, In Waves, which captures the bliss, volatility, and introspection of a night out.
Revolutionary artist and activist Yoko Ono will bring the largest installation to date in North America of her ongoing work Wish Tree to the Armory in February. Featuring a grove of 92 trees installed in the Wade Thompson Drill Hall to mark the artist’s 92nd birthday, the work will invite visitors to write and attach wishes to the branches, creating a large-scale yet personal activation. Ono’s work will be the topic of a two-day symposium as part of the Armory’s Making Space series, which will emphasize her legacy of advancing female empowerment, creativity, and peace.
Yoko Ono
Multifaceted contemporary artist Anne Imhof will transform the Armory with her new performance piece DOOM. Working across painting, drawing, video, music, and sculpture, Imhof is best known for creating large scale installations that meld various media, including endurance performance, to create singular compositions— one of which, Faust, received the Golden Lion at the 2017 Venice Biennale. Commissioned specifically for the Armory and curated by Klaus Biesenbach, DOOM marks Imhof’s largest performative work to date and will take over the Drill Hall. This sequential, durational performance punctuated by dramatic tableaux vivants of performers, sound, and scenography, will invite audiences into a shared experience that juxtaposes apathy and anxiety with resistance and optimism.
One of the most original and influential photographers of the twentieth century, Diane Arbus captured the wide breadth of humanity in postwar America with iconic documentary-style photographs that continue to resonate with artists and viewers today. Following Arbus’ death in 1971, a photographer and student of hers Neil Selkirk began printing for the Arbus Estate and remains the only person authorized to create prints from her negatives. Presented at the Armory in its North American premiere, Constellation brings together all prints from the set of more than 450 that Selkirk produced—the largest and most complete assemblage of Arbus’s work to date. Presented as an unconventional “constellation” of photographs, the exhibition invites visitors to wander freely among the works, revealing new connections between the images and highlighting the imperceptible architecture of chance, chaos, and exploration that underlies all creations.
Tickets for each show are sold on the Park Avenue Armory website – for more information on the upcoming 2025 season and to purchase tickets, click here.
Flushing Town Hall has shared a unique and interactive Queens Jazz Trail Map, an illustration come to life that teaches the A-Z of Jazz History in Queens.
A cornerstone cultural and creative hub for the people of Queens, the Flushing Council on Culture and the Arts housed within Flushing Town Hall is a thriving multi-disciplinary arts center that boasts a theater, gallery, garden, classroom, and rehearsal space.
In membership with the New York City Cultural Institutions Group and in affiliation with the Smithsonian, the FCCA gave Flushing Town a major renovation to accommodate their versatile programming that has brought the Queens community together for over thirty years.
Originally written by Marc. H Miller, illustrated by Tony Millionaire, and designed by Cindy Ho, The Queens Jazz Trail was an endeavor pursued by the FCCA in the hopes of shedding light on Queens’ neglected history as a key part of the jazz scene from the 1920s onwards.
The map received a major update in 2023 by jazz historian Ben Young and was brought into the digital world, expanding the map’s informational content tenfold. With icons that denominate musicians by their instrument type and a search function that accounts for instrument, name, or neighborhood, The Queens Jazz Trail Map is a treasure trove of information for jazz lovers and genre newcomers alike.
Make sure to check out the online Queens Jazz Trail Map here, and be sure to visit the Flushing Town Hall’s Gift Shop to pick up the physical version too.
For more information on the Flushing Town Hall, Flushing Council on Culture and the Arts, and other similar and future ventures from their team, visit the official website here.
Swept Away, the new Broadway musical featuring the music of the beloved folk-rock band The Avett Brothers, opened on Tuesday, November 19 at the Longacre Theatre to a roaring standing ovation. The Avett Brothers joined the cast on stage for a special curtain call performance of the show’s title track.
Photo by Alyssa Greenberg
The production incorporates songs from The Avett Brothers’ 2004 album, Mignonette, and others in their catalogue, plus one new song – “Lord Lay Your Hand on My Shoulder” – written by Seth Avett expressly for the production. The principal cast members, reprising their roles from the show’s previous sold-out and critically acclaimed runs at Berkeley Repertory in 2022 and Washington DC’s Arena Stage in 2023, include Tony Award winner John Gallagher, Jr. (Spring Awakening), Tony Award nominee Stark Sands (Kinky Boots), Adrian Blake Enscoe (Apple TV+’s Dickinson), and Wayne Duvall (1984). On Friday, November 22, The Avett Brothers will again join the Swept Away principals for a performance on NBC’s Today Show.
The anticipated Broadway debut of Swept Away is the latest in a highlight-filled year for The Avett Brothers. In May, they released their first new album in five years, The Avett Brothers– now a Grammy nominee for Best Recording Package – followed by an extensive US tour.
Swept Away is “a spellbinding tale” (The Washington Post) of shipwreck, salvation and brotherhood set on the high seas.
An odyssey of “mythic proportions” (San Francisco Chronicle), Swept Away features a book by Tony Award® winner John Logan (Red, Moulin Rouge! The Musical), direction by Tony Award winner Michael Mayer (Spring Awakening, American Idiot) and choreography by Tony Award nominee David Neumann (Hadestown).
The Swept Away ensemble includes Josh Breckenridge, Hunter Brown, Matt DeAngelis, Cameron Johnson, Brandon Kalm, Rico LeBron, Michael J. Mainwaring, Orville Mendoza, Chase Peacock, Tyrone L. Robinson, David Rowen and John Sygar. Swings include John Michael Finley and Robert Pendilla.
The Swept Away creative team includes Tony Award-winning set designer Rachel Hauck, Tony Award-winning costume designer Susan Hilferty, four-time Tony Award-winning lighting designer Kevin Adams, Tony Award-winning sound designer John Shivers, music arranger & orchestrator Chris Miller, music arranger & orchestrator/music supervisor Brian Usifer, music director Will Van Dyke, and casting director Jim Carnahan, Jillian Cimini, and Alexandre Bleau, CSA.
Swept Away is produced on Broadway by Matthew Masten, Sean Hudock and Madison Wells Live. Wagner Johnson Productions serve as Executive Producers.
In a move that has drawn criticism from concertgoers on social media, Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) has announced that patrons to Live Nation shows will no longer be allowed to bring in outside chairs for lawn seating.
Instead, patrons of Live Nation shows will have to pay $15 if they want to sit on SPAC’s expansive lawn.
photo by Shawn LaChapelle
While anger has been directed towards SPAC for this new policy, it should be noted that this policy exists at all venues that partner with Live Nation, and the new chair rule only affects shows put on by Live Nation at SPAC.
Personal chairs will continue to be allowed for events produced by SPAC, such as Saratoga Jazz Festival, performances by the Philadelphia Orchestra, as well as the New York City Ballet.
While deterring chairs could assist shows that are among the most packed (e.g. FarmAid and Dead and Company) some shows in recent years have seen the pathway at the back of the lawn nearly disappear in a sea of chairs with fans shuffling through dimly lit rows.
FarmAid at SPAC – photo by Derek Java
$15 not only represents the rental fee, but roughly the cost to buy a personal chair one may wish to bring into the venue. For some, the Live Nation chairs are not preferable, and SPAC has a long history of allowing blankets, chairs and other items that aid in the enjoyment of events at SPAC without having to pay additional costs beyond the ticket price. For reference, the rental chairs are 27.6” wide X 27.6” deep X 30.5” tall, per Live Nation.
A pricetag of $15 is comparable to the price of a single alcoholic beverage sold at the concesssion stands at SPAC.
FarmAid at SPAC – photo by Zak Radick
Fans on social media sounded off on the change:
“It’s over. Support local musicians and venues” said Dan Dearstyne, while Rose Brennan noted “Well, that is just unreasonable. If they cannot control ticket sales, they shouldn’t punish the patrons. Dumb decision, imho. Glad I saw Willie last year there.”
Others focused on Live Nation’s role, calling the ban on personal chairs a “money grab,” and “corporate greed,” citing the monopoly that Live Nation has on concert venues like SPAC. Tim Jeavons echoed many sentiments, saying, “In terms of greed, Live Nation makes Big Pharma look like a charity.”
Read the new rules for Live Nation shows at SPAC, as well as other events where outside chairs are still permitted.
The Caroga Arts Collective has announced that Colleen Ioele-DeCristofaro’s American Dream TV segment featuring the Caroga Lake Music Festival will air on the Travel Channel this Friday, November 22 at 7:00am EST.
Originally part of The American Dream Network, the feature offers a look at the unique cultural experiences cultivated by the Caroga Lake Music Festival, spotlighting the vibrant arts scene, historic Sherman’s Park, and the natural beauty of the Caroga Lake region.
“Having this segment broadcast on the Travel Channel is an extraordinary opportunity to share the magic of Caroga Arts with a national audience,” said Kyle Price, Founder & Artistic Director of the Caroga Arts Collective. “We are deeply grateful to Colleen Ioele-DeCristofaro for her outstanding work and to the Travel Channel for showcasing our story.”
Audiences nationwide can tune in live or set their DVRs to experience this special presentation celebrating music, community, and the stunning Adirondack setting—including the historic Sherman’s— that inspires the Caroga Lake Music Festival.
Founded in 2012, Caroga Arts presents over 50 performances and community events each year, welcoming more than 150 artists from around the world to the Southern Adirondacks. Caroga Arts focuses on revitalizing the region through community outreach, partnerships with local businesses and non-profit organizations, and arts education programming for youth and adults.
Green River Festival has announced the first headliners and musical acts to be featured in their 2025 lineup. Included among the top artists are Courtney Barnett, Futurebirds, Mt. Joy, and Waxahatchee
Originating as the Upcountry Balloon Fair and local radio station WRSI’s anniversary celebration before merging into the event so many know and love today, the Green River Festival was born of uniquely local roots. Merging in the following years and donning the moniker recognized today, the Festival has grown into an event recognized by the New York Times as one of “fifty essential summer music festivals.”
Featuring a powerful lineup of over 40 acts across four stages in addition to local beverages, bites, handmade crafts from The Makers Market, and a wide variety of children’s activities, the festival is an exciting annual celebration of music and community from Greenfield locals to international names.
Returning for its 39th year, the festival will grace the Franklin County Fairgrounds once more on June 20, 21, and 22. Fresh off of the presses, the first of Green River Festival’s 2025 acts have been announced.
The first headliner comes in the form of Mt. Joy, a Philadelphia and Los Angeles-based indie folk band that have made quite the name for themselves with three remarkably acclaimed albums over the past six years with multiple singles that have reached #1 at AAA Radio and amassed millions of streams to boot.
One of Australia’s most successful internationally performing musical acts and Green River’s second headliner is Courtney Barnett, a deft lyricist and virtuosic guitarist. With a nomination for Best New Artist at the Grammys, several accolades, and five albums under her belt including her iconic 2015 debut Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit and collaboration with Kurt Vile Lotta Sea Lice, Barnett’s set will not be one to miss.
Waxahatchee is Green River Festival’s third headliner, as well as Katie Crutchfield’s musical moniker in which she has explored several genres as a Grammy nominated singer-songwriter. Spanning sounds from lo-fi folk to alternative country, Crutchfield is unafraid of experimentation and has embraced it time and time again over the course of her six critically acclaimed albums.
Southern musician MJ Lenderman got his start as a guitarist in Asheville, North Carolina self-booking tours for his own works and the group Wednesday. After his third solo album, Boat Songs, suddenly caught traction, folks were waiting with bated breath for his next release which would come in the form of Manning Fireworks, 39 minutes of introspection and rusted-wire guitar solos that indie rock fans are sure to enjoy.
Singer-songwriters Julien Baker and TORRES have teamed up for a tour-de-force project that melds their sound from indie-rock to country. Julien Baker, recognizable to most as one-third of the indie powerhouse unit Boygenius alongside Lucy Dacus and Phoebe Bridgers, is noted for her personal lyrics and vulnerable delivery floating above everything from just piano and guitar to keyboards and a rhythm section. TORRES’ raw vocals and insightful lyrics are sure to pair perfectly with Baker’s work, introducing folk, electronic, and rock influences to the project.
In addition to the event’s leading names, 2025’s lineup so far includes instrumental trio LA LOM, reggae and hip-hop lyricist Kabada Pyramid, psychedelic funk trio BALTHVS, indie-folk duo Ocie Elliott, roots music icon and western Mass fan favorite Kathleen Edwards, and progressive American roots fusion unit Futurebirds.
Performances can also be expected from the self-produced award-winning guitarist, songwriter, and band leader Grace Bowers (who’s achieved such feats at only 18 years old), Zella Day, Jesse Woods, and Beau Bedford uniting as Chaparelle to highlight Country’s golden age, energetic roots duo AJ Lee & Blue Summit, storytelling folk artist Olive Klug, and folk/country singer-songwriter Merce Lemon.
The excitement doesn’t end here, either- Green River Festival has teased that the announcement of more names and artists is on the horizon. To learn more about the Festival, find out how to attend, and ensure you’re up to date on the latest lineup, check out Green River Festival’s official website here.
Green River Festival 2025 Lineup
AJ Lee & Blue Summit BALTHVS Chaparelle Courtney Barnett Futurebirds Grace Bowers & The Hodge Podge Julien Baker & TORRES Kabaka Pyramid Kathleen Edwards LA LOM Merce Lemon MJ Lenderman & The Wind Mo Lowda & the Humble Mt. Joy Ocie Elliott Olive Klug Waxahatchee
Award-winning comedian Jimmy Carr has announced his âLaughs Funnyâ 2025 tour throughout the United States, including two stops in New York.
A household name in the UK for his various television hosting roles and regular appearances on panel shows, and countless specials, Jimmy Carr has been a best-selling comedian before streaming services were viable.
With twelve specials to his name, eight of which earned Carr the title of one of the bestselling acts in comedy DVD and the remaining four being the first works from a UK comedian to stream on Netflix, Carr has bridged the physical and digital comedy spheres.
In addition, all of his specials that were taped pre-streaming are now housed on his official Youtube account that has accrued over 1.1 million subscribers and a massive 436 million views in total.
Following the success of his last tour, Terribly Funny, that brought him to 1.2 million ticket holders across 45 countries total, Carr has decided to hit the road once more and visit over 40 venues across the United States- including The Paramount in Huntington and the iconic Beacon Theater in Manhattan.
The Laughs Funny tour will bring Jimmy Carr to Long Island on Wednesday, June 25 and Manhattan on Friday, June 27. Tickets for Laughs Funny will go live on Friday, November 22 at 10:00 AM.
To learn more about the tour, how to attend, and purchase tickets, be sure to visit Carrâs official website here.
