Community Calendar

Curated by Charlotte Small

Join us to Celebrate Black History at The New School in a powerful, joyful, and reflective gathering of song, dance, theater, oration, and community.

At a time of national reckoning, this annual celebration brings together special guests, and artists from across our drama and music schools, in an evening exploring protest, democracy and the activism and art that sustains us through our darkest times.

This year’s event features:

Stew Stewart

Obediah Wright’s Balance Dance Theatre

The New School Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra, conducted by Bobby Sanabria

Earth, Wind & Fire Ensemble

Charlotte Small and her Gospel Chorus

and more!...

*Special guest to be announced at the event

Past celebrations have included performances by Arturo O’Farrill, Cyrus Chestnut, a tribute to Reggie Workman, Dr. Cornel West, Dr. Johnnetta B. Cole, and more.

Be part of an evening rooted in love, remembrance, activism, and the vibrant artistic voices shaping today and tomorrow.

Join us!

Register to secure your seat. Free while seats last.

This event will be livestreamed for those unable to attend in person. Link to come.

Presented by the College of Performing Arts at The New School.

Le donne musicali: Italian women's music from the baroque

Feb. 27 - Mar.1

Tempesta di Mare | Philadelphia Baroque Orchestra

Vocal and instrumental works by female composers Agata Cantora della Pietà and Anna Bon, plus music by Vivaldi, Gasparini and Porpora for named women of the Venetian Ospedali, the network of baroque-era orphanages that churned out top-tier female musicians on an unprecedented scale.

Part of Hidden Virtuosas, Tempesta’s ongoing project that brings to light the women and music of the Venetian Ospedali.

February 27, 2026 at 7:00 pm | Christ Church Christiana Hundred
February 28, 2026 at 7:00 pm | Trinity @ 22nd
March 1, 2026 at 4:00 pm | Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill

Creative:

Tempesta di Mare | Chamber Players
Gwyn Roberts, recorder & flute | Emlyn Ngai & Francis Liu, violins, | Lisa Terry, cello | Richard Stone, lute

with Gabriela Estephanie Solís, mezzo soprano

Exponential Ensemble, led by clarinetist Pascal Archer, is one of the most innovative ensembles on the NYC music scene. Exponential Ensemble’s mission includes commissioning and premiering works by living composers that are inspired by math, science and literacy, and their GatherNYC debut showcases the woodwind players from the Ensemble performing works by French and American composers, including “Wild Birds” by Brad Balliett inspired by wild birds living in New York City’s Central Park!

GatherNYC is a revolutionary concert experience founded in 2018 by cellist Laura Metcalf and guitarist Rupert Boyd. The 2025-2026 season includes 31 concerts that run from October 2025 through May 2026, with concerts held every Sunday at 11am in The Theater at MAD.

Guests at GatherNYC are served exquisite live classical music performed by New York’s immensely talented artists, artisanal coffee and pastries, a taste of spoken word, and a brief celebration of silence. The entire experience lasts one hour and evokes the community and spiritual nourishment of a religious service – but the religion is music, and all are welcome. Coffee and pastries are served before each performance at 10:30am.

Markus Stenz conductor
Time For Three
Ranaan Meyer double bass | Nick Kendall violin | Charles Yang violin
New Jersey Symphony

The internationally-acclaimed conductor Markus Stenz strives to make all of his concerts “as stirring, powerful, clear, and moving as possible.” With Stenz on the New Jersey Symphony podium, here is music to inspire: from the joy of Kevin Puts’ Contact featuring Time For Three, which won a 2023 GRAMMY with Xian Zhang conducting, to the drama and triumph of Beethoven’s iconic Fifth Symphony.

Richard Wagner Prelude to Act I of Lohengrin
Kevin Puts Contact
Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 5

Monmouth Civic Chorus presents Buxtehude’s Membra Jesu Nostri and accompanying modern works. Though perhaps not as widely known, Buxtehude was revered by the likes of Bach and Handel, and you will find this music both familiar and revelatory. 

The fresh sounds of companion pieces by living composers Caroline Shaw (To the Hands) and Zachary Wadsworth (To the Side) breathe new conversation into an ancient score. The chorus is joined by a specialist Baroque professional chamber ensemble.  

New York, NY — On Tuesday, March 3 at 7:00 pm, New York-based Modus Operandi Orchestra (MOO) invites audiences to a captivating evening, their 5th concert of music at Merkin Hall. This upcoming concert, conducted by Maestro Justin Bischof, will feature a contrasting program of works by master composer Johannes Brahms and by Boston based award-winning composer Rachel Burckardt.

Works will include Brahms' iconic Tragic Overture and Symphony No. 4, as well as world premieres of Burckardt including 3 Psalms and October Fanfare.

Born and raised in Manhattan, the Bronx and Mt. Vernon, Rachel Burckardt is a prolific composer. Currently based in Boston, she blends over 45 years both as a church musician/composer and a civil engineer involved in a variety of projects focusing mostly on transportation, including railroads, transit, and roadways.

According to Modus Operandi Orchestra’s founder and artistic director Justin Bischof, “This program is exciting because it places Brahms’ profound emotional architecture alongside the living, breathing voice of Rachel Burckardt, reminding us that the symphonic tradition is not a museum, but a living art form.” Bischof adds: “Audiences will experience both the timeless power of Brahms and the excitement of hearing new music born in our own time, performed by artists who believe deeply in sharing discovery, beauty, and meaning on stage.”

COMPLETE PROGRAM:

J. BRAHMS – Tragic Overture
J. BRAHMS – Symphony No. 4
R. BURCKARDT – October Fanfare (world premiere)
R. BURCKARDT – Aire Mount Auburn (world premiere of this adaptation)
R. BURCKARDT – Variations on Afternoon Light (world premiere)
R. BURCKARDT – 3 Psalms (world premiere)

The concert will take place at the Merkin Hall, Kaufman Music Center, Abraham Goodman House, 129 West 67th Street, New York, NY. T 212 501 3330. Tickets are priced between $40 and $75 and can be purchased through www.kaufmanmusiccenter.org

For more information about MOO, please visit moonyc.org.

TOMS RIVER – Looking to enjoy a night of classic rock, Motown, jazz, country, and oldies? Local band Briar Connection will perform at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 4 at the Toms River Branch of the Ocean County Library.

This ensemble of accomplished musicians shines brightly, drawing from their experiences in various bands. Since their inception, Briar Connection has captivated audiences, whether in grand arenas or intimate gatherings, enchanting all with their performances. You will not want to miss this memorable concert.

This program is generously sponsored by the Friends of the Ocean County Library – Toms River.

Registration is required for this free program. To register, visit tinyurl.com/BriarConnectionTR, call 732-349-6200, or stop by the branch at 101 Washington Street.

Princeton Symphony Orchestra (PSO) is joined by world renowned harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani for the world premiere of Julian Grant’s "Vaudeville in Teal". Also on the program are Viet Cuong’s "Extra(ordinarily) Fancy" and Igor Stravinsky’s "Pulcinella". Rossen Milanov conducts. Richardson Auditorium, Alexander Hall, Princeton University Campus, Princeton, NJ. Tickets start at $40 (children 5-17 who are accompanied by an adult receive a 50% discount); Accommodations or services can be arranged with two weeks’ notice, contact Mika Godbole at mgodbole@princetonsymphony.org or (609) 905-0931; For tickets: princetonsymphony.org or 609-497-0020.

Programs, artists, dates, and times are subject to change.

GatherNYC presents Inbal Segev, a formidable cello soloist who stands out not only for her captivating sound and stage presence, but also for her curiosity and creativity. She has commissioned and premiered numerous concertos for cello and orchestra, and for this intimate solo performance she invites us into her compelling sound world, playing both her own compositions and music of Anna Clyne, Missy Mazzolli and more.

GatherNYC is a revolutionary concert experience founded in 2018 by cellist Laura Metcalf and guitarist Rupert Boyd. The 2025-2026 season includes 31 concerts that run from October 2025 through May 2026, with concerts held every Sunday at 11am in The Theater at MAD.

Guests at GatherNYC are served exquisite live classical music performed by New York’s immensely talented artists, artisanal coffee and pastries, a taste of spoken word, and a brief celebration of silence. The entire experience lasts one hour and evokes the community and spiritual nourishment of a religious service – but the religion is music, and all are welcome. Coffee and pastries are served before each performance at 10:30am.

Mar 13, 7:30 PM – Church of the Holy Trinity, Rittenhouse
Mar 14, 7:30 PM – Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill
Mar 15, 3:00 PM – Christ Church Christiana Hundred, Wilmington
Mar 27–Apr 9 | Streaming online

Enter Ferrara, a dazzling hub at the heart of the Italian Renaissance. Under the patronage of the d’Este family, the city became one of Europe’s most lush and daring cultural centers, drawing musicians, painters, and humanists into its orbit. Piffaro’s wind players bring this music to life, inviting listeners into the rich soundscape of its courtly splendor.

About Piffaro
Piffaro breathes life into the sounds of the past with its collection of carefully crafted period instruments: shawms, dulcians, sackbuts, recorders, krumhorns, bagpipes, lutes, guitars, and a variety of percussion.

Join us online, on tour, or at our concert series in Philadelphia, PA and Wilmington, DE, and enjoy the unamplified beauty of Renaissance music in a noisy world.