Music programing at Symphony Space. From cutting-edge classical to world sounds, Symphony Space is home to a broad spectrum of music, including Steinway Salon, Just Kidding, and performances in Bar Thalia, as well as exciting events woven into each of the four Projects.

Music Programing Playlist

Symphony Space: Best of '16-'17 Season

классика

Franz Schubert - No. 3 in G Flat Major

Frederic Rzewski - Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues

André Laplante performs classic piano sonatas by Mozart and Beethoven alongside the colorful music of Liszt and Ravel.

Adagio in A-Minor by J.S. Bach

In my Solitude Duke Ellington

Six world premiere, 15-minute operas are presented together for this evening-length program in the intimate Leonard Nimoy Thalia. Envisioned as a new kind of opera that embraces brevity and tackles big ideas playfully, each micro opera is connected to the next to create a fluid theatrical experience. Featured composers are Jason Cady, Aaron Siegel, Matthew Welch, Miguel Frasconi, Cristina Lord, and Nicole Murphy.

Pledge Drive

Lisa Moore performs a special program, The Pleasure of Being Lost, curated by John Luther Adams. The program includes a world premiere by Michael Byron, and music by Peter Garland, Lois V Vierk, Jim Fox, David Mahler, Lou Harrison, and Adams himself.

Part of the John Luther Adams Residency

Tender, Infinitely Tender (2017) by Michael Byron (b. 1953)

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah (1990) by Lois V Vierk (b. 1951)

Tukiliit (2012) by John Luther Adams (b. 1953)

American Composers Orchestra: Parables

Did you know that we had a bigger crowd at our last Uptown Showdown than Trump had at his inauguration? It's true! After all, can anyone really say what's fact and what's fiction? We can. Hey, everyone's doing it! In our next installment, Naomi Ekperigin (Broad City), Mehran Khaghani (Last Comic Standing), Chase Mitchell (The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon), Selena Coppock (The New Rules for Blonds), Seth Lind (This American Life) and Jo Firestone (The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon) will debate the hottest topic of the day. And no matter which team wins, we still want to thank our millions of fans.

Uptown Showdown: Fact vs. Fiction

A night of spoken word performance inspired by the poetry of the Beat Generation and revolutionary artists like Gil Scott-Heron and the Last Poets. With performances by spoken word artists Dr. Jamila Lyiscott, Karl "Dice Raw" Jenkins, Nancy Mercado, and alumni artists from Urban Word NYC: Ish, Alyssa "Lady Logic" Saunders, and Jadon Woodard. Event also includes a short music performance by beatboxer Rahzel and violist Martha Mooke.

The evening ends with an open mic Poetry Slam! Bring the words, Rahzel will bring the beats!

The Beat of the Poets: Spoken Word Performance

Klara Min performs virtuosic and expressive preludes by Scriabin and Chopin, alongside Sean Hickey's meditative Birds of Barclay Street, dedicated to the victims of 9/11.

Birds of Barclay Street by Sean Hickey

Preludes, Op. 11 by Alexander Scriabin

Preludes, Op. 28 by Frédéric Chopin

Enjoy the best of Symphony Space's music, literature, comedy and family shows. Listen free on your computer or mobile device. Symphony Space was founded almost 40 years ago in the belief that the arts bring people together, transcend barriers, and celebrate both our similarities and our differences. That belief remains our guiding principle and is more important now than ever. Your generosity during the Covid19 crisis will help us continue to provide great programs free of charge. Thank you for your support.