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On Tuesday the 3rd of December, composer and pianist Alex Wakim and I will premiere a handful of new songs based on poetry I’ve written over the past several years. Alex will also perform some pieces from his latest album entitled Chasing Moons.
The concert will take place at St John’s In The Village, located at 218 West 11th Street in Manhattan, at 7:30pm. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.
As summer draws to a close, I am thrilled to reunite with pianist Riko Higuma for a very special OPERA America recital entitled The Last Rose Of Summer.
Featuring a collection of traditional British, Irish and Scandinavian folk songs arranged by Sir Benjamin Britten, Arvo Pärt, Felix Mendelssohn and others, our performance will take place at 7pm on Friday the 4th of October in Scorca Hall at the National Opera Center, located on the 7th floor of 330 7th Avenue in Manhattan.
This recital is free and open to all, with a $25 suggested donation at the door. A cheese and wine reception will follow.
I am delighted to announce that pianist Irena Portenko and I will return to Bad Gastein, Austria this summer for two concerts as part of the Music In The Alps Festival.
7 August: Straubinger Grand Hotel
Irena and I will present an array of classical and contemporary pieces spanning four centuries to guests enjoying tea and cake during this afternoon concert at 3pm on Wednesday the 7th of August in the opulent Straubinger Saal of the newly renovated Straubinger Grand Hotel, located at 2 Straubingerplatz in Bad Gastein.
9 August: Grand Hotel de l’Europe Gastein
Irena and I are very excited to debut our new concert programme entitled The Other Side Of The Wall on Friday the 9th of August at 8pm in the Wienersaal of the Grand Hotel de l’Europe Gastein, located at 14 Kaiser Franz Josef-Straße in Bad Gastein. Joined by acclaimed, Berlin-based oboist Amari Barash, this very special programme pairs a selection of Baroque pieces, including works by Gluck, Vivaldi, Handel and Purcell, with songs from beyond the reach of the Roman Empire, including the Scottish Highlands, Scandinavia and the Baltic Sea Region. Tickets may be purchased at the venue or at the Bad Gastein Tourist Information Centre.
On Friday the 19th of July, I will join Cam Gilmour for the New York City date on his tour in support of his new book and album entitled Of Air. Pianist Irena Portenko and I will offer a selection of classical pieces before Cam and his talented quartet treat us to his new compositions.
The concert will take place at St John’s In The Village, located at 218 West 11th Street in Manhattan, at 8pm. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.
On Friday the 17th of May, I will join pianist Irena Portenko and a host of other talented musicians for An Evening In Support Of Ukraine at Coliseum, located at 17 South Broadway in White Plains, New York. Featuring hors d’oeuvres, musical performances, cultural presentations and words from Sergiy Kyslytsya, Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the United Nations, all proceeds from this event will go to the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America in support of schools in Ukraine and the White Plains Rotary Club Foundation in support of local charities.
The event will begin at 5:00pm and conclude at 8:30pm. Tickets are $150 and may be purchased online by clicking here.
For my first public performance in 2024, I will join soprano Korliss Uecker and pianist Irena Portenko for an evening of song cycles and duets at St John’s In The Village in New York City, located at 218 West 11th Street, on Friday the 26th of January at 7:30pm. In addition to the song cycle Les nuits d'été by Hector Berlioz, the evening will feature music by Clara Schumann, Alberto Ginastera, Claudio Monteverdi and others. And to top it all off, actress Adriana Ellis will offer a selection of spoken word pieces.
This concert is free and open to all, with suggested donation of $25 at the door.
Pianist Irena Portenko and I will be bring part of the concert programme we presented in Austria and Germany this summer to the Downtown Music At Grace afternoon concert series in White Plains, New York on Wednesday the 20th of September. We will offer the song cycle Les nuits d'été by Hector Berlioz as well as a brief selection of traditional Irish songs, including classic arrangements by Sir Benjamin Britten and Sir Herbert Hamilton Harty.
The concert will take place at Grace Episcopal Church, located on the corner of Main Street and Mamaroneck Avenue in White Plains, and will begin at 12:10pm. Thanks to the generosity of the concert series, this performance is free and open to all.
I am delighted to announce that pianist Irena Portenko and I will premiere a new concert programme in Austria and Germany this August. Our audiences will be invited to join us on a musical voyage beginning in 19th century France with the song cycle Les nuits d'été by Hector Berlioz before sailing across the Celtic Sea to discover a beautifully curated selection of traditional Irish songs, including classic arrangements by Sir Benjamin Britten and Sir Herbert Hamilton Harty. Click the links below for more information.
12 August: Bad Gastein (Grand Hotel de l’Europe Gastein)
A return to the Music In The Alps Festival in Austria, Irena and I will debut our new concert programme on Saturday the 12th of August at 8pm in the Wienersaal of the Grand Hotel de l’Europe Gastein, located at 14 Kaiser Franz Josef-Straße in Bad Gastein. Tickets may be purchased at the venue.
17 August: Lohr am Main (Alte Turnhalle)
Our first performance in Germany together, Irena and I will present our concert of Berlioz and traditional Irish songs on Thursday the 17th ofAugust at 7:30pm at the Alte Turnhalle, located at 2 Gärtnerstraße in Lohr am Main. Tickets may be purchased at the venue.
I am pleased to announce that I will be singing as part of upcoming New York City performances of Dust And Ions: a 90-minute concert experience rooted in composer Alex Wakim’s original album, combined with award-winning poetry from Yara Zgheib and dance choreographed by Erika Keller.
‘On a July night in 2020, a comet streaked over the earth’s northern hemisphere. Those who looked up saw something no one else would for the next 7,000 years: dust and ions, infinite sky-showering, shimmering stars. On an August night, that same year, the Beirut port exploded. Hundreds killed, thousands injured, millions of hearts decimated, and every day, millions of worlds end in millions of other places, and “we are all in the gutter,” Oscar Wilde said, “but some of us…” choose to look up and see and love and believe in stars, and get into cars and chase after comets, and write songs and poems. Alex wrote an anthem for beauty that crosses skies, transcends borders, pandemics, wars, and the limits of our tiny lives. It’s magnificent, expansive. I just added a few verses.’ - Yara Zgheib
The New York City performances of Dust And Ions will take place at 8pm on 6 and 7 May at the Ailey Citigroup Theater, located at 405 West 55th Street in Manhattan.
To purchase tickets, click here.
A portion of the proceeds will go to support the children of Lebanon via the Kid’s First Association.
I am delighted to join pianist Irena Portenko and a host of other talented musicians for a handful of concerts throughout New York and New Jersey this spring to raise funds for Project Shelter House, a 120 square meter house built on 18 acres of land in the Ternopil Oblast of western Ukraine currently providing a home to several families from the eastern part of the country, as well as Irena’s special fund to aid young displaced Ukrainian musicians throughout the world. Click the links below for more information and to purchase tickets.
18 March: New York City (St John’s In The Village)
Irena and I will join Taiwanese-British cellist Shu-Wei Tseng and other special guests for a 7pm performance at St John’s In The Village in New York City, located at 218 West 11th Street. The concert will be followed by a reception catered by Veselka - an iconic restaurant that has been serving traditional Ukrainian food in the heart of the East Village since 1954.
23 April: White Plains (Grace Church)
Irena and I will join soprano Korliss Uecker, bass Stefan Szkafarowsky, pianist Svetlana Gorokhovich, accordionist Joseph Mannino, and the Cuatro Puntos Ensemble to present In The Company Of Friends at 5pm at Grace Church in White Plains, New York, located at 33 Church Street.
27 April: Jersey City (St Peter’s University)
An 7pm performance at St Aedan’s Church on the campus of St Peter’s University in Jersey City, New Jersey, located at 800 Bergen Avenue. This concert is free and open to all.
29 April: Somers (St Luke’s Church)
Irena and I will join bass Stefan Szkafarowsky, pianist Svetlana Gorokhovich, and accordionist Joseph Mannino for a 7:30pm performance at St Luke’s Church in Somers, New York, located at 331 Route 100.
I am delighted to announce that my first concert performance of 2023 will take place in my hometown of Fredericksburg, Virginia.
Pianist Irena Portenko and I will bring our concert program entitled The Circles That You Find to the Concerts at St Mary's series at St Mary of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, located at 1009 Stafford Avenue in Fredericksburg, on Friday, 20 January at 8pm.
Premiered in August of 2022 at the Music In The Alps Festival in Bad Gastein, Austria, with additional performances in Westchester County, New York in October and New York City in December, this collection of pieces by Gershwin, Handel, Ravel, Legrand and many other composers is a reflection on the difficult times our world has faced in recent years, the circular patterns often found in life, and the importance of hope and transcendence. Thanks to the generosity of the Concerts at St Mary's series, this concert is free and open to all.
Wishing you all a happy, healthy and prosperous new year!
Pianist Irena Portenko and I will be giving two concerts in New York City during the first weekend in December to help ring in the holiday season.
2 December: Manhattan (Holy Trinity Church)
Irena and I will bring The Circles That You Find, the same concert programme we premiered in Austria over the summer, to New York City for the first time with a 7pm performance on Friday, 2 December at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, located at 20 Cumming Street in uptown Manhattan. This collection of pieces by Gershwin, Handel, Ravel, Legrand and many other composers reflects on the difficult times our world has faced in recent years, the circular patterns often found in life, and the importance of hope and transcendence. This concert is free and open to all, though donations are most welcome.
4 December: Brooklyn (St Nicholas Cathedral)
On Sunday, 4 December at 12:30pm, Irena and I will join a host of talented musicians for a fundraising concert in honour of St Nicholas Day, livestreamed from St Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Cathedral, located at 355 State Street in downtown Brooklyn. In addition to an assortment of seasonal songs and carols, the choir will also offer a Byzantine chant selection in honour of the Nativity of Christ. To tune in and to find information on how to donate, click here.
Pianist Irena Portenko and I will be performing in two very special concerts this summer, including a return to the Music In The Alps Festival in Austria. Click the links below for more information and to purchase tickets.
30 July: Somers (St Luke’s Church)
Irena and I will join bass Stefan Szkafarowsky, baritone Gocha Abuladze and pianist Svetlana Gorokhovich for a 7pm performance at St Luke’s Church in Somers, New York, located at 331 Route 100. All of the proceeds from ticket sales will go directly to benefit the people of Ukraine.
17 August: Bad Gastein (Grand Hotel de l’Europe Gastein)
For my first performance in Europe in over two years, I am thrilled to join Irena at the Music In The Alps festival in Bad Gastein, Austria once more to present a very special concert entitled The Circles That You Find. Joined by the talented Taras Voloshchuk on double bass, Irena and I have assembled a collection of pieces by Gershwin, Handel, Ravel, Legrand and many other composers to build a programme that reflects on the difficult times our world has faced in recent years, the circular patterns often found in life, and the importance of hope and transcendence. This concert will take place at 8pm in the Wienersaal of the Grand Hotel de l’Europe Gastein.
To read my recent interview with CutCommon Editor Stephanie Eslake about The Circles That You Find, click here.
I am thrilled and honoured to return to the Weill Recital Hall stage at Carnegie Hall in New York City to support Georgian baritone Gocha Abuladze in concert. This evening of song and solidarity will take place on Wednesday, 18 May at 8pm and feature a selection of Georgian, Ukrainian, Polish, Italian, and American music. Proceeds from the concert will go to support displaced Ukrainian women and children.
For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.
On Saturday, 14 May at 6pm, I’ll be joining pianist Riko Higuma and a surprise guest violinist at pinkFROG cafe in Brooklyn, New York for a concert entitled Spring Awakening. From Pergolesi to Björk, and from an 88-key to a toy piano, this performance promises to delight with a rich variety of springtime sounds - including a selection from the Broadway musical of the same name.
For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.
On Friday, May 13 at 7pm, I’ll be joining pianist Irena Portenko, operatic bass Stefan Szkafarowsky, violinist Innesa Tymochko Dekajlo, bandurists Duet Malvy, and musicians from the Greenwich Chamber Players at Round Hill Community Church in Greenwich, Connecticut for a concert to raise funds for charities supporting Ukrainian relief.
100% of the proceeds from the event will be donated to World Central Kitchen and Razom to support their ongoing efforts to provide humanitarian aid to people in Ukraine as well as Ukrainian refugees who have temporarily relocated to other European nations.
For more information and to purchase tickets for this concert, click here.
UPDATE: My heartfelt thanks goes out to everyone who made this sold-out concert such an incredible success. To see some news coverage of the evening, click here.
On Sunday, 27 March at 8pm, I’ll be joining pianists Irena Portenko and Svetlana Gorokhovich, operatic bass Stefan Szkafarowsky, and the Ukrainian Chorus ‘Dumka’ of New York (recently featured on Saturday Night Live) at Tarrytown Music Hall for a concert to raise funds for charities supporting Ukrainian relief, including Razom and United Help Ukraine.
In early 2020, Irena and I travelled to Ukraine together to give concerts in Kyiv (Kiev) and Odessa. The overwhelming warmth of the audiences, the talent and drive of the young musicians I met there, and the incredible beauty of the country's culture and spirit made my being in Ukraine one of the most memorable and moving experiences of my life thus far. It is my great honour and privilege to sing in support of the Ukrainian people.
To purchase tickets for this concert, click here.
I’ll be joining a host of talented artists, including Branden Janese and Jacquelyn Gallo, for an evening of seasonal song, poetry and refreshments, all tinged with the gothic. Join us for Sister Sangre at 526 East 11th Street (between Avenues A and B) in New York City on Friday, 22 October. Doors open at 8pm and the show starts at 8:30pm. Free and open to all.
On Sunday, 18 July at 3pm EST, I’ll be joining Korliss Uecker (soprano), Tammy Hensrud (mezzo-soprano), Travis Sherwood (baritone), Stefan Szkafarowsky (operatic bass), and pianists Svetlana Gorokhovich and Irena Portenko for You’ll Never Walk Alone — a concert to close out the 2021 New York edition of the Music In The Alps festival.
To purchase tickets to see the performance live at St John’s In The Village, or virtually via Musae, click here.
On Thursday, 24 June at 6pm EST, I’ll be singing ‘This Is The Record Of John’ by Orlando Gibbons with a viol quartet as part of a livestreamed Choral Evensong with the Church Club of New York for the Feast of the Nativity of St John the Baptist. The Evensong will also feature new music by Opus Illuminate based on the hymn ‘Ut Queant Laxis’ and preaching from the sites of St John the Baptist’s birth (Ein Karem) and his baptising activity (Aenon).
To tune in, visit the YouTube channel of St John’s In The Village by clicking here.