free things to do in New York City
Free events for Wednesday, 05/26/21
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Free Events, Free Things to Do in New York City!  Read More

Are you looking for free things to do in New York City (NYC) on May 26, 2021?

39 free events take place on Wednesday, May 26 in New York City. Don't miss the opportunities that only New York provides! Exciting, high quality, unique and off the beaten path free events and free things to do take place in New York today, tonight, tomorrow and each day of the year, any time of the day: whether it's a weekday or a weekend, day or night, morning or evening or afternoon, December or July, April or November! These events will take your breath away!

New York City (NYC) never ceases to amaze you with quantity and quality of its free culture and free entertainment. Check out May 26 and see for yourself. Summer or Winter, Spring or Fall! Just click on any day of the calendar above and you'll find most inspiring and entertaining free events to go to and free things to do on each day of May . Don't miss the opportunities that only New York provides!

Some events take place all year long: same day of the week, same time there are there for you to take advantage of. One of the oldest free weekly events in Manhattan is Dixieland Jazz with the Gotham Jazzmen, which happen at noon every Tuesday. Another example of an event that you can attend all year round on weekdays is Federal Reserve Bank Tour, which takes place every week day at 1 pm (but advanced reservations are required). You can take at least 13 free tours every day of the year, except the New Year Day, July 4th, and the Christmas Day. If you are classical music afficionado, you can spend whole day in New York going from one free classical concert to another. If you love theater, then New York gives you an option to attend plays and musicals free of charge, or at deep discount. You just need to have information about it. And we are here to make that information available to you.
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The quality and quantity of
free events,
free things to do
that happen in New York City
every day of the year
is truly amazing.

So don't miss the opportunities
that only New York provides:
stop wondering what to do;
start taking advantage of
free events to go to,
free things to do in NYC
today!

39 free things to do in New York City (NYC) on Wednesday, May 26, 2021

All events are free unless otherwise noted.
        

Play | A Picture of Autumn: Comedy, "the echoes of Chekhov are unmistakable" (virtual, streaming for 24 hours)


A Picture of Autumn made its debut on February 11, 1951 in a one-night 'try-out' performance presented by the Repertory Players, at the Duke of York's Theatre on London's West End. Despite promising reviews, the play was never picked up. Instead, N.C. Hunter enjoyed great success with his plays Waters of the Moon, A Day by the Sea and A Touch of the Sun, which dominated the West End throughout the fifties. Meanwhile, A Picture of Autumn gathered dust until this acclaimed production--the play's first in over 60 years. The streaming will be available until Jun 13th. By N.C. Hunter Directed by Gus Kaikkonen
   New York City, NY; NYC
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12:00 am
Free

Talk | Thai Communities and Family Recipes in NYC (virtual)


Food is all about family and community, and Queens not only boasts some of the best Thai restaurants in New York City, but is also home to the largest Thai enclave in the northeast. On this virtual program, explore the neighborhood of Elmhurst with author, tour guide, local resident, and culinary consultant Joe DiStefano, who will join live from Queens and visit P’Noi’s Thai Thai Grocery and other landmarks of the Thai community. Also stop in to Sabay Thai to chat with Chef Busaya to learn about her upbringing in Northern Thailand and see what she’s cooking up in the kitchen. And head to Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, where Chef Tan will share dishes inspired by his mother at the family-owned Wanisa Home Kitchen.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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10:00 am
Free

Workshop | (IN-PERSON, outdoors) Elements of Nature Drawing


The park, with its amazing gardens and views of the Hudson River and New York Bay, is the perfect setting to practice your art. Participants are expected to bring their own drawing and painting supplies, including drawing boards and containers of water if they are planning to paint. They will supply drawing paper and watercolor paper only. o Masks and contact information required upon arrival. o Participants must maintain six feet of physical distance between households. o All programs will be held in accordance with New York State reopening guidance. Wednesdays, May 12-June 30, 2021
   New York City, NY; NYC
11:00 am
Free

Fair | (IN-PERSON, outdoors) Market in Midtown: Food, Art, Collectibles and More


Take part in outdoor shopping experience at this beautiful location. You will find a diverse mix of original art, antique collectibles, jewelry and cuisines from local small businesses.  The market is open daily through Jun 20th, 11 am - 8 pm.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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11:00 am
Free

Tour | (IN-PERSON, outdoors) Walking Tour at Major Midtown Square


Join in for an enjoyable walking tour and learn about a successfully transformation of "Needle Park" of the 1970s into Manhattan's Town Square of today. Please wear a mask and observe social distancing.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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11:00 am
Free

Workshop | Tee Time on the Plaza


Putt putt your way through this 7-hole mini golf course. Grab a friend and make a day of it! May 10-27, 2021
   New York City, NY; NYC
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11:30 am
Free

Workshop | (IN-PERSON, outdoors) Juggling in a Park


Join in for a quick lesson, stay for the whole time, or just enjoy watching the jugglers put their skills to the test. They're a friendly group and open to drop-ins. All skill levels welcome. Equipment is provided and regularly sanitized. Schedule: Tuesdays 6-7pm Wednesdays 12-1pm Saturdays 12-1pm
   New York City, NY; NYC
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12:00 pm
Free

Workshop | Lunchtime Meditation (virtual)


With Rita London. Connect with your core self. Step away from your hectic day to quiet your mind and nourish your soul with a thirty-minute meditation experience. Learn simple Kundalini Yoga breathing techniques and meditations that reduce stress, increase your focus, balance your emotions and magnify your presence.   This session takes place in a chair and will include: simple physical warm ups breathing techniques deep relaxation meditation Feel refreshed and re-energized! Beginners and experienced meditators welcome. No change of clothes or yoga mat needed.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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12:00 pm
Free

Discussion | President and CEO of the New York Philharmonic Deborah Borda in Conversation (Zoom)


When does a crisis lead to opportunity for change? If orchestras are indeed a microcosm of the performing arts and, indeed, society, let’s explore what took place in the life of a single institution — one of the oldest and most iconic in the United States. The New York Philharmonic played without pause through the Spanish Flu epidemic, the American Civil War and two World Wars, but in the face of Covid it ground to a full halt. What has been the pathway through this crisis, and what were major points of inflection and decision? This is a period of profound questioning for all arts institutions as the unimaginable became reality. It has led to what we might truly term an existential crisis, questioning who we are at this point in time — who do we believe we should be? What might change look like? Were there lessons we learned from this unexpected “bomb,” and will anything really change? What unexpected solutions might we discover?
   New York City, NY; NYC
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12:00 pm
Free

Concert | (IN-PERSON, outdoors) Piano Music in a Park


Piano concert series, showcasing ragtime, stride, and jazz pianists. Please wear a mask and practice social distancing.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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12:30 pm
Free

Discussion | Dance History with Classical and Contemporary Japanese Choreographer (virtual)


A conversation on classical and contemporary Japanese dance with performer, choreographer, and educator Sachiyo Ito.
   New York City, NY; NYC
1:00 pm
Free

Concert | Music by Astor Piazzolla and Tango Dancers (virtual)


In honor of the 100th anniversary of Astor Piazzolla’s birth, Tanguango Quinteto presents ¡Gracias, Astor! The concert features compositions by Piazzolla, the father of tango nuevo, and works composed with his influence, including selections by Serbian artists and Argentinian traditional tango songs in “nuevo” arrangements. The ensemble’s long-time collaboration with the largest tango school in Europe, Tango Natural, is on display here, with a professional tango couple dancing along with the music.
   New York City, NY; NYC
2:00 pm
Free

Discussion | Oscar-Nominated Documentary Colette's Director and Producer in Conversation (Zoom)


Resistance took courage in Nazi-occupied France. 75 years later, facing one’s ghosts may take even more. As a young girl, Colette Marin-Catherine fought the Nazis as a member of the French Resistance. Since 1945, she has refused to set foot in Germany. That changes when a history student named Lucie enters her life and encourages her to visit the concentration camp where the Nazis killed her brother. Join producer Alice Doyard and director Anthony Giacchino in a conversation about the making of the film, the Resistance, and healing. The program will be followed by a Q&A. 
   New York City, NY; NYC
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2:00 pm
Free

Gallery Talk | Brand New Heavies: An Exhibition Discussion (Zoom)


Thelma Golden in a conversation with the curators of Pioneer Works’ exhibition Brand New Heavies, Racquel Chevremont and Mickalene Thomas—collectively known as Deux Femmes Noires—and artists Abigail DeVille, Xaviera Simmons, and Rosa-Johan Uddoh. Together, the group will discuss the themes explored within each of the artists’ newly-commissioned works as well as the historical legacies and contemporary circumstances that inform their wider practices.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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5:00 pm
Free

Gallery Talk | Artist Talk: The Sprezzaturameron (virtual)


In a live-streamed conversation with new media performance scholar Andrew Kircher, artist Tei Blow reflects on the process of creating The Sprezzaturameron. They will be joined by Sean McElroy, Blow's co-founder of the multimedia performance collective Royal Osiris Karaoke Ensemble.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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5:00 pm
Free

Gallery Talk | Artists Talk: Mining Inherited Traumas (virtual)


On the occasion of their respective solo exhibitions, P?P?O?W is pleased to present a virtual panel discussion between fiber artist Erin M. Riley and figurative painter Joe Houston. Moderated by Director Trey Hollis, this conversation will explore each artists' unique approach to challenging established art historical conventions and mining inherited traumas through rigorous dedication to their chosen media.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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5:00 pm
Free

Gallery Talk | Dreaming Big: Sleep and the Practice of Drawing (virtual)


In the 2021 Annual Thaw Lecture, Matthew Hargraves, Thaw Senior Fellow, Drawing Institute, will use the Morgan Library's collections to explore the artistic responses to the enigma of sleep from the Renaissance to Surrealism.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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5:00 pm
Free

Workshop | (IN-PERSON, outdoors) Fitness on the Waterfront


Your one-stop-shop for a complete body and mind workout. Barre seamlessly blends moves from ballet, Pilates, strength training, and yoga. You will be guided through a series of micro-movements and active holds, using your body weight for resistance. These small, isolated movements yield extensive results: long, lean, sculpted lines. You’ll work muscles you didn’t even know you have and feel them for days after. What to bring/wear: Yoga or Pilates mat, water and hand towel. Wear comfortable workout clothes – pants, leggings, or capris, and a workout tank or t-shirt. Grip socks optional, bare feet welcome.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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5:30 pm
Free

Workshop | (IN-PERSON, outdoors) Yoga on The Green


Join a class with Thai James. Bring your own mat. Face masks mandatory.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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5:30 pm
Free

Workshop | Outdoor Fitness


Get fit during this outdoor workout series aimed to help you build strength, get toned, and relax. A variety of fun and challenging classes will be taught by instructors from top NYC fitness studios. Wednesdays, May 12-September 8, 2021
   New York City, NY; NYC
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5:30 pm
Free

Concert | (IN-PERSON, outdoors) R&B Hits of the 90's-00's


Step back in time with live music featuring 90s+00s R&B cover by Sanduba (Portuguese slang for "a sandwich"), led by Arnaldo Buzack and Julie Schatz (Lady Beatz). Take a seat in the courtyard and enjoy the show. Food and drinks are available for purchase.
   New York City, NY; NYC
6:00 pm
Free

Workshop | (IN-PERSON, outdoors) Sunset Yoga


Namaste! Unwind from the day with outdoor yoga. Immerse yourself in this meditative practice- surrounded by the Hudson’s peaceful aura. Strengthen the body and cultivate awareness in a relaxed environment as your instructor guides you through alignments and poses. All levels are welcome. Participants are expected to bring their own equipment: yoga mat, yoga blocks, water, etc. • Masks and contact information required upon arrival. • Participants must remain six feet of physical distance for the duration of the program. • All programs will be held in accordance with New York State reopening guidance. Wednesdays, May 12-June 30, 2021
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free

Gallery Talk | Artists Talk: Representation (Zoom)


Hear from artists Dominique Duroseau, Luis Flores, and María Jose in a conversation, moderated by Guest Curator Elia Alba, centered on the topic of representation. Working in different artistic modes including photography, installation and sculpture, and performance, the artists will each consider how issues of race, gender, and sexuality inflect their practices.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free

Screening | Small Business, Sanctuary, and Survival: LES Short Films Screening and Panel (Zoom)


A live stream film screening of two urgent short documentaries, Sweet Home Chinatown? and Flavors of New York, produced within the City Lore youth program Urban Explorers, directed by Raquel Almazan. The screenings will be followed by a panel discussion between the young filmmakers and featured voices from the films, including public artist Tomie Arai, chef Olesia Lew and fifth-generation small business owner Mei Lum.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free

Concert | Myths and Hymns: Faith, A Collection of Musical Genres feat. Tony and Grammy-Winning Singers, Chorus, Dancers (virtual)


Myths and Hymns is theatrical song cycle by composer Adam Guettel. Inspired by Greek myths and a 19th-Century Presbyterian hymnal, the 1998 cycle is a kaleidoscopic collection of musical genres as it explores the nature of faith and longing in a secular world. Conceived by Tony Award-winning Artistic Director Ted Sperling. The final chapter of this 4-part virtual program, Faith, features the MasterVoices chorus, soloists Kelli O'Hara, Anthony Roth Costanzo, Jennifer Holliday, Mykal Kilgore, Theresa McCarthy, Miles Mykkanen, Larry Owens, Nicholas Phan, The Gospel Soul Children of New York; and dancers Emma Lou DeLaney, Milan Magana, Justine Rafael, and Katja Stoer.
   New York City, NY; NYC
6:30 pm
Free

Talk | Witness Part 1 - Yesterday: Insights on a Contemporary Ballet (virtual)


Witness is a three-act contemporary ballet at the intersection of art and activism that serves as a mechanism to open a dialogue on the challenging issue of race. Witness mixes different genres of dance with contemporary circus, film, and theatricality to put America’s racial landscape into historical context, combat systematically taught racial biases, and imagine hope for a more equitable future. For May’s Sorry I Missed Your Show, Christopher Rudd will share insights into his Witness: Part I – Yesterday. Yesterday portrays the dehumanizing brutality of slavery in America. Shackled in chains, the dancers illustrate the fierce need to flee captivity as the bungee pulls them back into bondage.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:30 pm
Free

Classical Music | Orchestra of St. Luke's Performs Chopin and Coleridge-Taylor (virtual)


Orchestra of St. Luke's; Jeremy Denk, piano; Terrance McKnight, host The program is featuring the work of English composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor. Considered to be the first major classical composer of African descent, Coleridge-Taylor was often compared to his contemporary Gustav Mahler and achieved a wide range of success in Europe and the United States before his untimely death of pneumonia at age 37, despite the many prejudices he faced because of his race. His lush and melodic Clarinet Quintet pairs perfectly with the second piano concerto of Frederic Chopin.
   New York City, NY; NYC
6:30 pm
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Talk | The Sounds Are the Story: Soundscapes of New York (virtual)


Artist and investigator Alissa Cherry on the soundscapes of New York City, including the neighborhood of Bloomingdale. Cherry spent four years working on "Sounds of the Outskirts," a series of investigative soundwalks around the perimeter of Manhattan. Her goal was to find the sonic shifts in the city, based on neighborhood, culture, population, location, etc. She focuses on understanding community changes through sound, or how you can hear a community via its music, language, and nature and industrial sounds. During this interactive workshop, you'll be tasked to think about the neighborhood through what you hear, rather than what you see. Cherry will lead a discussion about what certain things to pay attention to when outside on your daily walk,things like the languages spoken, the sounds of construction, and changes in sounds due to time of day or weather.   
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:30 pm
Free

Staged Reading | (IN-PERSON, outdoors) Tartuffe: Moliere in the Park


A bible-thumping shark makes a deal with a gullible mark. Mix in money and power, fleshly sins by the hour, and call it Moliere in the Park! If ever a play, written back in the day, knew exactly with what we'd be dealing. It's 17th century fare, but the story is truly... revealing. Moliere in the Park presents a staged reading of two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Richard Wilbur's translation of Moliere's Tartuffe, directed by Moliere in the Park's Founding Artistic Director Lucie Tiberghien. May 26-30, 2021
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:00 pm
Free

Author Reading | A Drop of Treason: Philip Agee and His Exposure of the CIA (virtual)


Before Edward Snowden there was Philip Agee. Jonathan Stevenson discusses his new biography of the first intelligence officer to publicly betray the CIA.
   New York City, NY; NYC
7:00 pm
Free

Performance | A Long Evening with Christian Nyampeta: Performance Art


A live performance by artist Christian Nyampeta to conclude his extended meta-concert. Over the course of the last decade, Nyampeta has been making musical experiments as a way to commemorate the shifts caused by major events: the Fukushima nuclear disaster, police shootings, the intensification of tyrannical regimes, and the current pandemic, to name a few. Each track emerges from Nyampeta's intimate act of seeking the company of artists, musicians, theorists, and other figures. He mixes their ideas with his own and translates these allusive collaborations into sonic compositions. In doing so, he imbues them with what he calls a sociography of emotions, collectivizing personal experiences into structures of feelings.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:00 pm
Free

Gallery Talk | Passing West: An Exhibition Tour (virtual)


Front Room Gallery presents a solo exhibition of photographs by Stephen Mallon. This is a visual celebration of the unique beauty and function of freight train cars in United States. This series of photographs captures the still active rail lines that carry freight to destinations across the country. Mallon’s industrial landscape photographs isolate freight cars within this iconic transportation system, which has played a critical role in supply infrastructure across the continent for hundreds of years.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:00 pm
Free

Talk | A Leading Authority on Calisthenics, Nutrition and Personal Training (Zoom)


Danny Kavadlo is one of the world’s leading authorities on calisthenics, nutrition and personal training. He is known globally for his minimalist philosophy, feats of strength, and over-the-top personality. Kavadlo is the author of numerous fitness titles including #1 Amazon bestsellers. When not working one-on-one with clients in his native New York City, he travels the world as a Master Instructor for Dragon Door’s internationally acclaimed Progressive Calisthenics Certification.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:00 pm
$5

Talk | History of the Brooklyn Waterfront (virtual)


Conservancy Education Director Isa Del Bello gives an evening talk about the history of the Brooklyn Waterfront. Learn about the exciting transformation the water’s edge has experienced over the decades and the East River’s historic role as a working waterfront and crucial estuarine habitat.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:00 pm
Free

Talk | The Making of Make a Joyful Noize: Behind-the-Scenes with a Boundary-Pushing Hip-Hop Duo (virtual)


Boundary-pushing hip-hop duo Soul Science Lab blends rap, funk, soul, and Afrobeat sounds in a vibrant display that celebrates unapologetic Black joy as a healing force for transformation. Bringing the audience on a journey of music and culture through affirmations, interviews, images, spoken word, and dance, Make a Joyful Noize (commissioned by Carnegie Hall) explores unifying experiences that uplift the human spirit and the enduring power of self-love.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:00 pm
Free

Film | (IN-PERSON, drive in theater) Moonlight (2016): Oscar-Winning Drama


Winner of three Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Moonlight chronicles the life of Chiron, a young Black man struggling to find his place in the world and coming to terms with his homosexuality while growing up in Liberty City, Miami. At once a vital portrait of contemporary African American life and an intensely personal and poetic meditation on identity, family, friendship, love and sexuality, Moonlight is a groundbreaking piece of cinema that reverberates with deep compassion and universal truths. Directed by Barry Jenkins Starring Naomie Harris, André Holland, Mahershala Ali, Janelle Monáe, Trevante Rhodes, Ashton Sanders, Jharrel Jerome.
   New York City, NY; NYC
7:30 pm
Free

Talk | Biking and Birding Across the USA (virtual)


In the summer of 2020, Scott V. Edwards, Professor of Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University, realized a long-held dream. In June, he dipped his bicycle tires in the Atlantic Ocean at Newburyport, Massachusetts and set out to ride across the U.S. with the goal of dipping his tires in the Pacific. He strapped two signs to his bike: Black Lives Matter and Birds Spark Hope. Just how did Americans across the country react to this 57-year-old, professorial, Black cyclist with his signs for racial justice and hope? Come listen to him speak to find out and, as an added benefit, he’ll talk about the birds he saw. Limited to 500.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:30 pm
Free

Discussion | On America: The Carceral System and Racial Justice (Zoom)


Ian Manuel and Yusef Salaam come together for a special event in the On America series to discuss matters of crime, punishment, and racial justice. Both men have memoirs slated for release in May, revealing aspects of their time in prison and the injustices that led to their convictions. In My Time Will Come, Manuel, who was sentenced to life in prison at just fourteen, reveals his perspective on the heartbreaking and difficult path to reducing his sentence through Bryan Stevenson's Equal Justice Initiative. Salaam's inspirational memoir Better, Not Bitter recounts his seven years of wrongful incarceration as one of the Central Park Five and the lessons and principles he has learned to survive the worst of life's experiences. Sarah Burns, director of the documentary film The Central Park Five, will moderate the event.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:30 pm
Free

Jazz | Zach Brock Trio: Jazz in Performance (virtual)


Critically acclaimed as the "pre-eminent improvising violinist of his generation," Zach Brock is an American jazz violinist and Grammy Award-winning member of Snarky Puppy. He has toured with Stanley Clarke and Phil Markowitz, released seven solo albums, and was named "Rising Star Violinist" of 2013 by Downbeat Magazine. A passionate educator, Zach has coached hundreds of musicians from workshops to conservatories worldwide. Zach remains a perennial coffee fanatic and skateboard enthusiast, and currently lives with his wife and daughters in the NYC area.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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8:00 pm
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