Ghosts of Gotham
Co-presented with Death of Classical
Featuring works written in or inspired by the cultural vibrancy of New York City, Ghosts of Gotham is a continuation of our partnership with Death of Classical on CAG CryptFest held in the crypt under Harlem’s Church of the Intercession, about which the New York Times said classical music is “alive and well and living in a crypt.”
Each date includes two concerts, preceded by a wine and cheese reception. Click on each event below for more details!
Dior Quartet: Ghosts of Gotham
Performance 1:
Wine & Cheese Reception: 6:00 - 7:00PM
Concert: 7:00PM - 8:00PM
Performance 2:
Wine & Cheese Reception: 7:30 - 8:30PM
Concert: 8:30PM - 9:30PM
SOO YEON LYUH — Yessori (Sounds of the Past)
ANTONÍN DVORÁK — String Quartet No. 13 in G major, Op. 106
II. Adagio ma non troppo
ROBERT PATERSON — String Quartet No. 3
I. Twist and Shout
II. Poet Voice
III. Auction Chant
IV. Effects Pedal
V. Anthem
A tribute to the multiculturalism in New York City and the magnificence of American musical traditions, this program highlights the fascination that composers have always had with American influences. It is a celebration of the diversity of music, showcasing styles and origins from the past to the present. Yessori, by American-based Korean composer Soo Yeon Lyuh, highlights the mesmerizing collaboration of Eastern and Western traditions, which is what New York City embodies: an amalgamation of different cultures. The music moves to the past with Dvorák’s String Quartet No. 13, in which we hear the composer’s fascination with the manifold cultures in the States, including Black spirituals and indigenous melodies. The concert concludes with New York based composer Robert Paterson’s masterful String Quartet No. 3, which interweaves joyous folklore, American chants, sports anthems, and popular songs. Dior Quartet will include readings of poems that inspired the pieces and their times.
Tickets: $75
Eleni Katz and Llewellyn Sánchez-Werner: Sound & Silence
Performance 1:
Wine & Cheese Reception: 6:00 - 7:00PM
Concert: 7:00PM - 8:00PM
Performance 2:
Wine & Cheese Reception: 7:30 - 8:30PM
Concert: 8:30PM - 9:30PM
CINDI HSU — Pastoral Fever from Spring Fever
LEONARD BERNSTEIN — One Hand, One Heart from West Side Story
AARON COPLAND — Dirge in the Woods
LLEWELLYN SÁNCHEZ-WERNER — Balada Mexicana
CONSUELO VELÁZQUEZ , arr. LLEWELLYN SÁNCHEZ-WERNER — Bésame Mucho
LEONARD BERNSTEIN — Somewhere from West Side Story
GEORGE GERSHWIN — Summertime from Porgy and Bess, Bassoon and Voice
LILA MERETZKY — Sea Glass Partita for Singing Bassoonist
I. Whole
II. Crescent Moon
III. Translucent Electric Blue
IV. Dawn on the Edges
V. Again
JEFF SCOTT — Elegy for Innocence
How do you find your voice in the loudest city in the world? The second show in our Ghosts of Gotham mini-series features the dynamic duo of bassoonist/vocalist Eleni Katz and pianist/composer Llewellyn Sánchez-Werner, with a program of musical gems that have been unearthed from the endless hustle and bustle of NYC, diamonds of sound that were forged in the stress and pressure of the city, the loneliness, and the vibrant life that quivers on every street corner. We’ll hear from the titans of the past (Bernstein, Copland, and Gershwin) as well as voices of tomorrow like Cindi Hsu, Lila Meretzky, Jeff Scott, and Llewellyn Sánchez-Werner himself.
Tickets: $75
Nathan Meltzer and the Green Room Ensemble: What Remains
Performance 1:
Wine & Cheese Reception: 6:00 - 7:00PM
Concert: 7:00PM - 8:00PM
Performance 2:
Wine & Cheese Reception: 7:30 - 8:30PM
Concert: 8:30PM - 9:30PM
KATHERINE BALCH — Drip Music, for string quartet
HANNAH ISHIZAKI — In a Room of Self-Produced Thoughts, for solo violin
KENNEDY TAYLOR DIXON — The Walls Kept Me Warm
CAROLINE SHAW — Limestone and Felt
PAUL WIANCKO — Tiny Doors into Huge Worlds, for cello quintet
The Crypt has always been a place of remembrance, and in this final Ghosts of Gotham program, the cutting-edge Green Room Ensemble will shed light on the traces of the past, exploring the echoes of sound and feeling that linger long after we’re gone. Through their carefully-curated selection of contemporary works, written by composers across a broad spectrum of communities, cultures and histories, the ensemble – led by co-founder and violinist Nathan Meltzer – look at the present through the prism of the past, and the flickering, half-forgotten memories that float through the streets (and Crypts) of this timeless city.
Tickets: $75