Distinguished Concert Series Returns to Wave Hill’s Armor Hall
Bronx, NY October 30, 2013―Wave Hill, a public garden and cultural center located in the Bronx overlooking the Hudson River and Palisades, is pleased to announce the return of its concert series to Armor Hall, following a substantial renovation of Wave Hill House. Originally built to house the remarkable collection of arms and armor of Bashford Dean, a former resident of Wave Hill House and the first curator of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection of arms and armor, Armor Hall’s soaring windows afford views of the stunning garden landscape, while the gracious intimacy of the space offers superb acoustics. Concerts have been presented at Wave Hill for more than 30 years, with Armor Hall the focal point of its annual series of performances each fall, winter and spring.
2014 Season Celebrates Newly Renovated Wave Hill House and Two Former Illustrious Residents
This season, seven distinctive programs celebrate the re-opening of Armor Hall, the legacy of two illustrious former residents—Arturo Toscanini and Mark Twain—and Wave Hill’s mission, connecting people to nature. Visitors are encouraged to come early to enjoy a leisurely stroll through the gardens and then settle in for an outstanding performance, starting at 2pm.
Amy Roberts Frawley Joins Wave Hill as Performing Arts Curator
Wave Hill is also pleased to announce the appointment in September of Amy Roberts Frawley, who joins Wave Hill as Performing Arts Curator, shaping Wave Hill’s indoor and outdoor performing arts programming. She brings extensive experience to this new assignment, including 13 years as Executive Vice President of Concert Artists Guild and positions with John Gingrich Management and Speculum Musicae. She is Project Director of Composers Now, and a member of the board of directors, and past President, of the Look & Listen Festival. “As exemplified by the diverse offerings of the winter–spring 2014 series,” Frawley commented, “I envision programming that spans multiple performing arts, enriches visitors’ enjoyment and knowledge of the natural setting, pays tribute to Wave Hill’s rich cultural legacy and engages young artists in the creation of new works.
Sinfonietta of Riverdale Inaugurates 2014 Season
With the reopening of the Wave Hill House we celebrate the illustrious residents who have lived here. This winter’s focus is on internationally acclaimed conductor, Arturo Toscanini. Renowned for conducting opera and symphonies, he conducted the NBC Symphony Orchestra from 1939 until 1954, bringing music into people’s homes around the country. He lived at Wave Hill from 1942 to 1945, and moved down the street to Villa Paulina, where he lived until his death in 1957. In the spring, a series of programs recognizes Mark Twain, who rented Wave Hill House and lived here with his family during the summer from 1901 to 1903.
January 12: Sinfonietta of Riverdale
“off-the-hook fabulous” – Time Out New York
This chamber orchestra performs in Armor Hall under the baton of maestro Mark Mandarano. The program is a tribute to Arturo Toscanini, an illustrious former Wave Hill resident. Hear works by Beethoven, Rossini and Toscanini’s arrangement of Verdi’s String Quartet in e minor for larger string ensemble.
February 2: Sonic Escape and The Music Makers
“a force of epic proportions” – liveonstage.biz
Sonic Escape is a trio of young flute, violin and cello virtuosos which has appeared at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center. The Music Makers program traces the history of North America as it engages families through classical, world and original music compositions, improvisatory movement and storytelling.
February 16: The Crossroads Project
“exploring nature, humanity and the paths that lie before us”
A riveting multi-disciplinary presentation, The Crossroads Project lives at the intersection of art and science. It examines the critical issues of global sustainability, climate change and how society might respond. Two Riverdale artists, composer Laura Kaminsky and painter Rebecca Allan, created this project in collaboration with physicist Robert Davies and the Fry Street Quartet which performs live.
March 9: Soyeon Kate Lee & Ran Dank
“a tour-de-force account of the stunning piano piece” – The New York Times
These stellar pianists offer a concert of solo and duo works that includes a four-hand arrangement of Stravinsky’s landmark Rite of Spring. Ms. Lee and Mr. Dank’s 2013-2014 season opened this past September with a critically acclaimed concert at Le Poisson Rouge. In addition to their Wave Hill appearance, the artists continue their collaboration with concerts in Florida and Ohio, while they also enjoy busy solo careers.
March 23: Enso String Quartet
“glorious sonorities” – The Washington Post
The Grammy nominated Enso String Quartet visits Wave Hill for a second time with a captivating program Toscanini would have admired. It features the elegiac Chrysanthemums by Puccini and Verdi’s Quartet in e minor as originally scored—for two violins, viola and cello. It is heard earlier in this season, when the Sinfonietta of Riverdale performs Toscanini’s arrangement for a larger ensemble.
April 6: Mark Twain Illuminated—A Dramatic Reading
“Staged beautifully…fine work” – The New Daily News
Explore the humor, insights and irreverence of American writer Mark Twain. An illustrious former resident of Wave Hill House, Mark Twain and his family lived here in the early 1900s. Steven Hamilton, who directed a memorable show about Charles Dickens at Wave Hill a few seasons ago, returns to bring Mark Twain into focus. He seamlessly knits together excerpts from Twain’s novels, biographical snapshots, quotes from the author’s lectures and much more to capture this complex literary giant.
April 27: Daniel Kelly’s Rakonto Wave Hill
“powerfully moving” – Time Out New York
This concert features the world premiere of Rakonto Wave Hill, a jazz suite created for Wave Hill by composer/pianist Daniel Kelly. Written for and performed by his ensemble, the piece ingeniously weaves the recorded voices of Bronx residents into its sonic world as they share their thoughts on nature and the ways they find it in the urban community of the Bronx today.
WHEN: January 12 Sinfonietta of Riverdale
February 2 Sonic Escape
February 16 The Crossroads Project
March 9 Soyeon Kate Lee & Ran Dank
March 23 Enso String Quartet
April 6 Mark Twain Illuminated–A Dramatic Reading
April 27 Daniel Kelly’s Rakonto
Performances start at 2pm, and last approximately one hour, except for the Sinfonietta concert, which runs two hours with an intermission.
WHERE: Armor Hall, Wave Hill House
West 249thStreet and Independence Avenue
Bronx, NY 10471
TICKETS: $32 general admission, $28 senior, $18 child (ages 7-18)
$22 adult, $12 child Wave Hill Member
Special pricing for Sinfonietta of Riverdale: $45, $40 senior, $35 Wave Hill Member
Tickets are on sale starting Tuesday, November 26.
Purchase tickets online, at www.wavehill.org, onsite at thePerkins Visitor Center or by calling 718.549.3200 x251.
Free Preview Sunday, November 24, 2013 2PM: Daniel Kelly Welcomes Back the Piano As part of pianist and composer Daniel Kelly’s year-long “residency” at Wave Hill, he will give an hour-long improvisatory performance at the piano, celebrating the return of this instrument to Armor Hall following a two-year renovation of Wave Hill House. He will also speak about Rakonto Wave Hill, the jazz suite he is creating for Wave Hill, and for which he is incorporating the recorded voices of Wave Hill visitors sharing their thoughts about nature and how they connect with it within the urban community of the Bronx. Interested members of the audience will be invited to join the composer after the performance for brief interviews. Free with admission to the grounds.
The Performing Arts Program at Wave Hill is made possible in part by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cathy and Stephen Weinroth Commissioning Fund for the Arts. Daniel Kelly’s Rakonto Wave Hill is part of the New York State Presenters Network Presenter-Artist Partnership Project, made possible through a regrant from the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A 28-acre public garden and cultural center overlooking the Hudson River and Palisades, Wave Hill’s mission is to celebrate the artistry and legacy of its gardens and landscapes, to preserve its magnificent views, and to explore human connections to the natural world through programs in horticulture, education and the arts.
Hours: Open all year, Tuesday–Sunday and many major holidays: 9AM–4:30PM. Closes 5:30PM, Mar 15–Oct 31
Admission: $8 adults, $4 students and senior 65+, $2 children 6-18. Free Tuesdays and Saturdays until noon.
Free to Members, children under 6.
Directions: Getting here is easy! Located only 30 minutes from midtown Manhattan, Wave Hill’s free shuttle van transport
you to and from our front gate and Metro-North’s Riverdale station, the W. 242 St. stop on the #1 subway line,
and to and from our free offsite parking lot. Limited onsite parking is available for $8 per vehicle.
Complete directions and shuttle bus schedule at wavehill.org.
Tags: