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A dialogue with the organizers of River of Song
Posted 6/10/2026
Make Music New York is a unique festival of free concerts in public spaces throughout the five boroughs of New York City that has been taking place since 2007. Make Music New York's mission celebrates the musician in all of us, connects New Yorkers to their communities and with each other, brings bold new artistic creations to life, unites diverse communities in a spirit of celebration and energizes the shared social spaces that make NYC a cultural capital. The organization's 20th summer festival takes place on June 21. For details on participating or listening, visit makemusicny.org/.
The following dialogue is adapted from a recent Make Music New York newsletter. Make Music New York spoke about River of Song with the event's organizers -- the members of October Project: Marina Belica, vocalist; Emil Adler, composer; and Julie Flanders, lyricist/librettist.
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- The New Haven Chorale is proud to announce the appointment of Reagan G. Paras as its next Artistic Director. For more details, visit newhavenchorale.org/blog/. (2026-5-31)
- West Side Rag has a story about the upcoming concert by Otaku Choir NYC on May 19 at Rutgers Presbyterian Church. (2026-5-12)
- Monmouth Civic Chorus is pleased to announce the appointment of Kevin Vondrak as its new Artistic Director. Vondrak will begin his tenure with the ensemble for the 2026-27 season, stepping into the position held by Dr. Ryan Brandau for 14 years. (2026-4-27)
- Read The Growing Chorus of Resistance, and the Women Holding the Baton by Candice Helfand-Rogers in The Story Exchange. (2026-3-9)
- On March 13 and 14, Cantori New York celebrates the 85th birthday of noted African-American composer Adolphus Hailstork, who has served on Cantori’s Advisory Board for 25 years. This all-Hailstork tribute concert will feature two world premieres: a new chamber orchestration of his signature oratorio Crispus Attucks, the brand new Four Psalms and a revisit of Friends Eternal, which Cantori New York premiered a year ago. (2026-1-27)
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