Garden Sets
NYBG and Harambee Dance Company celebrate Black History Month with a high-energy performance that reflects the majesty of the African diaspora through movement, modern dance forms, live percussion, and original music. In Swahili harambee means “let us pull together.” Artistic Director and resident choreographer Sandella Malloy pulls together the essence of African and African-American dance, presenting it from an innovative and contemporary perspective.
Recorded January, 2021. Film/Edit by Kaitlin Tyler. and Marlon Co.
Join us in the Home Gardening Center for a special Garden Set sung by Broadway's own Doreen Montalvo, and continue to celebrate Fiesta de Flores at Home.
A Bronxite, Montalvo is an original cast member of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony Award-winning musical In the Heights. She performed on Broadway in Mrs. Doubtfire and West Side Story, and can be seen in the upcoming film version of In the Heights. You can also hear Doreen’s voice in Disney’s Moana.
Recorded October, 2020. Film by Kaitlin Tyler.
Jazz pianist Harold O'Neal makes NYBG's Native Plant Garden his studio for #makemusicday.
While the Garden was temporarily closed due to COVID-19, we were happy to still be able to take part in the 14th annual Make Music New York—a festival with more than a thousand virtual performances presented by and for New Yorkers. These free concerts from throughout the five boroughs of New York City all take place annually on June 21, the first day of summer and longest day of the year. This year’s celebration features music makers of every level and background, representing our city’s unparalleled creativity, diversity, and perseverance.
In keeping with that spirit, jazz pianist Harold O’Neal joins NYBG for a performance recorded from the Native Plant Garden. Surrounded by water, trees, grasses, and wildflowers native to our area, O’Neal performs a mix of improvisations as well as variations on this year’s Solstice Singalong Song, “Imagine,” by John Lennon, which was selected by citywide audience vote. Inspired by the sights and sounds of nature, Harold’s music invites us to connect with our emotions and work to create the beauty we imagine in the world.
Recorded June, 2020. Video by Kaitlin Tyler.
Surrounded by lush, beautiful orchids, GRAMMY-nominated cellist Amanda Gookin performs classical selections by acclaimed contemporary female composers.Her performance, intercut with interviews with composers Leila Adu and Jessica Meyer, champions the resilience of the female spirit throughout history.
Recorded March 2021. Filmed by Kaitlin Tyler and Marlon Co. Edit by Kaitlin Tyler.
Together with the JOTB Collective, Judith Insell performs free jazz on the picturesque veranda of the Stone Mill.
This Garden Set brings Insell—a champion for musical diversity and music education advocacy—to the edge of the Thain Forest and the Bronx River for an improvisational performance with her avant-garde jazz ensemble, featuring Virg Dzurinko on piano, Eli Asher on trumpet, and Leonid Galaganov on percussion. Hear how they took inspiration from the sounds of nature for this set. and learn more here.
Recorded August, 2020. Film by Kaitlin Tyler.
Featuring short musical performances in a few of the Garden’s most stunning locations, Garden Sets are one of the most inspiring ways to experience the beauty of NYBG from home.
Today, join us for our second Garden Set, featuring Ali Dineen in the summer beauty of the Edible Academy. A stirring new voice on the American music scene, Ali’s lyrics highlight the intersections between personal experience, larger histories, and systems of power.
Recorded July, 2020. Film by Kaitlin Tyler.
Two stars from the New York Philharmonic, principal clarinetist Anthony McGill and principal harpist Nancy Allen weave together a magical program of selected pieces by Debussy, Ravel, Satie, and J.S. Bach. Surrounded by brilliant water lilies and lotuses at their peak, McGill and Allen will deliver a rich and mesmerizing set that permeates the Conservatory Courtyards.
Recorded August, 2020. Film by Kaitlin Tyler.
As part of Climate Week NYC, NYBG's second annual Climate Change Arts Exchange performing arts showcase goes virtual with presentations by the acclaimed Biophilia Records duo, Endless Field and the 2020 National Youth Poet Laureate, Meera Dasgupta.
Recorded September, 2020. Film/Edit by Kaitlin Tyler and Maria Cruz.