Marimba Extraordinaire Makoto Nakura at 60 — A Retrospective
Makoto started building his distinctive career as a marimbist as soon as he arrived in NYC from Japan 30 years ago. This concert shows his journey through the works which he has commissioned along the way. These works from today’s leading composers showcase the expressive possibilities of the marimba…expressive possibilities that keep expanding under Makoto’s ever-growing collection of mallets! You are sure to have a great time not only hearing extraordinary music, but also meeting this extraordinary artist and human being who always gives his audience an incredible show. Don’t forget to wish him a happy 60th birthday if you attend!
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Making Music With Makoto - Marimba Magic
Back by popular demand….join marimba extraordinaire and Forest Hills resident Makoto Nakura as he shares how he makes music on this beautiful instrument that originated in Africa. There will be an opportunity to play child-size versions of this instrument at the end of the show. Makoto will play a sampling of his evening program and there will be lively demonstrations and Q&A throughout the show.
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Sedalia to Harlem — A Celebration of Black Culture in America
Back by popular demand after performing to a sold-out crowd last season, join MRP founder Maestro David Close as he returns to host and guide you through musical gems of jazz, opera and African American Spirituals, tracing the rich tradition of black music, art and culture in America.
Performers:
David Close, piano and host
Jay Aubrey Jones, vocals
Imani Rousselle, vocals
Alphonso Horne, trumpet
Rossano Sportiello, piano
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Sedalia to Harlem – A Celebration of Black Culture in America
Learn about the musical gems of the jazz, opera and African American Spiritual genres, tracing the rich tradition of black music, art and culture in America. Meet some of the artists who will be performing that evening and learn about how their experiences, particularly as African American musicians growing up in the United States, shaped their lives and careers as adults in the arts and music industry.
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A Baroque Celebration — Vivaldi Four Seasons and Bach D Minor Keyboard Concerto
A mid-winter treat featuring Vivaldi’s beloved Four Seasons - Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall, as well as the most famous of all Baroque keyboard concertos, Bach’s D Minor Concerto for keyboard and string orchestra. This concert features scoring for string orchestra, harpsichord and piano.
Performers:
Sunyoung Graves, violin
Sarah Pratt Parsamian, violin
Mia Laity, violin
William Hakim, viola
Robert Burkhart, cello
Barbara Podgurski, harpsichord and piano
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The Keyboard Travelling Through Time
Have you ever heard or seen a harpsichord in person? Get to see a harpsichord up close and learn how the piano was created from its earliest keyboard form. Listen to and talk about works for both harpsichord and piano in this interactive event.
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An Evening of Chamber Music
Come join us as we kick off our 24th concert season with an evening of time-honored favorites for piano and strings. Listen to works of Mozart and Dvorak, as well as new Piano Quartets by award-winning Queens-based composers Gilbert Galindo and Beata Moon.
Performers:
Sarah Pratt Parsamian, violin
William Hakim, viola
Robert Burkhart, cello
Barbara Podgurski, piano
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Making Music with Friends
Do you ever make music with your friends? Come find out how artistic director/pianist Barbara Podgurski and her friends, violinist Sarah Pratt Parsamian, violist Will Hakim, and cellist Robert Burkhart play together! Learn about how instruments can communicate together and talk to each other through the people who play them.
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Sari-Sari Storybooks with Music
These magical children's books take the reader on a journey through the Philippines, from Batanes to Cebu, Leyte to Zamboanga City. "Melo the Umang-Boy: an Ivatan Tale" tells the story of a painfully shy little boy living with his grandmother and uncle. One day he visits a magical, busy city on the bottom of the ocean, filled with talking sea creatures. Disaster strikes the city, and he must overcome his shyness to help the sea creatures rebuild. "Kalipay and the Tiniest Tiktik: a Cebuano Tale" shows us how friendship can overcome differences and create happiness for everyone. Daydreaming comes easily to Kalipay, but she doesn’t know how to make bullies leave her alone. One day, she makes an unusual new friend in Gamay, who tells the school bully, Juan, to stop teasing Kalipay. Other children are afraid of Gamay—her strange tongue, split body, and bat wings—but Kalipay is fascinated by the things that make her new friend different. "Amina and the City of Flowers: a Chavacano Tale" Tells the tale of Amina, a young Yakan weaver, who is homesick for Basilan; but she finds inspiration for her loom in the diversity and color of her new home, Zamboanga City.
Signed books will be available for purchase at the event through Kew & Willow.
Sari-Sari Storybooks with Music
These magical children's books take the reader on a journey through the Philippines, from Batanes to Cebu, Leyte to Zamboanga City. "Melo the Umang-Boy: an Ivatan Tale" tells the story of a painfully shy little boy living with his grandmother and uncle. One day he visits a magical, busy city on the bottom of the ocean, filled with talking sea creatures. Disaster strikes the city, and he must overcome his shyness to help the sea creatures rebuild. "Kalipay and the Tiniest Tiktik: a Cebuano Tale" shows us how friendship can overcome differences and create happiness for everyone. Daydreaming comes easily to Kalipay, but she doesn’t know how to make bullies leave her alone. One day, she makes an unusual new friend in Gamay, who tells the school bully, Juan, to stop teasing Kalipay. Other children are afraid of Gamay—her strange tongue, split body, and bat wings—but Kalipay is fascinated by the things that make her new friend different. "Amina and the City of Flowers: a Chavacano Tale" Tells the tale of Amina, a young Yakan weaver, who is homesick for Basilan; but she finds inspiration for her loom in the diversity and color of her new home, Zamboanga City.
Signed books will be available for purchase at the event through Kew & Willow.
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Dalí Quartet
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The acclaimed Dalí String Quartet brings Latin American quartet repertoire to an equal standing beside works of the Classical and Romantic eras. Join them for an unforgettable evening of passionate music making.
Artists:
Ari Isaacman-Beck, 1st violin
Carlos Rubio, 2nd violin
Adriana Linares, viola
Jesus Morales, cello
Barbara Podgurski, piano
Dual Keyboards - Featuring Internationally Acclaimed Marimbist Makoto
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Forest Hills resident and international superstar of the marimba, Makoto Nakura, joins pianist Barbara Podgurski for an evening of commissioned works for the duo including new music by David Conte and Philip Lasser along with transcriptions of beloved classical works.
Artists:
Makoto Nakura, marimba
Barbara Podgurski, piano
Metropolitan Piano Stories
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MRP’s second annual program of piano music by living women composers from the NYC metropolitan area with each piece having a special story behind its creation. Performed by Barbara Podgurski and Beata Moon, joined by guest composers who will introduce or perform their own works.
Artists:
Beata Moon, piano/composer
Barbara Podgurski, piano
Niloufar Nourbakhsh, piano/composer
Guest composers:
Victoria Bond
Nia Imani Franklin
Tania León
Beata Moon
Meredith Monk
Niloufar Nourbakhsh
Dalit Warshaw
Sedalia to Harlem—A Celebration of Black History
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Join MRP founder Maestro David Close as he returns to host and guide you through musical gems of the jazz, opera and African American Spiritual genres, tracing the rich tradition of black music, art and culture in America.
Artists:
Jay Aubrey Jones, Baritone
Geraldine McMillian, Soprano
Byron Singleton, Tenor
Barbara Podgurski, Pianist
Maestro David Close, Host and Pianist
Young Artists
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A showcase of young college students studying at NYC’s top conservatories. Featured artists include Evan Katsefes (tenor), Jennifer Robinson (soprano), and Nick Fanara (piano). Works of Liszt, Beethoven, Mozart and others TBA. Hosted by MRP Artistic Director Barbara Podgurski.
Artists:
Nick Fanara, piano
Evan Katsefes, tenor
Jennifer Robinson, soprano
Barbara Podgurski, collaborative pianist
An Evening of Chamber Music
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Join MRP director Barbara Podgurski (piano) as she is joined by friends Robert Burkhart (cello) and Sarah Pratt Parsamian (violin) performing works by Fauré, Ravel and Brahms.
Artists:
Sarah Pratt Parsamian, violin
Robert Burkhart, cello
Barbara Podgurski, piano
Program:
Maurice Ravel: Sonata #2 for Violin and Piano in G Major
Gabriel Fauré: Sonata #2 for Cello and Piano in G Minor
Johannes Brahms: Piano Trio in B Major, op. 8
Cow Goes to the Opera
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The world-premiere of an opera by Sunny Knable for children and families about a curious cow who goes to the Marché at the Opera Festival in southern France and falls in love with the lights and sounds of the concert stage.
Musica Reginae Productions presents a World-premiere full production of Cow Goes to the Opera, an opera for young audiences by composer and music director Sunny Knable. Cow is given a time-out and sent to his room by Farmer Brown as punishment for something he did not do. While there, he is visited by several infamous characters from the world’s most beloved Operas. Filled with excerpts and reinterpretations of the best-known arias in the operatic tradition, Cow Goes to the Opera is fun and educational for the whole family!
Michael Wills, director/librettist
Sunny Knable, composer/pianist
Darren Anderson, tenor
Stefanie Izzo, soprano
Claire Myers-McCormick, soprano
Tony Ramos, baritone
Melinda Faylor, pianist
Based on a children's book by Amber L. Spradlin
Cow Goes to the Opera
Tickets
The world-premiere of an opera by Sunny Knable for children and families about a curious cow who goes to the Marché at the Opera Festival in southern France and falls in love with the lights and sounds of the concert stage.
Musica Reginae Productions presents a World-premiere full production of Cow Goes to the Opera, an opera for young audiences by composer and music director Sunny Knable. Cow is given a time-out and sent to his room by Farmer Brown as punishment for something he did not do. While there, he is visited by several infamous characters from the world’s most beloved Operas. Filled with excerpts and reinterpretations of the best-known arias in the operatic tradition, Cow Goes to the Opera is fun and educational for the whole family!
Michael Wills, director/librettist
Sunny Knable, composer
Darren Anderson, tenor
Stefanie Izzo, soprano
Claire Myers-McCormick, soprano
Tony Ramos, baritone
Melinda Faylor, pianist
Based on a children's book by Amber L. Spradlin
Queens to Bali
LIVE at Flushing Town Hall. Queens College (CUNY)-based gamelan group, Gamelan Yowana Sari, led by director Frederick Trumpy, presents a program of Balinese music featuring a diverse repertoire, joined by traditional Balinese dancers. Presented as part of the Queens Rising celebration. There will be a Q&A and an opportunity to meet the artists following the event.
Queens to Bali
Where is Bali, and what does the music sound like?
Explore with us the exciting world of Balinese gamelan music and dance.
Acoustic Klezmer Quartet—David Krakauer
Please join Musica Reginae as we welcome David Krakauer and his Klezmer Quartet. David Krakauer is one of the most important and influential musicians in new Jewish music today and of the vital new wave of klezmer. He is known mostly for his amplified sound, pushing the boundaries of klezmer to include elements of jazz, rock, funk and hip-hop.
In this program, Krakauer will present acoustic versions of his original compositions, mixed with classic tunes from the traditional Eastern European Jewish klezmer repertoire. This will be an opportunity to hear Krakauer’s distinctive sound up close and personal, completely unplugged. The audience will bear witness to some incredible mind reading between four musicians who have been playing together for years.
www.davidkrakauer.com
David Krakauer
Only a select few artists have the ability to convey their message to the back row, to galvanize an audience with a visceral power that connects on a universal level. David Krakauer is such an artist. Widely considered one of the greatest clarinetists on the planet with his own unique sound and approach, he has been praised internationally as a key innovator in modern klezmer as well as a major voice in classical music. In 2015 he received a Grammy nomination as soloist with the conductorless chamber orchestra "A Far Cry".
Krakauer began his journey with the music of his Eastern European Jewish cultural heritage at the end of the 1980s as the Berlin Wall was falling, and culture from “behind the Iron Curtain” began to emerge in the West. Inspired by these massive cultural shifts, he began to explore klezmer music as he sought to connect with his Jewish identity in a deeper way. He very quickly became a creator in his own right; first as a member of the ground-breaking band “The Klezmatics” (that launched the second klezmer revival of the early 90s), then as an integral part of John Zorn’s Radical Jewish Culture movement, and ultimately as a composer, soloist, and band leader in the klezmer genre.
His wide array of projects, solo appearances, and multi-genre collaborations includes ensembles, conductors, composers and individual artists such as the WDR Big Band, Abraham Inc. (co-led with Fred Wesley and Socalled), the Emerson Quartet, Marin Alsop, Wlad Mathulets, Leonard Slatkin (Orchestre de Lyon), Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, Quatuor Debussy, JoAnn Falletta, George Tsontakis, Anakronic Electro Orkestra, and Kathleen Tagg (pianist and co-creator of Breath & Hammer).
Krakauer’s discography contains some of the most important clarinet recordings of recent decades. Among them are The Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind (Osvaldo Golijov and the Kronos Quartet/Nonesuch), which received the Diapason D’Or in France, The Twelve Tribes (Label Bleu) which was designated album of the year in the jazz category for the Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik, and Paul Moravec’s Pulitzer Prize-winning composition Tempest Fantasy (Naxos). He has also recorded with violinist Itzhak Perlman/The Klezmatics (Angel) and Dawn Upshaw/Osvaldo Golijov (Deutsche Grammophon). Other notable releases include his 2015 album Checkpoint with his band Ancestral Groove (Label Bleu), Mathew Rosenblum’s concerto “Lament/Witches’ Sabbath” with BMOP (New Focus), Klezmer NY (Tzadik), Tweet Tweet and Together We Stand with Abraham Inc. (Label Bleu) and Breath & Hammer on his own label, Table Pounding Records. He can be heard in Danny Elfman’s score for the Ang Lee film Taking Woodstock and throughout Sally Potter’s The Tango Lesson.
Most recently, Krakauer has been co-composing a number of large scale works with Kathleen Tagg including a fantasy for concert band, a clarinet concerto commissioned by the Santa Rosa Symphony (lead commissioner), the Eugene Symphony and The Adele and John Gray Endowment Fund, and the score for Minyan, by filmmaker Eric Steel. Additional new productions include the co-creation of Mazel Tov Cocktail Party!, a festive genre-crossing project released in February 2022.
As an esteemed educator, David Krakauer is on the clarinet and chamber music faculties of the Manhattan School of Music, the Mannes College of Music (New School) and The Bard Conservatory.
Jerome Harris
Jerome Harris has won international recognition as one of the more versatile and penetrating stylists of his generation on both guitar and bass guitar. Harris's first major professional performances were as bass guitarist with Sonny Rollins in 1978; from 1988 to 1994 he was Rollins' guitarist, and appears on five of his recordings. Over the past two decades, Jerome has also recorded and/or performed live on six continents with such jazz notables as Jack DeJohnette, Bill Frisell, Ray Anderson, Don Byron, Bobby Previte, Oliver Lake, Amina Claudine Myers, Bob Stewart, George Russell, Julius Hemphill, and Bob Moses. Harris’s work as a bandleader has produced four acclaimed recordings, including the most recent Rendezvous, the first-ever record produced by audio connoisseur magazine Stereophile.
Michael Sarin
Over the last twenty-five years, drummer Michael Sarin has been at the center of New York City’s genre bending jazz and improvisation community. His versatility and musical wit helped forge long associations with forward-looking artists Thomas Chapin, Dave Douglas, Myra Melford, Ben Allison, and David Krakauer. He has contributed to recordings by the aforementioned artists as well as those of Frank Carlberg, Anthony Coleman, Mark Dresser, Marty Ehrlich, Mark Helias, Denman Maroney, Simon Nabatov, Mario Pavone, Ned Rothenberg, and Fred Wesley--recordings found on numerous music critics’ Top Ten CD year-end lists. Since moving to New York in 1989, Sarin’s unique style and approach to the drum set has been highly sought after by NYC and European musicians looking to expand the definitions of jazz and improvised music.
Will Holshouser
Will Holshouser was given an accordion as a surprise when he was still young and impressionable. He has since found a unique niche for himself as an accordionist, improviser, and composer in many different areas of music. In addition to his work with Acoustic Klezmer Quartet, Holshouser tours regularly with jazz violinist Regina Carter and her band Reverse Thread, plays in a collaborative trio with Amsterdam-based improvisers drummer Han Bennink & saxophonist/clarinetist Michael Moore, and collaborates with trumpeter Ron Horton and bassist Dave Phillips in the Will Holshouser Trio. The trio’s third CD, Palace Ghosts and Drunken Hymns, was recorded in Portugal with the late, brilliant pianist Bernardo Sassetti as special guest.
K is for Klezmer
FREE Community Concert for Kids
What is Klezmer music? Where did it come from? Join us on our journey to discover what makes Klezmer music sound the way it does.
Metropolitan Piano Stories
Tickets: $20 Adults / $10 Students / FREE for children 12 and under
A program of piano music by living women composers from the NYC metropolitan area. Each piece has a story behind it. Composers include Victoria Bond, Dalit Warshaw, Anjelica Negron, Meredith Monk, Valerie Capers, Missy Mazzoli, Niloufar Nourbakhsh, and Beata Moon. Performed by Artistic Director, Barbara Podgurski, and a number of guest composers, who will introduce their own works
Click here for tickets on Event Brite for LIVE Show at 7:30pm ($10-$20)
Click here for tickets on Event Brite for VIRTUAL Show at 7:30pm ($10-$20)
Click here for more information and event program
Click here to learn more about our 4pm children’s concert “Her Piano Stories”. This companion concert for kids and families takes place a few hours prior to our evening event and features Artistic Director Barbara Podgurski introducing works for piano with special guests.
Her Piano Stories
What stories can piano music tell?
How often have you heard music written from her point of view? Come hear music by women composers from your neighborhood, from the Bronx to Forest Hills!
Please click the link below to join the webinar:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84551437647?pwd=MGU2bHZzRnUvbm9uYytwSDk1ekVLZz09
Passcode: 006122
Or One tap mobile :
US: +19292056099,,84551437647#,,,,*006122# or +13126266799,,84551437647#,,,,*006122#
Or Telephone:
Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
US: +1 929 205 6099 or +1 312 626 6799 or +1 301 715 8592 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 669 900 6833
Webinar ID: 845 5143 7647
Passcode: 006122
International numbers available: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kXDh3eRVB
A Holiday Cabaret
Live at The Church-in-the-Gardens, Forest Hills, NY
Soprano Christina Pecce and Music Director and Pianist Matthew Stephens come together for a magical holiday event celebrating the joys of the season. Presented in partnership with Queens Opera Theatre.
A Holiday Cabaret
Live at The Church-in-the-Gardens, Forest Hills, NY
Soprano Christina Pecce and Music Director and Pianist Matthew Stephens come together for a magical holiday event celebrating the joys of the season. Presented in partnership with Queens Opera Theatre.
The Red Violin
Elizabeth Pitcairn performs on her historic “Red Mendelssohn” Stradivarius joined by Barbara Podgurski (piano) and Gjilberta Lucaj (cello).
What is the Red Violin?
What makes this violin so special?
How were composers inspired by instruments like the “red” violin? Discover what inspires composers to write for these instruments. Musica Reginae’s artistic director, Barbara Podgurski will be joined by legendary violinist Elizabeth Pitcairn to share some of the magic of this very special instrument....it’s the most famous instrument that exists in the world and even has a movie about it called The Red Violin!
Please click here to watch
XQuartet
4:00pm: Memories and Portraits
Themes of memory, friendship, and love are woven together in this musical exploration of portraiture and tribute by composers Caroline Shaw, William Grant Still, Sting, and many others. Spanning genres from 20th century classical to minimalist film score, pop, and rock, the XQuartet presents a concert of vignettes that examine the many ways composers create works of art both for, and inspired by, their friends and loved ones. Each piece on the program tells a story of time and place, imbued with powerful memories and meaningful experiences.
LIVE at The Church-in-the-Gardens, 50 Ascan Avenue, Forest Hills, NY 11375
STREAMING via Zoom: click here
Admission is free. Please consider a suggested donation of $10. Thank you for your support!
The eXtraordinary Xquartet!
Music with Friends
In this program designed especially for kids, the XQuartet and host Barbara Podgurski will explore how composers create music inspired by friendship. During this time where we have all experienced isolation from our loved ones, this concert explores the many ways that music and art can help us connect with others.
LIVE at The Church-in-the-Gardens, 50 Ascan Avenue, Forest Hills, NY 11375
STREAMING via Zoom: click here
Admission is free. Please consider a suggested donation of $10. Thank you for your support!