Calendar

To mark the occasion of Ronen Givony’s new book, Us v. Them: The Age of Indie Music and a Decade in New York (2004-2014), Roulette presents a two-night event highlighting the Brooklyn music scene and DIY community of the early aughts.

Night one celebrates the DIY venue Silent Barn with singular performances by David Longstreth (Dirty Projectors), Haley Fohr (Circuit des Yeux), Mal Devisa, and Mutual Benefit — each accompanied by the Wordless Music String Quartet.

The evening will also include a short reading from Us v. Them, along with a panel discussion about ethical organizing in the arts featuring former members of the Silent Barn collective. Panelists include musician, record producer, and Ava Luna member Carlos Hernandez; DIY show producer Jordan Michael Iannucci; writer and educator Neon Mashurov; and artist, musician, and performer Yatta Zoker.

Presented by Wordless Music and BrooklynVegan.

https://roulette.org/event/us-v-them-the-fiery-furnaces-skeletons-big-band/

To mark the occasion of Ronen Givony’s new book, Us v. Them: The Age of Indie Music and a Decade in New York (2004–2014), Roulette presents a two-night event highlighting the Brooklyn music scene and DIY community of the early aughts.

Night two features indie rock duo The Fiery Furnaces, punk-psych-rock experimentalists Oneida. Skeletons Big Band will play a rare opening set in an expanded iteration for the first time in a decade, featuring a stacked group of collaborators: Matthew Mehlan, Jason McMahon, Qasim Naqvi, Nathaniel Morgan, Justin Frye, Matt Nelson, Sam Kulik, Russell Greenberg, Kaethe Hostetter, and Cyrus Pireh.

Presented by Wordless Music and BrooklynVegan.

Tickets (suggested donation)$35 Buy Tickets

In 1924, Austrian director Hugo Bettauer released a satirical film imagining a Vienna purged of its Jewish population, a darkly comic warning drawn from the rhetoric of Austria's rising nationalist politicians. One year later, Bettauer was assassinated by a Nazi gunman who was subsequently acquitted and celebrated. The film was banned in 1933 and nearly lost to history until a pristine print was discovered at a Paris flea market in 2015. Parlando presents a live screening with orchestra of the newly restored Die Stadt ohne Juden with Olga Neuwirth's 2018 score, a visceral, urgent work that transforms a century-old cautionary tale into an ominously contemporary one.

THE MICHAEL BRECKER QUINDECTET featuring DONNY McCASLIN Artistic & Musical Director: Meg Okura

Nearly two decades after the passing of Michael Brecker, his groundbreaking Quindectet returns to the stage in a new chapter celebrating and extending one of his most distinctive musical visions.

On October 6, the Michael Brecker Quindectet launches at Birdland Jazz Club, featuring acclaimed tenor saxophonist Donny McCaslin and led by composer, violinist, and original Quindectet touring member Meg Okura as artistic and musical director.

Brecker created the fifteen-piece Quindectet for his landmark 2003 album Wide Angles, bringing together jazz rhythm section, brass and woodwinds with string quartet to create an orchestral palette unlike the conventional big-band sound. Wide Angles received the 2004 Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album.

The Birdland performance presents Gil Goldstein’s landmark arrangements in newly created 2026 performance editions, adapted to restore Brecker’s original 15-piece Quindectet instrumentation and newly engraved and edited for today’s ensemble. The program also features world premieres of two new Okura arrangements of Brecker compositions, “African Skies” and “Itsbynne Reel.”

The project has been developed with support from Susan Brecker and Darryl Pitt and through archival research at the Living Jazz Archives at William Paterson University. The concert will also feature a special display of Michael Brecker archival materials presented by Archives curator Dr. David Demsey.

Bringing together musicians from the original touring Quindectet with leading contemporary artists, the project honors Brecker’s extraordinary legacy while carrying his adventurous musical vision forward.

Personnel

Donny McCaslin (tenor saxophone), Charles Pillow (flutes, soprano saxophone),
Dan Willis (oboe, English horn), Roger Rosenberg (bass clarinet, baritone sax), David Smith (trumpet, flugelhorn), Jacob Garchik (trombone), Justin Mullens (French horn), Pete McCann (guitar), Meg Okura (violin I, arranger, musical director), Tomoko Akaboshi (violin II), Benjamin von Gutzeit (viola), Dave Eggar (cello), Boris Kozlov (bass), E.J. Strickland (drums), Daniel Sadownick (percussion), Erica Seguine (associate artistic director & conductor).

PROGRAM:
*Original arrangements from 2004 by Gil Goldstein, newly adapted for the 2026 Michael Brecker Quindectet:
Broadband*
Arc of the Pendulum*
Delta City Blues*
Syzygy*

Plus the world premieres of two new arrangements by Meg Okura:
African Skies
Itsbynne Reel

https://trinitychurchnyc.org/events/legacy-steve-reich-transcendence-october-7th-2026-0100pm

Transcendence — reaching beyond what is given — is the theme of this hour of contemporary classical music that features the mesmerizing ensemble Sandbox Percussion. Hear Portal, a work by Grammy-nominated and Pulitzer finalist Andy Akiho, who is hailed for bold compositions that explore and push the boundaries of chamber music and symphonies. The stirring lineup also includes Steve Reich’s Jacob’s Ladder, Dorothy Rudd Moore’s Transcension, David Lang’s ever-present, and Jessie Montgomery’s Source Code. Performed by Trinity Choir and NOVUS; Melissa Attebury, conductor.

Gather to honor the milestone 90th birthday of composer Steve Reich, an innovator who has shaped the sound of modern music. Performing a lineup dedicated to Reich’s groundbreaking pieces, Trinity Choir and new-music ensemble NOVUS will be joined by Sandbox Percussion, trailblazers in the world of contemporary chamber music. In this special evening program, you will experience how ancient words and expressive repetition can transform patterns into meditative transcendence as you hear Tehillim, Proverb, Traveler’s Prayer, and Jacob’s Ladder. Melissa Attebury, conductor.

Registration for this free event is highly recommended as seating is limited.

https://www.carnegiehall.org/Calendar/2026/10/08/Carnegie-Halls-Opening-Night-Gala-Berliner-Philharmoniker-0700PM

Feel the passion and excitement as Carnegie Hall launches its 2026–2027 season with this Opening Night Gala featuring the legendary Berliner Philharmoniker and opera superstar Jonas Kaufmann. Kirill Petrenko conducts an all-Italian program that showcases Kaufmann’s vibrant voice in some of his most renowned repertoire—including “Amor ti vieta” from Giordano’s Fedora, and emotional powerhouses from Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci and Cilea’s L’arlesiana. The concert begins in dramatic fashion with Verdi’s Overture to La forza del destino, and the orchestra also treats audiences to two of Respighi’s tone poems of Rome, transporting listeners to the picturesque fountains and pines of the city.

Performers

Berliner Philharmoniker
Kirill Petrenko, Chief Conductor
Jonas Kaufmann, Tenor

Program

VERDI Overture to La forza del destino

CILEA "È la solita storia del pastore ... Anch'io vorrei" from L'arlesiana

GIORDANO "Amor ti vieta" from Fedora

RESPIGHI Fountains of Rome

LEONCAVALLO "Si può? Si può?" from Pagliacci

LEONCAVALLO Intermezzo from Pagliacci

LEONCAVALLO "Recitar! ... Vesti la giubba" from Pagliacci

RESPIGHI Pines of Rome

https://whitney.org/events/marc-ribot-oct9

Floor 3, Theater

6:30 pm: Che Chen, Talice Lee, and Barry Weisblat
8 pm: Marc Ribot

Join the Whitney for a performance by Marc Ribot at Free Friday Nights at 8 pm in the Museum's Hess Theater, co-presented by Brooklyn-based performance venue and community space Public Records. At 6:30 pm, join us for a performance by Che Chen, Talice Lee, and Barry Weisblat.

Marc Ribot, who The New York Times describes as “a deceptively articulate artist who uses inarticulateness as an expressive device,” has released 25 albums under his own name over a 40-year career, exploring everything from the pioneering jazz of Albert Ayler to the Cuban son of Arsenio Rodríguez. In 2025, Ribot released “Map of a Blue City,” a collection of songs that features Ribot’s imaginative playing and leads to what may be his definitive statement as an instrumentalist, as a songwriter, and even as a singer. Jazzwise Magazine’s 4-star review states, “Ribot needs no introduction. But nothing prepares us for Map of a Blue City... Beyond jazz, steeped in humanity... an album of the year.”

Admission is free to all visitors every Friday evening from 5–10 pm. In addition to music, join us for world-class exhibitions of contemporary American art, cocktails with views at Studio Bar, and more.

https://www.dadabar.nyc/

Great Lake Swimmers brings their signature folk-rock sound and quiet magic to Queens

A musician in the New York City area for over 35 years, Ben Monder has performed with a wide variety of artists, including Jack McDuff, Marc Johnson, Lee Konitz, Billy Childs, Andrew Cyrille, Paul Motian, Maria Schneider, Louis Cole, Marshall Crenshaw and Jandek. He also contributed guitar parts to the last David Bowie album, "Blackstar". He continues to perform original music internationally in solo and trio settings, and in a long standing duo project with vocalist Theo Bleckmann. Ben has appeared on over 200 CDs as a sideman, and has released 7 as a leader: Day After Day (Sunnyside, 2019) Amorphae (ECM, 2015), Hydra (Sunnyside, 2013), Oceana (Sunnyside, 2005), Excavation (Arabesque, 2000), Dust (Arabesque, 1997), and Flux (Songlines,1995).

Composer and vocalist Theo Bleckmann was born in Germany but moved to New York City in 1989 to pursue a career in music. Although usually classified as a jazz musician, Bleckmann exhibits a distinctly experimental sensibility, collapsing genres while edging into the avant garde, theater, and performance art. Theo has worked with Laurie Anderson, Anthony Braxton, Steve Coleman, Dave Douglas, Philip Glass, Michael Tilson Thomas, John Zorn, and the Bang on a Can All-Stars. He was a guest vocalist with the San Francisco Symphony Chorus, Estonian Radio Choir, Merce Cunningham Dance Company, and Mark Morris Dance. For fifteen years he was a member of an ensemble led by Meredith Monk.

$20
Donate online now or in person that day.

RALPH ALESSI

Ralph Alessi - trumpet
Peter Apbelbaum - saxophones
Chris Lightcap - bass
Eliza Salem - drums

Ralph Alessi is an ECM recording artist and acclaimed American jazz trumpeter, composer, and educator known for his distinctive and innovative approach to jazz improvisation and composition. Born in San Rafael, California, in 1963, he was raised in a musical family. His father, Joseph Alessi, was a classical trumpeter and his mother, Maria Leone, an opera singer. In addition, his brother Joe Alessi is a world renowned classical trombonist. His upbringing in this environment laid the foundation for his deep connection to music.

Alessi has collaborated with many prominent musicians, such as Steve Coleman, Ravi Coltrane, Jason Moran, Don Byron, Fred Hersch and Uri Caine. His own ensembles and recordings showcase his skill as both a bandleader and a composer, with 13 albums as a leader. This include Baida (2013), released on ECM Records, receiving widespread acclaim for its complex, lyrical compositions and improvisations. Baida was shortlisted by several publications as one of the best jazz albums of the year. His latest ECM release in 2024 was It’s Always Now which writer Jim Macnie proclaimed as having a “poignant lyricism.” In 2025, he will record and release his 5th album on ECM records featuring Matt Mitchell, John Hebert, Ches Smith and his brother Joe, appearing together on record for the first time.

$20
Buy tickets now online or in person that night.

https://pools.events/t/1vyw1tmw

$15 
After Pajamas (Bob Bellerue, Cheryl Kingan, Patrick Holmes, Mark Howell, & David Watson) 
Aliya Ultan 
Ashcan Orchestra

After Pajamas
A long time ago I had a job as a truck driver. On a long drive one day, my co-worker mentioned a piece by Gordon Mumma, "Wooden Pyjamas". It is a homage to Salvador Allende, with the title coming from a comment Allende made in an interview the day before he died. "They'll have to take me out of here in wooden pajamas."

I understood the sound source came from beating on a coffin. This image has always stayed with me as a great unity of the political and poetic. There is a short but wonderful extract of Wooden Pajamas that you can hear through Lovely Music.
As it turns out, I misunderstood a lot of the piece. For one thing it is an electroacoustic tape piece. I believe the coffin part of the original performance was just allegorical. For this performance however we will be performing my original (mis)understanding of it. Hence, After Pajamas.

Ashcan Orchestra is a growing collection of homemade instruments, a revolving ensemble of performers, and pseudonym for NYC based composer/bespoke engineer p. spadine. Seeking the profound through playful exploration, Ashcan has been developing a musical language and an accompanying instrumentation to examine and exemplify our shared capacity to create and thrive in spaces parallel to the consumer cult. Presenting ritualistic, mostly bell centric performances of sound and light on stages both spontaneous and institutional since 2007, Ashcan is grateful for each opportunity to shake some joy and/or wonder out of the air.

For Striped Light, Ashcan Orchestra will appear as a collection of homemade instruments and solo performer, presenting We’re All Nero Now, a piece built on thoughts regarding the impacts of protective escapism and born from a desire to tell longer narratives upon a menagerie of invented instruments.

Aliya Ultan (AKA Nocturnal Cellist) is a composer-performer and multimedia artist from Brooklyn, NY. Her career spans contemporary and avant garde music to theater, circus, and immersive electroacoustic installations. Her sound has been described as a shape-shifting voice moving between orchestral lyricism, cathartic noise, and deeply personal forms of storytelling.

Following her self-released album Witch Hunt, which she supported with a sweeping 40-date tour in exclusively artist-run spaces across the US and Canada, Ultan most recently released Looks Far Woman on Kou Records. The project explores the outer limits of the acoustic cello as both a vibrational and healing phenomenon.

Aliya currently splits her time between Virginia and New York serving as Artistic Director for The Creative Music Studio, a non-profit organization founded by Ornette Coleman and Karl Berger.

PRELUDE
En Garde Arts
Written by Charles L. Mee
Original Songs by the Lazours

Adapted and Directed by Anne Bogart

All the world’s a stage—and this time, it's right outside our front door! For forty years, En Garde Arts has transformed New York City’s streets, barges, and hidden corners into newly discovered sites for theatrical experiences, and urgent, poetic, and political stories to come alive. This October, the company reunites director Anne Bogart and playwright Charles L. Mee for PRELUDE, a large-scale, free outdoor performance on the plaza at 300 Ashland Place, featuring original music by the Lazours—and elaborate costume constructions by Machine Dazzle.

Set against the rhythms of the city itself, PRELUDE invites audiences to witness fleeting encounters and moments of connection that illuminate what it means to be alive together and in love in New York City. This marks another chapter in a creative partnership; both Mee’s bobrauschenbergamerica (2003) and Hotel Cassiopeia (2007) were directed by Bogart at BAM, who returned in 2022 to direct The Medium.

Admission to PRELUDE is free on a first-come, first-served basis.

Tim Berne (sax), David Torn (guitar), Trevor Dunn (bass), Aliya Ultan (cello), and Tom Rainey (drums)