MUSICAL EXPLORERS Family Concerts Announced At Zankel Hall This May

On Saturday, May 11, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m., dynamic artists from around the world perform in Zankel Hall as part of the Musical Explorers Family Concerts, interactive performances that celebrate unique musical cultures and traditions around the globe.

The performances feature Kenyan songs led by Sylvester Makobi, bluegrass with Grammy-nominated musician Michael Daves, and Armenian folk with vocal trio Zulal. Free pre-concert activities will be offered one hour prior to each performance, preparing parents, caregivers, and children to sing and dance along with the artists.

Earlier in the week, from Tuesday, May 7–Friday, May 10, thousands of schoolchildren in grades K–2 visit Carnegie Hall to sing and dance in high-energy culminating concerts. Musical Explorers reaches more than 7,000 New York City public school students in classrooms each year through a curriculum that teaches singing, listening, and basic music skills as children study songs from these musical traditions and reflect on their own communities.

Over the past four years, Musical Explorers has expanded tremendously with a digital platform that reaches teachers nationally, providing free online classroom resources including lesson plans, an interactive map, artist-led videos, and digital concert experiences filmed live at Carnegie Hall. Thousands of teachers across the US are utilizing Carnegie Hall's all-digital curriculum, bringing musical traditions from around the world to their classroom.

About the Artists

Sylvester Makobi hails from Nairobi, Kenya. His musical journey began at the Kenya Music Festival, where he won first prize in three categories for university students and professors at the national competition in 2010. His professional engagements began with the Kenyan Boys Choir as a tenor, soloist, and later an assistant choir trainer. Later, he co-founded the a cappella group Taifa Mziki and served as director. He has performed throughout East Africa as well as the UK, France, China, and US. In Kenya, he performed with the Ravenna Festival Chorus with conductor Riccardo Muti. He has performed as soloist with the Kenya Conservatoire of Music Orchestra during state events at State House, Nairobi, for the Kenyan president and his guests; and during the celebrations for the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Michael Daves has been called “a leading light of the New York bluegrass scene” by The New York Times. He has worked with Chris Thile, Steve Martin, Tony Trischka, and Rosanne Cash in addition to performing solo and with a band of roots-music innovators. Michael's 2011 debut album with Thile, Sleep with One Eye Open, received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Bluegrass Album. His album Orchids and Violence features 12 bluegrass tunes, each recorded in two versions: acoustic and electric.

Zulal, which means “clear water,” is an a cappella trio that transforms Armenia's village folk melodies into arrangements that pay tribute to the music's ancient roots while allowing it new possibilities. Zulal celebrates the trials and joys of old Armenian village life, from the echoes of loss to the enduring vibrations of dance and celebration. The trio has performed at the esteemed stages of the J. Paul Getty Museum, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Smithsonian Folklife Festival, Berklee College of Music, and the Kennedy Center. Zulal has four critically acclaimed albums to its credit.

About Carnegie Hall's Weill Music Institute

Carnegie Hall's Weill Music Institute (WMI) creates visionary programs that embody Carnegie Hall's commitment to music education, playing a central role in fulfilling the Hall's mission of making great music accessible to as many people as possible. With unparalleled access to the world's greatest artists, WMI's programs are designed to inspire audiences of all ages, nurture tomorrow's musical talent, and harness the power of music to make a meaningful difference in people's lives. An integral part of Carnegie Hall's concert season, these programs facilitate creative expression, develop musical skills and capacities at all levels, and encourage participants to make lifelong personal connections to music.

More than 800,000 people each year engage in WMI's programs through national and international partnerships, in New York City schools and community settings, and at Carnegie Hall. This includes more than 155 orchestras, music presenters, and education organizations in 40 states as well as internationally in 27 countries on 6 continents. WMI's hands-on programs tap into the creativity of audiences of all ages, inviting them to make their own music in all genres, express their viewpoints, and raise their voices. WMI shares an extensive range of online music education resources and program materials for free with teachers, families, orchestras, arts organizations, and music lovers worldwide. As a leader in music education, WMI generates new knowledge through original research, which inform Carnegie Hall's own programs and are also available as a resource to artists, organizations, and peers.

For more information, please visit: carnegiehall.org/education

Ticket Information

Tickets to Musical Explorers Family Concerts, priced at $15, are general admission and available at the Carnegie Hall Box Office, 154 West 57th Street, or can be charged to major credit cards by calling CarnegieCharge at 212-247-7800 or by visiting the Carnegie Hall website, carnegiehall.org.

For information on discount ticket programs, including those for students, Notables members, and Bank of America customers, visit carnegiehall.org/discounts. Artists, programs, dates, and prices are subject to change.