193 secular sacred lines

The performance of David Lang’s the national anthems at the Met, appropriately, was the first time I celebrated the 4th of July – to mark my 17th year since arriving in New York and the longest time I have ever lived in one place. I was introduced to his music in 2010 in a graduate seminar called “Music After 1945” through the piece Cheating, Lying, Stealing. Its irregular pounding rhythms seemed too aggressive, yet the brief moments of fleeting beauty and the humility expressed in the program note stuck with me.

Then came The Mile-Long Opera: a biography of 7 o’clock, which has, since 2018, remained one of the most memorable experiences. At that time, unassumingly, I called Lang’s music “simple, repetitive, deeply human,” and every following piece of his confirmed that description. This was followed by The Little Match Girl Passion, paired with Morton Feldman’s Rothko Chapel at a concert in YIVO under the label “secular sacred music” – a concept I’ve been exploring in my endlessly forthcoming book. In a post-show talk, Lang explained that the prolonged quietude and repetition – a sonorous landscape that sprawls without changes – is meant to prepare a listener for an important statement, such as the viola’s quasi-Hebraic melody in Rothko Chapel. (Lang develops the idea of secular sacred music in a thought-provoking essay published ahead of the performance of his poor hymnal.)

Experiencing the subtle beauty of the national anthems in a large museum gallery with many random listeners hissing, coming and going, might seem irritating. Yet, standing right next to the musicians, I could still enjoy the tranquility and familiar harmonies which, for the first time, reminded me of Arvo Pärt. Lang’s focus in this piece is not on the music, but on the idea, a common theme expressed in the texts of 193 nations, that freedom is fragile and easily lost. Carefully rendered by Clarion Choir and Catalyst Quartet, the piece sounded like a psalm, or even a prayer, pleading for the recovery of human wisdom. The introspection and reevaluation of what is essential – an antidote to traditional fireworks – that we so desperately need today.

Erlena Dlu

NYC Calendar July 2026

July 1-August 2
Clinamen
A visual and sound installation by Céleste Boursier-Mougenot
VENUE: Park Avenue Armory
ADMISSION: starting at $30

WEDNESDAY, July 1
7PM Teiku Album release with Blacks’ Myths
Josh Harlow: Piano, synth, electronics, composer, arranger
Jonathan Barahal Taylor: Drum set, percussion, synth arrangements, composer, arranger, producer
Jaribu Shahid: Double bass, singing bowls, percussion
Peter Formanek: Tenor saxophone, alto saxophone, clarinet
Rafael Leafar: Bass clarinet, bass flute, tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, electronics
Blacks’ Myths (Luke Stewart on bass and Warren G. “Trae” Crudup III on drums)
https://577records.bandcamp.com/album/teiku
VENUE: Nublu
ADMISSION: $20

THURSDAY, July 2
7:30PM and 9PM Sylvie Courvoisier – Alden Hellmuth – Drew Gress – Kenny Wollesen
Sylvie Courvoisier – Piano
Alden Hellmuth – Saxophone
Drew Gress – Bass
Kenny Wollesen – Drums
VENUE: Close up
ADMISSION: $25

THURSDAY, July 2
8:30 pm DUO
Julian Lage (guitar) Greg Cohen (bass)
VENUE: The Stone
ADMISSION: $20

SATURDAY, July 4
2 pm, 4 pm, & 6 pm David Lang: the national anthems
Clarion Choir
Catalyst Quartet
David Lang, the national anthems
VENUE: The Met Fifth Avenue
ADMISSION: free with museum admission

WEDNESDAY, July 8
6 PM Carnegie Hall Citywide: Ivalas Quartet
Program:
Angélica Negrón, bubblegum grass/peppermint field
Derrick Skye, Deliverance
Bloch, Paysages
Dvořák, String Quartet No. 12 in F Major, “American”
Jessie Montgomery, Strum
Performers:
Ivalas Quartet
Reuben Kebede, Violin
Tiani Butts, Violin
Marcus Stevenson, Viola
Pedro Sánchez, Cello
Virgil Moore, Violin
VENUE: Madison Square Park
ADMISSION: free

THURSDAY, July 9
8PM No Fun New Perspectives: Bill Nace, Carlos Giffoni, Charmaine Lee, Twig Harper, and more (Night 1)
Bill Nace (guitar), Carlos Giffoni (electronics), and Charmaine Lee (electronics and voice)
Twig Harper (electronics), Hada Benedito (prepared piano), and Michael Foster (saxophone)
Lea Bertucci (electronics and voice) and David Watson (bagpipes)
Mark Morgan (guitar), Samara Lubelski (violin), and Greg Kelley (trumpet)
VENUE: Roulette
ADMISSION: $20-30

FRIDAY, July 10
8 PM Joe Hisaishi in Concert
Program:
Philip Glass, Symphony No. 1, “Low”
Joe Hisaishi, Concerto for Orchestra (NY Premiere, co-commissioned by Carnegie Hall)
Performers:
Joe Hisaishi, Conductor
Orchestra of St. Luke’s
VENUE: Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage
ADMISSION: starting at $90

FRIDAY, July 10
8PM No Fun New Perspectives: Carlos Giffoni, Lee Ranaldo, Raven Chacon, Keith Fullerton Whitman, and more (Night 2)
Carlos Giffoni (electronics), Lee Ranaldo (guitar), and Raven Chacon
Keith Fullerton Whitman (electronics) and Chris Goudreau (electronics)
C. Spencer Yeh (violin and voice), Brandon Lopez (standup bass), and Sean Meehan (percussion)
Marcia Bassett (electronics), Chuck Bettis (electronics), Christopher Reid Martin (guitar and electronics), and Gabie Strong (guitar and electronics)
VENUE: Roulette
ADMISSION: $20-30

SATURDAY, July 11
8PM No Fun New Perspectives: NIKA, Nate Wooley, Zeena Parkins, Ryan Sawyer, and more (Night 3)
NIKA (prepared piano and voice) and Nate Wooley (trumpet)
Zeena Parkins (harp), Ryan Sawyer (percussion), and Elaine Carey (electronics)
Mir Naqibul Islam (percussion) and Randall Dunn (electronics)
Michael Vallera (guitar) and Alan Licht (guitar)
VENUE: Roulette
ADMISSION: $20-30

SUNDAY, July 12
7:30 pm Zeena Parkins / Nate Wooley / Ryan Sawyer
Zeena Parkins – Electric Harp+Objects
Nate Wooley – Trumpet+Objects
Ryan Sawyer -Drums
VENUE: IBeam
ADMISSION: $20

TUESDAY, July 14
7:30 pm False Harmonics #26
Conrad Tao, Aaron Turner & Randall Dunn, Charmaine Lee
Elliott Carter’s Catenaires and Galina Ustvolskaya’s Piano Sonata No. 6 with the world premiere of Φ (II), a new work written for Tao by composer Eric Wubbels.
multi-instrumentalist Randall Dunn and guitarist/vocalist Aaron Turner
VENUE: Pioneer Works
ADMISSION: $20

TUESDAY, Jul 14
8:30 pm Trio
Anthony Coleman (piano) Tom Rainey (drums) Yoona Kim (ajaeng)
VENUE: The Stone
ADMISSION: $20

WEDNESDAY, July 15 and THURSDAY, July 16
7pm + 9pm Miles Okazaki’s “Boomtown” – Album Release Show
Miles Okazaki – guitar
Caroline Davis – alto saxophone
Jon Irabagon – tenor saxophone
Anna Webber – tenor saxophone
Jacob Garchik – trombone
Hannah Marks – bass
Chris Tordini – bass
Matt Mitchell – piano
Dan Weiss – drums
VENUE: The Jazz Gallery
ADMISSION: $22-44

FRIDAY, July 17 and SATURDAY, July 18
7:30 pm Hymn and Reformation
Festival Orchestra of Lincoln Center
Chloé Van Soeterstède, conductor
Simone Lamsma, violin
Valentin Silvestrov, Hymn – 2001
Max Bruch, Violin Concerto No. 1
Felix Mendelssohn, Symphony No. 5, “Reformation”
VENUE: David Geffen Hall
ADMISSION: $5-100

SATURDAY, July 18
6:30pm Jeremiah Cymerman
Dharma Rhythms Summer Music Festival – Flicker & Decay
featuring clarinetist Jeremiah Cymerman, with a meditation led by Anjie Cho
VENUE: New York Insight Meditation Center
ADMISSION: $19

July 21 – July 26
8pm and 10pm Kris Davis | Tyshawn Sorey | Ingrid Laubrock
Ingrid Laubrock – Saxophone
Kris Davis – Piano
Tyshawn Sorey – Drums
VENUE: Village Vanguard
ADMISSION: $48

WEDNESDAY, July 22
8pm Sally Gates Residency
Sally Gates / Nora Stanley / Chris Corsano, Maya Keren
VENUE: Sisters
ADMISSION: $15

FRIDAY, July 24
8:30 pm Trio
Larry Ochs (saxes) Simon Hanes (electric bass) Billy Martin (drums)
VENUE: The Stone
ADMISSION: $20

SATURDAY, July 25
4PM Body Without Organs (Invisible Guy; Jon Irabagon; Pulverize the Sound)
VENUE: The Art Park at 33 East 1st Street
ADMISSION: free

SATURDAY, July 25
8:30pm Larry Ochs With Highsmith
Larry Ochs (saxes) Craig Taborn (piano) Ikue Mori (electronics)
VENUE: The Stone
ADMISSION: $20

SUNDAY, July 26
8:30 PM DoYeon Kim Quintet
DoYeon Kim – Gayageum
Peter Evans – Trumpet
Satoshi Takeishi – Percussion
Sam Minaie – Bass
Elias Stemeseder – Piano
Tom Rainey – Drums
VENUE: Seeds
ADMISSION: TBD

MONDAY, July 27
8:30 PM DoYeon Kim Solo
DoYeon Kim – Gayageum
VENUE: Seeds
ADMISSION: TBD

TUESDAY, July 28
8:30 PM DoYeon Kim Trio
DoYeon Kim – Gayageum
Lester St. Louis – Cello
Gabby Flukemogul – Violin
VENUE: Seeds
ADMISSION: TBD

THURSDAY, July 30
7 PM NYO2
Program:
Arturo Márquez, Danzón No. 2
Gabriela Lena Frank, “The Mestizo Waltz” from Three Latin American Dances
Michael Torke, Sky
Gershwin, An American in Paris
Respighi, Pines of Rome
Performers:
NYO2
Mei-Ann Chen, Conductor
Tessa Lark, Violin
VENUE: Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage
ADMISSION: starts at $17

No Winter, No War: The Transfixing Power of Mōdraniht

On June 1-3, the Vienna Festival (Wiener Festwochen) hosted three nights of Mōdraniht. Songs of Winter War – the third experimental opera in the environmental trilogy by the creative collective Opera Aperta. The show had previously been performed at O. Festival in Rotterdam on May 26 and premiered on May 10 in Kyiv, where the company’s rehearsal space has since been destroyed by a Russian missile attack. To create this production, composers Roman Grygoriv and Illia Razumeiko traveled to Northern Spain, the Carpathian Mountains, and Uzbekistan to document winter solstice rituals and the present condition of the dried-up Aral Sea.

The previous two productions in the trilogy were quite remarkable – Chornobyldorf received the Royal Philharmonic Society’s award for the best opera, running against Kaija Saariaho’s Innocence, and GAIA-24. Opera del Mondo received the 2025 Music Theatre Now Award. Yet Mōdraniht is certainly more original, deeper, and overall, much stronger both musically and dramaturgically. The music amplifies the emotional charge of visual sequences in just the right way; moreover, it could easily exist as a stand-alone piece, apart from those moments when it dissolves into silence, quotations from the classics, and the ringing of cow bells. The timing between unexpected scene changes is perfectly calculated. A Richard Foreman play, but with meaning?

The meaning was clarified in Razumeiko’s introductory remarks. (Neither winter nor war explicitly appear in the production itself, except for the artist-led Q&A session with the audience, in the middle of the show.) Switching between English and German, to engage both international guests and locals, he explained the origin of some visuals and props: the ships in the desert demonstrate the results of Russian colonization – the draining of the Aral Sea, the injured face belongs to a recently discharged Ukrainian veteran, and the partially destroyed pianos symbolize those that were looted by the Red Army soldiers from Austria in 1945. These facts made the abstract production that followed feel timely, yet I imagined its existence without any explanations, as the aesthetic quality of the piece can certainly ensure its timelessness.

By all counts, the artists of Opera Aperta are superhumans. The cast consists of professionals trained as singers (operatic or folk), dancers, string or percussion players, but each has mastered the drums, strings, pianos, and other instruments and objects. With any and all parts of their bodies, they play a mesmerizing sequence à la Boulez’s Piano Notations, where every note, tone cluster, and silence musically make perfect sense. (The positions include leaning perpendicularly to play with the crown of the head on a piano positioned sideways, and doing push-ups while stretched along the keyboard, which is possible only because of the enormous strength in Marichka Shtyrbulova’s tiny body.) Mingling with the audience, the performers can create a stereophonic sound by jumping incessantly for over 15 minutes while wearing 350 bells, ranging in size from an apple to a watermelon. They can also flawlessly sing six-part polyphony while all piled up on top of each other, in upside-down or sideways positions that seem to defy the existence of gravity. (The singing happens after the bells episode, and no one seems to be out of breath.)

Mōdraniht, however, is not merely a collection of startling effects or a show-off of improbable skills. It’s a work of high art that leaves you startled, with eyes wide open and many questions. (Is it really over? Why do the lights project “The End” while the music is still playing, one artist is still lying on the stage, and no one comes out for a bow to greet the puzzled, hesitantly clapping audience? And, more importantly, when are they coming to New York?)

Erlena Dlu

NYC Calendar June 2026

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE MONTH:
Summer for the City, June 10-August 8

The Stone Residencies
Cyro Baptista, June 3-6; Anthony Coleman, June 10-13; Simon Hanes, June 17-27

RECOMMENDED OUT-OF-TOWN EVENT:
75th Vienna Festival (Wiener Festwochen), May 15-June 21

WEDNESDAY, June 3
8:30pm Sado Island
Kaoru Watanabe (percussion, flute, vocals) yuniya edi kwon (violin, vocals) Yuka Yamamoto (voice, ukulele) Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz (bass, oud) Cyro Baptista (percussion)
VENUE: The Stone
ADMISSION: $20

June 3-5
El Último Sueño de Frida y Diego
Music by Gabriela Lena Frank
Libretto by Nilo Cruz
Frida – Isabel Leonard
Diego – Carlos Álvarez
VENUE: The Metropolitan Opera
ADMISSION: from $49

THURSDAY, June 4
7 PM New Moons: World Premieres by the 2025-26 Luna Lab Fellows
Performers:
International Contemporary Ensemble
Modney, violin
Emmalie Tello, clarinet
Clara Warnaar, percussion
Erika Dohi, piano
Program:
Chloe Kirk, A Foreign Form (World Premiere)
Vivian Fung, Down and Dirty (Mvmnt. II & III)
Faith Wesley, I Have Come to Set Fire (World Premiere)
Anchi Wang-Hall, Negative Spaces (World Premiere)
Brittany J. Green, Living is the journey of answering
Christabelle Kirkham, (when the leaves turn) (World Premiere)
Madeline Yang, though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea (World Premiere)
Angélica Negrón, A Través Del Manto Luminoso
Andromeda Wen, Echoes (World Premiere)
VENUE: Weill Music Room at Carnegie Hall
ADMISSION: free

FRIDAY, June 5
6PM Elliot Sharp – Feedback: Translations From The IrRational – Reading and Performance
VENUE: Property is Theft
ADMISSION: TBD

FRIDAY, June 5
6 pm Jenny Lin, piano
Program includes:
Charles Ives – Study No. 23
Crawford Seeger – Study In Mixed Accents
Virgil Thomson – Étude 10 Ragtime Bass From Ten Études
Morton Gould – Boogie Woogie Étude
Earl Wild/Gershwin – Étude 4 “Embraceable You”
William Bolcom – Étude Ii Recitatif From Twelve New Études For Piano
Philip Glass – Étude No. 6
Curtis Curtis-Smith – Étude No. 5 “Free And Easy”
Nico Muhly – Étude No. 3 “Running” From 3 Etudes
Augusta Read Thomas – V. Rain At Funeral — Homage To Morton Feldman
Matthew Aucoin – Étude 1. Rondo Which Devours Itself
Timo Andres – Moving Étude No. 3: “Everything Changes”
VENUE: Kaufman Music Center
ADMISSION: $30

FRIDAY, June 5
7:30 PM Josh Werner, Doug Wieselman, Ryan Sawyer, Ofir Ganon
VENUE: Cassette
ADMISSION: $15

FRIDAY, June 5
8 pm Conrad Tao, piano
David Lang – Cage
Elliott Carter – Two Thoughts About The Piano
Julia Wolfe – Compassion
Aaron Copland – Piano Sonata
Frederic Rzewski – Which Side Are You On?
VENUE: Kaufman Music Center
ADMISSION: $30

FRIDAY, June 5
8PM Pi Recordings 25th Anniversary Celebration: Tyshawn Sorey Trio // Matt Mitchell New Quartet
Matt Mitchell New Quartet
Matt Mitchell piano
Kim Cass acoustic bass
Peter Evans trumpet
Ches Smith percussion
Tyshawn Sorey Trio
Tyshawn Sorey drums
Aaron Diehl piano
Harish Raghavan bass
VENUE: Roulette
ADMISSION: $35-$45

SATURDAY, June 6
2pm Bahauddin Dagar: Asynchronous Duets
with Brandon Ross
VENUE: 873 Broadway, NY, suite 503
ADMISSION: $15

SATURDAY, June 6
6 pm Mikael Darmanie, piano
Aaron Copland – Piano Variations
Caroline Shaw – Gustave Le Gray
Tania León – Tumbao
Thelonious Monk – Monk’s Dream
Philip Glass – Mad Rush
Mikael Darmanie – Though I Walk (World Premiere)
Duke Ellington – Black And Tan Fantasy
VENUE: Kaufman Music Center
ADMISSION: $30

SATURDAY, June 6
7:30pm The Next Festival of Emerging Artists
Tommy Mesa, Cello
Andrea Casarrubios’ The Book of Signatures
Adeliia Faizullina’s 6, before she knew and after
Wang Lu’s Tangrams and Niloufar Nourbakhsh’s for love seemed easy at first
Aleksandra Vrebalov’s Ur Song
Clarice Assad’s Impressions
VENUE: National Sawdust
ADMISSION: from $36.84

SATURDAY, June 6
8 pm Anthony de Mare, piano
Program includes:
Aaron Copland – Three Moods
Henry Cowell – The Banshee
John Cage – The Wonderful Widow Of Eighteen Springs; Nowth Upon Nacht
Conlon Nancarrow – Sonatina
George Crumb – Makrokosmos, Vol. 1
Morton Feldman – Intermission V
Harold Arlen / Keith Jarrett – Over The Rainbow
Meredith Monk – Railroad (Travel Song)
John Adams – China Gates
Laurie Anderson – Statue Of Liberty
Jon Batiste – The Gun Song / The Ballad Of Booth
Frederic Rzewski – Piano Piece No. 4
VENUE: Kaufman Music Center
ADMISSION: $30

SATURDAY, June 6
8:30 pm Sextet
Cyro Baptista (percussion) Brian Marsella (piano) Zé Luis Oliveira (sax, flute) Scott Kettner (drums) Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz (bass, oud) David Freeman (tablas)
VENUE: The Stone
ADMISSION: $20

MONDAY, June 8
6:30pm Sandy Ewen – Solo Guitar
7:30pm Elliott Sharp – Octal Guitar – CD release Celebration
VENUE: DMG
ADMISSION: Free

THURSDAY, June 11
7:30 PM James McKain/Weasel Walter/Caleb Duval/Ipek Eginli, Sandy Ewen/Kevin Murray, Bookers (Luke Rovinsky/Caleb Duval/Michael Larocca)
VENUE: Record Shop
ADMISSION: TBD

THURSDAY, June 11
8PM Caleb Wheeler Curtis Quartet
Caleb Wheeler Curtis – Saxophones, Trumpet, Juana Trujillo – Guitar, Sean Conly – Bass, Mike Sarin – Drums
Seeds Sounds Records Live Recording
VENUE: Seeds
ADMISSION: TBD

THURSDAY, June 11
8:30 pm Trio
Yoona Kim (ajaeng) Tom Rainey (drums) Anthony Coleman (piano)
VENUE: The Stone
ADMISSION: $20

FRIDAY, June 12
7:30 pm Glenn Branca’s Symphony No. 13
Glenn Branca’s Symphony No. 13, aka Hallucination City
an orchestra of 100 electric guitar players
conducted by Reg Bloor
VENUE: Wu Tsai Theater, David Geffen Hall
ADMISSION: from $5

FRIDAY, June 12
8pm Either/Or: Music of Feldman, Cheah, Wolff
Program:
Victoria Cheah It has only shelves (2023)
Morton Feldman Bass Clarinet and Percussion (1981)
Morton Feldman Instruments 1 (1974)
Christian Wolff For Morty (1987)
Performers:
Stuart Breczinski – oboe & English horn
Lauren Cauley – violin
Victoria Cheah – electronics, composer
Russell Greenberg – percussion
Madison Greenstone – bass clarinet
Joseph Kubera – piano, celeste
Margaret Lancaster – alto & piccolo flute
Chris McIntyre – trombone
Chris Nappi – percussion
Aliya Ultan – cello
VENUE: The Church of St. Luke & St. Matthew (520 Clinton Avenue, Brooklyn)
ADMISSION: $12-23

FRIDAY, June 12
8PM Caleb Wheeler Curtis Quartet
Caleb Wheeler Curtis – Saxophones, Trumpet, Juana Trujillo – Guitar, Sean Conly – Bass, Mike Sarin – Drums
Seeds Sounds Records Live Recording
VENUE: Seeds
ADMISSION: TBD

SATURDAY, June 13
7 PM Concert of Pre-recorded Tapes of
Pandit Pran Nath performing Evening Ragas
Curated by
La Monte Young and Jung Hee Choi
in a setting of
Imagic Light, Marian Zazeela
Light Point Drawings Nos. 28 and 29, Jung Hee Choi
VENUE: MELA Dream House
ADMISSION: $21-27

SATURDAY, June 13
2pm Bahauddin Dagar: Asynchronous Duets
with Anh Vo
VENUE: 873 Broadway, NY, suite 503
ADMISSION: $15

SATURDAY, June 13
7PM An Evening of Unfinished Work Hosted by Lisa Fagan & Lena Engelstein
VENUE: Coffey Street Studio
ADMISSION: TBD

SATURDAY, June 13
8PM James Ilgenfritz with Joe McPhee & AC Diamond
VENUE: Issue Project Room
ADMISSION: $12-$17

SATURDAY, June 13
8PM Caleb Wheeler Curtis Quartet
Caleb Wheeler Curtis – Saxophones, Trumpet, Juana Trujillo – Guitar, Sean Conly – Bass, Mike Sarin – Drums
Seeds Sounds Records Live Recording
VENUE: Seeds
ADMISSION: TBD

SATURDAY, June 13
8:30pm Music From Sounding Board
Anthony Coleman (piano)
VENUE: The Stone
ADMISSION: $20

SUNDAY, June 14
6:30 PM Outlier Presents: Steve Swell Quartet ft. William Parker/Rob Brown/Jeremy Carlstedt//Michael Foster and Chuck Roth Duo
VENUE: Property is Theft
ADMISSION: $20

TUESDAY, June 16
7:30 PM Mise_En festival – Opening Night
Program
Daniel De Togni (USA/USA): Ritual and Evocation at the Stone Garden (2021)
David Lipten (USA/USA): Slipstream (2020)
Shoko Nagai (USA/Japan): Synthesis Magma (2023)
JungAh Lee (South Korea/South Korea): intatto (2024, rev 2025)
Maria Vittoria Agresti (Italy/Italy): Burnt (2025)
Justin Zeitlinger (USA/USA): spargens sonum (2023)
VENUE: VENUE: MISE-EN_PLACE
ADMISSION: $5-30

WEDNESDAY, June 17
8PM Matt Mottel: The Image Is a Seed
archival material, live performance, and digital media
VENUE: Issue Project Room
ADMISSION: $17, free for members

WEDNESDAY, June 17
8:30 pm Quartet
Anthony Coleman (piano) Mat Maneri (viola) Billy Martin (percussion, drums) Simon Hanes (bass, baritone guitar)
VENUE: The Stone
ADMISSION: $20

THURSDAY, June 18
7:30 PM SUTARInova + Shahzad Ismaily
SUTARInova:
Basia Songin – vocal, electro-folk bass, Polish frame drum
Kasia Kapela – vocal, violin, Polish frame drum
Filip Zakrzewski – dub, FX, electronics
Shahzad Ismaily – double bass, guitar
VENUE: David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center
ADMISSION: Free

FRIDAY, June 19
7PM and 9PM The Trio: Threadgill, Iyer, Prieto
Threadgill -woodwinds
Iyer -keyboards
Prieto -percussion
VENUE: Jazz Gallery
ADMISSION: $28-$165

FRIDAY, June 19
8PM Elias Stemeseder- Thomas Morgan Duo
Elias Stemeseder – Piano, Analog Synthesizer, Thomas Morgan – Acoustic Bass
Seeds Sounds Records Live Recording
VENUE: Seeds
ADMISSION: TBD

SATURDAY, June 20
2pm Bahauddin Dagar: Asynchronous Duets
with Aakash Mittal
VENUE: 873 Broadway, NY, suite 503
ADMISSION: $15

SATURDAY, June 20
7PM and 9PM The Trio: Threadgill, Iyer, Prieto
Threadgill -woodwinds
Iyer -keyboards
Prieto -percussion
VENUE: Jazz Gallery
ADMISSION: $28-$165

SATURDAY, June 20
7:30PM DoYeon Kim Quartet with Matylda Gerber, John Hébert, Satoshi Takeishi
DoYeon Kim – gayageum
Matylda Gerber – saxophone
John Hébert – double bass
Satoshi Takeishi – drums
VENUE: David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center
ADMISSION: Free

SATURDAY, June 20
8PM Elias Stemeseder- Thomas Morgan Duo
Elias Stemeseder – Piano, Analog Synthesizer, Thomas Morgan – Acoustic Bass
Seeds Sounds Records Live Recording
VENUE: Seeds
ADMISSION: TBD

SATURDAY, June 20
8:30pm The New Californians
Simon Hanes (bass, baritone guitar) Fred Frith (guitar) Ches Smith (drums) Nora Stanley (alto sax)
VENUE: The Stone
ADMISSION: $20

SUNDAY, June 21
5PM Jazztopad Festival – Hamid Drake & River Sisters
VENUE: Rizzoli Bookstore
ADMISSION: Free

SUNDAY, June 21
7:30PM and 9PM Jazztopad Festival – Tomasz Dabrowski -Elias Stemeseder – Henry Fraser – Jon Starks – Special Guests
VENUE: Close Up
ADMISSION: $25

MONDAY, June 22
8PM Fred Frith (gtr) Nora Stanley (sax) Simon Hanes (gtr)
VENUE: Lava Club (sold out)
ADMISSION: $30

MONDAY, June 22
10PM Fred Frith, Simon Hanes, Billy Martin
VENUE: Lava Club
ADMISSION: $30

MONDAY, June 24
8PM The 22nd Annual NYC in C
Qasim Naqvi, drums; Anna Abondolo, bass; Grey McMurray, guitar; David Grubbs, guitar; Zach Layton, 17-string bass; Modney, violin; Jessica Pavone, viola; Lester St. Louis, cello; Stuart Bogie, clarinet; Samantha Kocis, flute; Rebekah Fawn Heller, bassoon; Matana Roberts, saxophone; Ingrid Laubrock, saxophone; Chris Williams, trumpet; Chris Mcintyre, trombone; Seth Cluett, electronics; Levi Lu, electronics; Luisa Muhr, voice; Megan Schubert, voice; Sonia Megias, voice; Nick Hallett, voice; David Nagler, voice; Phyllis Chen, piano; Zeena Parkins, accordion; and more.
VENUE: LPR
ADMISSION: $25-$45

THURSDAY, June 25
6PM Ingrid Laubrock’s Grammy Season: Spirit, Fire, Fact
Ingrid Laubrock – saxophone
Brandon Seabrook – guitar
Shawn Lovato – bass
Tom Rainey – drums
DoYeon Kim – Gayageum
Miah Artola – Video Art
7PM Taborn / Reid
Craig Taborn – piano
Tomeka Reid – cello
VENUE: Abrons Arts Center
ADMISSION: $68+

FRIDAY, June 26
6 pm Marshall Allen & The Cosmic Future
Marshall Allen – saxaphone
Dave Burrell – piano
David Hotep – guitar
William Parker – bass
Darius Jones – saxophone
Andrew Cyrille – drum
Mickey Davidson – dance
Kamau Patton – video art
8:30pm Drake & Parker: Black Cherry
Hamid Drake – drums, percussion
William Parker – gimbre, doson ghoni, flute reeds
Josh Abrams – gimbre
Lisa Alvarado – art stills
9:25pm DoYeon Kim Quartet: Wellspring
DoYeon Kim – Gayageum
Henry Fraser – bass
Tom Rainey – drums
Laura Cocks – flute
VENUE: Abrons Arts Center
ADMISSION: $68+

FRIDAY, June 26
8PM Laurie Anderson: Republic of Love with Sexmob
VENUE: Central Park, Rumsey Playfield
ADMISSION: Free

FRIDAY, June 26
8PM Burton, First, Rigler
VENUE: Soup & Sound, 292 Lefferts Avenue, Brooklyn
ADMISSION: $20

SUNDAY, June 28
2pm Steve Swell’s Poetics of Improvisation: Songs From the Poetry Box
Steve Swell – trombone, spoken word
Ellen Christi – voice, electronics
Rob Brown – alto, flute
Jeremy Carlstedt – drums
William Parker – bass
Miah Artola – video art
3:00pm Dickey/Shipp / Lopez
Whit Dickey – drums
Matthew Shipp – piano
Brandon Lopez – bass
Julia Dratel – video art
4:10pm Short Cuts Trio – Rothenberg/ Courvoisier/Waits
Ned Rothenberg – reeds
Sylvie Courvoisier – piano
Nasheet Waits – drums
5:15pm Daniel Carter Celebration Black Octopus
Daniel Carter – reeds, horns
Ayumi Ishito – saxophone
Stalios Mihas , Dylan DelGiudice – guitar
Federico Ughi – drums
Hamid Drake – drums
William Parker – bass
Matthew Shipp – piano
Matt Lavelle – trumpet
Film by No Land & Miriam Parker
VENUE: Abrons Arts Center
ADMISSION: $68+

SUNDAY, June 28
4pm Collide-O-Scope Music
Program:
Elliott Carter: Sonata for Flute, Oboe, Cello, And Harpsichord (1953)
Eleonor Sandresky: Spice Mix 2 (2013/25)
Eleonor Sandresky: Spice Mix 3 (2013/25)
Augustus Arnone: Sonatina for Flute, Clarinet, Harpsichord, Piano, and Electronics (2025-26)
Doug Geers: Ephemeral Talisman (2015)
Chris Bailey: Crystal Elements (2026)
Performers:
Yoshi Weinberg, Flute
Christa Robinson, Oboe
Kathryn Vetter, Clarinet
Carl Patrick Bolleia, Harpsichord
Eleonor Sandresky, Piano
Augustus Arnone, Piano
VENUE: Tenri Cultural Institute
ADMISSION: $23

TUESDAY, June 30
8pm John Zorn’s Simulacrum
VENUE: Roulette
ADMISSION: $30-$40

NYC Calendar May 2026

HIGHLIGHT OF THE MONTH: Long Play Festival, May 1 -3

RECOMMENDED OUT-OF-TOWN EVENTS:
10th International Conference on Music and Minimalism, The University of Maryland School of Music, May 7–10
75th Vienna Festival (Wiener Festwochen), May 15-June 21

FRIDAY, May 1
7:30 pm Ensemble Fantasque: Beyond Urban
Varèse – Octandre
Schoenberg – Five Pieces Op. 16 (arrangement for ensemble)
Amelia Brey – Hermes of the Ways
Wuorinen – New York Notes
VENUE: The DiMenna Center for Classical Music
ADMISSION: $15

FRIDAY, May 1
8:30 PM Period Bomb, Chris Pitsiokos, Tim Dahl, Kevin Shea, Chaser, Vid Linger
VENUE: The Statue
ADMISSION: $20

FRIDAY, May 1 and SATURDAY, May 2
7pm + 9pm Jen Shyu presents Fertile Land, Fertile Body
Jen Shyu – composition, text*, voice, gayageum, Taiwanese moon lute, piano, movement, raw video footage
Nana Dakin – director
Layale Chaker – violin, voice, movement
Alexandria DeWalt – flute, voice, movement
Melanie Dyer – viola, voice, movement
Elizabeth Kate – cello, voice, movement
Lesley Mok – drums, voice, movement
Haruna Lee – writing doula
Soomi Kim – choreographer
Laura Sofía Pérez – projection design
Eric Cheng – photography and iceberg video
Jamie Chen – stage manager
Melyanet Suarez – digital program design
VENUE: The Jazz Gallery
ADMISSION: $22-38

SATURDAY, May 2
3PM Long Play Festival 2026: Dither and Friends perform James Tenney
VENUE: BRIC Ballroom
ADMISSION: $95+

SATURDAY, May 2
4PM Long Play Festival 2026: Matthew Shipp The Cosmic Piano
VENUE: Theatre for a New Audience at Polonsky Shakespeare Center
ADMISSION: $95+

SATURDAY, May 2
5PM Long Play Festival 2026: The Percussion Collective performs Mauricio Kagel Dressur
VENUE: Church of St. Luke & St. Matthew
ADMISSION: $95+

SATURDAY, May 2
7PM Long Play Festival 2026: David Lang mystery sonatas with Emma Meinrenken
VENUE: Roulette
ADMISSION: $95+

SATURDAY, May 2
7:30 pm Futuros: New Ideas in Composition
with inti figgis-vizueta
the debut portrait of composer inti figgis-vizueta, spanning the past eight years of her collaborations living in New York City
Orange Road String Quartet
Miguel Calleja, violin
Lauren Conroy, violin
Nicky More, viola
Jordan Bartow, cello
Mantra Percussion
Mika Godbole
Joe Bergen
Caitlin Cawley
Gleb Kanasevich, clarinet
Amber Scherer, piano
VENUE: David Rubenstein Atrium
ADMISSION: Free

SATURDAY, May 2
8:30pm Ned Rothenberg And Alec Goldfarb + very special guest
Ned Rothenberg – Alto Sax, Clarinet, Sakuhachi
Alec Goldfarb – Guitar
VENUE: Seeds
ADMISSION: TBD

SUNDAY, May 3
12 pm John Luther Adams Crossing Open Ground
40 winds, brass, and percussionists, led by Doug Perkins
VENUE: Fort Greene Park
ADMISSION: FREE

SUNDAY, May 3
3PM Ellery Eskelin, solo sax
VENUE: Zen Center of New York City (500 State Street, Brooklyn)
ADMISSION: $10

SUNDAY, May 3
3:00 pm Long Play Festival 2026
3:00 pm – Morton Feldman Three Voices with Charlotte Mundy
5:30 pm – Trevor Dunn’s Trio-Convulsant avec Folie à Quatre
7:30 pm – Philip Glass Glassworks with Bang on a Can All-Stars
10:00 pm – Secret Chiefs 3
VENUE: Roulette
ADMISSION: $95+

SUNDAY, May 3
5PM Long Play Festival 2026
Kwami Winfield and C. Spencer Yeh
VENUE: Issue Project Room
ADMISSION: $95+

MONDAY, May 4
8:30pm David Leon – Yuma Uesaka Thumbs
David Leon – Alto Sax, Flute
Yuma Uesaka – Saxophones, clarinets
VENUE: Seeds
ADMISSION: TBD

TUESDAY, May 5
8:30pm David Leon – Yuma Uesaka Thumbs
David Leon – Alto Sax, Flute
Yuma Uesaka – Saxophones, clarinets
VENUE: Seeds
ADMISSION: TBD

WEDNESDAY, May 6
7:30 PM Songs of Cultural Transition
Ensemble Connect
David Krakauer, Artistic Partner
Program
Hindemith, Kleine Kammermusik
Krein, Lento from Jewish Sketches, Op. 12
Osvaldo Golijov, “K’vakarat” from The Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind
“Love Song for Lemberg / Lvov”
Bartok, “Sebes (Fast Dance)” from Contrasts
Trad. “Der Gasn Nign” (arr. David Krakauer)
“Synagogue Wail”
trad. “Der Heyser Bulgar” (arr. David Krakauer)
VENUE: Resnick Education Wing
ADMISSION: Tickets $25

WEDNESDAY, May 6
8pm Spontaneous Resonance
Ryan Siegel – Alto Sax
Adam Lane – Double Bass
Patrick Golden – Drums
9 pm set2
Ayako Kanda – Voice
Anthony Coleman – Piano
Evan Palmer – Double Bass
Ken Kobayashi – Drums
VENUE: IBeam
ADMISSION: $20

FRIDAY, May 8
8pm Ayako Kanda + Tony Jones Trio
Tony Jones Trio
Tony Jones Tenor Saxophone
Jessica Jones Tenor Saxophone
Ken Filiano Bass
Ayako Kanda Group
Ayako Kanda Voice
Anthony Coleman Piano
Andrew Drury Drum Set
VENUE: the Loove Annex
ADMISSION: $20

SATURDAY, May 9
8 pm Queer Urban Orchestra presents Of Rage and Remembrance
Pre-concert talk at 7:15 pm
Program:
Gustav Mahler, orch. Benjamin Britten: What the Wild Flowers Tell Me (1895-96, orch. 1906)
Samuel Barber: Violin Concerto, Op. 14 (1939-1940, rev. 1949)
Pauline Oliveros: Heart Chant (2001)
John Corigliano: Symphony No. 1 (1988)
Artists:
Queer Urban Orchestra
David Bloom — Artistic Director and Conductor
Blake Pouliot — violin
Derek Weagle — Associate Conductor
VENUE: St. Bartholomew’s Church (325 Park Avenue)
ADMISSION: $30-35

SATURDAY, May 9
8pm Ayako Kanda & Elliott Sharp + Michael Sarin & Mp Landis
MP Landis, live painting
Michael Sarin, drums
Ayako Kanda, voice
Elliott Sharpe, electric guitar
VENUE: the Loove Annex
ADMISSION: $20

SATURDAY, May 9
8PM Sakina Abdou, sax
VENUE: Lava Club
ADMISSION: $20

MONDAY, May 11
7PM Enduring Voices: Rzewski and Sylvestrov
Program:
Valentyn Sylvestrov “Post Scriptum” Sonata for Violin and Piano (1990)
Frederic Rzewski The People United Will Never Be Defeated! (1975)
Performers:
Solomiya Ivakhiv, violin
Vadym Kholodenko, piano
VENUE: Ukrainian Institute of America (2 East 79th Street, New York)
ADMISSION: $20-40

MONDAY, May 11
7pm Ex Machina
Clara Yang, Piano
Xuan, Immersive Visual Art
Program:
Reena Esmail Crystal Prelude No. 1
with Cryoacoustic Orb Sound Installation by Lee Weisert and Jonathon Kirk
Lee Weisert Clinamina
Clara Yang Nebula
Yvette Young, Clara Yang Conception
Philip Glass Etude No. 11
Liliya Ugay Hammers Over The Moon
Phil Young Robodream
Allen Anderson Think That’s You—A Personality Recognition Software Toccata
Stephen Anderson Drones
Christopher Cerrone Hoyt-Schermerhorn
VENUE: Jerome Robbins Theater
ADMISSION: $29-39

TUESDAY, May 12
7:30 PM Decoda: American Renaissance
Program
IVES The Unanswered Question
Still “Summerland” From Three Visions
Carlos Simon Giants
Bonds “Dream Variation” From Three Dream Portraits (Arr. Xiaobao He)
Sarah Elizabeth Charles “Discover This Country” (Arr. Monique Brooks Roberts)
Z. P. Perry “Life” from Cycle of Songs on Poems of Paul Laurence Dunbar (arr. Brad Balliett)
Bonds “Troubled Water” (Arr. Jeremy Ajani Jordan)
Price Piano Quintet In A Minor
Performers: Decoda
VENUE: Weill Recital Hall
ADMISSION: starting at $29

THURSDAY, May 14
8:30 pm Independent Flotation Device
Tim Berne (sax) Rick Parker (electronics, trombone) Matt Hollenberg (electric guitars, bulbul tarang) Patrick Golden (drums)
VENUE: The Stone
ADMISSION: $20

THURSDAY, May 14
8pm Richard Carrick’s The Path
Either/Or:
Richard Carrick, piano
Jennifer Choi, violin
Jeremy Harman, cello
Justin Jay Hines, drums/percussion
Mario Salvador, tres Cubano
VENUE: Mise-En Place
ADMISSION: From $12

THURSDAY, May 14 – FRIDAY, June 5
El Último Sueño de Frida y Diego
Music by Gabriela Lena Frank
Libretto by Nilo Cruz
Frida – Isabel Leonard
Diego – Carlos Álvarez
VENUE: The Metropolitan Opera
ADMISSION: from $49

FRIDAY, May 15
7:30pm Ghost Ensemble Presents: Ilgenfritz, Macklay, Richter
New works for oboe, quarter-tone accordion, and contrabass
Ben Richter and Sky Macklay present the world premieres of new duo works for oboe and quarter-tone accordion
James Ilgenfritz performs selections from the forthcoming solo just intonation contrabass album Alien Generator
Percussionist Nick Neuburg will also perform a set for two variable pitch drums
VENUE: St. Michael’s Church (W 99 St, NY)
ADMISSION: $15-30, sliding scale

FRIDAY, May 15
8PM Kellen Mills: Tryon
Performers include:
Katie Webster, alto sax
Nick Saia, guitar
Dafna Naphtali, electronics
Marta Sanchez, piano
Kellen Mills, bass
James Nadien, drums
VENUE: the Loove Annex
ADMISSION: $20

SATURDAY, May 16
2PM 2025 AIR Qiujiang Levi Lu’s Tapescape
VENUE: Harvestworks’ Art and Technology Program Building 10a, Nolan Park, Governors Island
ADMISSION: Free

SUNDAY, May 17
9PM and 10:15PM Roy Nathanson & Friends 75th Bday Bash!
VENUE: Bar Lunatico
ADMISSION: $10

MONDAY, May 18
6pm Imani Winds: The French Connection
Repertoire
Valerie Coleman,Suite: Portraits Of Josephine Baker (2016)
Lalo Schifrin, La Nouvelle-Orléans (1987)
Henri Tomasi, Cinq Danses Profanes Et Sacrées (1959)
VENUE: Miller Theatre at Columbia University
ADMISSION: free

MONDAY, May 18
7 pm Crossing Borders Music: Haitian Flag Day Celebration
Program
Werner Jaegerhuber (1900–1953): Trio à Rosemène
Jean “Rudy” Perrault: Exodus String Quartet
Gifrants (b. 1957): Rara Kout Dlo Cho, Kout Dlo Frèt
Dickens Princivil (b. 1961): Incertitudes!
Daniel Bernard Roumain (b. 1971): “Klap Ur Handz” from String Quartet #5 (Rosa Parks)
Crossing Borders Music String Quartet
Dan Galat and Sarah Kim, violins
Wilfred Farquharson, viola
Tom Clowes, cello
VENUE: Americas Society (680 Park Avenue)
ADMISSION: free

TUESDAY, May 19
6:30pm Roulette Gala
The Robert Ashley Band
Thomas and Kamala Buckner
Roscoe Mitchell & Thomas Buckner
Dave Ruder & Brian McCorkle perform The Offering of Images
Gelsey Bell, Paul Pinto, & Aliza Simons perform Bell’s arrangement of Love is a Good Example
Matmos performs The Backyard, from Perfect Lives
and archival footage of Robert Ashley’s work.
VENUE: Roulette
ADMISSION: $150+

TUESDAY, May 19
7 pm Neoclassical Perspectives
Program:
Reminiscence and Sonata No. 4 by Andy Didorenko
Sonatine by Jean Françaix
Sonata in C by Paul Hindemith,
mini set by Grazyna Bacewicz
Andy Didorenko, violin
Yulia Basis, piano
VENUE: Faust Harrison Pianos (207 W 58th, NY)
ADMISSION: TBD

THURSDAY, May 21
7:30 p.m. Canticle of the Sun, Featuring Guest Conductor: Beth Willer
Program:
Celeste Oram – All my salt falls short (World Premiere)
Ellen Reid – Oscillations: One Hundred Years and Forever (East Coast Premiere)
Sofia Gubaidulina – Canticle of the Sun (New York City Premiere)
Messiaen – Apparition de l’Eglise éternelle
Messiaen/Gottwald – Louange a l’eternite de Jesus
Artists:
Voices of Ascension
Beth Willer, guest conductor
Tommy Mesa, cello
Jon Gillock, organ
VENUE: Church of the Ascension (36 Fifth Avenue at 10th St., New York)
ADMISSION: $40-81

THURSDAY, May 21
8:30 pm Semitic Brass
David Buchbinder (trumpet, cornet, alto horn, piano) Frank London (trumpet, brass, piano) Mark Rubin (banjo, bass, tuba)
VENUE: The Stone
ADMISSION: $20

FRIDAY, May 22
8PM “A Year of Deep Listening: 365 Text Scores for Pauline Oliveros” Book Release and Score Performances
Gelsey Bell voice and daxophone
Seth Cluett electronics
Viv Corringham voice
Mary Edwards waterphone and effects / micro foley
James Ilgenfritz bass
C. Lavender gongs and small percussion
Ben Richter accordion
Jane Rigler flutes
Lisa Schonberg drums and percussion
VENUE: Roulette
ADMISSION: $20

SATURDAY, May 23
8PM Tim Berne
Tim Berne – saxophone
Isak Ingvarsson- reeds
Tom Rainey – drums
John Hebert – bass
VENUE: Barbes
ADMISSION: $20

SUNDAY, May 24
4:30PM Ekmeles and electronics
Ekmeles is a vocal ensemble
George Lewis’s Amo
Kaija Saariaho’s Nuits, adieux
Bethany Younge’s Bright Void
Christopher Trapani’s End Words
VENUE: DiMenna Center
ADMISSION: $15-45

TUESDAY, May 26
6:30pm Jones/Ismaily /Sawyer
Darius Jones – alto sax
Shahzad Ismaily – bass / misc
Ryan Sawyer – drums
VENUE: Property Is Theft
ADMISSION: $20

WEDNESDAY, May 27
8:30 pm Quartet With String Quartet
Sara Serpa (voice) Sarah Elizabeth Charles (voice) Aubrey Johnson (voice) Qasim Naqvi (modular synth) and the Bergamot String Quartet
VENUE: The Stone
ADMISSION: $20

THURSDAY, May 28
8PM Yarn/Wire: Currents 2026
Yarn/Wire ensemble
Laura Barger piano
Julia Den Boer piano
Dustin Donahue percussion
Russell Greenberg percussion
Jonah Haven composer
Bergrún Snæbjörnsdóttir composer
VENUE: Roulette
ADMISSION: $20

THURSDAY, May 28
8:30 pm Trio
Sara Serpa (voice) Ikue Mori (electronics) Erik Friedlander (cello)
VENUE: The Stone
ADMISSION: $20

THURSDAY, May 28
7pm + 9pm Caroline Davis – Portals
Caroline Davis – saxophone
Julian Shore – piano
Chris Tordini – bass
Tim Angulo – drums
VENUE: The Jazz Gallery
ADMISSION: $22-45

FRIDAY, May 29
8PM John Zorn: New Masada Quartet
John Zorn sax
Julian Lage guitar
Jorge Roeder bass
VENUE: Kenny Wollesen drums
VENUE: Roulette
ADMISSION: $40+

FRIDAY, May 29
8PM Prospect Series house show #59
Eli Wallace / Marija Kovacevic / Rocio Sanchez (piano/violin/cello)
Jason Stein / Damon Smith / Adam Shead (bass clarinet / drums / bass)
Josh Sinton / Owen Stewart-Robertson (winds/ bass)
VENUE: 1923 8th ave Brooklyn, door at top of steps
ADMISSION: $20

FRIDAY, May 29
8:30 pm Quartet
Sara Serpa (voice) Andre Matos (guitar) Craig Taborn (piano)
VENUE: The Stone
ADMISSION: $20