Five Boroughs Music Festival Announces Programming For 2018-19 Season

Five Boroughs Music Festival (5BMF) announces programming for its 2018-2019 season, continuing its mission of bringing affordable, world-class performances of traditional and contemporary chamber music to all five boroughs of New York City. The upcoming slate of concerts marks the organization's most collaborative season to date, including partnerships with GEMAS (Gotham Early Music / Americas Society), ClassicalCafé, Brooklyn Art Song Society, New York Festival of Song, and the LGBT Center ("The Center").

The season kicks off with three performances by violin and guitar duo Fire & Grace, whose programs explore the connective musical elements of classical, folk, and contemporary traditions from around the world through vast repertoire ranging from the Baroque masters to American fiddle tunes, and more. The duo, comprised of guitarist William Coulter and violinist Edwin Huizinga, perform on Thursday, September 27 at 7:30 p.m. at An Beal Bocht Café in Riverdale (in collaboration with ClassicalCafé). Additional performances are held at Rockwood Music Hall, Stage 3 in Manhattan on Friday, September 28, 2018 at 7:00 p.m. and Alice Austen House in Staten Island on Sunday, September 30, 2018 at 3:00 p.m.

5BMF teams up with GEMAS (Gotham Early Music / Americas Society) to present An Empire of Silver & Gold: Music of 18th Century Latin America on Monday, November 5, 2018 at 7:00 p.m. at St. Ignatius of Antioch Episcopal Church in Manhattan. Daniel Zuluaga leads a collective of musicians from Canada, Colombia, Cuba, Argentina and the US, in a program of vocal and instrumental pieces from 18th-century Latin American manuscript sources, including works by Juan de Araujo, Andrés Flores, Joseph de Torres, and Juan Franzés Yribarren. Performers include sopranos Nell Snaidas and Jennifer Ellis Kampani, mezzo-soprano Solange Merdinian, tenor Joel González Estrada, bass-baritone Adrian Rosas, baroque oboist and recorder player Priscilla Herreid, baroque violinists Aisslinn Nosky and Karina Schmitz, baroque cellist Katie Rietman, baroque guitarists Daniel Zuluaga and Simon Martyn-Ellis, and percussionist Rex Benincasa.

The early music chamber ensemble Les Délices returns to 5BMF with their innovative new program Songs Without Words, performed by Debra Nagy (early oboes), Eric Milnes (harpsichord), and Mélisande Corriveau (viols). The program melds 17th century instrumental works with 20th century torch songs and jazz standards arranged and improvised by the ensemble. Music by baroque composers Lambert, Lully, and Marais is heard alongside tunes by Nina Simone, Aretha Franklin, Stephen Sondheim, and more. Les Délices performs on Saturday, February 23, 2019, and on Sunday, February 24, 2019 at 3:00 p.m. at Flushing Town Hall in Queens.

The all-female Aizuri Quartet, currently quartet-in-residence at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and comprised of violinists Ariana Kim and Miho Saegusa, violist Ayane Kozasa, and cellist Karen Ouzounian, performs works by Bartok, Schoenberg, and Evan Premo, with special guest soprano Mary Bonhag, at the Tenri Cultural Institute in Manhattan on Friday March 22, 2019 at 7:30 p.m.

In collaboration with the Brooklyn Art Song Society, 5BMF presents Hugo Wolf's complete Mörike-Lieder in two performances led by world renowned collaborative pianist Martin Katz. Featured vocalists include sopranos Amy Petrongelli and Sarah Shafer, tenor Daniel McGrew, and baritones Tyler Duncan and Thomas Meglioranza. The first part is performed on Sunday, April 28, 2019 at 4:00 p.m. at the Brooklyn Public Library and the second part is performed on Friday, May 3, 2019 at 7:30 p.m. at the Brooklyn Historical Society. Additionally, Martin Katz holds a masterclass exploring The Songs of Hugo Wolf at Brooklyn Conservatory of Music on Saturday, May 4, 2019 at 3:00 p.m.

The season concludes with two programs celebrating LGBT composers and librettists, presented concurrently with WorldPride in honor of the 50-year commemoration of the Stonewall uprising:

NYFOS Next, presented in collaboration with the LGBT Center ("The Center") and New York Festival of Song, is a salon of contemporary songs by LGBT identified composers and librettists curated by composer Laura Kaminsky, taking place on Tuesday, June 11, 2019 at the LGBT Center. The concert includes the world premiere of a collaboratively created song cycle by Kaminsky, Jennifer Higdon, Laura Karpman, Paula Kimper, Nora Kroll Rosenbaum, and Kayla Cashetta set to the poems of Elaine Sexton, plus Fierce Grace: Jeannette Rankin with libretto by Kimberly Reed and contributions by Kaminsky, Karpman, Kitty Brazelton, and Ellen Reed, featuring mezzo-soprano Heather Johnson, and pianist Mila Henry.

MANNING THE CANON: Songs of Gay Life, presented in collaboration with the New York Festival of Song on Tuesday, June 25, 2019 at the LGBT Center, is a musical portrait of life, love and loss in the world of gay men over the course of two centuries. The program, which first premiered in 5BMF's third season and was later seen on NYFOS stages, is led by NYFOS Artistic Director Steven Blier (pianist), and includes works ranging from Schubert's "Der Gondelfahrer" to John Wallowitch's "Bruce". The concert features tenors Scott Murphree and Miles Mykkanen, baritone Efraín Solís, and bass Matt Boehler.

"Now firmly in our second decade, we at 5BMF look forward in our 2018-2019 season to planting deeper roots in arts communities all around the city, and to strengthening our relationships with other vital NYC musical organizations," said 5BMF Artistic Director Jesse Blumberg. "Our 12th season features more collaborations and co-presentations than ever before, allowing us to bring more performances to more venues around New York City, and reflects our signature wide-ranging chamber music programming. The season showcases early music, contemporary music, and various non-classical genres-often presented side by side within any given program-as well as world premieres by several notable composers."

Tickets for all Five Boroughs Music Festival concerts, ranging between $10 and $50, are available starting July 1 at www.5BMF.org.