Rite of Summer Music Festival Announces 2019 Season

Blair McMillen and Pam Goldberg are thrilled to present the 9th season of the Rite of Summer Music Festival, taking place Summer 2019 on Governors Island, New York City. Rite of Summer will present free outdoor concerts from June through September. In a locale The New York Times has called a "Playground for the Arts," the aim of the Festival is simple: to present the highest quality live performances, and to bring free contemporary classical music to as many people as possible in a relaxed, fun, outdoor setting.

This season's spectacular line-up kicks off on Saturday, June 1st with Ensemble Connect performing works by Lou Harrison, Gabriella Smith, Yie Eun Chun, and Charles Ives. Next up on Saturday, July 6th is Sandbox Percussion performing the world premiere of Brendon Randall-Myers' Conjoining and works by Jonny Allen, Victor Caccese, Steve Reich, Juri Seo, and Julia Wolfe. On Saturday, August 10th, Go: Organic Orchestra & Brooklyn Raga Massive team up to perform works from their upcoming triple vinyl release, RAGMALA (A Garland of Ragas), composed and improvisationally conducted by Adam Rudolph (October 2019 on Meta/BRM Records). And on Saturday, September 7th, Sirius Quartet presents music of Jeremy Harman, Fung Chern Hwei, Gregor Huebner, Radiohead, and The Beatles arranged by Gregor Huebner.

Rite of Summer shows will be presented twice the same day, at 1pm and 3pm, for each respective date in Nolan Park. Audiences should feel free to walk by, stop and listen, lay down a picnic blanket and relax, eat lunch, mingle, and take in these engaging live performances.

Governors Island is a short 8-minute ferry ride from the Battery Maritime Building in Lower Manhattan, located at 10 South Street (Subway: 1 to South Ferry; R/W to Whitehall Street; 4/5 to Bowling Green; Bus: M15, M20, M55) and a 3-minute ride from Brooklyn Bridge Park, where ferries leave from Pier 6 on weekends only (Subway: 2/3/4/5 to Borough Hall; R to Court Street; Bus: B61 and B63). Concerts are free; ferries are $3 after 12pm (free from 10am-12pm on weekends). For a full ferry schedule, please visit www.govisland.com.

For more information, visit www.riteofsummer.com.

Photo credit: Fadi Kheir

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