Carnegie Hall Citywide: Tania León and The Harlem Chamber Players
The concert is conducted and hosted Carnegie Hall’s 2023–2024 Debs Composer’s Chair, Tania León—a composer, educator, conductor, advocate, and icon who has been a singular force in New York City’s arts and culture since the 1960s. The program includes one of León’s category-defying pieces, followed by works for string orchestra by Adolphus Hailstork and Chen Yi. The concert ends with an extraordinary collaboration: Trevor Weston’s The People Could Fly, featuring the ensemble with narration by WQXR radio host Terrance McKnight, violin soloist Josh Henderson, and dancers from the Harlem School of the Arts (HSA).
Program
ADOLPHUS HAILSTORK Sonata da Chiesa
CHEN YI Shuo
TANIA LEÓN "Agua de Manantiel" from Esencia para cuarteto de cuerdas
TREVOR WESTON The People Could Fly
Featured Artists:
The Harlem Chamber Players
Tania León, Conductor
Terrance McKnight, Host and Narrator
Josh Henderson, Violin
Leyland Simmons, Choreographer
with
Dancers from Harlem School of the Arts
ALSO FEATURING:
Claire Chan, violin
Ashley Horne, violin
William Frampton, viola
Wayne Smith, cello
THE ORCHESTRA
VIOLINS: Ashley Horne, Claire Chan, Lady Jess, Ellen Gronningen, Chala Yancy, Gloria Lee, Edward W. Hardy, Josh Henderson, Alexandria Hill, Sandra Billingslea, Melanie Baker, Sean-David Cunningham, Charlene Bishop, Savion Washington
VIOLAS: William Frampton, Amadi Azikiwe, Nicole Wright, Matthew Beaugé
CELLOS: Wayne Smith, Robert Burkhart, Kirsten Jermé, Angelique Montes
BASSES: Anthony Morris, Roger Wagner
HSA DANCERS
Eden Arrington-Mouzone, Alexandra Francois, Camille Smalls, Maximilian Malachi, Mia Ortiz, Dylan Van Putten, Raychel Brownlee, Allen Robinson
Additional media support for this performance is provided by WQXR.
Stream the concert on Friday, July 5th at 7pm
Carnegie Hall Citywide is the Hall’s free concert series that brings a diverse lineup of live performances to neighborhoods throughout New York City. Presented in partnership with esteemed community organizations across the five boroughs, the series highlights dynamic artists from a variety of musical genres—including classical, jazz, folk, Latin music, and more.
Bryant Park Picnic Performances presented by Bank of America is a free outdoor festival that welcomes all New Yorkers to experience the city’s vibrant arts and culture. The series provides a platform for extraordinary artists and serves as a vital outdoor venue for a wide array of New York’s cultural institutions.
Bring your own picnic or purchase food and drinks from tents on the east side of the lawn. Attendees can enjoy cuisine from the five boroughs with a rotating line-up of artisanal vendors curated by Hester Street Fair.
Stout NYC also offers giant pretzels, gourmet popcorn and other light bites as well as a selection of beer, wine, and non-alcoholic beverages for purchase.
Featured Vendors:
Thursday, September 5:
- Panda Eats World - Street food of Northern China
- Chaat Dog - Desi American street food
- Chocolate on Tap - Belgian Chocolate and strawberries
- Tacos El Guero - Tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and more
- Stop Drop N Roll - Gourmet egg rolls
- Bel-Fries - Artisan fries and sauces
Friday, September 6:
- Chic Treatz - Confectionary delights
- Chocolate on Tap - Belgian Chocolate and strawberries
- Tacos El Guero - Tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and more
- Enfes - Handmade Turkish food
- Bel-Fries - Artisan fries and sauces
Thursday, September 12:
- Charles Pan-Fried Chicken - Harlem's finest fried chicken
- Chocolate on Tap - Belgian Chocolate and strawberries
- Stop Drop N Roll - Gourmet egg rolls
- Pinche Vegana - Modern, vegan Mexican
Friday, September 13:
- Chocolate on Tap: Belgian Chocolate and strawberries
- Tacos El Guero: Tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and more
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 in the park except for the center lawn "blanket zone".
Find jugglers, hula hoops, giant Jenga, and more fun on the east side of the lawn at select events.
We love dogs, but dog urine can leave the lawn with bald spots. Dogs are welcome on the gravel and bluestone, but please do not bring dogs 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 on Twitter and Instagram for day-of event updates. You can also check the lawn status on the bryantpark.org homepage.