free things to do in New York City
Free events for Wednesday, 11/20/24
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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 November 20, 2024?

40 free events take place on Wednesday, November 20 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 November 20 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 November . 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!

40 free things to do in New York City (NYC) on Wednesday, November 20, 2024

All events are free unless otherwise noted.

Editor's Picks

free events nyc Garment District Tour: Factories, Gangsters, Labor Unions and More
free events nyc Tiffany Glass and Other Exhibitions
free events nyc Unpacking Campus Antisemitism: Insights and Realities (online)
free events nyc Jazz and Contemporary Music Fall Ensemble Festival
free events nyc Art of the Asian Diaspora in Latin America & the Caribbean
free events nyc 3rd Annual Harlem African Animation Festival
free events nyc The New Yorkers: 31 Remarkable People, 400 Years, and the Untold Biography of the World's Greatest City
More Editor's Picks for 11/20/24
        

Workshop | Boot Camp Workout - Outdoors


An early-morning core body Boot Camp. Rotations through exercises like crunches, planks, push-ups, burpees, and mountain climbers ensure a mixture of cardio and strength training that will keep you coming back, and seeing results. No equipment necessary; smiles and high fives welcome.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:00 am
Free

Tour | NYC Walking Tours: A Variety of Neighborhoods - Choose One Tour Or Many


These tours take place at various times. You can make reservations for as many tours as your schedule allows. See link for details: scroll down to find the daily scheduled tours at $4 (more costly tours are listed on top). Daily tours may include: Brooklyn Bridge SoHo, Little Italy and Chinatown Lower Manhattan Harlem Downtown Greenwich Village Central Park Lower Manhattan Midtown Manhattan Graffiti and Street Art Tours
   New York City, NY; NYC
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9:00 am
$4

Museums | New York City: History, Architecture, Social Movements, Cultural Diversity


This museum holds over 1,5 million artifacts, including photographs, paintings, decorative arts, costumes, and documents that tell the story of New York's development and its inhabitants. Explore the galleries and discover the rich history and vibrant culture of New York City!
   New York City, NY; NYC
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10:00 am
Free

Tour | Garment District Tour: Factories, Gangsters, Labor Unions and More


Hear an unusual perspective from somebody who spent the greater portion of his life working in the GARMENT industry. You will learn how the apparel industry developed in NYC through the years, and how it came to be located in its current District. Watch the development of the industry from sweatshops in the old tenement buildings on the Lower East Side, to giant factories in China and Bangladesh. See how immigrants were the backbone of the industry and in NYC, still are. Five minute flow chart "From Fibers To Garment". Learn about Calvin, Ralph and Oscar, as well as Labor Unions and Gangsters. A Factory Visit When Available. See "The Garment Worker'' by Judith Weller, The Fashion Walk of Fame. The Giant Button and Needle artwork on Seventh Ave. And much more. Rain or shine.
   New York City, NY; NYC
10:30 am
Free

Dance Lesson | Indian Dance


Participants will be introduced to Bharatanatyam a 2,000 year old dance from that combines rhythm, movement, music, percussion, a codified set of emotions, and storytelling. Movements are adaptive, and can be done by participants of all mobilities. All materials will be provided.  Attendance at all sessions is strongly encouraged. Space is limited and registration is required. Walkups will be permitted if space accommodates. This series will consist of 8 sessions, 60 minutes each.  Dates, Mondays and Wednesdays: 10/28, 10/30, 11/4, 11/6, 11/11, 11/13, 11/18, 11/20
   New York City, NY; NYC
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10:30 am
Free

Performance | Cinematic Wonder! Light and Sound Immersive Experience


Embark on a captivating journey filled with awe, warmth, and a sense of human connection. This immersive experience inspired by Dongji, the Korean Winter Solstice celebration, takes you on a journey through the cosmos on the longest night of the year, brought to life through captivating light and sound. No seating provided. The installation is open Tue - Sun through Jan 12.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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11:00 am
Free

Open Studios | The Joffrey + Ballet in the U.S. Exhibition Gallery Tour


Take a tour of the Joffrey Ballet exhibitionto learn about the company's origins, and discover what makes the Joffrey a unique force in the world of dance.  Robert Joffrey and his co-founder Gerald Arpino started a ballet company with a primary doctrine: that ballet was for everyone. Despite The Joffrey Ballet’s significant cultural impact, its story has received scant attention until now. Joffrey + Ballet in the U.S., the first large-scale retrospective of the company, offers an unparalleled opportunity to delve into the history and legacy of The Joffrey Ballet through its archival materials.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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11:00 am
Free

Book Discussion | Superfluous Women: Art, Feminism, and Revolution in Twenty-First Century Ukraine (in-person and online)


Jessica Zychowicz's book tells the unique story of a generation of artists, feminists, and queer activists who emerged in Ukraine after the collapse of the Soviet Union. With a focus on new media, Zychowicz demonstrates how contemporary artist collectives in Ukraine have contested Soviet and Western connotations of feminism to draw attention to a range of human rights issues with global impact.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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12:00 pm
Free

Lecture | Felka Platek: Artist and Companion of the Painter Felix Nussbaum - Both Killed at Auschwitz (online)


Felka Platek (1899 Warsaw - 1944 Auschwitz) came to Berlin from Warsaw in the early 1920s to become a painter. In 1932 she followed her friend and later husband Felix Nussbaum (1904 Osnabruck - 1944 Auschwitz) to Italy. In 1935 they decided to go into exile in Belgium. However, neither of them could escape persecution by the Nazis. They were captured in their hiding place in Brussels on June 21, 1944 and murdered in Auschwitz shortly afterwards. The presentation by Anne Sibylle Schwetter, art historian and curator of the Felix Nussbaum Collection at the Felix-Nussbaum-Haus in Osnabruck, provides an insight into Platek's artistic work, from her earliest works from 1927 to the last known graphics, which were created in hiding in 1943.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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12:00 pm
Free

Workshop | Learn Juggling in the Park


Get in a quick lesson, stay for the whole time, or just enjoy watching them put their skills to the test. They're a friendly group and open to drop-ins, even if you catch them outside of the regular juggling lessons. All skill levels welcome. Equipment is provided.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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12:00 pm
Free

Museums | Tiffany Glass and Other Exhibitions


The museum is dedicated to showcasing the history, art, and culture of its area with a permanent collection of 10,000 items. One of the exhibitions includes famous Tiffany's leaded glass objects and a valuable insight into the development of the inuctry in the US at the turn of the 20th century.
   New York City, NY; NYC
12:00 pm
Pay-what-you-wish, reservation required

Tour | Tour of New York City Hall


One of the oldest continuously used City Halls in the nation that still houses its original governmental functions, New York's City Hall is considered one of the finest architectural achievements of its period. Constructed from 1803 to 1812, the building was an early expression of the City's cosmopolitanism. City Hall is a designated New York City landmark, and its rotunda is a designated interior landmark as well.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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12:00 pm
Free

Classical Music | Bach at Noon (In Person and Online)


Take a momentary respite from a busy day to enjoy a selection of organ works by Johann Sebastian Bach in an intimate venue.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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12:20 pm
Free

Workshop | Lunchtime Meditation (online)


Take a break and calm your mind and nourish your soul with this 30-minute meditation excersize to reduce stress and build resilience. All levels meditators are welcome.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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12:30 pm
Free

Book Discussion | I Am Your Dust: Representations of the Israeli Experience in Yiddish Prose, 1948–1967 (online)


Israel's cultural space is frequently studied as if it were synonymous with the Hebrew-Israeli one. But within the borders of Israel, a fascinating culture was (and continues to be) created in many languages other than Hebrew. Gali Drucker Bar-Am's book expands the boundaries of current studies of Israel's cultural history by presenting and analyzing Yiddish-Israeli prose written during the country's first two decades as an independent state. It offers a comprehensive study of that unique, and hitherto little understood, literature, a detailed historical documentation of the contexts of its production, and an eye-opening comparison of its themes to the more familiar outputs of Hebrew-Israeli prose.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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1:00 pm
Free

Workshop | Adult Chorus


Directed by Church Street School of Music, the chorus is open to all who love to sing. Learn contemporary and classic songs and perform at community events throughout the year.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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1:00 pm
Free

Discussion | On Spanish Dance and Flamenco (In Person AND Online!)


Spanish dancer Carmen Dauset "Carmencita" arrived in New York in 1889 and quickly became a sensation in New York society. She was painted by both William Merritt Chase and John Singer Sargeant, and in 1894, she became the first woman and the first dancer to be filmed by Thomas Edison. By the early decades of the 20th century great Spanish and flamenco dancers were performing in the U.S., and some, such as the Cansinos and Aurora Arriaza, settled in the U.S. as teachers and performers. Carlota Santana and K. Meira Goldberg present images and video footage surveying the early years of Spanish dance through the present day. Registration required.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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1:00 pm
Free

Gallery Talk | Renowned Contemporary Artist Peter Doig in Conversation (online)


Peter Doig's work is showcased in major public and private collections worldwide, including Tate Britain, London; No Foreign Lands, National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh; Fondation Beyeler, Riehen/Basel; National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo; Courtauld Gallery, London. In 2007, Doig's painting White Canoe sold at for $11.3 million, and in 2013, his work The Architect's Home sold for $12 million at a London auction.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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1:00 pm
Free

Discussion | Unpacking Campus Antisemitism: Insights and Realities (online)


Sarah Hurwitz and Jon Falk examine campus antisemitism and the challenges faced by students. As incidents of antisemitism continue to rise on college campuses nationwide, universities are figuring out how to promote safer environments.
   New York City, NY; NYC
1:00 pm
Free

Film | GoldenEye (1995) with Pierce Brosnan


Former ally-turned-enemy Alec Trevelyan, AKA Agent 006, gets his hands on a powerful satellite system, and only James Bond can save the world from this new space weapon that could destroy the earth in one short pulse. Bond must square off against his former ally while also battling the stunning Xenia Onatopp, an assassin whose ultimate weapon is pleasure. Director: Martin Campbell Cast: Pierce Brosnan, Sean Bean, Izabella Scorupco,m Famke Janssen, Joe Don Baker Pierce Brosnan is an Irish actor and film producer best known as the fifth actor to play secret agent James Bond in the Bond film series, starring in four films from 1995 to 2002 (GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough, and Die Another Day) and in multiple video games.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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2:00 pm
Free

Book Discussion | To Die For: Face to Face with His Nemesis (online)


David Baldacci's the 6:20 Man returns, this time sent to the Pacific Northwest to aid in a complicated FBI case—and he’s about to come face-to-face with his nemesis, the girl on the train.  
   New York City, NY; NYC
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3:00 pm
Free

Museums | Tour of Historical House of The Distinguished American President of the Early 20th Century


This historic site honors the early life of a renowned American figure. The restored brownstone reflects late 19th-century architecture and offers insights into the family's daily life. Learn about various exhibits and artifacts that showcase the cultural and historical context of the era, providing a glimpse into the formative years of this visionary leader-to-be. First-come, first-served; this guided tour may reach capacity before your desired tour time, so please be sure to arrive early. Tour duration: 45 minutes. This tour takes place at 11 am, 12 pm, 2 pm, and 3 pm.
   New York City, NY; NYC
3:00 pm
Free

Book Club | The Dry Heart by Natalia Ginzburg


Finally back in print, a frighteningly lucid feminist horror story about marriage, The Dry Heart begins and ends with the matter-of-fact pronouncement, "I shot him between the eyes." Everything in between is a plunge into the chilly waters of loneliness, desperation, and bitterness, and as the tale proceeds, the narrator's murder of her flighty husband takes on a certain logical inevitability. In this novella, Natalia Ginzburg's writing is white-hot, fueled by rage, stripped of any preciousness or sentimentality; she transforms an ordinary dull marriage into a psychological thriller that might pose the question: Why don't more wives kill their husbands?
   New York City, NY; NYC
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4:30 pm
Free

Talk | Family History Today: How German Jews Got their Surnames (online)


In most cases, European Jews took on surnames in the late 18th and early 19th centuries after it was mandated by central authorities like the Hapsburg Emperor, the Czar, or Napoleon. In Germany, which consisted of dozens of more-or-less independent states, and where some Jews had used surnames for centuries, the story is more complicated. In this talk, Roger Lustig, a professional genealogist specializing in Prussian Jewish records, will discuss the many different ways and reasons German Jews chose, or were required to choose, surnames.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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5:00 pm
Free

Master Class | Guitar Master Class


Guitar Master Class with Jiji Kim.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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5:00 pm
Free

Jazz | Jazz and Contemporary Music Fall Ensemble Festival


Artist-led ensembles featuring the musicians of now and tomorrow in an intimate setting. Tonight: Art of the Solo Ensemble
   New York City, NY; NYC
5:00 pm
Free

Book Discussion | Solange: Jewellery for Chromantics


London-based jewelry designer Solange Azagury-Partridge launches her first book, which showcases the indelible styles and collections that have won her a dedicated following in the fashion and jewelry worlds. She will be in conversation with Stellene Volandes, Editor-in-Chief of Town & Country and Editorial Director of ELLE Décor.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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5:30 pm
Free

Staged Reading | The Witches of Kabul: Young Women vs the Taliban


The premiere reading of the new play by Mujib Mehrdad and Dave Johnson based on their co-translation and stage adaptation of Mehrdad's novella of two promising, young female university scholars whose lives are upended during the collapse of the Afghan government and the violent return of the Taliban to Kabul from 2015 to the present.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free

Performance | Art of the Asian Diaspora in Latin America & the Caribbean


In the context of the current exhibition The Appearance: Art of the Asian Diaspora in Latin America & the Caribbean Venezuelan-Korean artist Suwon Lee presents the debut performance of Dictee/Exilee. In 1975, Korean American artist Theresa Hak Kyung Cha's powerful performance Aveugle Voix embodied the challenges of expressing the migrant experience through language. By covering her eyes and mouth with bandages labeled "voice" and "blind," she enacted the fragmentation of identity, language, and memory. Cha's work, rich in multiplicity and multilingualism, is an enduring inspiration for the performance, Dictee/Exilee. In this piece, Suwon Lee pays homage to Cha's legacy while weaving a narrative that reflects her own journey as a Venezuelan woman living in self-imposed exile for the past eight years. Her performance explores the complexities of preserving identity and cultural memory amidst physical displacement. By reciting over 380 names of cities, streets, natural monuments, flora, and fauna from her homeland, she creates a "spoken portrait" that roots her in the cultural memory of Venezuela--a memory that transcends geographical and linguistic boundaries. In this performance, the dimmed lights, projected images, and spoken words intertwine to form a tunnel-like narrative, drawing the audience into a dreamlike exploration of identity, memory, and the unyielding ties to one's mother tongue. As Cha expressed in her seminal work Dictee, "Mother tongue is your refuge. It is being home." Dictee/Exilee is not just a performance--it is a reclamation of self, an affirmation that, despite the passage of time and distance, exile is not the end, but a continuation of one's cultural journey.
   New York City, NY; NYC
6:00 pm
Free

Discussion | Faces of Ground Zero: Award-Winning Photographer of 9/11 in Conversation


Award-winning photographer Joe McNally's "Faces of Ground Zero: Portraits of the Heroes of September 11, 2001" features 246 large-scale Polaroid photos of individuals who played pivotal roles in the rescue and recovery efforts at Ground Zero. In this conversation he will be joined by Dr. Jan Ramirez, Executive Vice President of Collections & Chief Curator, to reflect on the emotional process of capturing these portraits in the aftermath of the attacks, how the Polaroid medium uniquely documented this community, and his personal experiences engaging with those at the heart of this tragedy.
   New York City, NY; NYC
6:00 pm
Free

Book Discussion | Making Room: Three Decades of Fighting for Beds, Belonging, and a Safe Place for LGBTQ Youth by Carl Siciliano


From a pioneering advocate for LGBTQ youth, an impassioned account of how an unhoused queer youth's murder compelled him to create the nation's largest housing program for homeless LGBTQ teens.   What power does a long-disenfranchised community hold to transform the treatment of its most abused members? How can we locate that power?   Carl Siciliano met Ali Forney—a Black nonbinary teenager known for fierce loyalty to friends and an unshakeable faith that “my God will love me for who I am”—in 1994 while working at a daytime center for homeless youth in New York City. Nineteen years old, Forney was one of thousands Siciliano encountered who had been driven from their homes by rejecting families, forced to struggle in the streets due to homophobic and transphobic violence in the shelters.  Then Forney was murdered, a moment of horror and devastation that exposed the brutality that teenagers like Forney faced in a city marked by gentrification, racist policing, and the onslaught of the AIDS epidemic. Anguished by Forney’s loss, Siciliano fought to create homes where unhoused queer teens could live safely, with their human dignity at last affirmed, while he helped lead a movement that compelled New York City to invest millions of dollars in kids who’d been ignored for decades.    Siciliano writes with loving affection for Forney and many other queer teens, showing deep respect for their wisdom, courage, and spiritual integrity. Their stories illuminate the harsh realities faced by hundreds of thousands of LGBTQ youths suffering from homelessness across our nation. And, exposing the political and religious forces that continue to endanger LGBTQ youths, he makes a clarion call for their protection.  At this event, Carl Siciliano will discuss his book and more with author Paul Elie. 
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:30 pm
Free

Book Discussion | Stranger Than Fiction: Lives of the Twentieth-Century Novel


Legendary editor Edwin Frank presents this reckoning with the twentieth-century novel and the urgent messages it sends.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:30 pm
$5

Film | This World Is Not My Own (2023): Overcoming Obstacles as an Artist


Chewing gum sculptures, a wealthy gallerist, a notorious murder case, and the segregated south - it's all part of artist Nellie Mae Rowe's boundless universe. Directors: Petter Ringbom, Marquise Stillwell 97 min. Following by a discussion with the directors
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:30 pm
Free

Screening | 3rd Annual Harlem African Animation Festival


The festival will feature film screenings, panel discussions and a stage performance around African folktales. This is the first festival in the United States exclusively devoted to African animated films and series.
   New York City, NY; NYC
7:00 pm
Free

Book Discussion | The New Yorkers: 31 Remarkable People, 400 Years, and the Untold Biography of the World's Greatest City


From award-winning New York Times reporter Sam Roberts, the story of the world's most exceptional city, told through 31 little-known yet pivotal inhabitants who helped define it.
   New York City, NY; NYC
7:00 pm
Free

Book Discussion | Dante's Divine Comedy: A New Translation


Celebrate Joseph Luzzi's new translation and historical reception of Dante's Divine Comedy. He will be in conversation with Simone Marchesi, who is a contributor to the new illustrated The Divine Comedy.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:00 pm
Free

Classical Music | International Chopin & Friends Festival 2024: Piano Works


A celebration of Chopin’s 175th Death Anniversary. This concert will take the audience on a journey to modern times. It will be a true celebration of the instrument known as the king of all: the piano. The unique repertoire selected for the event will bring not just one but two pianists on stage.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:00 pm
Free

Concert | 'Tefilatah' (Her Prayer): The Female Experience Through the Eyes of Male Composers


This program offers a beautiful and culturally rich experience of how various male composers from different eras captured the female experience. It presents a rich tapestry of Jewish American and Israeli classical songs composed by male composers yet uniquely crafted from a female perspective and intended for the female voice. Spanning various epochs and musical styles, the repertoire celebrates the profound tradition of Jewish music and literature, emphasizing the distinctive contributions of these composers. Each song serves as a narrative milestone within this genre, offering compelling stories that resonate deeply. The themes explored within the songs are diverse, ranging from the struggles of battered women to the yearnings for love, homeland, wealth, and stability—themes that often come with a high emotional cost. Performed by soprano Ronit Widmann-Levy, this concert includes music by Kurt Weill, Menachem Wiesenberg, Daniel Akiva, Maurice Ravel, Sasha Argov, Oded Lerer, and Leonard Bernstein.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:30 pm
Free

Classical Music | Works by Beethoven, Poulenc, and More for Trombone and Piano


Sasha Romero, trombone; Nicole Abissi, trombone; Carlos Fernandez, trombone; Jennifer Hinkle, bass trombone; Ching-Chia Lin, piano. Program Sasha Romero, Identity Zoe Cutler, Scribbles (for 1 floppy fish) Sasha Romero, Songs for Sierra Poulenc (1899-1963), Quatre petites prieres de saint Francois d'Assise, FP. 142 Raymond Premru (1934-1998), Tissington Variations Beethoven (1770-1827), Rondo from Piano Sonata No. 8 in C Minor, Op. 13 (Sonata Pathetique)
   New York City, NY; NYC
7:30 pm
Free

Jazz | Jazz and Contemporary Music Fall Ensemble Festival


Artist-led ensembles featuring the musicians of now and tomorrow in an intimate setting. Tonight: Coltrane Ensemble
   New York City, NY; NYC
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8:00 pm
Free
Complimentary Tickets

to shows, concerts ... (CFT Deals!)

Theater | Family Theater Showcase

Regular Price: $49.50
CFT Member Price: $0.00

Play | Emmy Nominee in a Play About Lifelong Friendship

Regular Price: $44
CFT Member Price: $0.00
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