Asian American Arts Alliance

Grace Kelly, an unequivocal musical prodigy, singer-saxophonist-songwriter-composer, and band leader, has rocked the jazz world with sold-out concerts, 15 acclaimed albums, and a resume that includes performing at the Hollywood Bowl as well as a member of the house band for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert – all before reaching her mid-twenties. In 2022, she became the youngest member of Berklee College of Music’s Board of Trustees. 

Grace’s early career highlights featured performances at Barack Obama’s 2009 inauguration at age 16 and at age 14 as a soloist with the Boston Pops playing an original, arranged composition with the legendary orchestra. Since then, she has played over 1,000 shows as a bandleader in 35 countries at venues such as the Kennedy Center, Moscow Symphony Hall, and international jazz festivals. Touted for her scorching saxophone stylings and purring vocals, Grace has performed and recorded with renowned artists including Lin Manuel-Miranda, Dave Brubeck, Lee Konitz, Phil Woods, Huey Lewis, Harry Connick Jr., Jon Batiste, Gloria Estefan, Questlove, and Wynton Marsalis. 

Grace won “Song of the Year” for her single, “Feels Like Home” in the 2018 John Lennon Songwriting Contest, and has been named nine times consecutively in the Annual Downbeat Magazine’s Critics Poll “Rising Star Alto Saxophone” from the age of 17 and winning the poll in 2017 and winning the Critics Poll in 2023 for “Rising Star Baritone Saxophone. She has also won multiple ASCAP Composer Awards, Boston Music Awards, and International Songwriting Awards. Grace has appeared as a featured performer, as herself, in films and television, including acclaimed documentary Sound of Redemption: The Frank Morgan Story, Amazon’s Emmy-nominated original series Bosch, and the 2017 Emmy-winning Yamaha production The Right Note. Featured by Vanity Fair as a millennial shaking up the jazz world, Grace’s state-of-the-art brand of electro jazz-pop and inventive digital content reaching millions of fans across her socials. Grace has been seen in national campaigns for M&M and Subaru. 

Grace’s latest release, “At The Movies: Grace Kelly with Strings,” with her fifteen piece large ensemble was inspired by “Charlie Parker with Strings” – one of Grace’s all-time favorite albums as well as her love of classic and contemporary movies. In this album, she reimagines some of her favorite movie music (Disney Medley, Back To The Future, High Society, Pirates of the Caribbean, Mission Impossible) as well as songs by legendary film composers (John Williams, Ennio Morricone) and contemporary artists like Billie Eilish’s “No Time To Die” with fresh arrangements encompassing her signature sound. 

Given Grace’s experience on the stage, she is a masterful clinician specializing in jazz improvisation and stage performance. She has taught thousands of students to become more confident performers and saxophone players both online and in person. She is the co-founder of Saxy School with Leo P (of Too Many Zooz), an innovative online saxophone school for beginners and seasoned players alike. She has held a guest teaching residency at The Berklee College of Music and spearheaded the establishment of the Fred Taylor Endowed Scholarship Fund by organizing, emceeing, and performing in the All-Star Benefit Concert in 2017 which raised over $70,000 for the fund. 

Ashni is a New York City-based singer, songwriter, and pianist. Weaving jazz, R&B, and pop, with a thread of North Indian folk music, she evokes the incisiveness and soul of Fiona Apple and Hiatus Kaiyote with the genre-crossing, form-expansion of Arooj Aftab. Her work explores our relationship to self, each other, and the natural world, enveloping listeners in a cathartic dimension, providing “haunting relief” (Kajal Mag), and forging a new sound.

With over 3.8 million streams and a growing audience, Ashni has captivated sold out rooms at renowned venues like Lincoln Center, Joe’s Pub at The Public Theater, Public Records, Joshua Tree Music Festival, Sunset Sunside in Paris, The Quarter at the Royal Opera House Mumbai, and more.

Her music has been featured on Spotify's Women of Jazz playlist, in Ayodele Casel’s Where We Dwell at New York City Center, and the acclaimed, Emmy-nominated web series Brown Girls. She is a member of the Resistance Revival Chorus. Ashni’s EP Who I Dreamed Of released in 2022. Her debut album is set to release in fall 2026. 

Bryant Park lends out hundreds of free blankets on a first come, first served basis, or bring your own cotton or fleece blanket. To protect the lawn, please do not sit on waterproof materials such as plastic tarps, yoga mats, or inflatable chairs. 

Take a seat in one of the pre-set chairs on the lawn or grab a chair from the gravel. You can use a chair anywhere on the lawn except for the center lawn blanket zone. 

Purchase food and drinks from tents on the east side of the lawn or bring your own picnic. Look for Stout NYC and Heaster Street Fair vendors, and be sure to visit the Bryant Park Shop, too!

Visit the Bryant Park Shop tent for exclusive Picnic Performances merchandise and more.

Find a parachute, hula hoops, and more fun on the east side of the lawn at select events. 

Dogs are welcome on the gravel and bluestone, but not on the lawn.

Performances are cancelled when it is unsafe to be outdoors. In some cases, the lawn may be too wet to open but the performance may continue. Follow @bryantparknyc for day-of event updates. You can also check the lawn status on the bryantpark.org homepage.