Asian American Arts Alliance: Grace Kelly, Ashni

Grace Kelly is a saxophonist, singer, songwriter, and bandleader who has performed over 1,500 concerts in more than 40 countries. As a bandleader, she has appeared at major venues and festivals, including the Kennedy Center, Moscow Symphony Hall, and the Montreal, Newport, and Montreux Jazz Festivals. Early in her career, she performed at Barack Obama’s 2009 Presidential Inauguration and later joined Jon Batiste’s house band on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. She has released 15 albums and is known for a genre-crossing sound blending jazz, pop, and electronic influences.

Grace is a nine-time DownBeat Critics Poll Rising Star, winning Alto Saxophone in 2017 and Baritone Saxophone in 2023. As a songwriter, she was awarded “Song of the Year” in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest for Feels Like Home.

She has collaborated with artists including Dave Brubeck, Wynton Marsalis, Harry Connick Jr., Gloria Estefan, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Questlove. She has appeared in film and television, including the Amazon Prime series Bosch, and is an official Yamaha Artist featured in the Emmy Award-winning production The Right Note.

An active educator, Grace has taught thousands of students worldwide and is the founder of Sax Pro, an online saxophone community and learning platform. She has held a teaching residency at Berklee College of Music, where she also serves as the youngest member of its Board of Trustees.

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.