NYS Music 2024

Tag: news

  • 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.  

    Geneva Music

    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.  

    Geneva Music

    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.

  • 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
    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.

  • The Driver Era Rock Out in Port Chester

    The Driver Era is a dynamic sibling duo comprising Ross and Rocky Lynch, born from the talents honed during their time in their sibling band R5. Hailing from LA, the Lynch brothers have cultivated a unique sound that blends elements of alt-rock and pop. This all results in a captivating discography that resonates with audiences worldwide.

    Since their start as The Driver Era, Ross and Rocky have embarked on a creative journey of artistic exploration. With a passion for pushing musical boundaries and a commitment to authenticity, they captivated listeners with their electrifying live performances.

    The Driver Era made a triumphant return to NY at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester. This marks a highly-anticipated follow-up to their electrifying show at Pier 17 in NYC the previous summer. Amidst a backdrop of euphoric energy, Ross and Rocky delivered a spellbinding performance that left the audience spellbound.

    The Show

    From the opening notes of “OMG” to the encore of “A Kiss,” The Driver Era unleashed irresistible hooks that had the crowd roaring from start to finish. The Lynch brothers showcased their dynamic stage presence and undeniable chemistry, commanding the stage with effortless charisma and boundless energy.

    Throughout the night, the band treated fans to hits, including “Feel You Now,” “Scared of Heights,” and “Afterglow”. Special moments such as Riker Lynch bringing out his wife to dance during one of the songs added a touch of intimacy to the performance. Rydel Lynch’s presence in the photo pit served as a testament to the band’s close family dynamic as well.

    The audience was fully immersed in the experience, with many fans sporting pink cowboy hats and waving handmade signs. One sign read “I’ll trade my hat for your shirt”, demonstrating audience dedication. The electric atmosphere reached a high when two fans threw their bras on stage during “Preacher Man,” a testament to the band’s magnetic appeal.

    As the night started to close, The Driver Era left the crowd wanting more. They decided to end the show with a euphoric encore performance of “Heart of Mine” and “A Kiss.” With their infectious energy and undeniable talent, The Driver Era proved once again why they are a force to be reckoned with in the world of music.

    Setlist: OMG, Feel You Now, Heaven Angel, Scared of Heights, End of Your Life, Afterglow, Low, Rumors, On My Own (from Teen Beach Movie), Get Off My Phone, Cray Z Babe E, Take Me Away, Giveuwhatuwant, Malibu, Nobody Knows, Fantasy, Preacher Man

    Encore: Heart of Mine, A Kiss

  • 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 Wilton Library
    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.

  • Olatuja Release “Ijo” Ahead of Long-Awaited Album

    World/roots duo Olatuja has announced the release of their latest single, “Ijo” which heralds their upcoming self-titled album, Olatuja set to release on May 31.

    Olatuja

    Olatuja is a duo comprised of Alicia and Michael Olatuja. “Ijo” fuses the rich heritage of Michael’s Yoruba culture, the evolving popular music of West Africa, and the gospel and jazz traditions that inform Alicia’s musicality. The two have played a prominent role in New York’s music scene for years. Their work spans the worlds of jazz, Broadway, soul, African music, film, and more.

    The duo released their last album The Promise in 2011. The release of their self-titled album May 31 marks their first completed compilation since then. The track “Ijo” has been in genesis since the pandemic, and the duo are eager to share their combined talent with the world.

    Olatuja

    “Ijo” is a song heavily inspired by the music of West Africa. Its powerful bassline drives the music forward. The percussion is dynamic, the strings add a wonderful element, and the layered vocals make the track pop with life. The song is vibrant. Olatuja added several small elements along with large ones throughout.

    You can hear horns, strings, percussion, and vocals in each sector of the tune. There is a rising action and a climax followed by a triumphant finish. “Ijo” is certainly a song that makes you want to move and sing. The track’s lyrical presence is strong, and it holds meaningful themes about not giving up in the face of hardship.

    For more information on Olatuja, their past releases, and to stay up to date on upcoming music, click here.

  • Caffe Lena to Feature Peter Rowan, Bandits on the Run, Willi Carlisle and More in May

    Saratoga Springs music venue Caffe Lena has announced their top picks for the month of May. From May 1 to 31 Caffe Lena sees a massive lineup of shows and performers for the community to enjoy.

    Caffe Lena is a well-known host of talent for the Upstate New York community. Various walks of life see the stage at this venue through a wide range of genre and background. The venue’s mission is to keep a diverse set of programs and artists, regardless of fame, to present to the community. Caffe Lena is where musical discovery begins on all fronts. All shows held in-person in Lena’s historic listening room are also streamed live to living rooms around the world.

    In May, the venue showcases a lengthy, talent-packed lineup of shows including musical performances, poetry open mic nights, and more. Genres like folk, bluegrass, jazz and roots are showcased this May along with songwriting workshops, poetry nights, and kids club concerts. There’s something for all members of the community this month.

    Caffe Lena’s Top Shows for May

    May 1 – 7 PM Poetry Open Mic Night feat Darcy Smith

    May 2 – 7 PM Kruger Brothers

    May 3 – 8 PM Dan Navarro

    May 7 – 7 PM Live Stream: Storytelling Night feat Miki Conn

    May 11 – 8 PM Bandits on the Run

    May 12 – 7 PM Peter Rowan

    May 17 – 8 PM Ana Egge

    May 22 – 7:30 PM Willi Carlisle

    May 30 – 7 PM Abigail Lapell

    For more information on Caffe Lena’s upcoming dates and performers, click here.

  • Rivers Casino Unveils Harbor Jam Summer Concert Lineup

    Rivers Casino & Resort in Schenectady has announced the return of Harbor Jam this summer at the Mohawk Harbor Amphitheater. This year’s Harbor Jam concerts will take place Saturday, July 20 and Sunday, July 21.

    harbor jam rivers casino

    This summer’s Harbor Jam weekend performance lineup includes headliners Night Fever and Hotel California, tributes to the Bee Gees and the Eagles respectively. Each night’s entertainment kicks off at 6 PM with DJ MixItUp NY on Saturday and DJ Ketchup on Sunday. The headlining performance starts at 7:30 PM. The Sunday, July 21 concert will also be followed by a special firework show.

    The event sees two fantastically talented cover bands of two of the world’s most recognizable groups. Night Fever is the largest production of the Bee Gees in the world. The group has been touring for the past ten years, from Disneyland to Russia, recreating the look and sound of the Bee Gees. Capturing a full history of the Bee Gees, Night Fever includes songs from “To Love Somebody”, “I Got to Get A Message”, “Stayin Alive”, “More Than A Woman”, “Nite Fever”, and many more.

    For over three decades now Hotel California has been recreating the legendary sound of The Eagles, and thrilling audiences all over the world. The night of July 21 welcomes Hotel California for another thrilling show.

    harbor jam rivers casino

    For more information on the free Harbor Jam Summer Concert at Rivers Casino & Resort in Schenectady, click here.

  • 2024 Governors Ball Daily Schedule Revealed

    The countdown to Governors Ball 2024 has begun, with over a month left until the iconic event. The schedule for the festival has been officially announce by the organizers on all platforms.

    The first day, Friday, June 7, will end with performances by Post Malone and Labrinth. On Saturday, the day will conclude with The Killers and 21 Savage. SZA is set to deliver a unique performance on Sunday, marking a memorable end to the weekend.

    See the full schedule and specific set times for each day of Governors Ball below. Don’t miss out – visit the festival’s website for all the details and get ready for an epic three days.

    On Friday, the festivities commence with performances by local talents such as School of Rock: Queens gracing the main Verizon stage, while Arcy Drive takes the spotlight on the gopuff stage. Throughout the day, the stage comes alive with the captivating acts of Dominic Fike and Teezo Touchdown, building up anticipation for the headline performances by Post Malone and Labrinth.

    Saturday kicks off with rising stars like Quarters of Change and Claire Rosinkranz, setting the stage for the day. Midday brings the infectious pop anthems of Carly Rae Jepsen, the energy of Sexyy Red, Hippo Campus, and Sabrina Carpenter. As the day reaches its climax, TV Girl performs, The Killers deliver their iconic hits, and 21 Savage ignites the crowd.

      Sunday’s schedule at Governors Ball promises a smooth crescendo. The festivities begin with School of Rock: Brooklyn and The Hails, setting the stage for a day of discovery. Throughout the afternoon, Victoria Monet’s sultry vocals intertwine with the genre-bending sounds of Kevin Abstract and Don Toliver. Indie darlings Geese and the captivating Chappell Roan round out the mid-day portion. As the sun dips lower, the rising stars like Renee Rapp, Stephen Sanchez and Faye Webster take the stage. Finally, the energy Peso Puma performs as well as an electrifying performance by SZA, closing out Gov Ball 2024.

      Stephen Sanchez at Terminal 5. Photo by Chinaza Ajuonuma

      Now in its 14th year and second iteration at their new location, so stay tuned for the countdown until Governors Ball comes back off in Flushing Meadows Park. Tickets are on-sale now and can be purchased HERE.

    • 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 at Ashokan Center
      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.

    • 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.

      Bernadette Peters
      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.