NYC Calendar September 2026

TUESDAY, September 1
7:30 PM Federico Balducci and Sandy Ewen
Federico Balducci and Sandy Ewen, sound, lighting, video
Federico Balducci’s The Narcissus Trance (2026)
selected works by Eric Satie
Juan Sorroche’s Four Pieces from Central America (2020)
VENUE: MISE-EN_PLACE
ADMISSION: $20

TUESDAY, September 1
8PM The Shape of Jizz to Cum
Chuck Roth / Jessica Pavone duo:
Guitar & Viola
Against Proper Objects:
Michael Foster (saxes), Webb Crawford (guitar & banjo), Joey Sullivan (drums)
VENUE: Singers
ADMISSION: $15

WEDNESDAY, September 2
8:30 pm CHIMERAS
Satoshi Takeishi (percussion) Shoko Nagai (piano, accordion) Marty Ehrlich (saxophone, clarinets) Erik Friedlander (cello)
VENUE: The Stone
ADMISSION: $20

FRIDAY, September 4
8:30 pm AWAKENINGS
Myk Freedman (pedal steel) Nava Dunkelman (percussion) Kevin Norton (vibes) Erik Friedlander (cello)
VENUE: The Stone
ADMISSION: $20

SUNDAY, September 6
In Gardens
2 PM Trae Crudup – drum, Craig Taborn – piano
3 PM Mara Rosenbloom – piano, Kyoko Kitamura – vocal, Claire de Brunner – bassoon
VENUE: Children’s Magical Garden (129 Stanton St)
ADMISSION: Free

MONDAY, September 7
4PM Francesca H – saxophone, Chuck Roth – guitar
In Gardens
VENUE: Children’s Magical Garden (129 Stanton St)
ADMISSION: Free

MONDAY, September 7
8PM Striped Light presents: Ikue Mori & Bill Nace, Popebama (Erin Rogers & Dennis Sullivan), Nava Dunkelman & Brandon Seabrook
VENUE: Striped Light
ADMISSION: $15

THURSDAY, September 10
7–8:30 pm fern plays piano
Music by Samuel Clay Birmaher, John Cage, Georgia Denham, Eva-Maria Houben, John Lely
Performers: fern (piano) Beth Griffith (voice) Christopher Otto (violin)
VENUE: Westbeth Community Room (55 Bethune St., via courtyard)
ADMISSION: Free

THURSDAY, September 10
7:30 PM Jennifer Gersten: Concert with six violin solos
Jennifer Gersten, violin
Avian Chatters by Kristine Tjøgersen
The Secret Melody by Per Nørgård
Simon Løffler’s Aurora
VENUE: Scandinavia House
ADMISSION: $20 ($15 ASF Members)

THURSDAY, September 10
8:30 pm Quartet
Peter Evans (trumpet) Matt Mitchell (piano, compositions) Kim Cass (bass) Ches Smith (drums)
VENUE: The Stone
ADMISSION: $20

FRIDAY, September 11 – SATURDAY, September 12
7PM and 9PM Kevin Hays, piano – Album Release ‘Live at The Stone’
7pm: with Kenny Wollesen -drums
9pm: with Ben Wendel -saxophone
VENUE: Jazz Gallery
ADMISSION: $15-$55

MONDAY, September 14
8:30 Jim Seeley Quintet
Jim Seeley (tp/flh)
Ivan Renta (ts/fl)
Camila Cortina (p)
Raul Reyes (b)
JC Polo (dr)
VENUE: Brooklyn Conservatory of Music
ADMISSION: $20

TUESDAY, September 15
8PM Colin Stetson & Brìghde Chaimbeul
Colin Stetson & Brìghde Chaimbeul (duo), Space Lady, Clarice Jensen
VENUE: Pioneer Works
ADMISSION: $15

TUESDAY, September 15
8 pm Spontaneous Resonance
Sam Newsome – Soprano sax/Object
Evan Palmer – Double Bass
Willy Rodriguez – Drums
9 pm Set 2
Megumi Yonezawa – Piano
Ken Filiano – Double Bass
Ken Kobayashi – Drums
VENUE: IBeam
ADMISSION: $20

THURSDAY, September 17 – FRIDAY, September 18
7:30pm and 9pm Canis Major
Mary Halvorson – Guitar
Dave Adewumi – Trumpet
Henry Fraser – Bass
Tomas Fujiwara – Drums
VENUE: CloseUp
ADMISSION: $25

THURSDAY, September 17
7 PM Sounds of Light and Darkness: Nordic maestras in concert
Nordic Artists of New York (NANY)
Music by Johanna Telander, Helena Maria Falk, Anita Lerche, Arta Jēkabsone, Rasa Vitkauskaite, Simona Smirnova
VENUE: Scandinavia House
ADMISSION: $25 ($20 ASF Members)

THURSDAY, September 17
7:30 PM WildLine immersive concert – “Still Here | Three”
Yiseul LeMieux, installation artist
WildLine: flute, cello and piano trio (Tessa Brinckman, Chris Gross and David Friend)
Andy Akiho’s Portal
Gemma Peacocke’s Taut and Malignant
Pauline Oliveros’ Elemental Gallop
Marcos Balter ‘s delete/control/option
Seth Boustead’s Marginal Capacity
Ashkan Behzadi’s Fling
Clarice Assad’s Flight of the Fairies
VENUE: Our Saviours Atonement Lutheran Church (178 Bennett Ave)
ADMISSION: free

FRIDAY, September 18
7:30 PM WildLine immersive concert – “Still Here-Three”
Yiseul LeMieux, installation artist
WildLine: flute, cello and piano trio (Tessa Brinckman, Chris Gross and David Friend)
Andy Akiho’s Portal
Gemma Peacocke’s Taut and Malignant
Pauline Oliveros’ Elemental Gallop
Marcos Balter ‘s delete/control/option
Seth Boustead’s Marginal Capacity
Ashkan Behzadi’s Fling
Clarice Assad’s Flight of the Fairies
VENUE: St Johns in the Village (218 W 11th St)
ADMISSION: free

FRIDAY, September 18
8PM-10PM Prospect Series house show #63
8PM Stephen Haynes / Yoona Kim / Ben Stapp
(trumpet, flugelhorn, cornet, shells / ajaeng / tuba)
9PM Jack Wright / Tom Djll / James Paul Nadien
(saxophone / trumpet, electronics / drums)
10PM Flin can Hemmen Listening Party: Could Also Be the Nachtzwaluw with projections by Ben Gerstein
VENUE: 1923 8th Ave, Brooklyn
ADMISSION: $20

FRIDAY, September 18
8PM Red Hook Records 5th Anniversary: Andrew Cyrille, Wadada Leo Smith, and Qasim Naqvi // Amina Claudine Myers
SET 1 Amina Claudine Myers piano
SET 2 Andrew Cyrille drums, Wadada Leo Smith trumpet, Qasim Naqvi modular synthesizer
VENUE: Roulette
ADMISSION: $30-$40

FRIDAY, September 18
8:30 pm Sana Nagano, Ikue Mori, Nava Dunkelman, Trevor Dunn
Sana Nagano (6-string electric violin) Ikue Mori (electronics) Nava Dunkelman (percussion) Trevor Dunn (bass)
VENUE: The Stone
ADMISSION: $20

SATURDAY, September 19
7pm Gemini Duo Recital
Wanchen Zhao and Wanxu Zhao, accordion
Stephen Morris, Shadow Selves and other works
VENUE: The Dimenna Center
ADMISSION: $20

SATURDAY, September 19
7 PM The Sleeves – Ryan Sawyer Shaker Ensemble
Ryan Sawyer maracas, voice
Laura Cocks flutes, voice
isa crespo pardo voice
Nate Wooley trumpet, voice
Jessica Pavone viola, voice
Henry Fraser bass, voice
Madison Greenstone clarinets, voice
VENUE: Union Pool
ADMISSION: $24

TUESDAY, September 22
6pm Pop-Up Concerts: Kurtág At 100
Repertoire – works by György Kurtág:
Requiem for the Beloved (1987)
Excerpts from József Attila Fragments, Op. 20 (1981-82)
Excerpts from Kafka-Fragments (1985-86)
Excerpts from Játékok (1973-2026)
Performers:
Tony Arnold , soprano
Christopher Otto, violin
Amy Williams, piano
VENUE: Miller Theatre at Columbia University
ADMISSION: free

WEDNESDAY, September 23
7:30pm The Heart of the Matter
pianists Beth Levin, Kathleen Supové, Ethan Iverson,
a celebration of the 100th birthday of John Coltrane
the world premiere of
Homage to “Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues” by Kathleen Supové
and Randall Woolf
VENUE: (le) Poisson Rouge
ADMISSION: $22-27

THURSDAY, September 24
8:30PM Density 2036: part xi Album Release
Terry Riley’s The Holy Liftoff (2024)
Realization by Samuel Clay Birmaher
Performed by Claire Chase (flutes) and JACK Quartet
VENUE: Zürcher Gallery
ADMISSION: $25

THURSDAY, September 24 – TUESDAY, September 29
2pm or 7:30pm Dudamel Conducts Mahler & Tania León
Program:
Tania León, Imágenes mestizas
Mahler, Symphony No. 5
Gustavo Dudamel, Conductor
VENUE: David Geffen Hall
ADMISSION: $131-347

SUNDAY, September 27
8PM John Zorn’s Alea Iacta Est (World Premiere)
Brian Marsella piano
Jorge Roeder bass
Ches Smith drums
Sae Hashimoto vibraphone
VENUE: Roulette
ADMISSION: $30-$40

SUNDAY, September 27
2PM Andrea Wolper and Friends
Andrea Wolper, Ellen Christi – vocals, Ken Filiano – bass, TA Thompson – drum
VENUE: First Street Green, 33 E 1st St
ADMISSION: Free

TUESDAY, September 29
7:30 PM Jon Collazo and Arjan Singh Dogra
new music written for two double basses, featuring special guest performances by Jon Collazo and Arjan Singh Dogra
VENUE: MISE-EN_PLACE
ADMISSION: $20

WEDNESDAY, September 30
8PM Nate Wooley’s Mutual Aid Music // Larry Ochs Safe Havens (for the Abstract Truth)
Mutual Aid Music
Nate Wooley trumpet
Modney violin
Lester St. Louis cello
Matt Moran vibraphone
Russell Greenberg percussion
Safe Havens (for the Abstract Truth)
Larry Ochs tenor, sopranino saxophones
Charles Burnham violin
Trevor Dunn acoustic, electric bass and effects
Ikue Mori electronics
VENUE: Roulette
ADMISSION: $20- $30

WEDNESDAY, September 30
8:30 pm Pulverize the Sound
Peter Evans (trumpets) Tim Dahl (bass, vocals, electronics) Mike Pride (drums, percussion)
VENUE: The Stone
ADMISSION: $20

NYC Calendar August 2026

HIGHLIGHT OF THE MONTH:
TIME: SPANS Festival, August 8-22

Please note that our Brooklyn curator is on vacation in August. For more events in Brooklyn, we recommend nycnoise.

SATURDAY, August 1
2 PM Wreathed in Blossom: Chamber Music on Governors Island
Glass Clouds Ensemble
Chamber music by Caroline Shaw, Kaija Saariaho, Ludwig van Beethoven, Alberto Ginastera, and Phillip Glass
Performers: Marisa Karchin (soprano), Raina Arnett (violin), Holly Workman (violin), Elijah Spies (viola), Ruth Stokes (cello)
VENUE: The Glass Clouds House (Building 14, Nolan Park, Governors Island)
ADMISSION: free

WEDNESDAY, August 5
7:30 pm Living Music: Nadia Sirota and Gabriel Cabezas
Nadia Sirota, viola
Gabriel Cabezas, cello
music by Marcos Balter, Orlando Gibbons, Nico Muhly and Alyssa Weinberg
VENUE: David Rubenstein Atrium (Lincoln Center)
ADMISSION: free

August 5- 8
8:30 pm Cinder Sessions I-IV
The Stone Residencies: Matana Roberts presents the premiere of “Cinder Sessions”
Matana Roberts (sax) Chris Ryan Williams (trumpet) Lester St. Louis (cello) Adi Meyerson (bass) Ryan Sawyer (drums) plus a special guest
VENUE: The Stone
ADMISSION: $20

August 5 – 9
8:30 pm Anthony Roth Costanzo: Minimalism
Anthony Roth Costanzo (Countertenor), Sandbox Percussion (Jonny Allen, Victor Caccese, Ian Rosenbaum, Terry Sweeney), Bryan Wagorn (Piano), PUBLIQuartet, Vicky Chow (Piano)
VENUE: The Amph @Little Island (Pier55 in Hudson River Park)
ADMISSION: $15-25

SATURDAY, August 8
7:30 pm Talea Ensemble: Rihm
Wolfgang Rihm, Jagden und Formen, Zustand 2008
Talea Ensemble, James Baker, conductor
VENUE: DiMenna Center for Classical Music
ADMISSION: $20

SUNDAY, August 9
7:30 pm JACK Quartet: Ergün, Haas
Cenk Ergün, Celare, 2014-15
Georg Friedrich Haas, String Quartet No. 8, 2014
Cenk Ergün, Sonare, 2014-15
JACK Quartet
VENUE: DiMenna Center for Classical Music
ADMISSION: $20

MONDAY, August 10
7:30 pm Parker Quartet: Farrin, Kurtág
Works by György Kurtág:
Officium breve, 1989
Aus der Ferne III, 1991
12 Microludes, 1977
Aus der Ferne V, 1999
Six Moments Musicaux, 2005
Suzanne Farrin, SEA-DRIFT, 2026
Parker Quartet
VENUE: DiMenna Center for Classical Music
ADMISSION: $20

August 12-15
8:30 pm Steve Coleman And Five Elements
Steve Coleman (alto sax) Jonathan Finlayson (trumpet) Matthew Mitchell (piano) Anthony Tidd (bass) Sean Rickman (drums)
VENUE: The Stone
ADMISSION: $20

THURSDAY, August 13
7pm + 9pm Sylvie Courvoisier & Alden Hellmuth
Sylvie Courvoisier – piano
Alden Hellmuth – saxophone
VENUE: The Jazz Gallery
ADMISSION: $27.50-38

MONDAY, August 17
7:30 pm International Contemporary Ensemble: Choi, Fallah, Illés, Phungula
Imsu Choi, Pop, 2023
Njabulo Phungula, ochre song
Farzia Fallah, I did not paint the war. I lived the war
Márton Illés, Forajzok , 2021
VENUE: DiMenna Center for Classical Music
ADMISSION: $20

TUESDAY, August 18
7:30 pm Pamela Z
Works by Pamela Z
VENUE: DiMenna Center for Classical Music
ADMISSION: $20

WEDNESDAY, August 19
7:30 pm American Modern Opera Company (AMOC): Hersch, Sciarrino
Salvatore Sciarrino, Stupori, 2018
Michael Hersch, Carrion-Miles to Purgatory: thirteen pieces after texts of Robert Lowell, 2014
VENUE: DiMenna Center for Classical Music
ADMISSION: $20

THURSDAY, August 20
8 pm Jim Staley with Ikue Mori and Zeena Parkins
Jim Staley trombone
Ikue Mori electronics
Zeena Parkins harp, electronics
VENUE: Roulette
ADMISSION: $20-30

FRIDAY, August 21
7PM Live from Troutman: Yarn/Wire Studio Concert
Nate Wooley’s After Nan Shepard
Yarn/Wire
Nate Wooley, trumpet
Joan LaBarbara and Tara Khozein, voice
VENUE: YW’s home turf (17-17 Troutman Street, Ridgewood)
ADMISSION: free

SATURDAY, August 22,
7:30 pm Talea Ensemble: Saunders
VENUE: DiMenna Center for Classical Music
ADMISSION: $20

193 secular sacred lines

The performance of David Lang’s the national anthems at the Met museum, appropriately, was the first time I celebrated the 4th of July – to mark my 16th 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