The Kaufman Music Center in New York City is set to host an extraordinary series of events celebrating classical and contemporary music. From the intricate beauty of art songs to the grandiosity of opera, and the exhilarating performances from renowned pianists, these events promise to take you on a musical journey over the next few months. The centerpiece of the season includes workshops, the return of Paderewski’s masterpieces, and a fascinating dive into Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker. Join us in exploring the dynamic intersection of music, history, and culture.

A Musical Celebration: Unveiling the Magic of Art and Opera at the Kaufman Music Center

This February, the Kaufman Music Center in New York City is hosting an impressive array of performances featuring renowned artists and intriguing programs. From the graceful piano artistry of Aristo Sham to the innovative sounds of The Westerlies, and the intimate performances by the NY Phil Ensembles, there's something for every musical palate. Join us as we explore the unique contributions and dynamic performances that promise to make this a memorable month of music.

A February Feast of Musical Masterpieces at Kaufman Music Center

February 2025 at the Kaufman Music Center promises an array of captivating musical experiences that bridge classical roots, contemporary interpretations, and cultural narratives. From Chelsea Guo's exploration of 19th-century musical friendships to The Westerlies' genre-blending brass performances, each event offers a unique auditory journey. Highlights include the NY Phil Ensembles' intimate showcases, Parlando's spiritual exploration through music, and the Israeli Chamber Project's homage to the harp's mythical heritage. Prepare to be inspired by young talents and seasoned performers as New York City becomes a hub for musical discovery.

A Harmonious February: Exploring Diverse Musical Landscapes at Kaufman Music Center

March 2025 at Kaufman Music Center promises a captivating lineup of musical events featuring Grammy-winning artists, innovative guitar duos, timeless Broadway hits, and adventurous contemporary compositions. This month-long celebration showcases the talents of renowned artists like J’Nai Bridges, the Ziggy & Miles guitar duo, and flamenco sensation Marina Heredia. Additionally, audiences can revel in the performances of young rising musicians and explore the whimsical world of Disney on Broadway, offering a diverse array of sounds and experiences for music lovers of all ages.

Kaufman Music Center March 2025: A Month of Musical Mastery

Songs by GUSTAV MAHLER, HARRY T. BURLEIGH, JOHANNES BRAHMS, MOSES HOGAN, FRANZ SCHUBERT, and spirituals featuring the Washington Performing Arts Children of the Gospel Choir with Artistic Director Michele Fowlin, plus the New York Premiere of Psalm by YCA Composer-in-Residence ALISTAIR COLEMAN.

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Young Concert Artists: Joseph Parrish, bass-baritone

Kaufman Music Center

Introduce kids to the writers of Frozen, Mary Poppins, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin and more. Sean Hartley and the beloved Broadway Playhouse cast sing, clown and teach children about the great writers of American musical theater. Kids can sing along to classic numbers and play games as they learn. For ages 4-11 and adults.

Disney On Broadway

Highlighting the talents of Caramoor's 2025 Schwab Vocal Rising Stars program, "Beginner’s Luck" features a wide-ranging playlist from German Lieder to Bob Dylan, exploring the chaotic decade between adolescence and adulthood, filled with seemingly endless possibility and endless peril. A cast of five brilliant young artists, all in their 20s, will join co-directors Bénédicte Jourdois and Steven Blier in this intriguing musical journey.

New York Festival of Song: Beginner's Luck – The Artist's Journey

Highly accomplished young musicians from Kaufman’s Lucy Moses School perform a selection of solo and chamber works.

Henry Schneider Young Artists Concert

Rising star musicians from Kaufman’s Special Music School and Lucy Moses School perform music by composers of the last 50 years.

Contemporary Music Festival

Pianists Anthony de Mare and Adam Sherkin join forces for this all-Canadian program. In sets from both one and two keyboards, music from the north is highlighted in fresh relief, featuring works by Jocelyn Morlock, Ann Southam, Heather Schmidt, Linda Catlin Smith and Rodney Sharman. With every selection written within the last twenty-five years, de Mare and Sherkin take on solo sets, then team up for special commissions on two pianos: a novel version of Jared Miller’s The Bright Exuberant Silence, and Adam Sherkin’s Ink from the Shield, five musical postcards taking inspiration from the time Benjamin Britten and Peters Pears spent in Canada  - as pacifists - during the Second World War. 

COMPOSERS IN PLAY XV: “Ink from the Shield” Anthony de Mare & Adam Sherkin

One of flamenco's most revered singers performs a rich tapestry of traditional and modern flamenco as part of the Flamenco Festival NY. Hailing from Granada, Spain, Heredia has captivated audiences worldwide with her passionate and spellbinding interpretations of flamenco that seamlessly blend it with other musical genres while honoring its deep roots.

Marina Heredia

Composer and clarinetist Derek Bermel brings together an extraordinary group of artists for an eclectic night of music of his own music – including the New York premiere of his String Quartet No. 2 – as well as works that have influenced him. Internationally recognized for his creativity, theatricality and virtuosity, Bermel is acclaimed for his “unambiguously luscious” music (The New York Times) that is “intricate, witty, clear-spoken, tender and extraordinarily beautiful (San Francisco Chronicle).

Derek Bermel with Ying Quartet & Aaron Diehl

Explore some of the best-known songs by the unlikely duo of opposites that dominated the Broadway stage for decades. Lyricist Alan Jay Lerner, scion of a wealthy New York family, teamed up with German-born composer Frederick Loewe to create some of the mid-20th century’s most popular and enduring works of musical theater, including the hit musicals My Fair Lady, Camelot and Brigadoon. Together, they created an American version of the Viennese operetta that offered audiences an enticing escape into utopian fantasy worlds.

Songs from My Fair Lady, Camelot & Brigadoon: Lerner & Loewe’s Greatest Hits

"We are excited to present our debut program featuring works from Latin America and our home country, Australia, that inspired us to put our brotherly differences aside. Join us for some of the most defining works for guitar duo, including works by Piazzolla, Gnattali and Westlake, alongside our own arrangement of Debussy’s Suite Bergamasque."

Young Concert Artists: Ziggy & Miles, guitar duo

Two-time Grammy-winning American mezzo-soprano J’Nai Bridges performs cornerstones of the art song repertoire. Known for her “plush-voiced mezzo-soprano” (The New York Times), and “calmly commanding stage presence” (The New Yorker), Bridges has been heralded as “a rising star” (Los Angeles Times) gracing the world’s top opera and concert stages


J'Nai Bridges

Introduce kids to the writers of Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, The Phantom of the Opera, Cats, The Lion King and more. Sean Hartley and the beloved Broadway Playhouse cast sing, clown and teach children about the great writers of American musical theater. Kids can sing along to classic numbers and play games as they learn. For ages 4-11 and adults.

Andrew Lloyd Webber & Tim Rice

One of the oldest of instruments, the harp has been tied to myths and legends across many cultures and civilizations. In our concerts it takes on a unique chamber role that reveals its hidden qualities, and its chameleon-like character is fully on display in this program of original works and arrangements. Two lesser known, but equally wonderous Piano Trios bookend the evening.

Israeli Chamber Project: Orpheus' Lyre

See the result of groundbreaking artists mentoring a new generation of outstanding young performers. The violinist-composer, Kaufman Artist-in-Residence and four-time Grammy nominee performs with outstanding young musicians from Kaufman Music Center. Praised for “combining omnivory and brilliance” (The New York Times), Stewart translates stories of American self-determination to the concert stage. As a solo violinist, composer, Artistic Director of the American Composers Orchestra, professor at The Juilliard School, and member of award-winning ensembles PUBLIQuartet and The Mighty Third Rail, he realizes a vision to find personal and powerful connections between styles, cultures and musics.

Curtis Stewart

A musical voyage to the four corners of France from Brittany to the Riviera, ending with a deluxe stay in Paris. The program includes songs by Francis Poulenc, Joseph Canteloube, André Caplet, Gustav Mahler, Michel Legrand, Charles Trénet and others, featuring the superb vocal talent of soprano Nicoletta Berry, mezzo-soprano Erin Wagner and tenor Daniel McGrew, with pianists Steven Blier and Bénédicte Jourdois.

New York Festival of Song: Le tour de France

Haydn’s String Quartet Op. 76, No. 1 reveals the most famous composer of his time at the peak of his powers. An extraordinary innovator who established and developed the string quartet, Haydn wrote for an audience of knowledgeable insiders who understood his musical language and his unique kind of musical humor. Hear this pivotal piece with the sophisticated ears of Haydn’s contemporaries as host Rob Kapilow reveals the plot twists and musical jokes that captivated his original audiences.

Haydn’s String Quartet Op. 76, No. 1

How do composers convey their spirituality and identity through their music? Join Parlando on a mystical journey through heritage and time. The program includes Bryce Dessner’s fleet-footed Aheym, Ralph Vaughan Williams’s spellbinding Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis, and Olivier Messaien’s transcendent Trois petites ligurgies de la présence divine.

Parlando: Mystic Chords

Join Musicians of the Philharmonic for personal and intimate performances, and experience the personality of the performers. See how a small setting can amplify a huge musical event!

NY Phil Ensembles at Merkin Hall

Introduce kids to the writers of Peter Pan, Annie, Oliver!, Matilda, The Music Man and more. Sean Hartley and the beloved Broadway Playhouse cast sing, clown and teach children about the great writers of American musical theater. Kids can sing along to classic numbers and play games as they learn. For ages 4-11 and adults.

Kids On Stage

The Westerlies, “an arty quartet…mixing ideas from jazz, new classical, and Appalachian folk” (The New York Times) are a New York-based brass quartet comprised of Riley Mulherkar and Chloe Rowlands on trumpet, and Andy Clausen and Addison Maye-Saxon on trombone. From Carnegie Hall to Coachella, The Westerlies navigate a wide array of venues and projects with the precision of a string quartet, the audacity of a rock band, and the charm of a family sing-along. “Skilled interpreters who are also adept improvisers” (NPR’s Fresh Air), The Westerlies explore jazz, roots and chamber music influences to create the rarest of hybrids: music that is both "folk-like and composerly, lovely and intellectually rigorous” (NPR Music).


The Westerlies

Based around Ravel’s Miroirs suite for solo piano, the program includes responses to the suite’s five movements in more contemporary repertoire. Chinese-American pianist George Xiaoyuan Fu has been praised as “one of the most exciting pianists of our time… a deep thinker, thoroughly in command” (The Arts Desk). Recently winning BBC Music Magazine’s 2024 Newcomer Award, he is establishing an international reputation as a fearless and probing interpreter of a wide array of music, combining “stunning virtuosity” (Boston Music Intelligencer) and “phenomenal technique with a profound sense of interpretative clarity” (Apple Music).

George Xiaoyuan Fu, piano

"The seedling at the heart of my debut program is the friendship and mutual inspiration born in 19th century Paris between Polish composer Fréderic Chopin, and Spanish mezzo-soprano and acclaimed pianist Pauline Viardot. Come experience the fascinating connectivity between vocal and piano literature, as well as the dramatic contrast between composers who, carrying their own traditions, somehow end up in the same place – just as we will in the concert hall.”

Young Concert Artists: Chelsea Guo, soprano & piano

Works by Frédéric Chopin, Kaija Saariaho, Johannes Brahms and John Ireland
Hailed by as a pianist “whose playing combines clarity, elegance and abundant technique” (The New York Times) and a young artist with “boundless potential” who can “already hold his own with the best” (The Washington Post), pianist Aristo Sham has dazzled audiences on five continents. First prize winner at many international competitions, Sham has collaborated with orchestras such as the London Symphony Orchestra under Sir Simon Rattle, Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra under Edo de Waart, English Chamber Orchestra under the late Sir Raymond Leppard, Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne and the Minnesota Orchestra.

Aristo Sham, piano

Rising star soloists from Kaufman’s Special Music School and Lucy Moses School perform with orchestra.

2025 Concerto Competition Winners' Concert

Talented creative teams. Powerful stories. All-original opera. WNO’s acclaimed commissioning program for contemporary American opera enters another exciting season – showing how short opera can move and inspire us! Talented composer-librettist teams will showcase three world premiere one-act operas with the Cafritz Young Artists among the casts.

Washington National Opera – American Opera Initiative

Four acclaimed artists, all Concert Artists Guild prizewinners, captivate audiences with their virtuosity and passion: violinist Nathan Meltzer, violist Jordan Bak, cellist Sydney Lee and pianist Wynona Wang.

Winner of the 2023 Concert Artists Guild Competition, major prizewinner at the 2022 Sibelius and Singapore International Violin Competitions and recipient of the Salon de Virtuosi Career Grant, violinist Nathan Meltzer has performed as a soloist with major orchestras around the world.


CAG On Tour

The acclaimed violinist and Avery Fisher career grant winner Njioma Grevious shares a deeply personal and intimate mediation on the theme of remembrance including works by Coleridge-Taylor and a new violin duo by Curtis Stewart with the composer as guest performer. Each of these works are influenced by genres that were created by African Americans beginning in the 19th century, echoing themes of struggle, hopes, dreams, freedom and creativity. Grevious will also delve into a palette of emotions and reminiscence through Prokofiev’s Violin Sonata No. 2 and Mozart's Violin Sonata in E Minor K. 304. She will pair her musical offerings with audio visuals to provide a multi-sensory connection with the audience and window into some of her reflections.

Njioma Grevious, violin

Performing songs created by the most iconic musicians in rock history, The Rock and Roll Playhouse band offers its core audience of families with children aged 1-7 games, movement, stories and most importantly, an opportunity to rock out. It allows parents to enjoy the music they love while little fans are encouraged to explore their creativity and have fun!

Music of David Bowie & More for Kids

The concert features performers of international stature from the US, Europe and Georgia. Listeners will be treated to a concert of opera repertoire, followed by a reception with wine and ethnic Georgian cuisine.

USA-Georgia Christmas Gala

Performing songs created by the most iconic musicians in rock history, The Rock and Roll Playhouse band offers its core audience of families with children aged 1-7 games, movement, stories and most importantly, an opportunity to rock out. It allows parents to enjoy the music they love while little fans are encouraged to explore their creativity and have fun

Music of Taylor Swift & More for Kids

Music is called the universal language, but what does that really mean? Pianist Pedja Mužijević leads this interactive performance with a wide range of short piano works, from Joseph Haydn to Henry Cowell, and asks the audience very specific questions that will encourage us all to react to music with our instincts.

Pedja Mužijević, piano

“Intensely wrought and burnished” (Strings Magazine), violinist Grace Park has captivated audiences with her artistry, passion and virtuosity. Winner of the Naumburg International Violin Competition, she is one of the leading artists of her generation.

Brook Speltz is the cellist of the internationally renowned Escher String Quartet and an artist of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.  An extremely versatile cellist, Mr. Speltz has performed as a soloist, chamber musician and recitalist throughout the U.S., Canada, Latin America, Europe and Asia.

Golka-Park-Speltz Trio

The 2024 Broadway Close Up season concludes with a spirited and slightly wacky competition for the Greatest Musical of All Time! Who would you choose in a no holds barred face-off between Broadway legends like Sondheim, Porter, Miranda, Bock & Harnick and Rodgers & Hammerstein? Award-winning lyricist Marcy Heisler and theater historian Ben West (author of the acclaimed new book The American Musical: Evolution of an Art Form) will join host Sean Hartley in making the case for six different great musicals, and the audience will choose the winner.

Broadway Super Smackdown

How are composers able to capture the hustle and bustle of the city? Join Parlando as it explores the sounds of the city, from Seoul to Berlin to Buenos Aires. The program includes Unsuk Chin’s kaleidoscopic Gougalon, Erwin Schulhoff’s jazzy Suite for Chamber Orchestra, and Astor Piazzolla’s Nuevo Tango Suite Punta del Este, featuring bandoneon soloist JP Jofre.

Parlando: Sidewalk Tango

It's time again for a yearly tradition. Singer/songwriter David Ippolito “That Guitar Man from Central Park” shares a much needed night of music and laughs, stories, thoughts and feelings… with all the usual suspects: George Wurzbach, Teresa Reynolds, Chris Tedesco, Dan Paccione, Ryan Cavan and Denise Meagher.

David Ippolito: Somethingth Annual Concert

Celebrating the 150th birth year of Arnold Schoenberg, the ensemble presents a semi-staged production of his groundbreaking expressionist cabaret Pierrot Lunaire with soprano Hila Baggio as the sad clown. Stravinsky’s brilliant Petrushka and Ravel’s La Valse complete the exploration of early 20th century masterworks.

Israeli Chamber Project: Two Clowns – Pierrot Meets Petrushka

The program features eight new works commissioned for Hub’s 10th birthday by composers whose work gives a snapshot of music being written today:  Angélica Negrón, Jessica Meyer, Tyshawn Sorey, Nico Muhly, Donnacha Dennehy, Marcos Balter, Sage Shurman and Andrew Norman.

Hub Mix Tape

“My debut concert celebrates how music can be an act of homage. The pieces I have chosen are all brought together by a common thread, with each composer paying tribute to something or someone great, a gesture that I find to be deeply meaningful. Whether it be Beethoven’s homage to Mozart, Ginastera’s visceral exploration of the Argentine landscapes, or Brahms’s reverence for Bach, I hope to give you a glimpse into what moved these great composers to write their remarkable and captivating music.”

Young Concert Artists: Benett Tsai, cello

Today The Nutcracker is a holiday classic beloved by all ages, but the ballet’s 1892 premiere in St. Petersburg was a total flop. The music, however, was wildly successful. This December, brace yourself for an unforgettable deep dive into Tchaikovsky's magnificent masterpiece The Nutcracker and reignite your love for the magic of the season.

Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker

Embark on an unforgettable journey filled with emotions, as you experience the music of Fryderyk Chopin and Ignacy Paderewski, two world-famous pianists and composers. Ignacy Paderewski was an idol of the American audience, with popularity comparable to that of Elvis Presley and The Beatles. He was a friend to six U.S. presidents, a philanthropist supporting American composers, and one of the donors of the Washington Arch. The event will feature a short documentary film about Ignacy Paderewski in America

Paderewski Returns to NY Festival Opening Concert

In its second season, the Crescendo Orchestra takes to the stage for their first concert of the 2024-25 Season presenting an array of pieces by both well-known and underrepresented composers.

NYYS Crescendo Orchestra's Embarking on a New Journey

Returning to Merkin Hall after their sold-out show last fall, the prizewinning cello quartet performs the world premiere of a cello quartet by Brazilian composer André Mehmari, plus world premieres of new arrangements of music by Niccolò Paganini, L.V. Beethoven and David Popper. With members from China, Brazil, South Korea and the U.S., Galvin Cello Quartet​ explores the limitless range of a cello ensemble by bringing together new works from diverse cultural backgrounds. They burst onto the scene after capturing the silver medal at the 2021 Fischoff Competition, followed shortly by winning the 2022 Victor Elmaleh Competition and joining the Concert Artists Guild roster.

Galvin Cello Quartet

Saxophonist and composer Darius Jones bridges the landscape between the New York avant-jazz scene and contemporary composition. He brings these musical worlds together for the first time at a performance featuring his two most iconic works in one night: Samesoul Maker and fLuXkit Vancouver

Darius Jones: Samesoul Maker and fLuXkit Vancouver

Conceived by baritone Justin Austin, this program tells a story of brotherly love and community among Black men in America through art song, soul, gospel and opera. "My Brother’s Keeper" features a stellar team of Black American male singers, including Austin, tenor Joshua Blue, baritone Will Liverman, bass-baritone Joseph Parrish, baritone Jorell Williams and tenor Chaz'men Williams-Ali, alongside NYFOS's own Steven Blier.

New York Festival of Song: My Brother's Keeper

Discover the genius of Carolyn Leigh, lyricist for Peter Pan, Wildcat and Little Me, as well as hit songs like “Witchcraft,” “Young At Heart” and “The Best Is Yet To come.” Her witty and sophisticated lyrics established her as one of the great lyricists of the 20th century. A cast of Broadway Close Up all-stars will champion this remarkable talent.

Hey, Look Me Over: The Lyrics of Carolyn Leigh

Founded in 1984 by renowned tenor and conductor Chungmao Zhu, Haiyun Chorus is one of the oldest and longest-running Chinese-language choruses on the East Coast. This year, they have the pleasure of celebrating 40 years spanning hundreds of concerts serving New York and New Jersey, showcasing Chinese choral music, opera, orchestra, and diverse cultural performances. 

The Joy of Music 韻音嘉樂

NYCMC uses a sliding scale ticket model. "Pay it forward" tickets are $35, standard priced tickets are $25, and discounted tickets are $10. This ticket model is designed so that everyone can attend our concerts regardless of financial circumstances. The $25 and $10 tickets are accessible using the codes NYCMC-25 and NYCMC-10.

NYC Master Chorale: Lift Every Voice and Sing

170 years after Leoš Janáček's birth in 1854, Lisa Moore presents the composer’s three major works for piano, while centering her program around early 20th century music inspired by imagery and features of the natural world, life cycles and humanity. The concert includes the New York premiere of Meadow Bridgham’s Seventeen Years – the life cycle of a cicada – celebrating this insect's 2024 rare double brood.

Lisa Moore, piano

Music of The Beatles & More for Kids

THE OPERA TECH, an exciting new opera company in NYC, invites you to an unforgettable evening celebrating the icons of American music. The concert will be conducted by David Wroe, known for his work with top orchestras, including the New York City Opera, Boston Symphony Orchestra, and Saint Louis Symphony.

A Celebration of Iconic American Composers

The two-time Grammy-award winning Attacca Quartet performs Caroline Shaw’s Valencia, plus pieces from their genre-busting 2021 album Of All Joys, a powerful musical journey that folds late 20th-century minimalism back onto the music of the Renaissance. ​Attacca Quartet “lives in the present aesthetically, without rejecting the virtues of the musical past” (The Nation), and are recognized and acclaimed as one of the most versatile and outstanding ensembles of the moment — a true quartet for modern times. Gliding through traditional classical repertoire to electronica, video game music and contemporary collaborations, they are one of the world’s most innovative and respected ensembles. With students from Kaufman Music Center’s Special Music School and the John J. Cali School of Music.

Attacca Quartet

Violinist Daniel Rafimayeri is the 2019 Burdick-Thorne Gold medalist of the Stulberg International String Competition. An alum of NPR’s From The Top, he has performed at Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, the Aspen Music Festival and the Metropolitan Museum of Art as well as in multiple chamber showcases with The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center

Daniel Rafimayeri, violin

Join Musicians of the Philharmonic for personal and intimate performances, and experience the personality of the performers. See how a small setting can amplify a huge musical event

Gershwin, Copland, Price & Piatigorsky

The celebrated vocal ensemble returns to Merkin Hall after two sold-out performances last season. VOCES8 is joined by virtuoso violinist Jack Liebeck for a program centered around Ralph Vaughn Williams’s celebrated The Lark Ascending. In a unique choral arrangement, VOCES8 sings the Meredith poetry that was so inspirational to the original conception of the work. Continuing the avian theme is a suite from VOCES8’s Grammy® nominated album The Lost Birds by Christopher Tin. J.S. Bach’s Partita No. 2 offers Jack Liebeck the opportunity to take flight in this iconic work for unaccompanied violin; VOCES8 presents verses from the chorales which Bach was composing around, culminating in a unique setting of the famous Ciaccona with interpolated chorale melodies. Opening with MacMillan’s dramatic setting, the program is gilded by works from two of the finest contemporary choral composers writing in the U.S. today, Ola Gjeilo and Taylor Scott Davis.

Voces8

Returning to Merkin Hall after sold-out performances last season, the Grammy-nominated vocal ensemble brings their signature virtuosity to repertoire from early to modern. A place inhabited by the moon and stars, by solitude, dreams, fears and prayers, the night has given us centuries of exquisite poetry and music. Celebrating the release of VOCES8’s newest album with Decca Classics, this nocturnal program has a wide-ranging repertoire stretching from Venetian Renaissance composer Giovanni Croce to contemporary U.S. composers Taylor Scott Davis and Dan Forrest, and includes selections from arrangements of pop and jazz feature swing tunes, ballads and even James Bond songs.

Bound for Broadway returns with a sneak peek at some of the best new shows headed for New York's bright lights! Emmy Award-winner and Tony nominee Liz Callaway interviews some of musical theater’s most fascinating voices, followed by performances of selected songs. The writers include Richard Maltby & David Shire (Baby, Big, Starting Here, Starting Now); Gavin Creel (Tony winner for Hello, Dolly!); Curtis Moore (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel); Amanda Green (Hands on a Hardbody), Craig Lucas (An American in Paris, Days of Wine and Roses) and Daniel Messé (Amélie).

Bound for Broadway

Few artists pack as much energy, virtuosity and charisma into their performances as multi-instrumentalist and WMI Honorary Board member Carlos Núñez. Steeped in the rich Celtic traditions of Galicia on the northwest coast of Spain where he was born and still resides, he is renowned as the world’s leading gaita player, mastering the bagpipes of this maritime region. The Los Angeles Times says, “If it’s possible to become a pop star playing traditional music on bagpipes and recorder, Núñez could be the man.” His latest album, Celtic Sea, pays tribute to the Celtic roots of Brittany, France, which is considered to be the heart of all Atlantic Celts. Núñez and his band return to Kaufman Music Center following a sold-out performance in 2017. Part of the Origins series.

Carlos Núñez

Michael Dadap is dedicating this concert of Filipino works on his 80th Birthday celebration to raise scholarships for students with financial need at the Children's Orchestra Society. It is the culmination of a lifetime of works inspired by his homeland, filled with nostalgia for the many years he was away from home, reminiscing on the people, customs and celebrations of his hometown.

Handurawan: featuring works by Michael Dadap

Repertory and world premiere works for piano featuring pianists Sharon Chang, Dominika Gacka and Mateusz Borowiak and composer Louis Pelosi.

Pelosi and Pianists: Repertory and New Works

The NTD International Piano Competition (NIPC), the only world-class piano event organized by a global television network, New Tang Dynasty (NTD) Television, proudly announces its seventh edition. The competition will be held at Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center in New York City from October 15 to 19, 2024, dedicated exclusively to preserving and revitalizing classical piano music. This prestigious event celebrates the magnificent legacy of Western culture and aims to restore the splendor of piano masterpieces from the Baroque, Classical, and Romantic periods. 

The Seventh NTD International Piano Competition Winners Concert & Award Ceremony

The Seventh NTD International Piano Competition Final Round

The NTD International Piano Competition (NIPC), the only world-class piano event organized by a global television network, New Tang Dynasty (NTD) Television, proudly announces its seventh edition. The competition will be held at Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center in New York City from October 15 to 19, 2024, dedicated exclusively to preserving and revitalizing classical piano music. This prestigious event celebrates the magnificent legacy of Western culture and aims to restore the splendor of piano masterpieces from the Baroque, Classical, and Romantic periods.

The Seventh NTD International Piano Competition Semi-final Round

The new opera La Callas celebrates Maria Callas, one of the most dynamic, influential, and beloved opera singers of the 20th century. She was an artist who revitalized her art form, brought new audiences to opera houses around the world, and left an indelible mark on the world. A strong-willed woman at a time that was cruel to such women, the charismatic diva was torn between her two greatest passions: opera and her love affair with the wealthy and powerful Aristotle Onassis, suffering in the throes of love, desire, conflict, and betrayal. Award-winning composer Clint Borzoni's lush and melodic music evokes the passion and drama of Maria Callas's legendary life and career. 

LA CALLAS, a new opera: Act I - a workshop concert

Singers rehearse and perform scenes from a wide range of operatic works in a collaborative group setting. You will receive coaching in dramatic and musical aspects of opera performance including language, musical style, stage craft and character interpretation. The workshop culminates in an end-of-semester performance. Audition required. To sign up for an audition slot, email lucymosesschool@www.kaufmanmusiccenter.org or call 212 501 3360.

Opera Workshop

Rob Kapilow and the celebrated 12-singer vocal group Fourth Wall Ensemble explore the life and career of Claudio Monteverdi – the key transition figure from Renaissance to Baroque music – through his dazzling madrigals. These compelling, deeply emotional choral works used music to illustrate the emotion of a work’s text in revolutionary ways that laid the groundwork for musical forms that still resonate today. The road to modern vocal music begins with Monteverdi’s extraordinary madrigals.

Magnificent Madrigals: Monteverdi's Greatest Choral Music

NYPS - Natasha Paremski, Artistic Director - proudly presents its 2024/2025 season-opening concert featuring the talented members of its society and the rising star and Pinchas Zukerman protege - violinist SoHyun Ko making her Merkin Hall debut in Beethoven and Brahms violin sonatas. Come for a joyful afternoon celebrating the three B’s - Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms, and enjoy Chopin, Ravel, and other romantic composers proudly presented by our talented performers.

New York Piano Society Presents the 3 Bs Ft. Violinist SoHyun Ko

The love of music brings us together.  The concert will feature songs the chorus has performed since it was established in 2008.

Love In Music: PKU Alumni Chorus NY

First Prize Winner of the 2022 YCA Susan Wadsworth International Auditions and Finalist in the 2023 Rubinstein Piano Competition, Chaeyoung Park has been praised as a passionate pianist who “does not play a single note without thought or feeling” (New York Concert Review). Embracing a broad range of the classical music literature, her programs feature works ranging from the early French Baroque by Rameau, to Beethoven sonatas, to new music by living composers including South Korean classical composer Unsuk Chin. Through Park’s various roles as a recitalist, chamber musician, and concerto soloist, she has performed at Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall, Bravo! Vail Music Festival, Tongyeong International Music Festival, Ravinia’s Bennett Gordon Hall and Symphony Center’s Orchestra Hall.

Chaeyoung Park, piano

A study of classical art song in English, German, French, Italian, Hebrew and Yiddish from the 18th century to the present. Topics include musical and historical context, composer biographies, performance style, translation techniques, lyric diction and delivery, and exploring the dramatic, emotional, expressive relationship between the poetry and the musical score. Collaboration between singer and pianist will also be explored. The course will culminate in a performance featuring songs and recitations of poetry.

Art Song Workshop

Classical composers and literary types have long been drawn to Hollywood's glamour, glitz, grime, and grit. With their newest program, Mirror Visions Ensemble celebrates the influence and inspiration of movies with songs that pay homage to “the silver screen” — a cultural beacon for generations. The program will premiere MVE's latest commission, Griffin Candey’s Silver Songs with poetry by Rae Armantrout, Richie Hofmann, Rebecca Hoogs, Jeanne Murray Walker, Kate Northrop, and Frank O’Hara. The program includes a “mirror vision” (the same text set to music by different composers) with Howard Moss’ hilarious poem “Horror Movie” in songs by Chris DeBlasio and William Flanagan. The program gives a glimpse of Bertolt Brecht and Hanns Eisler’s disdain for Hollywood, provides melodic morsels of Erich Korngold’s film scoring, and commemorates Humphrey Bogart, Lana Turner, and other Hollywood royalty.

Silver Songs (songs about movies)

Join Musicians of the Philharmonic for personal and intimate performances, and experience the personality of the performers. See how a small setting can amplify a huge musical event!


For Lindsay Rider, this program has been over a decade in the making. This is the story of a girl born into a musical family who found joy in singing and enjoyed the beginnings of a fabulous performing career. Then, something unexpected happened which would change her trajectory. In the following years, she would struggle with heartbreak, grapple with tough realizations and eventually find her way into her joy again, this time better than ever before. Through music that spans decades and genres, come experience an evening of musical storytelling that will leave your feet tapping and your heart full.

Yes, and...

In their New York City debut, married couple Arielle Levioff and Michael C. Haigler (the Haigler-Levioff Duo) present a midday concert of four-hands music for one and two pianos. The program includes dazzling transcriptions of orchestral works by Mendelssohn, Prokofiev, and Glinka, and other virtuoso works for piano four-hands. Come and enjoy this engaging and innovative program, followed by a special meet-the-artists reception.

Four Hands are Better than Two: The Haigler-Levioff Duo

From nocturnes to lullabies to Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, music and the night have long been linked. But what exactly makes music sound like nighttime? Join Parlando as conductor Ian Niederhoffer explores the music of the night. The program includes Gabriel Fauré’s serene Nocturne from Shylock, Toru Takemitsu’s eerie Toward the Sea II, featuring flautist Yoobin Son and harpist Parker Ramsay, music from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s dreamy Flute and Harp Concerto, and Bartok’s legendary Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta

Parlando: Night Music

Kaufman Music Center kicks off its 2024-25 season with a FREE evening celebration featuring performances by our 2024-25 artists and students along with free food, drinks and fun. Audience members can enjoy festivities both outside on the street and in Merkin Hall’s lower and upper lobbies, including concerts, games for all ages, a popcorn truck and more.

2024-25 Season Kickoff

In celebration of the courage, patience and resilience displayed by people in times of great difficulty, ETHEL, the GRAMMY®-winning, genre-defying string quartet, joins forces with Allison Loggins-Hull, composer, flutist, producer and Daniel R. Lewis Composer Fellow to the Cleveland Orchestra. Together, they have elicited new commissions from four brilliant early-career composers: Migiwa “Miggy” Miyajima, Xavier Muzik, Sam Wu and 2022 Pulitzer Prize finalist Leilehua Lanzilotti. Loggins-Hull herself contributed her own masterwork to the project. Passionate, committed, hopeful and inspiring, each piece contributes to an experience which surpasses the sum of its parts. 

ETHEL, featuring Allison Loggins-Hull: Persist

The League of Composers-ISCM presents world premieres and other chamber music by prominent New York-based composer Louis Karchin, written between the years 2018 and 2023, performed by some of New York's most acclaimed artists dedicated to new music, including the Horszowski Trio, instrumental soloists Stephen Drury, Miranda Cuckson, and Steven Beck, and sopranos Alice Teyssier and Marisa Karchin.

Louis Karchin/A Retrospective

NTD Television 9th International Chinese Vocal Competition will be held at Merkin Hall of Kaufman Music Center in New York City from September 18 to September 21, 2024. It promotes traditional Bel Canto vocal arts of pure authenticity, pure goodness, and pure beauty, and provide a global arena for all Chinese vocalists to showcase their talents. The competition is hosted by New Tang Dynasty (NTD) Television. NTD is a global broadcaster with the mission of reviving traditional arts. NTD Television broadcasts worldwide, it reaches millions of audiences in multiple languages and have a potential broadcasting audience of over 200 million around the world.

NTD 9th International Chinese Vocal Competition

Following on from her highly successful Merkin Hall recital last season distinguished international pianist Angela Brownridge makes a much anticipated return appearance performing works by CPE Bach and Beethoven. The New York Times described her as "...one of the world's finest pianists". The Guardian UK remarked "...true genius. Her performances were passionate, rhapsodic and totally compelling. She is a marvelously exciting artist with a strong sense of musical structure”.

Angela Brownridge, piano: Fantasies & Sonatas

The Yiddish Philharmonic Chorus, led by Binyumen Schaechter, will perform an intriguing variety of Yiddish songs on the theme of Jewish immigration. Our concert features brand-new choral arrangements and familiar songs you'll hear in a completely different way. Even if you don't know a word of Yiddish, the song intros and English supertitles will keep you fully engaged. We'll end with a choral adaptation of "Ode to Joy," from Beethoven's ninth symphony, with a Yiddish translation that promotes the "melting pot" idea - a century after the Immigration Act of 1924 subsequently turned away so many Jews trying to escape the Holocaust.

From Varshe and Vilne to Vashington Heights (encore performance)

Sholom Secunda: A Visionary of Yiddish Theater and Broadway
His life’s journey from immigrant to influential composer embodies the American dream, while his music remains a timeless testament to the power of cultural cross-pollination.

Sholom Secunda: A 130th Anniversary Spectacular

The 2024 New York International Artists Competition & Praelusio Competition Winners Concert.

NYIAA Winners Concert

The Dalcroze School at Lucy Moses School offers a unique and comprehensive musical training that benefits music students, teachers, actors, dancers and many others. Its core subjects are Eurhythmics, the study of rhythm; Solfége, ear training and musical literacy; and Improvisation, spontaneous musical expression at the piano. Faculty include Sean Hartley (License), Michael Joviala (Diplôme Supèrieur), Cynthia Lilley (License), and Leslie Upchurch (License). Lucy Moses School offers full Dalcroze Certification at the Certificate and License levels, but you do not need to work toward certification to enroll in Dalcroze classes. The program is accredited by the Dalcroze Society of America.  

Dalcroze for Adults

The 2024 Winners' Concert showcases virtuosic young pianists from around the globe.

2024 Kaufman Music Center International Youth Piano Competition Winners’ Concert

Remarkable young soloists from Kaufman Music Center’s Special Music School, New York’s only K-12 public school prioritizing an intensive, immersive and musically-focused education without financial barriers, perform with the Park Avenue Chamber Symphony under the baton of Music Director David Bernard.

Kaufman Music Center Concerto Competition Winners’ Concert

Nashir! The Rottenberg Chorale is dedicated to performing Jewish music spanning centuries and continents. In residence at Kaufman Music Center's Lucy Moses School since 1975, Nashir! brings a sense of joy and passion to repertoire both spiritual and whimsical.

Nashir The Rottenberg Chorale

Tenor and 2023-24 Kaufman Music Center Artist-in-Residence Nicholas Phan is hailed as “one of the world’s most remarkable singers” (Boston Globe), “one of the most beautiful young lyric voices around” (Opera News) and “an artist who must be heard” (NPR). He’ll join the “sonically delightful and expressively compelling” (The Strad) Jasper Strong Quartet and Grammy-nominated pianist Myra Huang for an evening of art song across eras and featuring the world premiere of Vivian Fung’s Songs for a New Generation.

Nicholas Phan with Jasper String Quartet & Myra Huang

Adventurous young musicians from Kaufman Music Center’s teen new-music program Face the Music and special guests wrap up their 2023-24 season with world premieres by boundary-pushing contemporary composers. Face the Music is the country’s only youth program dedicated to studying and performing music by living composers.

Face the Music Season Finale

Pianist-composer Conrad Tao invites UK-based new-music collective Distractfold to make their NYC debut with the world premiere of Andrew Greenwald’s A Thing Made Whole VIII and music by Jürg Frey, Hanna Hartman and Mauricio Pauly. A leader of his generation, Tao is “the kind of musician who is shaping the future of classical music” (New York Magazine).

Distractfold with Conrad Tao

Extraordinary teen musicians showcase their innovative music program with highlights of ensemble work from Baroque to contemporary. Kaufman Music Center’s Special Music School is New York’s only K-12 public school prioritizing an intensive, immersive and musically-focused education without financial barriers.

Special Music School High School Showcase

Explore the extraordinary music and the surprising stories behind hit songs by one of the best-selling musical groups of the 1960s, including “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” “The Sound of Silence” and “Mrs. Robinson.”

Simon & Garfunkel

Rising star musicians from Kaufman Music Center’s Special Music School, New York’s only K-12 public school prioritizing an intensive, immersive and musically-focused education without financial barriers, and Lucy Moses School, Manhattan’s largest community performing arts school for students of all ages, perform a wide variety of works for small ensembles.

Kaufman Music Center ChamberFest

Enjoy outstanding musical performances by the 1st place Winners of the 4th annual Music International Grand Prix Competition in Voice, Piano, Strings, Winds & Brass, Ensembles, and Original Composition.  Talented artists from around the world gather in NYC to compete in the Finals.  Those who win 1st place in their categories will all perform and compete for the $5000 Grand Prix Award, and the Audience Favorite Award.  See tomorrow's future stars today!

Music International Grand Prix Winners Concert 2024

Noted for her musical command, cosmopolitan artistry and visionary independence, Sara Davis Buechner is lauded for her “intelligence, integrity and all-encompassing technical prowess” (New York Times), “thoughtful artistry” (Washington Post) and “astounding virtuosity” (Philippine Star). She’ll perform the U.S.  premiere of selections from Peter Wolf’s 24 character pieces along with numerous surprises.

Sara Davis Buechner

The New York Philharmonic Ensembles

The dynamic violin-guitar duo reimagines Chinese traditional music, modern rock and classical masterworks, combining comedic inventiveness, pop sensibility and classical virtuosity for a night of unexpected magic. Winner and Audience Prize recipient of the 2023 Concert Artists Guild Victor Elmaleh Competition, ArcoStrum comprises the international prize-winning violinist Strauss Shi (violin, erhu, dizi) and TY Zhang (classical guitar, electric guitar), Grand Prize Winner of Guitar Foundation of America’s International Concert Artist Competition.

The ArcoStrum Experience

Featuring Rising stars from Kaufman’s Special Music School and Lucy Moses School.

Composer Festival

First-Prize winner of the 2023 Elmar Oliveira International Violin Competition, violinist Hina Khuong-Huu has performed around the globe appearing as soloist and collaborator with many of today's leading ensembles and musicians. This season, she made her Kennedy Center debut performing Anna Clyne’s The Prince of Clouds alongside Grammy Award-winner Jennifer Koh. Named a “VC Artist” by The Violin Channel, Hina has appeared as a soloist with the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra of Geneva, Flanders Symphony Orchestra, The Symphonia, Mittel Europa Orchestra and the Musica Mundi Orchestra

Kaufman Music Center

Apr 4, 2025

The ArcoStrum Experience

Apr 6, 2025

Composer Festival

Apr 8, 2025

Hina Khuong-Huu, violin

Apr 9, 2025

New York Festival of Song: Other Worlds – Songs of Fantasy

Apr 10, 2025

Chanticleer

Mar 25, 2025

Young Concert Artists: Joseph Parrish, bass-baritone

Mar 23, 2025

Disney On Broadway

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