free things to do in New York City
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Free Events, Free Things to Do in New York City! Read More
Where else but in New York City can you listen to a world-class musician, discuss a book with a famous author, take a part in poetry reading, have a glass of wine at an art exhibition opening, and all that on the same day, and all that free of charge, and all of that on any day of the year, whether it's December or July, April or November!
The trick is to know about those free events, free things to do BEFORE they happen, not after the fact. That's where Club Free Time comes in handy! Become a Club Free Time member and start using these unique New York City (NYC) opportunities today, February 21, 2025!
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Club Free Time is your perfect guide to Free Entertainment and Free Culture in the City That Never Sleeps.
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In addition to providing information about free events, free things to do in New York City (NYC), Club Free Time offers its members complimentary tickets to classical music concerts, dance performances and theater: when a producer wants that special buzz of the 'full house' - Club Free Time members are welcomed for their enthusiasm and sophistication!
Join the Club!
Get a taste of free culture and free entertainment in New York City (NYC)!
Join the Club!
Experience an entirely new perspective on New York. 'Open up a whole new cultural world... in one of the most vibrant capital cities in the world, sampling cultural delights beyond anyone's wildest dream.' Rupert Parker, journalist, photographer, cameraman, and TV producer
February 21, 2025. Free shows, free concerts, free movies, free tours, free readings, worshops, lectures, etc. are New York's best kept secret! Learn all about it and do not miss the unique opportunities that only New York provides: NYC never ceases to amaze you with quantity and quality of its free culture and free entertainment whether it's day or night, weekday or weekend, summer or winter, spring or fall, January or June, May or September. If you are looking for inexpensive things to do and where to go in Manhattan today, tonight, tomorrow, or any other time, or any other day of any week - you came to the right place: just click on any day on the calendar dispayed on the every page of our site and you will see how many events you can attend in Manhattan free of charge on that very day.
New York's cultural scene is at its busiest in October and March (and the same goes for free events, free things to do), but other months of the year still offer incredible amount of high quality, off the beaten path, unique free events, free things to do which will take your breath away! So if you looking for something to do in April or November, December or February, you will find tons of free things to do, free events to go to. (In June, July and August lots of those free events take place outdoors, of course).
So start using these unique New York City opportunities today, February 21, 2025!
Where else but in New York City can you listen to a world-class musician, discuss a book with a famous author, take a part in poetry reading, have a glass of wine at an art exhibition opening, and all that on the same day, and all that free of charge, and all of that on any day of the year, whether it's December or July, April or November!
The trick is to know about those free events, free things to do BEFORE they happen, not after the fact. That's where Club Free Time comes in handy! Become a Club Free Time member and start using these unique New York City (NYC) opportunities today, February 21, 2025!
Join the Club!
Club Free Time is your perfect guide to Free Entertainment and Free Culture in the City That Never Sleeps.
Join the Club!
Free things to do, free events that take place in New York City every day of the year are truly amazing. So if you're looking for something interesting to do today (February 21, 2025) or on any other day of the year don't miss those free-of-charge opportunities that only New York provides! You can find lots of high quality, off the beaten path, unique free events, free things to do which will take your breath away!
In addition to providing information about free events, free things to do in New York City (NYC), Club Free Time offers its members complimentary tickets to classical music concerts, dance performances and theater: when a producer wants that special buzz of the 'full house' - Club Free Time members are welcomed for their enthusiasm and sophistication!
Join the Club!
Get a taste of free culture and free entertainment in New York City (NYC)!
Join the Club!
Experience an entirely new perspective on New York. 'Open up a whole new cultural world... in one of the most vibrant capital cities in the world, sampling cultural delights beyond anyone's wildest dream.' Rupert Parker, journalist, photographer, cameraman, and TV producer
Join the Club!
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!
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!
Let New York City surprise, stimulate, entertain and excite you! Read More
Don't miss the unique opportunities that only New York provides:
- free concerts in NYC
- free movies in NYC
- free jazz in NYC
- free poetry readings in NYC
- free tours/hikes in NYC
- free city walks in NYC
- free Yoga /Tai Chi in NYC
- fairs and parades in NYC
- free theater in NYC
- free tickets to concerts, theater and dance performances in NYC
'New York is abuzz with so much culture that they're giving it away.' (The New York Times article about Club Free Time).
Editor's Picks
38 free things to do in New York City (NYC) today:
Friday, February 21, 2025
All events are free unless otherwise noted.Workshop | Tai Chi
Improve balance, strength and focus through gentle exercises. The sights and sounds of the river provide a serene background for the ancient flowing postures.
New York City, NY; NYC
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8:30 am
Free
Free
Workshop | Zumba Gold Workout
A low-impact workout set to a fusion of Latin, International and popular music dance themes, creating a dynamic, exciting, effective fitness system! The routines feature aerobic fitness interval training with a combination of fast and slow rhythms that challenge both the heart and muscles. With fun music and easy-to-follow steps, you can’t go wrong. Instructor: Melissa Perez
New York City, NY; NYC
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9:00 am
Free
Free
Conference | Kafka and The Non-Human
Following the centenary of Kafka's death in 1924, eight internationally known scholars confer on the question of the non-human in Kafka's writing and thinking--animals, bugs, machines, inhuman humans, ghosts, things that have a human-like characteristics and other phenomena in his strange but timely fictional universe.
New York City, NY; NYC
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9:30 am
Free
Free
Workshop | Adult Zumba
Featuring easy-to-follow Latin dance choreography. Work on your balance, coordination and range of motion.
New York City, NY; NYC
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10:00 am
Free
Free
Museums | Asian Art and Culture Museum
The museum features a diverse collection of artworks, including traditional and contemporary pieces from various Asian cultures. 2 pm: guided tour.
New York City, NY; NYC
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11:00 am
Free
Free
Museums | Family Fun at a Historical Site: Valentine Like a Sailor
Enjoy interactive activities and engagement stations for visitors of all ages. Incorporate 19th-century maritime craft traditions into your handmade Valentine’s Day cards and unique trinkets for the holiday. You will also learn the history of Sailors' Valentines—symbols of love and friendship. You can also browse galleries and learn about ships, life at sea and more.
New York City, NY; NYC
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11:00 am
$1, registration required
$1, registration required
Screening | NY Indigenous Animation Celebration
The museum’s Animation Celebration! features eight creative Indigenous animated films that offer colorful stories of magical tales, humorous encounters, and hidden histories. Screenings of this 60-minute program will begin at 11 AM, 1 PM, and 3 PM.
New York City, NY; NYC
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11:00 am
Free
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
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
Free
Book Discussion | Black Freedom and Education in Nineteenth-Century Cuba: Teachers' Legacies (online)
Dr. Raquel Alicia Otheguy examines the educational legacy of Afro-Cuban teachers and activists
New York City, NY; NYC
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1:00 pm
Free
Free
Book Discussion | Polls, Pollsters, and Public Opinion: A Guide for Decision-Makers (online)
What role do polls, pollsters and public opinion play in our democracy, beyond providing the news media with election “horse races”? And how reliable are polls anyway? What do leading pollsters understand about the mood and opinions of Americans? Cliff Young, our February 21, 2025 guest on Fridays@1, will be able to answer those questions and more. Author Cliff Young is President of Polling and Societal Trends at Ipsos, a leading global polling company, and an expert on public opinion trends, policy trends and priorities. He is a frequent writer, analyst, and media commentator on elections, public opinion and consumer behavior and can regularly be seen on Bloomberg, Fox, and CSPAN. He also teaches courses on on public opinion and forecasting at Johns Hopkins SAIS and Columbia University.
New York City, NY; NYC
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1:00 pm
Free
Free
Film | A Ballerina's Tale (2015): documentary
A Ballerina's Tale is a 2015 documentary film revolving around the career of Misty Copeland, who serves as the narrator of the film as well as its subject. Following a prodigious rise, Misty Copeland becomes the first African-American woman to occupy the position of principal dancer in the American Ballet Theatre. Director: Nelson George
New York City, NY; NYC
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1:00 pm
Free
Free
Discussion | Psychedelic Buddhism 2025
At this key moment for our culture across both Buddhism and psychedelics, practitioners, teachers, and community leaders gather for a day of deep dialogue, practical exploration, and community building. Psychedelic Buddhism 2025 creates a space where we can openly discuss the intersection of Buddhist wisdom and psychedelic practices, sharing methods and insights that serve our communities.
New York City, NY; NYC
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1:00 pm
Free
Free
Museums | Tour - Arts and Cultural Heritage of Spain and Portugal: Goya, El Greco and Others
Explore the best items this museum has on display with this guided tour. Paintings, sculptures, ceramics, antiquities, and more by world-famous artists.
New York City, NY; NYC
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2:00 pm
Free
Free
Workshop | A Meeting of the New York Correspondence School: A Mail Art Worshop
Greenwich Village has a long history as a home for radical avant-garde artists. Ray Johnson, a queer artist and the so-called “father of Mail Art,” began his New York Correspondence School in this very neighborhood. Throughout the 1960s and 70s, Johnson hosted a number of New York Correspondence School meetings, which often took the form of Happening-meets-workshop. These meetings, first in person and by mail invitation only, evolved into conceptual “meetings” that occurred through a series of additive postal correspondences. Stop by this workshop to learn more about “New York’s most famous unknown artist” and make a piece of Johnson-inspired mail art of your own.
New York City, NY; NYC
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3:00 pm
Free
Free
Talk | Nuyorican Aesthetics: Exploring the Life and Works of Artist Mariposa María Teresa Fernandez
Joseph Cáceres of the Nuyorican Poets Cafe Founders Archive Project will introduce Nuyorican poetics and scholarship. Mariposa María Teresa Fernandez will discuss Nuyorican aesthetics as well as her personal experience with the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, providing insights from her distinguished career as an artist, educator, and organizer.
New York City, NY; NYC
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4:00 pm
Free
Free
Museums | American History and Artifact Collections
Enjoy a stroll through galleries of an extensive collection of American art, learn about the history of New York and the USA. Last admission is at 7 pm.
New York City, NY; NYC
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5:00 pm
Pay-what-you-wish, reservation required
Pay-what-you-wish, reservation required
Museums | Modern Art: From The 19th Century to the Present Day
Experience the exhibits in the museum galleries which include paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints, photographs, films, videos, and much more.
New York City, NY; NYC
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5:00 pm
Free
Free
Screening | Secret Sixteen Screening
This event pairs 16mm films from the Cinema Studies Archive with lo-fi gems, oddball curiosities, and pre-internet obscurities. There's a surprise here for everyone.
New York City, NY; NYC
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5:00 pm
Free
Free
Classical Music | Bach, Respighi, Alvars, Hindemith and Faure Played By Harpist
Program Gabriel Faure (1845-1924) Impromptu, Op. 86 Paul Hindemith (1895-1963) Sonate fur Harpe J. S. Bach Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 565 Elias Parish Alvars (1808-1849) Introduction and Variations from Bellini's Opera 'Norma' Ottorino Respighi (1879-1936) 6 Pieces for Piano: Notturno
New York City, NY; NYC
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5:30 pm
Free
Free
Workshop | Friday Games Social
While Blood on the Clocktower is the spotlight event, they do offer in rotation other social deduction titles such as Ultimate Werewolf, Avalon, Bank Heist, Feed the Kraken, Night of the Ninja, etc. If the social deduction theme doesn't interest you, there are a variety of other popular games such as Azul, Codenames, The Crew, Inside Job, Splendor, Ticket to Ride, Werewords and much more. For the adventurous, there are new and work in-progress games available for testing. Be part of some memorable moments and entertaining stories. They welcome and accommodate players of all skill levels.
New York City, NY; NYC
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5:30 pm
Free
Free
Film | JJ (2023): Experimental Feminist Film
French artists Pauline Boulba and aminata labor screen their new film, an experimental ode to writer Jill Johnston inspired by feminist classic, The Watermelon Woman (1996). Post-screening conversation to follow, with the artists.
New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free
Free
Performance | Late, Late Frogs: Aristophanes on Network Television
Octavio Vourvoulias' adaptation recontextualizes the last section of Aristophanes’ Frogs–the agon sophias between the shades of Aeschylus and Euripides in the Underworld—into a televised debate between two popular musicians of different genres and generations, in the present-day. These artists argue about which one of them pursues a more effective type of social activism in their music. Aeschylus is represented by Andy Page, a classic rocker whose politics are rooted in the folk movement and the protests against the Vietnam War. Embodying Euripides is E-Danger, a younger, nonbinary pop-adjacent artist with a more cynical worldview informed by issues like the financial crisis, social media, and climate change. The debate is moderated by the show’s host, standing in for Dionysus (who is not as unbiased as she should be), backed by the house band, Don Plutón Y Las Ranas. The debate, parallel to its Aristophanic equivalent, satirizes critical culture and genre labels, and interrogates the role of art in political activism. Octavio Vourvoulias is an actor and playwright based in Brooklyn. He graduated with a degree in Classics from Columbia University last year.
New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free
Free
Opening Reception | Of The Echoes: Sculptures and Paintings
For London-based Seohyun Oh, the world is an ever-evolving entity, where even seemingly static forms pulse with an inherent vitality. Oh's painted landscapes, far from literal depictions, are abstracted into fluid representations that transcend the conventional, revealing an underlying rhythm of movement and energy. For Brooklyn-based Nilson, the salvaging and revitalization of debris is fundamental to his sculptural practice. His studio, a dense repository of found objects scoured from both urban and natural landscapes, contains specimens, curiosities, and other raw materials. Nilson sources these objects from interstitial spaces - between roadways and wooded areas, land and water - places where everyday artifacts accumulate.
New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free
Free
Classical Music | Cello Works by Bach, Kodaly and More (in-person and online)
Cellist Allen Liang performs a program of solo cello works. Program includes J. S. Bach’s Cello Suite No. 5, Kodaly’s Solo Sonata, Op. 8, and the world premiere of Morning Music, a new work by the Allen Liang.
New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free
Free
Classical Music |
Piano Works by Bach and Beethoven
Spend an early evening with pianist Tarik Kaan Alkan as he plays two profound, late-career works from Bach and Beethoven. Program J.S. Bach (1685-1750) The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080: Contrapunctus 1 and 4 Beethoven (1770-1827) Piano Sonata No. 32, Op. 111
New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free
Free
Opening Reception | Ten Thousand Crystals: Vivid Paintings
In Ten Thousand Crystals, Ben Tong immerses the onlooker in a world of vivid jewel tones. Nightscapes and still lifes pulse with hidden energy, while gestural streaks and splashes of paint move across the canvas like light beams refracting and reflecting. The paintings, glowing like stained glass, transform familiar forms into shimmering fragments.
New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free
Free
Book Discussion | Inspired and Outraged: The Making of a Feminist Physician
Alice Rothchild‘s free verse autobiography. Rothchild will read from her remarkable account of her journey from 1950’s good girl to irreverent, feisty, feminist obstetrician-gynecologist forging her own direction in the contradictory, sexist world of medicine. Coming of age in the turbulent 1960s, she was compelled to create a path in the often outrageous, male-dominated medical field, opening an all-woman practice, working with midwives, challenging the status quo, shaped by her early involvement with Our Bodies Ourselves. Rothchild’s poems are steeped in the often-shocking history of medicine and the conflicted sexual politics of the second half of the twentieth century.
New York City, NY; NYC
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6:30 pm
Free
Free
Performance | Moist Futures: Cripto Sirena Chronicles: Performance Art and Conversation
Moist Futures: Cripto Sirena Chronicles is a performative encounter that blurs the lines between artist talk, poetry, drag, and collective body activations. Drawing inspiration from the collaborative sci-fi fable Cripto Sirenas, the event invites the audience to immerse themselves in a speculative world where fluidity, interconnectedness, and resistance reshape the narrative of extractivist technology and Web-3 ecology. The evening will open with a poetry reading by Lucy Tomasino in Spanish, weaving a tale of ecofeminist resilience, through selected texts. Alongside body activation Sunny Pfalzer guides the audience through the evening, exploring the interconnectedness of body, voice, and world, syncing into a collective resonance and activating the body as technology. As the audience dives deeper into the Cripto Sirenas fable through a reading by Anna Ehrenstein, Alexa Evangelista, joins virtually in drag in her role as the crypto bailarina, embodying a multifaceted humanoid savior whose fluidity and transformation defy the rigid binaries of tech-totalitarian rule. The evening concludes with a short reading of Josh Davilas, the 5th collaborator and author of "Blockchain Radicals - How Capitalism ruined Crypto and how to fix it" and a conversation and q&a with the artists on somatic, research based artistic collaboration.
New York City, NY; NYC
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6:30 pm
Free
Free
Book Club | Hurrican Season by Fernanda Melchor
The Witch is dead. And the discovery of her corpse has the whole village investigating the murder. As the novel unfolds in a dazzling linguistic torrent, with each unreliable narrator lingering on new details, new acts of depravity or brutality, Melchor extracts some tiny shred of humanity from these characters—inners whom most people would write off as irredeemable—forming a lasting portrait of a damned Mexican village.
New York City, NY; NYC
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7:00 pm
$5
$5
Book Discussion | Muse: Cicely Tyson and Me, A Relationship Forged in Fashion
Hear from fashion designer B Michael about his creative partnership with icon Cicely Tyson. In 2005, fashion designer B Michael received a phone call asking if he would be willing to dress Cicely Tyson for a high-octane weekend hosted by Oprah Winfrey. He said yes, and that first interaction led to decades of hand-holding friendship. Together they journeyed to the Academy Awards, the Emmy Awards, White House functions, and through the tenderest moments of Tyson’s final days.
New York City, NY; NYC
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7:00 pm
Free
Free
Film | Passing (2021): Historical Drama with Ruth Negga and Tessa Thompson
Passing is based on Nella Larsen's 1929 novel. It follows the lives of two African American women, Irene and Clare, who reconnect in 1920s Harlem. Irene, who lives as a Black woman in the community, becomes entangled in Clare's life, as Clare has been passing for white and married a racist white man. As their friendship deepens, tensions rise, exploring themes of identity, race, and the complexities of societal boundaries. Directed by Rebecca Hall Duration: 1h 38m Rated PG-13
New York City, NY; NYC
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7:00 pm
Free
Free
Concert | A Celebration of Black History Through Song, Dance, Theater and more
Celebrate Black history with performances by The New School's Mannes Orchestra, The School of Jazz and Contemporary Music's Gospel Chorus and Balance Dance Theatre. Works performed include Ricky Dillard's I've Got The Victory, Reggie Workman's New Stars on the Horizon and James Weldon Johnson's Lift Every Voice and Sing.
New York City, NY; NYC
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7:00 pm
Free
Free
Workshop | RISE UP Circuit Training
This bodyweight circuit will help you R.I.S.E UP: Reach new heights, inspire, strengthen your inner self, and elevate your fitness. Unlock your ultimate potential. Please bring a mat. Instructor: Detona Grant
New York City, NY; NYC
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7:00 pm
Free
Free
Opera | Iconic Works from Maria Callas's Repertoire
Soprano Heekyung Jung (Don Giovanni, La Traviata) pays tribute to some of the most beloved arias Maria Callas performed -- from La Boheme to Rigoletto. Interwoven is Jung's own story, as she looks back the transformative years that turned her into the singer she is today.
New York City, NY; NYC
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7:30 pm
Free
Free
Concert | Latin Music Ensemble Featuring 2 Flutists
Charanga 76 made their debut in 1976 during New York City's bicentennial celebrations, quickly gaining popularity with their unique blend of romantic ballad harmonies, salsa rhythms, and their breakout hit "Soy," which launched them into the international Latin music scene. Known for their innovative sound and for featuring female flutists Andrea Brachfeld and Karen Joseph--rare in charanga music--they continue performing with unstoppable energy and multiple crossover hits.
New York City, NY; NYC
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7:30 pm
Free
Free
Jazz | Jazz Singer With One Million+ Streams Performs Bernstein, Sondheim and more
Enjoy an evening of jazz music performed by Kate Kortum, whose breakout album Good Woman debuted to one million streams within its first month. Kortum's songs will range from Broadway staples to her own originals. Program Kate Kortum (N/A) Welcome (Into My Mind) and Notice The Love Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) Lucky To Be Me Stephen Sondheim (1930-2021) I Feel Pretty Harold Rome (1908-1993) Shopping Around Cecile McLorin Salvant (1989-) Obligation / When Does It Become Love Sondheim / Bernstein Something's Coming Frank Loesser (1910-1969) Guys and Dolls
New York City, NY; NYC
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8:00 pm
Free
Free
Classical Music | Violinist With 'Rich Sound' Plays Brahms, Wagner, Schumann and more (In Person AND Online!)
Audrey Park, who has been praised for her "excellent rhythmic drive,” will play emotional, expressive works from the Romantic period. Program Brahms (1833-1897)Violin Sonata No. 2 in A Major, Op. 100 and Contemplation, Op. 105, No. 1 Beach (1867-1944) Romance, Op. 23 Wagner (1813-1883) Albumblatt, WWV 94 “Romance” Clara Schumann (1819-1896) Three Romances, Op. 22 Kreisler (1875-1962) Liebeslied Love’s Sorrow Rachmaninoff (1873-1943) Vocalise, Op. 34 No. 14 Ysaÿe (1858-1931) Poème élégiaque, Op. 12
New York City, NY; NYC
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8:00 pm
Free
Free
Complimentary Tickets
to shows, concerts ... (CFT Deals!)
Musical | A Musical with Broadway Actors and Choreographer
Regular Price: $101CFT Member Price: $0.00
Classical Music | Prestigious Competition Winners Play Mozart, Chopin and more
Regular Price: $50.00CFT Member Price: $0.00
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