New York. After a year that saw the lights in concert halls go out and the stages move to the virtual world, an empty showcase in New York offers a ray of hope for artists and audiences eager to hear live music.
Musicians of all genres perform impromptu concerts for lucky passersby on Manhattan’s Upper West Side: on a recent morning Beethoven and Debussy’s notes harmonized with the soundtrack of a city often dominated by horns, street work, and cooing. of the pigeons.
It was the first time in a year that cellist Michael Katz was able to play with a piano accompaniment; Spencer Myer played a white Steinway piano, an experience that musicians around the world “craved,” he said.
Perhaps more important is that musical storefronts or musical showcases are an opportunity to interact with an audience, even if it is little, and they see them through the glass from the sidewalk and not sitting in large numbers in one of the city’s concert halls.
“We need a reciprocal relationship. Bringing music to people like we did today is something really unique and special, ”said Katz.
The venues where the shows will take place are not publicized – the organizers want to avoid large crowds for reasons of social distancing – but the concert series, which started in winter, will continue until spring, so one may be surprised by the presentation when walking down the street.
Runners with dogs, parents pushing strollers, and older New Yorkers on an afternoon walk – all stopped on the sidewalk to listen to the show, which also featured some Mendelssohn and Boulanger.
“We try to have a little bit of everything (…) from classical musicians to Broadway artists, jazz; we have had experimental improvisers, “said Kate Sheeran, who directs the Kaufman Music Center, the originator of the initiative.
In addition to entertaining, the project aims to “really showcase New York’s artistic engine and make visible the fact that artists need jobs and this issue requires attention.”
The main city in the United States fell prey to the rapid spread of Covid-19 more than a year ago, with more than 30,000 residents deceased and many more having their lives turned upside down.
A devastated industry
Among the hardest hit are musicians, who had to limit themselves to virtual concerts and online classes, while the pandemic forced to cancel tours and close auditoriums, some forever.
“Our industry has been really devastated, especially stage artists, their lives have been severely impacted,” lamented Sheeran.
The concerts from the showcases, he pointed out, can “put the spotlight on that, in addition to giving joy to the artists and the public.”
The vaccination campaign in New York started a few months ago, and already more than two-thirds of adults have received at least one dose. Among the musicians eager to return to the stage, there is optimism.
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