Midsummer Night Swing
Think of it as Swing thing if you must, but don’t forget that this Lincoln Center tradition comes with some of the best tango, cumbia, salsa, samba and um… keyboard renditions of ’80s music out there. Enter by lottery at midsummernightswing.org for free admission to the opening night, or check out the Soul Train tribute June 28. Throughout the festival, food and cocktail offerings (under $10) will match the regions of the music. June 27–July 16, midsummernightswing.org; $90 six-night pass, $160 full season, individual tickets $17.
Summer on the Hudson
Riverside Park and West Harlem Piers Park are home to the 11th year of New York’s largest free festival, this year offering over 75 blocks of free summer events, including films, live performances, an open-air dance party & more. Ends Nov. 11. Visit nycgovparks.org for schedule & information.
The Bang on a Can Marathon takes place June 19. Photo by Stephanie Berger.
Mark di Suvero at Governors Island
Storm King Art Center presents about a dozen of the artist’s works, all around the island, in the largest outdoor display of di Suvero’s work since the ’70s. The massive, industrial-inspired sculptures are supplemented by an evolving indoor installation with photographs and videos of di Suvero’s work and his artistic process, and visitors can download a special tour app or take a Guide by Cell tour of the exhibition. Ends Sept. 25, Governors Island, stormking.org/exhibitions/governors-island.
Bang On A Can Marathon
The free 13-hour marathon with over 150 performers and composers—including performances from Yoko Ono, the Sun Ra Arkestra, Glenn Branca Ensemble, Philip Glass and many others—spans a variety of genres, favoring boundless innovation over stylistic consistency. June 19, 11 a.m.-midnight, World Financial Center, Winter Garden, bangonacan.org.
Inuksuit
Earlier this year, this piece made a stir when performed indoors at the Park Avenue Armory. But this performance is the “open-air premiere” of John Luther Adams’ (the other composer named John Adams) work for “nine to 99 percussionists.” Presented free in Morningside Park by Columbia University’s Miller Theatre, this is sure to be an unforgettable musical experience. In conjunction, the premiere of Leonard Kamerling’s film Strange and Sacred Noise, a documentary about a performance on the arctic tundra of Adams’ music, takes place the day before (Monday, June 20 at 7 p.m.). June 21, 7 p.m., betw. W. 113th St., Morningside Drive, W. 116th St. and Manhattan Ave., free, www.millertheatre.com.
Madison Square Music:
Oval Lawn Series
Once a week, skip happy hour and head over to the park to hear a variety of nationally-touring bluegrass, folk, jazz and soul acts—perhaps while you wait for your turn in line at Shake Shack. Lionel Loueke Trio, Edmar Castenada Trio and special guest Andrea Tierra perform July 6. Wednesdays through the summer. Check out madisonsquarepark.org/music for more details.
Make Music New York
Spend the longest day of the year taking in the sights of public spaces throughout the five boroughs, and the sounds of this massive, eclectic 11-hour music-fest. Highlights include sing-it-yourself performances of great choral works, a performance of John Luther Adams’ large-scale percussion work, Inuksuit, and 88 pianos rolled into the street for public use. June 21, 11 a.m.–10 p.m., makemusicny.org.
Washington Square Music Festival
Tuesdays in July and August, visit New York’s second longest-running free outdoor classical music series, founded in 1953. This year’s program includes music by Mozart, Schubert, Astor Piazzolla and more, with performances from The Charles Mingus Orchestra, Stanley Drucker, Anton Arensky String Quartet and others. Tuesdays, July 12–Aug. 2, washingtonsquaremusicfestival.org.
Target Free Thursdays
Lincoln Center presents free music and comedy performances on Thursday evenings all summer. On June 16, check out feminist comedy troupe Guerrilla Girls On Tour. Or, on the 23rd, catch Mighty Third Rail as they fuse hip-hop, poetry, beatboxing and classical instruments. On the 30th, singer/songwriter Julie Gold performs old favorites and music from her new CD. Thursdays, David Rubinstein Atrium at Lincoln Center, Broadway betw. W. 62nd & W. 63rd Sts., lincolncenter.org/atrium; 8:30, free.
Summer Soirée
The Staten Island Museum honors Staten Island’s African American Social Entrepreneurs and celebrates its new Portraits of Leadership exhibition with a musical reception to benefit the It’s Your Museum initiative. Musical offerings include live jazz with Jeannine Otis and a special guest performance by Broadway’s Vinie Burrows. June 26, Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Gardens, statenislandmuseum.org; 4-7, $75.
Pop-Up Pianos
As part of Make Music New York, Sing For Hope places 88 pianos—60 uprights and 28 grands, decorated by artists and designers like Isaac Mizrahi and Diane von Furstenberg—at random indoor and outdoor locations throughout the five boroughs, so passers-by can torture tourists with awkward renditions of “Heart and Soul” or delight listeners with Debussy. June 18–July 2, www.pianos.singforhope.org.
Elastic City
Artists and designers lead more than 20 conceptual walks around the city, giving participants a new perspective on these urban environments. Examine shadows in Coney Island, form a new relationship with the sun in Downtown Manhattan, time-travel through Tin Pan Alley or make small talk with strangers in Brooklyn. Select dates all summer, elastic-city.com/walks; $20.
