World Music Institute

The career of Sunny Jain is a celebration of cultural diaspora: deep-rooted tradition that ripples outward, changing – and being changed by – the cultures that it touches. He is a composer, drummer, dhol player and thought leader. In 2022, Jain joined Planet Drum for their first show in 15 years, playing alongside drumming legends Mickey Hart (The Grateful Dead), Zakir Hussain, and Giovanni Hidalgo.

Whether she’s performing within the Indian classical music tradition or with the latest electronics, Suphala—tabla player, percussionist, composer, and producer—breaks new ground. Her deep knowledge of a wide spectrum of music, her mentoring by maestros Ustad Allarakha and Ustad Zakir Hussain, and the classical piano studies she began at age four all inform her unique compositions, highly improvisational performances, and contemporary approach—a dazzling combination that has led to her being celebrated by the New York Times, Vogue, Rolling Stone, CNN, and NPR, and making history as the first musician to play in public in Kabul, Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban.

Composer and instrumentalist Kaoru Watanabe's work is rooted in traditional Japanese performing arts and infused with contemporary experimental and improvisational elements. He is a highly sought-after collaborator, working with such iconic artists as André 3000, Yo-Yo Ma, Wes Anderson, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Laurie Anderson, Jason Moran, Rhiannon Giddens, Silkroad Ensemble, and Japanese National Living Treasure Bando Tamasaburo. Watanabe studied jazz at the Manhattan School of Music and conducted intensive studies of Japanese traditional folk music and dance as an apprentice with the groundbreaking taiko drumming ensemble Kodo. Watanabe then became a touring member and artistic director of Kodo, the first American to hold either role. After a decade with the troupe, Watanabe returned to New York to develop a unique approach to integrating elements of Japanese music into his vast array of collaborative projects, culminating in the creation of Bloodlines Interwoven, a multifaceted commissioning ensemble celebrating heritage, immigration, and diaspora through music.

Cyro Baptista, the Brazilian percussionist extraordinaire, boasts a diverse and accomplished career spanning decades of innovation and collaboration.

Born on in São Paulo, Brazil, Baptista's journey into the world of music began early, shaped by the rich tapestry of Brazilian rhythms and musical traditions.

 In 1980 Baptista moved to New York City, finding himself immersed in a melting pot of musical influences and became an integral part of the vibrant music scene. His insatiable curiosity and willingness to push musical boundaries, paved the way for numerous innovative projects and collaborations.

Cyro Baptista continues to push the boundaries of percussion and expand the possibilities of musical expression. His unwavering dedication to education and artistic exploration serves as an inspiration to musicians and audiences worldwide, solidifying his legacy as a true pioneer in the world of rhythm and percussion.

Four Time Grammy Award Winner, Glen Velez is the founding Father of the modern frame drum movement and is regarded as a legendary figure among musicians and audiences world-wide.

Velez brought a new genre of drumming to the contemporary music scene by creating his own performance style inspired by years of percussion and frame drumming studies from various cultures. Velez’s virtuosic combinations of hand movements, finger techniques, along with his original compositional style, which incorporates stepping, drum language and Central Asian Overtone singing (split-tone singing), has undoubtedly opened new possibilities for musicians around the globe, resulting in a shift in modern percussion.

For the past four decades composer, improviser and percussionist Adam Rudolph has performed extensively in concert throughout North & South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. Rudolph has been hailed as "a pioneer in world music" by the NY Times and "a master percussionist" by Musician magazine. He has released over 25 recordings under his own name, featuring his compositions and percussion work. Rudolph composes for his ensembles Adam Rudolph's Moving Pictures, Hu: Vibrational percussion group, and Go: Organic Orchestra, an 18 to 54 piece group for which he has developed an original music notation and conducting system. He has taught and conducted hundreds of musicians worldwide in the Go: Organic Orchestra concept. In 1995 Rudolph premiered his opera The Dreamer, based on the text of Friedreich Nietzsche's "The Birth of Tragedy".

Pedro Pablo “Pedrito” Martinez was born in Havana, Cuba, Sept 12, 1973 in the Cayo Hueso neighborhood of Old Havana, and began his musical career at the age of 11.Since settling in New York City in the fall of 1998, Pedrito has recorded or performed with Wynton Marsalis, Paul Simon, Paquito D’Rivera, Chucho Valdez, Bruce Springsteen, Eddie Palmieri, Dave Matthews, Jackson Browne, Elton John, James Taylor and Sting, and has contributed to well over 100 albums.  A consummate master of Afro-Cuban folkloric music and the batá drum he is also the world’s first-call rumbero—playing, singing, and dancing with dozens of Cuban rumba groups and contributing to, or appearing in, several important films, including Calle 54 (2000) and Chico and Rita (2010).

Pedrito was a founding member of the highly successful, Afro-Cuban/Afro-Beat band, Yerba Buena, with which he recorded two albums and toured the world in the mid- to late-90’s.

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.