Le Patin Libre, the innovators of contemporary ice dance, prepare to dazzle audiences with their electrifying show, “Threshold al fresco.”
Winter Village in Bryant Park is about to witness an event unlike anything else. This modern fusion of contemporary dance and figure skating, set against the iconic backdrop of New York City, will push the limits of artistic expression on ice.
Le Patin Libre’sblend of figure skating and contemporary dance has revolutionized ice dance. Legendary figure skater Alexandre Hamel founded Le Patin Libre in 2005 with the goal of redefining the sport. The organization was born out of Québec’s frozen ponds and hockey arenas. Their special technique – “contemporary dance on ice” – has shown the grace of glide and the freedom of movement.
“Threshold al fresco” showcases the artistic talent of Le Patin Libre with its captivating choreography, upbeat music composed by Jasmin Boivin, and appealing lighting designed by Lucy Carter and Sean Gleason. International Dance Magazine has described the group as “rebels on ice,” cheering their daring demeanor and creative approach.
Experience an amazing evening of artistry with this talented group, Including Alexandre Hamel, Pascale Jodoin, Samory Ba, Taylor Dilley, and Jasmin Boivin. Additionally, VIP tickets are available, which include entry to an ice dancing party with the performers and choreographers.
Le Patin Libre is supported by organizations such as the Conseil des arts et lettres du Québec.
Visit “Threshold al fresco” at Bryant Park’s Winter Village to see the revolution, get tickets here.
Rochester is a jazz lover’s dream come late June during the Rochester International Jazz Fest. But in the last few years the options over the remainder of the year have been getting better and better. This February there is a solid slate of great jazz coming to Rochester, so much so that even narrowing it down to just five was a difficult task. So get out there and support some world-class improvised music this month.
Live! is bringing reedman Joshua Redman and his group, featuring vocalist Gabrielle Cavassa, to beautiful auditorium at the Hochstein School of Music. They’ll be supporting their latest excellent release, where are we. On this night they’ll be in Rochester of course, but the material travels all over the country: Chicago, New Orleans, Baltimore, Manhattan, Alabama… So come get phonically geographical, no better way to start off the month.
Tickets range from $41.46 to $69.85 and the music gets started at 8pm. There will also be a cocktail hour in the chapel from 630-730pm.
This isn’t the first time this space has recommended Kahil El’ Zabar and his Ethnic Heritage Ensemble and it probably won’t’ be the last. Rochester is lucky that this group makes frequent visits to our town, and you should be taking full advantage. They come celebrating their 50th anniversary and in advance of their new album, Open Me, A Higher Consciousness of Sound and Spirit, out in March. Take a spiritual journey and be deeply moved by music like few artists can provide.
Tickets are $25/$30dos and the show starts at 730pm.
Another returner to Bop Shop Records, Mostly Other People Do the Killing are another group you can’t pass up anytime they are back. Now a trio, this NYC-based band led by bassist Moppa Elliott are a creative animal of their own making, playing by their own rules. Electronics are infused into a mostly acoustic affair, providing surprises around most turns.
The Brass Machine, from nearby Buffalo, brings the New Orleans party vibes for a little early Mardi Gras celebration. But this isn’t going to be your ordinary brass band show, this is a special “Busted on Bourbon Street”, two-set all Grateful Dead tribute show. The Dead has been covered every which way, so why not brassed up?
It’s a leap year so we get an extra day in February, might as well fill it up with some more live music. Jazz pianist, composer, and professor emeritus of jazz studies and contemporary media at the Eastman School of Music Harold Danko plays a special leap year show every February 29th, so this is your only chance to see this show for another four years! This is a tradition that has been going for 44 years, but there’s no better time to get involved then now. A great opportunity to witness the world-class talent we have right here in our own backyard.
Caffè Lena has announced it is partnering with activist/singer-songwriter Crys Matthews and local community groups to produce the Cry Matthews Black History Month Tour. The concert is happening on Friday, Feb. 9 at 8 p.m.
Cry Matthews is an activist, singer-songwriter and powerful lyricist who tackles heavy topics such as immigration, the opioid crisis, Black Lives Matter, and gun control with a warm heart, strong voice, and inspiring songs. Caffè Lena presents extraordinary music in an intimate setting, widely recognized as the longest-continuously operating folk music venue in the United States. The Library of Congress calls Caffè Lena “An American treasure,” and it has been recognized by The GRAMMY Foundation for its important contributions to the development of American music.
The Black History Month concert is also partnering with local community groups. MLK Saratoga, Saratoga Youth Safe Space, CREATE Community Studios, Camp Stomping Ground and Saratoga Pride are tabling before the event to socialize and discuss their organization’s role in the community.
MLK Saratoga shares Dr. Martin Luther King’s vision of peace and justice for all, building civil and human rights awareness by promoting equity, inclusivity, diversity, anti-racism, and social justice through community events and offerings, engaging via performance, dialogue, conversation, and the arts. Saratoga Youth Safe Space is a group intended to bring BIPOC youth as well as LGBTQ+ youth, and allies, together to have a place of reflection, dialogue, and support.
C.R.E.A.T.E. Community Studios is dedicated to providing a space where the benefits of art-making impact both the individual and the community. They offer low-cost art workshops and groups, community wellness activities, and open studios to promote art-making and the creative process as a vehicle for personal growth, communication, and social change. Unlike other art studios, their expectations are not rooted in a product or an image. They focus on the evolution of a piece and encourage conversation about its meaning.
Stomping Ground is an overnight camp in the gateway to the Adirondacks in Saratoga Springs. They aim to partner with young people to inspire the next generation of radically empathetic decision-makers. Saratoga Pride is a welcoming community of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people and allies in the greater Saratoga Springs area.
The 2024 Australian Pink Floyd Show tour will bring to the stage the songs that mean so much to Pink Floyd fans all over the world and will make a stop in Utica on June 25 at The Stanley Theatre.
State of the art lighting and video, pinpoint lasers, huge inflatables and flawless live sound that was the benchmark of Pink Floyd shows, and Australian Pink Floyd Show guarantees to deliver a memorable live experience for audiences old and new.
The Australian Pink Floyd Show gave its first ever concert in Adelaide, Australia in 1988. Since then, they have performed in over 35 countries worldwide; played at David Gilmour’s 50th birthday celebration and were even joined on stage by David and Rick Wright. The Australian Pink Floyd Show is the leading show of its kind in the world, performing the music of Pink Floyd with note for note perfection.
The critically acclaimed show has been astonishing audiences worldwide for more than three decades, always striving to reproduce the complete Pink Floyd experience and bring the music to new audiences.
A stunning light and laser show, video animations, state of the art, high resolution LED screen technology and other special effects are combined with, in true Pink Floyd fashion, there are several huge inflatables including a giant pig, and their own unique Pink Kangaroo.
Often described as being much more than a tribute band, The Australian Pink Floyd Show is the first Pink Floyd tribute show that took the concept into the worldwide arena circuit. The band has played to sell out audiences throughout Europe, UK, America, Canada & South America.
Replicating music from every phase of Pink Floyd’s journey, this tour reinforces TAPFS’s dedication to the heritage of Barrett, Waters, Gilmour, Wright & Mason with a show that pays sincere and genuine tribute to those legendary Pink Floyd productions.
The Australian Pink Flow Show 2024 band lineup includes David Domminney Fowler (Guitar & Vocals), Paul Bonney (Drums), Luc Ledy-Lepine (Guitar), Ricky Howard (Bass & Vocals), Chris Barnes (Vocals), David Parsons (Keyboards), Alex Francois (Saxophone), Lorelei McBroom, Lara Smiles and Emily Lynn (Backing Vocals).
Tour dates include a show at the Paramount in Huntington, making these the only two New York shows of their 2024 world tour. Full tour dates can be found here.
Tickets for all shows, including Australian Pink Floyd Show at the Stanley Theatre in Utica go on sale Friday, February 2nd at 10 AM at thestanley.org, or by calling 315-724-4000.
CNY Jazz will bring the 2024 Black History Month Cabaret to Syracuse on February 25, featuring Endea Owens.
The celebration will include performances from emerging jazz artist Endea Owens who will perform with The Cookout, her six-piece band.
As a philanthropist and Juilliard graduate, Endea Owens founded the Community Cookout, a non-profit that provides meals and music to underserved neighborhoods in New York City. She has composed for the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and the Cincinnati Orchestra. Apart from her performing every weeknight as a member of Stephen Colbert’s Late Show Band, she is also a “Jazz is Now!” fellow of the National Jazz Museum in Harlem as a presenter, curator, and performer. The singer has a true passion for and teaching, her work has appeared on Jon Batiste’s GRAMMY-winning album We Are and the Oscar-nominated film Judas and the Black Messiah, and H.E.R’s widely acclaimed Super Bowl LV performance.
This event/celebration will also include an honoring of the Pioneer Public Service Award to the New York State Senate President and Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins. The concert performances will be held at 4 p.m. at the Finger Lakes Ballroom of the Marriot in Downtown Syracuse.
Established in 1988, the CNY Jazz Central provides different scholastic and public jazz programs throughout Upstate New York. Their annual performances are more than 150 in total and their growing list of programs and concerts includes the Jazz Cabaret Series, the Northeast Jazz & Wine Festival, the Jazz in the City Public Health Concert Series, the Jazz Vespers Series, the SummerJazz Workshop, the Jazz at the Fair, the Black History Month Cabaret, and more year-round activities in the Jazz Central theater, art-in-education concerts in schools across the region, and more.
The concert will be held at the Finger Lakes Ballroom in Marriott Syracuse Downtown on February 25. Tickets are available here.
The Disco Biscuits have announced an upcoming album release show for Revolution in Motion at New York City’s famous Webster Hall. The much anticipated gig is set to take place on March 29, coinciding with the release date of the band’s first new studio project in more than nine years. It comes in the midst of an already expansive 2024 winter tour, right in between performances scheduled for Wilkes Barre, Pa and Buffalo. It also marks the return of The Disco Biscuits to Webster Hall for the first time in nearly 25 years.
Revolution in Motion is already being touted by the Biscuits’ fanbase as the bands latest rock opera, following in the footsteps of Hot Air Balloon and Chemical Warfare Brigade. This latest one was originally conceptualized by guitarist Jon Gutwillig and collaborator Joey Friedman in 2021 before they brought Biscuits keyboardist Aron Magner in to help write the following year. The songs, which tell the tale of an alien interstellar journey, have all made their way into the band’s live repertoire one by one upon completion and are now ready for their official release in album form.
“With a large part of the space opera taking place in New York City, we thought it was only appropriate to play a show there on the day of its release,” noted Magner. “After our late-night rager at the Palladium over our New Year’s run in 2023, we can’t wait to get back to NYC and tell this story from start to finish.”
The Album Release Show at Webster Hall will go on sale to the public on Friday, January 26 at noon E.T. An Artist Presale will begin on Wednesday, January 24 at noon E.T. with the password: RevolutionInMotion. Visit www.discobiscuits.com for more information.
Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) has announced its 2024 New York City Ballet (NYCB) season, featuring four unique programs from July 9-13 as part of NYCB’s historic 75 anniversary and its 58 season in Saratoga.
Called “the foremost creative ballet troupe in the world” by The New York Times, New York City Ballet will bring its roster of more than 90 dancers under the direction of Artistic Director Jonathan Stafford and Associate Artistic Director Wendy Whelan, accompanied by the New York City Ballet Orchestra, led by Music Director Andrew Litton. New York City Ballet, one of the foremost ballet companies in the world, was founded in 1948 by the legendary choreographer George Balanchine and arts patron Lincoln Kirstein and quickly became world-renowned for its athletic and contemporary style. Today, NYCB continues to be inspired by its founders who envisioned an authentically American expression of ballet with a company that reflects the rich cultural diversity of the city and nation.
“This season marks the occasion of our beloved New York City Ballet’s historic 75 anniversary. We look forward to an incredible week celebrating our shared history over the past nearly six decades, while also pointing toward our exciting future together,” said Elizabeth Sobol, president and CEO of Saratoga Performing Arts Center.
Opening the season on July 9 is “NYCB On and Off Stage,” hosted by NYCB principal dancers for a unique “behind the curtain” experience featuring excerpts from the week’s ballets and culminating with a celebratory after-party.
Highlighting the residency is George Balanchine’s three-act work Jewels, returning for the first time since 2016 and featuring Fauré’s elegant Emeralds, Stravinsky’sjazz-inflected Rubies, and Tschaikovsky’s symphonic Diamonds.
Emily Kikta in “Rubies”, JEWELS, New York City Ballet, David H. Koch Theater, Lincoln Center, Tuesday, September 17, 2019. Credit Photo: Erin Baiano
Also featured are two evenings dedicated to works by contemporary choreographers including a new work by Amy Hall Garner, which is set to hold its world premiere as part of NYCB’s 2024 spring season. Other works include Gustave le Gray No. 1, a SPAC debut choreographed by Pam Tanowitz and set to the music of Caroline Shaw, Ulysses Dove’s dynamically charged, abstract work Red Angels, and Justin Peck’s sneaker ballet The Times are Racing, heralded by audiences and critics alike since its premiere in 2017.
Rounding out the season will be two performances of some of Balanchine’s most beloved works, including the classic story ballet Swan Lake, the patriotic Stars and Stripes, the SPAC-commissioned work The Steadfast Tin Soldier, based on Hans Christian Andersen’s charming fairytale, and scenes from Coppélia, featuring children from the Capital Region, celebration the work’s 50 anniversary, which held its world premiere at SPAC in 1974.
Daniel Applebaum and Naomi Corti in Gustave Le Gray No. 2, choreography by Pam Tanowitz. New York City Ballet Art Series, Friday, April 29, 2022, David H. Koch Theater, Lincoln Center. Credit Photo: Erin Baiano
Tickets will be available beginning on February 9 at 10 a.m. for members (tiered by level) and on February 22 at 10 a.m. for the general public. Visit here for details.
NEW YORK CITY BALLET: JULY 9 – 13
NYCB On and Off Stage
TUESDAY, JULY 9 @ 7:30 P.M.
NYCB principal dancers host a unique “behind the curtain” experience featuring excerpts from the week’s ballets. A compelling evening for newcomers and fans alike. Immediately following the program is a celebratory “dance party” in the Hall of Springs.
Jewels
WEDNESDAY, JULY 10 @ 7:30 P.M.
THURSDAY, JULY 11 @ 2:00 P.M.
Emeralds (Fauré/Balanchine)
Rubies (Stravinsky/Balanchine)
Diamonds (Tschaikovsky/Balanchine)
Contemporary Choreography
THURSDAY, JULY 11 @ 7:30 P.M.
SATURDAY, JULY 13 @ 7:30 P.M.
New Garner* (TBA/Garner)
Red Angels (Einhorn/Dove)
Gustave le Gray No. 1* (Shaw/Tanowitz)
The Times Are Racing (Deacon/Peck)
Swan Lake & Stars and Stripes
FRIDAY, JULY 12 @ 7:30 P.M.
SATURDAY, JULY 13 @ 2 P.M.
Swan Lake (Tschaikovsky/Balanchine)
Scenes from Coppélia (Delibes/Balanchine and Danilova, after Petipa)
The Steadfast Tin Soldier (Bizet/Balanchine)
Stars and Stripes (Sousa, orch. by Kay/Balanchine)
The Albany Symphony Orchestra announced a February concert to Celebrate 100 years of Rhapsody in Blue with Kevin Cole. The concert will take place on Feb. 10 at the Proctors Theatre.
The Albany Symphony celebrates its living musical heritage through its adventurous programming, commissioning, and recording of new work, and broad community engagement beyond the concert hall. The Two-time Grammy winning Symphony will host a 100th birthday party concert for Rhapsody in Blue, featuring Kevin Cole, the world’s foremost interpreter of George Gershwin’s piano music. The program will include, An American in Paris, Carlos Simon’s AMEN! and Simon Says, and a world premiere trombone concerto by Jack Frerer.
Cole, who has performed with over 100 orchestras worldwide, has appeared several times with the Albany Symphony. He was the first pianist to perform all four of Gershwin’s works for piano and orchestra with the Symphony.
The concert also coincides with the release of a Naxos recording David Alan Miller created with Cole and the National Orchestra Institute Philharmonic. The concert will also feature a trombone concerto created by Jack Frerer and featuring the principal trombonist of the Albany Symphony, Greg Spirdopoulos.
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.
Recognized as one of America’s most innovative and creative orchestras, Albany Symphony is renowned for virtuosic performances featuring classic orchestral favorites, lesser-heard masterworks, and a diverse array of new music from leading and emerging voices of today.
The concert will take place on Feb. 10 at the Proctors Theatre and Tickets are available here.
The Oswego Music Hall, also known as the Ontario Performing Arts Center, has announced its 2024 calendar of events, featuring diverse band Mile Twelve, and Americana Upstate-NY group Driftwood, among others.
The Oswego Music Hall evolved from a little coffee house venue called “The Low Life Cafe,” created by Richard Reinert back in 1976, on Water Street in Oswego where it was known as the Market House Music Hall. Oswego Music Hall was incorporated in 1979 and received 501(c)(3) nonprofit status in 1985. The venue relocated twice before settling into the McCrobie Civic Center, a historic municipal building adjacent to Breitbeck Park, overlooking the Great Lake Ontario.
Run by an incredibly reliable team of volunteers, Oswego Music Hall has produced diverse and high-quality concerts on their National Stage every other Saturday night during their fall, winter/spring seasons, and national stage events for 40 years. Their programs offer Oswego and the Greater Central New York community exposure to top-quality touring musicians, singers, and songwriters of many genres. Most importantly, the venue helps support artists and music not typically heard in the mainstream media, encouraging the development of emerging artists from the community.
Their first Main Stage event of the year is on January 27 at 7:30 p.m. with Boston group Mile Twelve. The group has won several awards, and recently added two new members: fiddler and vocalist Ella Jordan and mandolinist Korey Brodsky, adding a new dimension to the band. With a variety of songs and genres, people can expect to hear a little bit of everything.
Tom Rush at the Oswego Music Hall.
The next Main Stage event is on February 10 with Driftwood performing. Anyone familiar with the Americana music scene knows this Upstate, New York-based band has cut their teeth on a killer live show. With a never-ending tour schedule and a steady buzz, they have built a very solid underground fan base.
National Stage acts coming to the venue include Vance Gilbert, Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen, Shawna Caspi and Rachael Kilgour, Big Sky Quartet, and many more.
To purchase tickets and for more information, visit here.
Oswego Music Hall Events Calendar
Jan 27 Mile Twelve
Feb 9 Open Mic w/Mark Wahl opening
Feb 10 Driftwood
Feb 17 Jazz by the Lake
Feb 23 Open Mic w/Kenny Roffo opening
Feb 24 Vance Gilbert, w/Cam Caruso opening
Mar 2 Imagining Kerouac, curated by Don Masterson
Mar 8 Open Mic w/Jane Zell opening
Mar 9 Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen
Mar 16 Jazz by the Lake
Mar 22 Open Mic w/Frank Stefanek and Julie Clement opening
Mar 23 Shawna Caspi and Rachael Kilgour (Women in Music Series)
Apr 12 Open Mic w/Mark Zane opening
Apr 13 Big Sky Quartet
Apr 20 Jazz by the Lake
Apr 26 Open Mic w/Larry Kyle opening
Apr 27 Livingston Taylor
May 11 Sam Robbins (Season Finale, Emerging Artists Showcase)
The Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra has announced that on January 28, a genius of musical history will be honored with a performance titled, “Mozart Requiem.”
The performance will feature a combination of acts including the Southern Tier Singers’ Collective and The Binghamton University Chamber Singers. Further, vocal soloists from the Curtis Institute of Music, Soprano Juliette Tacchino, Mezzo-Soprano Katie Trig, Tenor Jackson Allen, and Bass-Baritone Evan Gray.
The show will take place at Broome County Forum Theatre, 236 Washington Street, Binghamton. As well as the show, there will be a pre-concert chat titled, “Mozart, Modernism, and Memory,” given by the Philharmonic’s Director of Education and Community Engagement, Dr. Julia Grella O’Connell. The show will start at 3 pm, with the pre-concert talk beginning at 2 pm.
Maestro Daniel Hege will be leading the orchestra in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Requiem in D Minor. The show will pay homage to one of the most influential musicians in history, one who has transcended musical boundaries. This performance on January 28 will reflect that with the lead from Daniel Hege, and the talent and wonder of the acts included. This is Binghamton Mozart.
Tickets for the show are on sale at the Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra website today. In addition, kids 17 and under can attend the concert free of charge. For more information about the Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra, click here.
