2018 in Reviews
Headline Concerts
Elan Trotman with Rohn Lawrence
and Special Guest The Rahsaan Langley Project
Barbados-born, Berklee-educated saxophonist Elan Trotman and Elm City's own Rohn Lawrence are joined by The Rahsaan Langley Project to kick-off our headline series on the New Haven Green.
Flor de Toloache & Las Cafeteras
Flor de Toloache
NYC's Flor de Toloache brings the fireworks every time they perform, combining influences from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Colombia, Germany, Italy, and the U.S. to create an edgy, versatile, and fresh take on traditional mariachi music. This all-woman band has won hearts around the world, captivating crowds at The Grand Ole Opry, Coachella, and more. Bring your dancing shoes and get ready to fall in love.
Las Cafeteras
With its roots in community activism and its blend of influences, Las Cafeteras is a band with things to say and a vibrant way of saying them. Las Cafeteras brings together traditional Son Jarocho sounds, Afro-Mexican rhythms, the traditional dance zapateado, and inspiring lyrics—in English, Spanish, and Spanglish—to serve up a music both unique to East LA and universal in its appeal.
Amir ElSaffar
with members of the Rivers of Sound Orchestra and New Haven Symphony Orchestra
Iraqi-American trumpeter, santur player, vocalist, and composer Amir ElSaffar's Rivers of Sound Orchestra brings together musicians from a broad spectrum of musical worlds, creating a musical language that combines Middle Eastern "maqams" (modes) and instruments such as oud (lute), santur (hammered dulcimer), and hand percussion, with the rhythm, aesthetics, and i
Ticketed Performances
Radicals in Miniature
Obie Award-winning playwright Ain Gordon and percussionist Josh Quillen team up to tell stories of people who left an indelible impression on the world, even if their names have been long-forgotten by Google and other modern measures of success.
ensemble cantissimo
Founded in 1994, ensemble cantissimo is one of the most sought-after vocal ensembles in the German-speaking world.
A Billion Nights on Earth
Late nights are never as magical as they were when we were young. Celebrated director Thaddeus Phillips and visual artist Steven Dufala take audiences on a remarkable adventure in which a parent and child travel the world through a portal in their kitchen.
The Muslim Choral Ensemble, Sri Lanka
The Muslim Choral Ensemble is the first Muslim ensemble in South Asia devoted exclusively to music of the Muslim world.
Young People’s Chorus of New York City and Yale Choral Artists
The Young People’s Chorus of New York City® and Yale Choral Artists will premiere The Glass Box a new work by Paola Prestini, composed for both ensembles.
The Merchant of Venice
New England Premiere
In a utterly unique theatrical event, the Festival brings one of Shakespeare’s most well-known and controversial plays, The Merchant of Venice, to the Yale Law School Courtyard.
Pepperland
Mark Morris Dance Group
The Beatles’ groundbreaking album “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” has turned 50. To salute this milestone in musical history, we’ve partnered with arts organizations from around the world to commission the Mark Morris Dance Group’s creation of Pepperland.
Requiem for an Electric Chair
Toto Kisaku
With a gun to his head, Toto Kisaku was moments away from being killed by his government when his executioner showed him a moment of mercy. His only crime? Creating art that questioned the practice of child exploitation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Toto Kisaku found political asylum in the United States, but many people from his country have not been so fortunate.
Ideas Talks
Altar'd Spaces
The Coastal Reeds
The Coastal Reeds performs for schools and communities throughout Connecticut, showcasing the unusual and beautiful sounds of the double reed instruments. Take a journey through the history these instruments, experiencing music from the Renaissance to the present, learning how double reeds work, the interesting sound they make, and what makes them unique and fun to play.
Elegant Primates
Elegant Primates make original pop music for the 21st century. Playing original world beat pop music with Latin, African and Caribbean influences, they have performed for audiences of all ages at outdoor festivals, libraries, theaters and nightclubs. They blend rich four-part vocal harmonies with exciting, unusual percussion.
The Joe Carter Samba Rio Trio
Think: “Jobim meets Coltrane”. This international trio is well versed in the various Brazilian styles of music—Samba, Bossa Nova, Baiao, Choro. By combining this music with straight-ahead Hard Bop Jazz the trio creates a style known as Brazilian Jazz.
The Recess Bureau
Created in 2015 by bassist/bandleader Jeff Moro, The Recess Bureau has played venues and events such as New Haven Jazz Festival, The Bitter End NYC, Branford Jazz Series, The Acoustic, BRYAC, and many more.
Carte Noire
Carte Noire musicians perform music as a language, combining diverse musical backgrounds to perform innovative, improvised programs. Drawing from jazz, contemporary and traditional classical music, world music, rock, and electronic music, the musicians invite audiences to share in their process of creation and discovery.
The Meadows Brothers
The Meadows Brothers' distinct brand of roots music combines folk, blues, country and rock 'n' roll into what the Boston Globe calls “An engagingly twangy sibling sound all their own.” Their 2017 release, “TRUTH”, demonstrates the brothers' keen ability to get to the heart of the matter with down to the bone melodies, blood harmonies, uns
The Kenn Morr Band
The Kenn Morr Band performs Original Folk/Rock music featuring catchy melodies, thoughtful lyrics and unique instrumentation (guitar, bouzouki, mandolin, violin, bass, drums, accordion and three-part harmony.) Concerts are highlighted by the stories behind the songs.