Press Releases August 2008
New York Festival of Song 2008-09 at Merkin Concert Hall
New York Festival Of Song (NYFOS, http://www.nyfos.org), co-founded and directed by pianists Steven Blier and Michael Barrett, who “reinvented the song recital during the 1990’s with daring and dramatic programming” (The New Yorker), announces its 21st season (2008-2009).
Merkin Concert Hall presents Tuesday Matinees: Jean-Frédéric Neuburger
August 13, 2008, New York – Kaufman Center presents the opening concert of its longest-running series, Tuesday Matinees, with 22-year-old French pianist Jean-Frédéric Neuburger. The young pianist received rave reviews following his debut recital in the Young Concert Artists Series at the Kennedy Center and has already performed extensively as a soloist with orchestras to international acclaim. In addition, he is winner of the 2006 Young Concert Artists International Auditions and the 2005 Young Concert Artists European Auditions, among other prestigious awards.
Merkin Concert Hall presents ISRAEL AT 60! Dialects: Israeli Jazz & Klezmer (Sept.18, 2008)
August 5, 2008 – In the first of three concerts in celebration of Israel’s 60th birthday, Merkin Concert Hall presents two of the best examples of the new face of American/Israeli music. Trumpeter Frank London recovers the lost sounds of klezmer, taking the music back to its 19th-century roots with the Klezmer Brass All Stars. Pianist Omer Klein, a rising star in the Israeli/New York jazz movement, will offer a program of his deeply melodic, utterly original compositions, tinged with the sounds of the Middle East. Joining Klein will be bassist Omer Avital and Ziv Ravitz on drums, and a special piece with string quartet commissioned specifically for this performance.
Merkin Concert Hall presents A Singular Voice: Joan Tower Celebrates 70! (Sept. 6, 2008)
August 4, 2008, New York – The opening concert of Merkin Concert Hall’s 2008-09 season, and the first full season of music since the hall’s recent renovation, A Singular Voice: Joan Tower Celebrates 70! features an all-star lineup paying tribute to Ms. Tower, plus a special presentation by The American Music Center to our lady of the hour with the prestigious Letter of Distinction Award.