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Hugh Jackman: Live From New York with Love - Concert Review

This was Hugh Jackman's Spectacular Two-Hour Show at Radio City Music Hall! Who knew The Wolverine could play guitar, piano, jump rope, and do comedy as well as sing? But on August 16th, the multi-talented superstar Hugh Jackman entertained with a two-hour show that was more than spectacular at Radio City Music Hall. A full orchestra accompanied him, four back-up singers and four dancers, all set against breathtaking backdrops. Here's a quick clip! You can scroll down and see a preview of Hugh Jackman at Radio City.           View this post on Instagram                       A post shared by Hugh Jackman (@thehughjackman)

Opening Performance: Neil Diamond's Crunchy Granola Suite

Opening the show with Neil Diamond's "Crunchy Granola Suite," Jackman surprised many with his guitar-playing skills and powerful voice, which had the audience excited from the start. Jackman informed attendees, tongue-in-cheek, that the concert would be two hours, no interval (I guess Aussie for intermission), and no encore. He was a man of his word.

The Greatest Showman Hits Take Center Stage

Composers Benj Pasek and Justin Paul wrote the second tune, The Greatest Show, from Jackman's infinitely successful 2017 movie, The Greatest Showman. Jackman appeared as P.T. Barnum. The film featured nine original songs by Pasek and Paul, and Jackman included several of those tunes during the evening.

Audience Engagement and Neil Diamond Tribute

Jackman was personable and came off the stage several times to engage with the enthusiastic crowd. He will appear in the Neil Diamond tribute movie Song Sung Blue at the end of this year, so what performance wouldn't be complete without the ever-popular *Sweet Caroline, *along with full and loud participation?

Broadway Classics and Musical Collaborations

Jackman starred on Broadway last year in The Music Man and sang *Ya Got Trouble. *He told the audience he had starred in the play at 14 as Salesman Number 2, but never did he dream he would have the starring role in the play some 40 years later. Jackman and actor Adam Halpin performed a stirring duet of the song The Other Side, written by Pasek & Paul, followed by *Stars *from Beauty and the Beast.

Australian Pride and Musical Tributes

Someone was an Aussie genius when Jackman converted the words from John Denver's famous Thank God I'm a Country Boy to Thank God I'm an Aussie Boy. The audience went wild over this version. Song tributes also included music by Peter Allen, a Frank Sinatra medley, and the dearly missed Australian beauty Olivia Newton-John.

Special Guest Performance Steals the Show

What stunned the audience was special guest Alana, who sang a powerhouse version of Never Enough from The Greatest Showman, shaking the concert hall and resulting in a deafening standing ovation.

Upcoming Hugh Jackman Concert Dates in New York

If you want to see Jackman, whom I consider one of the greatest showmen on the planet (hell, I think the universe), then you are in luck. He will be back in New York, September 19-20 and October 3-4.

Show Details and Ticket Information

Hugh Jackman: Live From New York with Love, at Radio City Music Hall. Limited engagement with special performances September 19-20 and October 3-4.  Running time is, as Mr. Jackman stated, 2 hours with no intermission. For information and tickets, click HERE.

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Sulfur Bottom: A Haunting Elegy for Environmental Justice

Sulfur Bottom is a masterwork of memory and ecological conscience. In the hallowed tradition of dramatists who dare to excavate the buried truths of our industrial age, Rishi Varma's "Sulfur Bottom" emerges as a profound theatrical achievement on its opening night. This extraordinary production at the Jerry Orbach Theater's intimate black box space transcends conventional narrative boundaries to deliver secrets that can only be fully understood by witnessing their revelation in person—mysteries that transform before your eyes, temporal riddles that will leave you questioning the nature of memory itself, and a devastating exploration of environmental injustice wrapped in the tender gauze of familial love.The Architecture of Intimacy and DevastationThe Jerry Orbach Theater's black box configuration proves ideally suited to this work's requirements, creating an atmosphere of conspiratorial intimacy between audience and performers. Daniel Prosky's scenic design—a modest living room with its small dining table—achieves that rarest of theatrical accomplishments: the transformation of simplicity into profound metaphor. The house itself becomes a character, its walls bearing witness to decades of industrial encroachment and family dreams deferred.

Kendyl Grace Davis in a scene from Sulphur Bottom. Photo by Austin Pogrob From the moment the audience settles into their seats, they bask in an auditory landscape that immediately establishes the production's emotional geography. The pre-show soundscape, featuring Khruangbin and Leon Bridges' "Texas Sun," creates an aching nostalgia for pastoral American life—"You say you like the wind blowing through your hair / Come on, roll with me 'til the sun goes down"—before the harsh realities of industrial capitalism intrude upon this reverie.Sound as Storytelling: The Invisible Architecture of EmotionSid Diamond's sound design deserves commendation for its atmospheric sophistication. The carefully orchestrated progression from gentle guitar strumming to ominous industrial tones creates an auditory journey that mirrors the family's descent from hope to desperation. When water flows and babies cry in the darkness, when silence is punctuated only by the eternal chorus of crickets, we feel the weight of time itself pressing upon these characters.

Kevin Richard Best in a scene from Sulphur Bottom. Photo by Austin Pogrob Performances That Pierce the SoulThe Mystery of Recurring FacesIn a stroke of theatrical genius, Varma has crafted roles blurring the boundaries between character and archetype, individual and symbol. The same actors who embody the human family members also transform into the creatures that haunt their world—but how and why these metamorphoses occur forms one of the play's most closely guarded secrets. To witness Sir Cavin's actor undergo a transformation that defies rational explanation, or to see the connection between Winter and the deer reveal itself in a moment of shocking recognition, is to experience theater at its most mysteriously powerful.Kendyl Grace Davis: The Heart of Tragic ResilienceIn the central role of Fran, Kendyl Grace Davis delivers a performance of such emotional authenticity that one forgets entirely the artifice of theater. Her portrayal spans decades, capturing both the wide-eyed optimism of youth and the desperate pragmatism of motherhood under siege. Davis navigates the play's complex temporal structure with remarkable grace, making each iteration of Fran feel both continuous and distinct.

Kendyl Grace Davis in a scene from Sulphur Bottom. Photo by Austin Pogrob Kevin Richard Best: The Patriarch's BurdenKevin Richard Best's Sir Cavin embodies the tragic figure of the working-class patriarch whose pride becomes a poison to his family. Best manages the remarkable feat of maintaining our sympathy for a character whose stubbornness proves catastrophic. His transformation into the titular whale—both literal and metaphorical—represents one of the most challenging theatrical concepts imaginable, yet Best inhabits this duality with startling conviction.Joyah Dominique: Comic Relief as Moral CompassAs Aunt Melissa, Joyah Dominique provides the production's most essential element: humor that never diminishes the gravity of the situation. Her comic timing is impeccable, her presence commanding, yet she never allows us to forget that Melissa serves as the family's conscience. Dominique's performance reminds us that laughter is often the last refuge of the powerless, and her portrayal of aging and illness in the later scenes achieves genuine pathos without sentimentality.

Joyah Dominique and Aaron Dorelien in a scene from Sulphur Bottom. Photo by Austin Pogrob The Ensemble's Collective PowerEric Easter as Winter brings a quiet desperation to his role as the son-in-law struggling to hold his fractured family together. Feyisola Soetan's Maeve embodies the play's future, carrying both the venom of environmental damage and the potential to break destructive cycles. Aaron Dorelien’s Copal represents the seductive face of corporate manipulation, charming and familiar yet ultimately predatory.The Symbolic Bestiary: Creatures That Guard Dark SecretsThe Deer: An Ominous HeraldThe appearance of the deer in the opening scene signals the beginning of mysteries that unfold in ways no audience member can anticipate. What seems like a simple hunting scene conceals deeper currents—but to reveal the deer's true significance would rob you of one of the play's most startling revelations. Observe as this creature appears throughout the evening, for its presence marks moments when the boundary between life and death grows dangerously narrow.The Whale: The Heart of an Impossible MysteryHere lies the play's greatest enigma, where experiencing is believing. How does a whale—the magnificent sulfur bottom that gives the play its title—come to inhabit a modest family living room? The answer involves transformations so startling, connections so unexpected, that even the most astute theatergoer will find themselves gasping at revelations hidden in plain sight. Suffice it to say that what appears impossible proves not only possible but inevitable—though the journey to that understanding will leave you questioning everything you thought you knew about this family's fate.

Feyisola Soetan and Eric Easter in a scene from Sulphur Bottom. Photo by Austin Pogrob The Gold Mine Delusion: Capitalism's Poisoned PromiseDesperation as CommodityPerhaps no element of Varma's social critique proves more devastating than his exploration of how economic desperation transforms victims into accomplices. The family's willingness to believe their land represents a "gold mine" because of its capacity to store toxic waste reveals capitalism's most insidious mechanism: the transformation of survival necessity into complicity with one's destruction.But there's another layer to this tragedy, one that emerges in a series of cryptic medical reports and whispered conversations. Young Maeve's mysterious illness—her tremors, her bloody nose, her strange symptoms—connects to the family's tragic choice in ways that only gradually become clear. The doctor's letter that Winter retrieves in the storm contains revelations that fundamentally alter your understanding of every decision this family makes.Sir Cavin's eagerness to sign agreements he doesn't understand, motivated by dreams of stability and prosperity, echoes the tragic pattern of industrial exploitation that targets vulnerable communities. But the play suggests something even more terrifying: that sometimes we make our worst choices not out of greed, but out of love.The Blood Signature: A Ritual with Unforeseen ConsequencesWhat begins as a seemingly symbolic moment—Sir Cavin signing an equity loan in blood—proves to have ramifications that stretch far beyond the financial. This visceral contract-signing scene connects to the play's most shocking revelation, one involving fire, destruction, and a truth so devastating that audiences audibly gasp when it finally emerges. The blood on that page carries a curse that will manifest in both literal and metaphysical ways. Still, the full horror of this moment can only be understood when you witness how the threads of fate weave together in the play's final, breathtaking scenes.

Kevin Richard Best and Aaron Dorelien in a scene from Sulphur Bottom. Photo by Austin Pogrob Temporal Sorcery: When Past and Present CollideThe Architecture of Impossible EncountersVarma's non-linear narrative structure serves a purpose far more mysterious than mere technical innovation. Characters who should be separated by decades share the stage in moments that defy rational explanation—yet the play's internal logic makes these impossible encounters feel not only natural but necessary. How can Fran, as both child and adult, exist simultaneously in the same space? What allows the dead to speak with the living as if no time has passed?These temporal mysteries unfold with such elegant inevitability that audiences find themselves accepting the impossible while still marveling at how Varma achieves such theatrical alchemy. The play's time shifts reveal not just the accumulation of environmental damage across generations, but secrets about the very nature of memory, guilt, and the persistence of love beyond death itself.The Fire's Secret: A Truth Too Terrible to SpoilHidden within this environmental tragedy lies a personal mystery so devastating that it transforms everything we think we understand about this family. The house fire that consumes their home—and with it, their dreams—appears to be a random catastrophe. But as the play unfolds through its labyrinthine temporal structure, we discover a truth about that fire's origin that will shatter your heart and leave you questioning the nature of love itself.The matches that appear throughout the play carry more significance than mere props; they become instruments of revelation, tools of destruction, and ultimately, symbols of the impossible choices desperate love can drive us to make. But to reveal more would rob you of one of theater's most powerful emotional experiences—the moment when understanding dawns and the full weight of tragedy becomes clear.

Kendyl Grace Davis and Kevin Richard Best in a scene from Sulphur Bottom. Photo by Austin Pogrob The Emotional Crescendo: Fran and Sir Cavin's ConfrontationLove and Fury IntertwinedThe climactic emotional scene between Fran and her father achieves the kind of raw theatrical power that leaves audiences breathless. Davis and Best inhabit their characters' pain so entirely that the boundary between performance and reality dissolves. We witness not merely actors delivering lines but a daughter and father reckoning with a lifetime of love, disappointment, and mutual incomprehension.This scene crystallizes the play's central tragedy: the gap between intention and consequence, between love and harm. Sir Cavin's actions stem from genuine care for his family's welfare, yet they create the circumstances that destroy them. Fran's fury at her father is simultaneously justified and heartbreaking, for she rages against someone whose greatest sin was caring too much and understanding too little.The Rich Tapestry of Human PersonalityCelebrating Complexity in CrisisOne of "Sulfur Bottom's" most outstanding achievements lies in its refusal to reduce its characters to symbolic functions. Even as they serve broader thematic purposes, each family member retains distinct personality traits, quirks, and contradictions that make them recognizably human. Sir Cavin's insistence on his honorary title, Melissa's profanity-laced wisdom, Fran's stubborn optimism in the face of mounting evidence—these details create characters who feel lived-in rather than constructed.The play celebrates what Varma calls "a panoply of rich personalities and characters," suggesting that even in the face of systemic oppression and environmental devastation, human individuality persists. This attention to character specificity prevents the work from devolving into moralistic messaging, grounding its political critique in genuine human emotion. The universality of their struggle—working-class families facing impossible choices between economic survival and health—speaks to countless communities across America who have faced similar industrial encroachment.

Feyisola Soetan and Eric Easter in a scene from Sulphur Bottom. Photo by Austin Pogrob

Environmental Justice as Family Drama

The Personal as Political"Sulfur Bottom" succeeds brilliantly in making abstract policy debates viscerally personal. Rather than explicitly lecturing audiences about corporate environmental exploitation, the play embeds us within a family whose love for each other and their home blinds them to mounting evidence of danger. We understand Sir Cavin's decisions not because they are rational but because they are human—motivated by pride, fear, hope, and the desperate desire to provide for one's family.The play's environmental justice themes never feel imposed upon the narrative but emerge organically from character relationships and dramatic situations. This integration of political content with emotional storytelling represents precisely the kind of theatrical achievement George Bernard Shaw would have applauded: art that entertains while educating, that moves hearts while opening minds.Production Excellence: Technical Elements as Emotional ArchitectureThe Alchemy of AtmosphereDirector Megumi Nakamura has crafted a production that feels both intimate and epic, grounded in domestic reality yet reaching toward mythic significance. The technical elements work in perfect harmony to create a complete theatrical experience. Sam Weiser's lighting design captures the subtle changes in time and mood, while Roger Teng's costume design subtly tracks the family's decline without drawing attention to itself.Jacob Brandt's original music weaves seamlessly with Diamond's sound design to create an auditory world that feels both specific to this family and universally resonant in its emotional impact. The production achieves technical sophistication that serves the story rather than overwhelming it.

Kendyl Grace Davis, Joyah Dominique, and Kevin Richard Best in a scene from Sulphur Bottom. Photo by Austin Pogrob Secrets That Demand Witnessing"Sulfur Bottom" represents precisely the kind of theatrical work our moment demands: art that grapples seriously with urgent social issues while concealing mysteries that can only be discovered through live attendance. Varma has created a work that honors both the complexity of environmental justice issues affecting vulnerable communities and the irreducible complexity of human nature—but he has also crafted a puzzle box of revelations that no review can adequately convey.The play's final moments contain transformations so unexpected, revelations so profound, and images so hauntingly beautiful that they must be experienced firsthand. What appears to be an ending reveals itself as something else entirely—a secret about the nature of family, memory, and redemption that will leave you sitting in stunned silence as the lights fade.This is theater that trusts its audience's intelligence while speaking directly to their emotions, that educates without preaching, that entertains while it conceals depths that only gradually reveal themselves. In our current moment of environmental crisis and social division, "Sulfur Bottom" offers both a mirror and a map—but also mysteries that can only be unlocked by those brave enough to enter its world and witness its secrets unfold.The production running at the Jerry Orbach Theater deserves the broadest possible audience, for it represents theater at its most essential: art that matters, performance that transforms, storytelling that guards its most precious revelations for those willing to make the journey. Some theatrical experiences can be described; others must be lived. "Sulfur Bottom" belongs emphatically to the latter category.

Rishi Varma, NYC-Based Actor and Writer. Read the full article

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Ballet Hispánico Ignites Central Park: A Triumphant Evening of Excellence

On August 7, the Rumsey Playfield in Central Park wasn’t just a venue—it was an open-air cathedral of Latin dance. New York’s skyline faded behind a full production stage where Ballet Hispánico, the country’s premier Hispanic dance company, delivered a triple bill so exhilarating it practically salsa’d off the platform.

Live and projected views of Ballet Hispànico at Central Park SummerStage. Photo by Edward Kliszus Tonight’s performance wasn’t a patchwork of lawn chairs and wishful thinking. The setup was professional-grade: stadium-quality sound that enveloped every beat and breath, a lighting rig that transformed choreography into a sculpture, and multiple projection screens that mirrored stage action in such high definition that they occasionally flirted with 3D. The venue even provided rows of folding chairs, granting Central Park’s general admission crowd a touch of Lincoln Center luxury, minus the box office markup.Oh, and a food stand? Yes. You could munch a meal while watching masterworks of Latin identity and rhythm unfold under the stars. Manhattan, meet mambo.

A Company that Doesn’t Just Represent Culture—It Embodies It

Founded by Tina Ramirez and now directed by the kinetic Eduardo Vilaro, Ballet Hispánico has spent over 50 years doing what other companies only claim to do—fuse tradition with innovation, community with excellence. They’ve commissioned over 100 original works and transformed dancers from every corner of the country (and globe) into living vessels of dance artistry.

Ballet Hispánico cast performs a synchronized line-up pose in House of Mad'moiselle, led by a central drag figure in high heels and dramatic red feathers at Central Park SummerStage. Photo by Edward Kliszus More than just a dance troupe, Ballet Hispánico is a movement. As The New York Times aptly put it: "Many companies pay lip service to nurturing talent, but Ballet Hispánico has devoted significant resources and care to cultivating emerging artists."

House of Mad'moiselle: Where Myth, Femininity, and Drag Collide in Style

Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s House of Mad’moiselle isn’t so much danced as unleashed. Created in 2010 and revived in 2024 at New York City Center, it’s a gender-exploding, high-gloss interrogation of Latin American femininity.Set to a hybrid soundtrack (Bernstein, Chavela Vargas, Bart Rijnick, Charles Gounod, and a zesty dose of Oro Sólido), the piece opens like a ballroom drama and morphs into an avant-garde cabaret. This is Latinidad with an arched brow and stiletto-heeled precision.

Ballet Hispánico dancers performing a romantic duet bathed in blue light, showcasing grace, passion, and elegance at Central Park SummerStage. Photo by Edward Kliszus The cast—Amir J. Baldwin, Mia Bermudez, Antonio Cangiano, Francesca Levita, Dylan Dias McIntyre, Andrea Mish, Adam Dario Morales, Amanda Ostuni, Omar Rivéra, and Olivia Winston—functioned like a rotating deck of archetypes. Bermudez sliced through space with the authority of a woman who’s heard “no” too many times. Morales and Cangiano summoned old-school machismo, then shattered it with grace. Baldwin layered American Sign Language into the choreography, creating new syntax for body language. Andrea Mish and Amanda Ostuni added both vulnerability and bite.Ochoa’s costume concept (crafted by Diana Ruettiger) transformed the cast into mythic Latin figures, exaggerated and electrified. Nicholas Villeneuve’s drag dramaturgy added delicious ambiguity, while Christopher Ash’s lighting carved emotion from open air.A riot of visual and sonic allusions, House of Mad’moiselle closed its final tableau in a flash of smirks and shadows—feminine power reimagined with a wink.

Ballet Hispánico ensemble lifts a dancer skyward in a stunning aerial moment during "House of Mad'moiselle," surrounded by theatrical fog and suspenseful lighting. Photo by Edward Kliszus Intermission: Parkside Picnicking Meets Modern Art ChatAs dusk fell deeper, the crowd came alive—not to leave, but to process. With folding chairs re-angled and snacks in hand, audience members swapped interpretations of what they'd just seen. Meanwhile, the massive projection screens continued to pulse with preview footage, keeping even the food line wrapped in atmosphere.

Sombrerísimo: Magritte in a Fedora with Latin Swagger

Ochoa’s Sombrerísimo, created for the 2013 Fall for Dance Festival, began as an all-male meditation on bowler hats and surrealism. But tonight’s all-female cast made the material their own—playful, pensive, and provocatively recontextualized.

Ballet Hispánico dancers in bowler hats and colorful shirts line up in formation during a scene from “Sombrerísimo,” exuding rhythm and theatricality at Central Park SummerStage. Photo by Edward Kliszus Dancers Mia Bermudez, Amanda del Valle, Francesca Levita, Andrea Mish, Amanda Ostuni, and Olivia Winston wielded their hats like philosophical arguments. One moment, they were a brotherhood of tricksters; the next, a flock of philosophers channeling René Magritte in a tango bar.The soundtrack—featuring Le Banda Ionica, Macaco el Mono Loco, and Titi Robin—offered a Mediterranean bite with Latin undertones. Costume designer Diana Ruettiger’s use of hats from multiple cultures built a kaleidoscope of identity. Joshua Preston’s lighting conjured shadows that moved like thought bubbles.In the end, Sombrerísimo wasn’t about hats—it was about who gets to wear them, and what that act might mean.

Ensemble gathers around a commanding central figure during House of Mad'moiselle, highlighting theatrical drag imagery and tight group synchronization at Central Park SummerStage. Photo by Edward Kliszus

Club Havana: Pedro Ruiz’s Cuban Memory Palace in Motion

Just when the night might’ve peaked, Pedro Ruiz’s Club Havana sauntered onstage and said, “Watch this.” First premiered in 2000, this jewel of Latin social dance wrapped mambo, cha cha, conga, and rumba into a glittering ode to pre-revolutionary Cuba.Mia Bermudez and Omar Rivéra opened the number with a simmering duet that could’ve fogged the projection lenses. Then came the Caballo sequence: Olivia Winston and Dylan Dias McIntyre offered ballroom elegance, Amanda Ostuni and Matthew Mancuso served contemporary cool, and Andrea Mish and Amir J. Baldwin embodied rhythmic curiosity.

Ballet Hispánico ensemble dancers in vibrant red wigs and sheer costumes captivate with dynamic choreography and synchronized movement at Central Park SummerStage. Photo by Edward Kliszus Amanda del Valle shined in the Cha Cha Cha trio, paired with Cangiano and Rivéra—her technique as sharp as her charisma. The whole company flooded the stage for Romanza, Rumba, and Conga—each step brimming with joy, memory, and mastery.The music—arranged by Israel Lopez, Rubén Gonzales, A.K. Salim, Pérez Prado, and Francisco Repilado—sounded like a Havana street corner after midnight. Emilio Sosa’s costumes (constructed by Ghabriello Negron) sizzled with 1950s color, while Donald Holder’s lighting made Central Park feel like the Tropicana Club during a blackout.

The lead dancer stands tall in front of the ensemble during House of Mad'moiselle, with red lighting and stylized wigs amplifying the theatrical energy at Ballet Hispánico’s SummerStage performance in Central Park. Photo by Edward Kliszus

Eduardo Vilaro: Architect of an Empire in Motion

Vilaro isn’t just a CEO—he’s a cultural conductor. Since 2009, he has expanded Ballet Hispánico’s mission in all directions: securing more commissions, fostering deeper community ties, forming global choreography partnerships, and delivering razor-sharp programming. Under his watch, the company isn’t just surviving—it’s innovating with teeth.

A scene from Ballet Hispànico at Summer Stage, Central Park, NYC. Photo by Edward Kliszus

Open-Air Challenges, Studio-Level Execution

This was no black box. Performing outdoors means ambient noise, shifting light, and unpredictable weather. Yet Ballet Hispánico delivered studio-level clarity and theatrical polish. The technical crew (lighting by Dominick Riches, stage managed by Alexis Hinman) made it all look effortless.Sound, managed exquisitely, enveloped listeners rather than blasting them. Transitions were flawless. Timing? Surgical. Lighting? Cinematic. The crew made Central Park feel like a Broadway house—just with better ventilation.

Why Ballet Hispánico Matters (and Always Will)

Ballet Hispánico isn’t diversity checkbox programming. It’s serious, vital, artistically robust. They perform with pride and polish, never pandering to their audience. Their work is about presence: showing up, showcasing, and demonstrating what a Latin identity achieves in a complete space and under the spotlight.These performances weren’t just for fans of dance—they were for anyone who values excellence, representation, and joy.

Where They’re Going, and Why You Should Follow

After this Central Park triumph, it’s clear Ballet Hispánico is not slowing down. They’re expanding their repertoire, deepening their educational outreach, and inviting everyone—from abuela to Gen Z TikTokers-to come along for the ride.Their mission isn’t just to preserve Latin culture—it’s to propel it forward, stage by stage.

The Company: Eleven Artists, Countless Stories

Each dancer brought their cultural encyclopedia to the stage.- Amir J. Baldwin (Trenton, NJ) layered ASL into every movement, creating new grammar for contemporary dance. - Mia Bermudez (Montclair, NJ) proved that homegrown talent can outshine the pros when given the right platform. - Antonio Cangiano (Italy) lent gravitas with Graham-inflected ferocity. - Amanda del Valle (Miami, FL) brought Cuban clarity to Ruiz’s dreamscape. - Matthew Mancuso (East Haven, CT) debuted with finesse. - Francesca Levita (Chicago, IL) showed polish far beyond her first season. - Dylan Dias McIntyre (Key West, FL) was all velvet and voltage. - Andrea Mish (South Florida) offered grace backed by a layered technique. - Amanda Ostuni (Patterson, NY) danced like she’d grown up in the wings of this company. - Adam Dario Morales (Englewood, NJ) gave the stage subtle intensity and crisp precision. - Omar Rivéra (Los Angeles, CA) danced like he was telling you a story only you were meant to hear. - Olivia Winston (Salt Lake City, UT) balanced LINES Ballet rigor with Broadway-ready charm.

A Ballet Hispánico soloist in a black bejeweled bodysuit performs with fierce elegance against a smoky stage backdrop at Central Park SummerStage. Photo by Edward Kliszus Production TeamTina Ramirez – Founder A pioneering force in American dance, Ramirez founded Ballet Hispánico in 1970 to uplift Latino culture through world-class performance and education. Her legacy continues to shape the company’s artistic mission.Eduardo Vilaro – Artistic Director & CEO A former company dancer, acclaimed choreographer, and visionary leader, Vilaro has led Ballet Hispánico since 2009, expanding its repertory, deepening community outreach, and positioning the company at the forefront of American dance.Anitra Keegan – Rehearsal Director With extensive experience in performance and pedagogy, Keegan ensures the company's repertoire is polished, dynamic, and stage-ready, working closely with dancers to maintain artistic integrity.Nicole Duffy – Rehearsal Director Duffy brings a wealth of performance expertise and rehearsal precision, helping bridge choreographers' intent with the company’s diverse talent, refining each work for live audiences.Patrick Muhlen – Chief Managing Director Muhlen oversees operations and strategic planning, ensuring that Ballet Hispánico’s artistic vision is supported by sound administrative and financial leadership.Aholibama Castañeda González – Production Director González coordinates all technical aspects of performances, from staging to touring logistics, guaranteeing the seamless execution of each Ballet Hispánico production.Andrea Mejuto – Wardrobe Director Mejuto manages costume construction, care, and continuity, bringing choreographers’ visual concepts to life with style, precision, and cultural authenticity.Dominick Riches – Lighting Supervisor Riches designs and manages lighting systems that support each choreographer’s vision, crafting atmosphere and spatial drama from park stages to international theaters.Alexis Hinman – Stage Manager Hinman ensures every performance runs smoothly—cueing lights, coordinating scene changes, and managing behind-the-scenes action with clockwork precision.

Ballet Hispánico dancers strike a dramatic pose, led by a fierce front performer in a rhinestone-studded bodysuit, against a backdrop of vivid red lighting at Central Park SummerStage. Photo by Edward Kliszus

Ballet Hispánico Ignites Central Park: A Triumphant Evening of Excellence

Ballet Hispànico167 West 89th Street, New York, NY 10024 For tour dates, classes, and more information, visit: www.ballethispanico.org

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Jim Caruso's Cast Party at Birdland: NYC's Premier Broadway Showcase

In an era when algorithms pick your playlist and corporate suits decide what counts as authentic, Jim Caruso's Cast Party at Birdland stands as the real deal: a weekly reminder that live music still matters when it's done right, no gimmicks required.For over twenty years, Caruso has quietly revolutionized Monday nights in Manhattan, transforming what could've been just another open mic ego fest into something that works. It's a place where Broadway heavyweights share the stage with up-and-coming artists, and somehow, everybody wins.

Jim Caruso, Host of Jim Caruso's Cast Party at Birdland Jazz NYC. Courtesy @jimcaruso1 on Instagram Caruso didn't just wake up one day and decide to become the unofficial mayor of Monday night music. He paid his dues the hard way—singing and dancing his way through the ranks until he earned the right to share stages with Liza Minnelli at the Palace Theatre, Carnegie Hall, Hollywood Bowl, the whole nine yards. And when the pandemic shut everything down, he proved his chops by keeping the community alive with "Pajama Cast Party"—showing that real hosts adapt while keeping the essential spirit intact.

What Makes Cast Party Different from Other NYC Showcases

Caruso's got that rare gift for making stars and up-and-comers feel equally at home, which is harder than it sounds in a town where your résumé determines which table you get. His genius isn't keeping people out—it's letting them in and watching what happens when preparation meets the unexpected moment.

Billy Stritch and Jim Caruso on Stage at Jim Caruso's Cast Party at Birdland Jazz NYC. Photo by Kevin Alvey Caruso represents something increasingly endangered in our pixel-perfect world: the person who believes that human voices connecting with human hearts beat any algorithm ever invented. While the rest of the music business chases digital perfection and auto-tuned everything, he's holding down the fort for live, unfiltered, unrepeatable moments that matter precisely because they can't be replicated. It's like he's preserving something essential that we didn't realize we were losing until it was almost gone.

The Monday Night Magic at Birdland Jazz Club

Every Monday night, Birdland fills up with the kind of mix you don't see anywhere else: Broadway veterans swapping war stories with industry sharks, longtime fans settling in next to some first-timers who wandered in off the street. The conversations buzz with insider gossip and genuine musical passion as the room prepares for whatever's going to happen next.When Caruso finally hits the mic with that trademark grin, the anticipation becomes electric. This isn't just another showcase—it's a weekly celebration of what happens when real talent meets real audience, no safety net required.The Art of Musical HospitalityCaruso possesses many talents. While he is a gifted performer himself, he helps others perform better than they thought they could. He has perfect timing, genuine warmth, and the rare ability to turn nervous energy into something productive. Equal parts cheerleader, therapist, and master of ceremonies, he makes sure everyone gets their moment to shine, whether they're headlining Lincoln Center next week or singing in public for the first time just a few steps from Times Square.That's what separates him from the wannabe hosts and industry climbers: he gives a damn about the music and the people making it.

The Band That Breathes With the Singers

Holding down the fort is composer, pianist, and singer Billy Stritch, Caruso's longtime partner-in-crime and the kind of Grammy-winning pro who made Liza Minelli and Tony Bennett sound even better than they already were. With Michael O'Brien anchoring on bass and Daniel Glass keeping perfect time on drums, this trio doesn't just accompany—they anticipate, respond, and create musical magic out of thin air.

Billy Stritch, composer, singer, pianist. Courtesy billystritch.com No rehearsal? These cats don't sweat it. While some performers brought charts, the rhythm section possesses that telepathic quality separating real musicians from the sheet music crowd, building arrangements on the spot that sound as if they spent weeks in the studio. Stritch's piano doesn't just support the singers—it converses with them, challenges them, lifts them up when they need it most.This isn't background music. It's three pros who understand that their job is making everyone else sound like stars, whether they're backing a Broadway legend or some kid who walked in off the street with a dream and a song. The night doesn't just feature performances—it creates those unrepeatable moments when everything clicks and the room remembers why live music matters.

Broadway Royalty Meets Bright New Voices

The evening opened with Caruso and Stritch delivering a buoyant “There’s the Kind of Walk You Walk” (Cole Porter), segueing into “We’re in the Money” (Harry Warren/Al Dubin) and “Pennies from Heaven” (Arthur Johnston/Johnny Burke). The tone was jubilant, the house rapt.Michael Winther stepped up with that unmistakable Broadway swagger—eight shows' worth of professional confidence that can't be faked or taught. This cat's got the real deal: technique that serves the song instead of showing off, dramatic instincts that know when to push and when to pull back, and enough genuine soul to make you forget you're watching someone who probably rehearsed this bit fifty times. His voice filled the room without effort, but it was the silences that killed—those perfectly timed pauses that let the audience lean in and feel like they were getting something personal. Winther understands that Broadway training means nothing if you can't find the human truth underneath all that polish. He found it, shared it, and left the room wanting more. That's what separates the pros from the pretenders. Gravitas, artistry, and soul.

Michael Winther on Center Stage at Jim Caruso's Cast Party at Birdland Jazz NYC. Photo by Edward Kliszus Ava Nicole Francis took "Make It Work" from the Jingle Jangle soundtrack and proved that contemporary material doesn't have to sound like it was focus-grouped to death. She's got that rare quality of making new songs sound like standards—not by aging them up but by finding the timeless emotional core that good songwriting always contains. Her voice moves from whisper to roar without losing the thread, and she's smart enough to know that technique means nothing if you're not telling a story. Francis inhabited that song completely, her face reflecting every emotional shift as if she were living it in real time. The audience was hanging on every note, gasping at the vulnerable moments, and cheering the powerful ones. By the end, she'd turned Philip Lawrence's soundtrack tune into something that belonged in the Great American Songbook.

Jim Caruso welcomes Ava Nicole Francis to Center Stage at Jim Caruso's Cast Party at Birdland Jazz NYC. Photo by Edward Kliszus Jordyn Holt attacked Elton John's "Crocodile Rock" like she was personally responsible for keeping rock and roll alive in a world gone soft. With Billy Stritch backing her vocals and turning the joint into a proper dance hall, Holt proved that sometimes the best interpretation is pure, infectious joy delivered with enough conviction to make cynics believe in fun again. She moved like she meant it, sang like she lived it, and by the final chorus had transformed an intimate cabaret into a Saturday night party. No irony, no winking at the audience—just a performer who understands that Elton's glam-rock classic works because it celebrates the simple pleasure of music that makes you move.

L-R: Jordyn Holt and Michael O'Brien, Bass on stage at Jim Caruso's Cast Party at Birdland Jazz NYC. Photo by Edward Kliszus David Marino, in his crisp navy suit, made "Call Me Irresponsible" sound like the smoothest confession you'd ever want to hear. This guy's got that honeyed voice that could sell ice to Eskimos, but he's smart enough to use it in the service of the song rather than just showing off his pipes. His phrasing shows profound respect for the Great American Songbook tradition—every note placed with the kind of precision that comes from understanding what Sinatra and Bennett were doing when they made this stuff look effortless. The trio knew their job was to support, not compete, laying down a foundation that sparkled. Marino's got that natural stage presence that draws you in like you're the only person in the room. The audience was sighing, smiling, and yeah, probably swooning a little. Sometimes old-fashioned charm delivered with genuine skill is precisely what the world needs.

L-R: Billy Stritch, Piano, and David Marino, Center Stage at Jim Caruso's Cast Party at Birdland Jazz NYC. Photo by Edward Kliszus

Spotlight Moments and Showbiz Lore

Jane Scheckter turned Cole Porter's "It's All Right With Me" into a 4 AM confession you'd overhear at some dimly lit joint on MacDougal Street. She's got that smoky thing down cold—not the fake Lauren Bacall bit everyone tries, but the real McCoy, like she lived in those lyrics about settling for second best. Her voice wraps around Porter's sophisticated heartbreak with the kind of world-weary wisdom that makes you believe she's been there, done that, and lived to sing about it. No theatrical gestures, no cabaret school posturing—just a dame and a song and enough honest emotion to make the room forget it's 1967. The crowd sat there mesmerized, probably thinking about their compromises.

Jane Scheckter Center Stage at Jim Caruso's Cast Party at Birdland Jazz NYC. Photo by Edward Kliszus Broadway’s Max Von Essen (Star of Chicago, An American in Paris) joined Dez Duron (The Voice, Maybe Happy Endings). They took "I Can't Give You Anything But Love" (McHugh/Fields) and proved that Broadway polish doesn't have to kill street soul. Von Essen's got that Great White Way precision down pat—every note where it should be, every phrase perfectly shaped like he learned it from the original cast album. But Duron's the wild card here, bringing some of that contemporary edge that keeps things from getting too museum-piece. Together, they found something cooking between old-school class and new-school sass. The harmonies worked because neither guy was trying to show the other up—just two pros having fun with a Depression-era tune that somehow still makes sense when rent's due and love's all you've got to offer.

Max Von Essen and Dez Duron Center Stage at Jim Caruso's Cast Party at Birdland Jazz NYC. Photo by Edward Kliszus Ava Isabella, singing "Hopelessly Devoted to You" with Ava Gardner's DNA flowing through her veins—now that's what I call cosmic casting. She has that family resemblance in her bones, not trying to channel Aunt Ava, but carrying that same quality of making vulnerability look glamorous. Her take on the Olivia Newton-John weeper was neither slavish imitation nor radical reinvention, but rather an honest interpretation from someone who understands what devotion costs. The stage lights caught her just right, creating that old Hollywood glow that money can't buy but genes sometimes deliver. Pure and clear without being precious, she made a teenybopper ballad sound like it belonged in the same room with Porter and Rodgers. That's talent, folks.

Ava Isabella on stage at Jim Caruso's Cast Party at Birdland Jazz NYC. Photo by Edward Kliszus Then came Bryce Edwards with his banjo and his Maurice Chevalier translation project—this cat's either a genius or completely around the bend, and frankly, I'm not sure it matters. He has that vaudevillian spark that died sometime around 1955, but he's somehow keeping it alive through sheer charisma and musical chops. His self-penned English version of "Wait 'Til You See Ma Chérie" captured all of Chevalier's Continental charm while adding his brand of American mischief. The banjo wasn't just nostalgia bait—Edwards made it swing, made it matter, made it feel like the hippest instrument in the room—pure entertainment in an age that's forgotten what that means. The audience ate it up like cotton candy at a county fair.

LR: Billy Stritch, Bryce Edwards, and Michael O'Brien at Jim Caruso's Cast Party at Birdland Jazz. Photo by Edward Kliszus Jenna Esposito channeling Connie Francis with "Where the Boys Are" (Neil Sedaka/Howard Greenfield)—talk about swimming upstream in the Age of Aquarius. But this chick's got the goods: genuine enthusiasm, technical chops, and enough honest joy to make even the most cynical Village folkie remember why they loved pop music before they knew they weren't supposed to. She understood that celebrating Francis means celebrating an era when songs could be both sophisticated and fun without apology. Her voice carried that bobby-sox optimism without the period piece phoniness, making spring break eternal sound like a reasonable life goal. Sometimes you need someone to remind you that not all innocence is false consciousness. Esposito did that and then some.

Jenna Esposito Center Stage at Jim Caruso's Cast Party at Birdland Jazz NYC. Photo by Edward Kliszus

Jazz, Soul, and the Power of Original Songs

Isaac “Algonzo” Ketter’s alto sax tribute to Luther Vandross filtered through David Sanborn and gospel—that's a pedigree that doesn't lie. This cat's horn tells stories that words would only mess up, finding that sweet spot where technical mastery meets spiritual truth. His sound has that church-trained edge that turns every phrase into a testimony, but is sophisticated enough for the jazz heads who think emotion is suspect. The Sanborn influence (just a hint!) lends it a contemporary bite, while its gospel roots keep it honest. Watching him build a solo is like watching architecture happen in real time—every note planned but feeling spontaneous. The room went quiet in that special way that occurs when musicians stop showing off and start revealing themselves.

Isaac “Algonzo” Ketter, Alto Saxophone, Center Stage at Jim Caruso's Cast Party at Birdland Jazz NYC. Photo by Kevin Alvey Reilly Wilmit made Adam Gwon's "Don't Want to Be Here" (Adam Gwon/Ordinary Days) sound like the confessional folk song it secretly aspires to be. She possesses that rare gift of making personal pain universally relatable without turning it into performance art or a therapy session. Her voice carries weight without heaviness, finding hope in despair through pure vocal intelligence rather than false optimism. Wilmit understands that the best contemporary songwriting doesn't abandon melody for meaning but finds ways to make them inseparable. This was one of those moments when the boundary between performer and audience dissolved completely.

Reilly Wilmit Center Stage at Jim Caruso's Cast Party at Birdland Jazz NYC. Read the full article

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Young Titans: When Musical Destiny Meets Artistic Courage

There exists, in the pantheon of musical experience, a particular sort of evening that transcends mere performance and enters the realm of revelation. Indeed, when Leonard Bernstein reflected on music’s power to elevate the human spirit, he might well have been prophesying the extraordinary concert that unfolded recently at Merkin Concert Hall, where the 2025 Special Music School High School Concerto Competition winners joined forces with David Bernard’s Park Avenue Chamber Symphony. Moreover, as Harold Schonberg often emphasized throughout his distinguished career as a critic, the finest musical performances occur when technical excellence serves a more profound artistic truth. On this remarkable evening, we witnessed that transformation in its purest form.Furthermore, the very concept of Kaufman Music Center’s Special Music School—New York’s only K–12 public institution offering intensive musical education without financial barriers—represents something profoundly democratic about artistic excellence. Consequently, as we settled into our seats, there was a palpable sense that we were about to witness not merely a student recital, but rather a glimpse into the future of American classical music.

Sibelius and the Architecture of Melancholy

Maestro Bernard, whose interpretive insights continue to illuminate the Park Avenue Chamber Symphony’s artistic trajectory, opened the evening with Jean Sibelius’s haunting Valse Triste, Op. 44, No. 1. This brief but devastating miniature, originally composed as incidental music for Arvid Järnefelt’s play Kuolema, served as both overture and emotional compass for the evening ahead. Sibelius’s ability to distill existential anguish into mere minutes of music has long fascinated scholars, and Bernard’s interpretation captured the nuances of the composer’s psychological landscape.

David Bernard conducting the Park Avenue Chamber Symphony in the Kaufman Music Center’s 2025 Special Music High School Concerto Competition Concert at Merkin Concert Hall, New York City. Courtesy Park Avenue Chamber Symphony The orchestra’s performance was, quite simply, excellent. The way Bernard shaped the work’s famous waltz rhythm, that limping, spectral dance that seems to mock life’s fleeting pleasures, demonstrated his insightful expressions of Sibelius’s unique harmonic language. As noted in the writings of Sibelius scholar Erik Tawaststjerna, Valse Triste is one of the composer’s most poignant and concise expressions of grief, and Bernard’s reading captured this emotional economy with finesse.

Nickita Zhang and the Sibelius Violin Concerto: Navigating the Nordic Soul

Then came the evening’s first soloist, young Nickita Zhang, the String Division Winner, who approached Sibelius’s formidable Violin Concerto in D Minor, Op. 47, with the kind of fearless musicality that marks a genuine artistic temperament. Widely regarded as one of the most challenging in the violin repertoire, the concerto has humbled many a seasoned virtuoso—yet Zhang navigated its treacherous opening movement with remarkable poise and interpretive maturity.Zhang’s technical command was breathtaking. The concerto’s notorious opening with its brooding, introspective melody that gradually builds to orchestral fury requires not just finger dexterity but emotional courage. Accordingly, Zhang demonstrated both qualities in abundance, her tone warm and focused even on the work’s most demanding passages.Most importantly, Zhang’s interpretation revealed an innate grasp of the concerto’s architectural structure. As Leonard Bernstein explicated in his famed Harvard Norton Lectures, great musical works, like great buildings, exemplify architectural integrity: every element exists in service of the whole. Zhang’s performance reflected a profound, intuitive grasp of this principle, building tension through subtle dynamic gradations and rhythmic displacement rather than sheer volume.

Nickita Zhang, Violin, performing with the Park Avenue Chamber Symphony, conducted by David Bernard, in the Kaufman Music Center’s 2025 Special Music High School Concerto Competition Winners' Concert at Merkin Concert Hall, New York City. Screen Capture courtesy KaufmanMusicCenter.org

Casey Schopflocher: Baroque Brilliance and Vocal Alchemy

The evening’s most unexpected delight came with countertenor Casey Schopflocher’s stunning performance of Nicola Porpora’s Alto Giove from the opera Polifemo. Porpora—Handel’s rival and teacher of the legendary Farinelli—crafted vocal music of such virtuosic complexity that few singers dared attempt it. Nevertheless, Schopflocher, our Vocal Division Winner, approached this Baroque Everest with remarkable aplomb and interpretive flair.The countertenor voice itself represents one of classical music’s most fascinating phenomena. As scholars have noted, it connects us directly to the aesthetic ideals of the Baroque era, where vocal agility and emotional expression were inseparable. Schopflocher’s performance offered not merely entertainment but genuine historical insight.His interpretation of Alto Giove—with its cascading coloratura passages and demanding tessitura—demonstrated technical mastery and stylistic sensitivity. The aria’s dramatic structure, which depicts Jupiter’s rage at mortal presumption, requires the singer to embody divine fury while maintaining perfect vocal control. Schopflocher met these challenges with confidence, his voice soaring with crystalline clarity and emotional conviction.

Casey Schopflocher, Countertenor, Performing with the Park Avenue Chamber Symphony, conducted by David Bernard, in the Kaufman Music Center’s 2025 Special Music High School Concerto Competition Winners' Concert at Merkin Concert Hall, New York City. Screen capture courtesy KaufmanCenter.org

Tommy Wazelle and Chaminade: Gallic Grace Meets Youthful Exuberance

Next, flutist Tommy Wazelle, our Winds, Brass, and Percussion Division Winner, took the stage for Cécile Chaminade’s effervescent Concertino for Flute, Op. 107. Chaminade, one of the few women composers to achieve international recognition during the late Romantic era, originally composed the work as a test piece for the Paris Conservatoire, and its technical demands remain formidable.Wazelle’s approach revealed both technical precision and stylistic understanding. The Concertino’s opening, with its lyrical melody gradually unfolding into a virtuosic display, requires a soloist to balance poetic sensitivity with athletic prowess. Wazelle achieved exactly this balance; his tone was pure and focused, even during the work’s most demanding flourishes.His interpretation also captured the essential Gallic character of Chaminade’s musical language—that combination of elegance and vivacity that marks the finest French music. Chaminade’s gift for melodic invention found eloquent expression in Wazelle’s performance, illuminating every facet of her compositional genius.

Tommy Wazelle, Flute, Performing with the Park Avenue Chamber Symphony, conducted by David Bernard, in the Kaufman Music Center’s 2025 Special Music High School Concerto Competition Winners' Concert at Merkin Concert Hall, New York City. Screen capture courtesy KaufmanMusicCenter.org

Jacky Chuang and Wieniawski: Polish Poetry in Musical Motion

The evening’s emotional apex arrived with violinist Jacky Chuang’s breathtaking performance of Henryk Wieniawski’s Violin Concerto No. 2 in D minor, Op. 22, movements two and three. This Wildcard Winner demonstrated precisely why Wieniawski’s music continues to challenge and inspire violinists more than a century after its composition.Wieniawski—himself a violinist of legendary prowess—understood the instrument’s expressive possibilities like few others. His Second Concerto demands both dazzling technique and deep musical insight, shifting between passionate lyricism and explosive virtuosity. Chuang’s interpretation revealed both qualities in beautiful equilibrium.Most significantly, Chuang’s rendering of the famous slow movement—that achingly beautiful “Romance”—demonstrated emotional maturity far beyond his years. Wieniawski’s extraordinary ability to create violin music of sublime lyrical beauty was fully realized in Chuang’s performance, which sang with poetic sensitivity and heartfelt nuance.

Jacky Chuang, Violin, performing with the Park Avenue Chamber Symphony, conducted by David Bernard, in the Kaufman Music Center’s 2025 Special Music High School Concerto Competition Winners' Concert at Merkin Concert Hall, New York City. Screen capture courtesy KaufmanMusicCenter.org.

The Shostakovich Titans: Yoonsuh Lee and Sol Nicholson

The evening concluded with two monumental works by Dmitri Shostakovich, performed by our remaining Wildcard Winner and Piano Division Winner, respectively.First, cellist Yoonsuh Lee tackled the opening movement of Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No. 1 in E-flat Major. This work remains one of the 20th century’s most challenging and psychologically layered cello compositions. Shostakovich’s musical language—marked by irony, tragedy, and biting humor—demands a performer capable of traversing emotional extremes with agility. Lee’s interpretation met the challenge with elegant control, capturing the movement’s biting sarcasm and somber introspection.

Yoonsuh Lee, Cello, performing with the Park Avenue Chamber Symphony, conducted by David Bernard, in the Kaufman Music Center’s 2025 Special Music High School Concerto Competition Winners' Concert at Merkin Concert Hall, New York City. Screen capture courtesy KaufmanMusicCenter.org Finally, pianist Sol Nicholson delivered a captivating performance of movements two and three from Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in F Major, Op. 102. Originally written as a birthday gift for the composer’s son, the piece blends buoyant optimism with sly virtuosity. Nicholson navigated its shifting characters with intelligence and flair; her touch sparkled in the finale’s rapid-fire flourishes and was heartfelt in the lyrical slow movement.

Sol Nicholson, Piano, performing with the Park Avenue Chamber Symphony, conducted by David Bernard, in the Kaufman Music Center’s 2025 Special Music High School Concerto Competition Winners' Concert at Merkin Concert Hall, New York City. Screen capture courtesy KaufmanMusicCenter.org

A Testament to Musical Democracy

Ultimately, this extraordinary evening represented far more than a student showcase—it embodied the democratic ideals that make American musical education unique. When institutions like the Special Music School remove financial barriers to artistic excellence, they create opportunities for young musicians to develop their gifts regardless of economic circumstances.The Park Avenue Chamber Symphony’s commitment to supporting these emerging artists reflects David Bernard’s understanding that great orchestras serve their communities by nurturing the next generation of musicians. As Leonard Bernstein reminded us throughout his life, music’s most significant power lies in its ability to inspire hope and forge human connection. This concert, brimming with youthful artistry and vision, did precisely that.We left Merkin Concert Hall that evening with our faith in music’s transformative power magnificently renewed. Undoubtedly, we had witnessed not merely fine performances but genuine artistic statements—proof that when technical mastery meets emotional truth, the result is nothing less than transcendent. One can only imagine what these young titans will accomplish as their artistry continues to mature and flourish in the years ahead.

Concert Program and Concerto Competition Winners

2025 Special Music School High School Concerto Competition Winners' Concert Merkin Concert Hall at the Kaufman Music CenterConducted by David Bernard, Music Director, Park Avenue Chamber SymphonyIntroductory Remarks - David Bernard, Music Director, Park Avenue Chamber SymphonyJEAN SIBELIUS – "Valse Triste," Op. 44, No. 1 Park Avenue Chamber SymphonyJEAN SIBELIUS – Violin Concerto in D Minor, Op. 47, Mvt. 1 Allegro moderato Nickita Zhang, Violin - String Division WinnerNICOLA PORPORA – "Alto Giove" from the opera Polifemo Casey Schopflocher, Countertenor - Vocal Division WinnerCÉCILE CHAMINADE – Concertino for Flute, Op. 107 Tommy Wazelle, Flute - Winds, Brass, and Percussion Division WinnerHENRYK WIENIAWSKI – Violin Concerto No. 2 in D minor, Op. 22, Mvt. 2 & 3 Jacky Chuang, Violin - Wildcard WinnerDMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH – Cello Concerto No. 1 in E-flat Major, Mvt. 1, Allegretto Yoonsuh Lee, Cello - Wildcard WinnerDMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH – Piano Concerto No. 2 in F Major, Op. 102, Mvt. 2 and 3 Sol Nicholson, Piano - Piano Division Winner

Park Avenue Chamber Symphony

David Bernard, Music Director and Conductor 875 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10065 Phone: (917) 740-7227 Website: https://chambersymphony.com/For information and tickets for upcoming performances, visit https://chambersymphony.com/

Kaufman Music Center

Abraham Goodman House 129 West 67th Street New York, NY 10023 For Information, go to Kaufman Music Center.Org

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https://youtu.be/hUFdxP2myqA?si=iIiGFUGIpom7FS-6Jacky Chuang, Violin,  Wildcard Winner, performing a segment of HENRYK WIENIAWSKI's Violin Concerto No. 2 in D minor, Op. 22. (Play the entire video to enjoy the whole concert) Read the full article