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New York Festival of Song to Hold Annual Gala
The "Still in Love" event is set for May 17th at 6:30pm.
By: Marissa Tomeo Apr. 13, 2022
New York Festival of Song (NYFOS) holds its annual Gala-this year titled Still in Love-on Tuesday, May 17, 2022 at 6:30pm at the Racquet and Tennis Club, celebrating the musical contributions of Duke Ellington and his collaborator Billy Strayhorn.
The evening includes cocktails and dinner, plus a special performance by Justin Austin (recent appearances at the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago and Lincoln Center Theater) and Shereen Pimental (Maria in West Side Story in most recent revival on Broadway) in songs including "Sophisticated Lady," "It Don't Mean a Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing," "Day Dream", and more. Still in Love is hosted by acclaimed mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves together with NYFOS Artistic Director Steven Blier.
A pay what you can ticket option is available (suggested $100+) which provides access to a virtual Gala option viewable throughout the month of June. Instructions to view the video will be sent via email following the event.
Proceeds from the NYFOS Gala directly underwrite artistic programming for the season at Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center, in addition to supporting young artist residencies, online programming, and recording initiatives.
Event Information
Still in Love: NYFOS Celebrates Duke Ellington & Billy Strayhorn
Tuesday, May 17, 2022 at 6:30pm
Racquet and Tennis Club
370 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10022
Ticket Link:
https://nyfos.org/gala/
With performances by:
Justin Austin
Shereen Pimentel
Hosted by:
Steven Blier
Denyce Graves
About New York Festival of Song
Now in its 34th season, New York Festival of Song (NYFOS) is dedicated to creating intimate song concerts of great beauty and originality. Weaving music, poetry, history and humor into evenings of compelling theater, NYFOS fosters community among artists and audiences. Each program entertains and educates in equal measure.
Founded by pianists Michael Barrett and Steven Blier in 1988, NYFOS continues to produce its series of thematic song programs, drawing together rarely-heard songs of all kinds, overriding traditional distinctions between musical genres, exploring the character and language of other cultures, and the personal voices of song composers and lyricists.
Since its founding, NYFOS has particularly celebrated American song. Among the many highlights is the double bill of one-act comic operas, Bastianello and Lucrezia, by John Musto and William Bolcom, both with libretti by Mark Campbell, commissioned and premiered by NYFOS in 2008 and recorded on Bridge Records. In addition to Bastianello and Lucrezia, NYFOS has a rich discography including a Grammy Award-winning disc of Leonard Bernstein's Arias and Barcarolles, and the Grammy-nominated recording of Ned Rorem's Evidence of Things Not Seen (also a NYFOS commission) on New World Records. In order to bring more of its music - captured both in live performance and in the studio - to audiences worldwide, NYFOS launched its in-house label, NYFOS Records, in 2021. Its first album, From Rags to Riches, featuring Stephanie Blythe, William Burden, and Steven Blier, was released in January 2022.
In November 2010, NYFOS debuted NYFOS Next, a mini-series for new songs, hosted by guest composers in intimate venues, including OPERA America's National Opera Center, National Sawdust, the DiMenna Center for Classical Music, and now the Ann Goodman Recital Hall at Kaufman Music Center.
NYFOS is passionate about nurturing the artistry and careers of young singers, and has developed training residencies around the country, including with The Juilliard School's Ellen and James S. Marcus Institute for Vocal Arts (now in its 16th year); Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts (its 14th year in March 2022); San Francisco Opera Center (over 20 years as of February 2018); Glimmerglass Opera (2008-2010); and its newest project, NYFOS@North Fork in Orient, NY.
NYFOS's concert series, touring programs, radio broadcasts, recordings, and educational activities continue to spark new interest in the creative possibilities of the song program, and have inspired the creation of thematic vocal series around the world.
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