By Joe Salas
Following a triumphant 2015 concert series, Greenwich House Music School’s Uncharted concert series has returned to the chandelier-lit Renee Weiler Concert Hall at the Barrow Street school. Uncharted is a community concert series featuring high-profile local artists debuting performances of new work or new collaborations. The series covers a broad selection of performative genres, from jazz to traditional folk, electronic to classical, cabaret to tap dance.
“The Uncharted series was founded as a safe space for artists to take risks,” says series curator Jennie Wasserman, formerly of SFJAZZ, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Joe’s Pub, and Carnegie Hall. “Last season’s collection of sold-out concerts proved that audiences are always excited to hear something new from their favorite performers. That success has emboldened us to vary our lineup even further. Greenwich Village is one of America’s oldest and most successful social melting pots; reflecting the neighborhood’s artistic excellence and diversity is one of the goals of our programming.”
“Diverse” is an understatement for this year’s crop of performances. The series kicked off with performances by Brooklyn Folk Founder Eli Smith and an unlikely quartet featuring trumpeter Steven Bernstein, with guitarists Steve Cardenas and David Tronzo.
Upcoming performances include a collaboration between avant-garde composer-performer and TED Fellow Bora Yoon and tap dancer Andrew Nemr; emerging actress Grace McLean’s pop opera on the life of German abbess Hildegard von Bingen; and alt-cabaret theater star Erin Markey’s new show inspired by Barbara Streisand.
“We wanted to make it easy to experience substantial new music, without spending a fortune hopping around town,” said Rachel Black, Music School Director. “Through the eight weeks of the series we’ll be presenting new music: jazz, folk, comedy cabaret, electronic freestyle, dance, and pop opera from high-caliber artists. To make that accessible to our audience—I find that really exciting,” she continued.
As a community concert series, tickets to Uncharted performances range from $15 to $20 and include complimentary beer and wine before and during each show. Performances all begin at 8:00 p.m. and generally wrap up by 10:00 p.m. “We want avid fans and curious newcomers alike to have a chance to share in these performances; to have a chance to escape for a few hours and experience something new,” Black added.
Uncharted is running now through May 12th. For a complete line up, tickets and more information, visit greenwichhouse.org/uncharted.
