Announcing Albany Symphony's 2022 American Music Festival TrailBlaze NY

from Emily MT

June 2 to June 5: Adventurous music exploring the voices of today in Troy & Cohoes
with performances by the Albany Symphony, the Dogs of Desire and special guest artists
June 11 to July 3: Free outdoor Symphony concerts across the region featuring local food and drinks, health and wellness events, kids activities & more, celebrating the completion of the Empire State Trail

Learn more and plan your summer adventure now at TrailBlazeNY.org


Music Director David Alan Miller and the musicians of your Albany Symphony announce the 2022 American Music Festival: TrailBlaze NY, a month-long celebration of new music in the Capital Region and Upper Hudson Valley. Join the Symphony for an intensive week of performances featuring the leading and emerging voices of our generation in Troy and Cohoes, and then hit the trail with Miller and the musicians as the orchestra presents free performances in Schuylerville, Kingston, Hudson, Schenectady, Albany and Amsterdam. 

"The Albany Symphony and I are excited and proud to present our 2022 American Music Festival: TrailBlaze NY, a celebration of New York State's glorious new Empire State Trail. Taking inspiration from our past celebrations of New York State history, Water Music NY and Sing Out, NY, we wanted to amplify the amazing story of the incredible 750-mile walking and cycling rail trail that now connects all residents of New York State to one another," Miller said. "Each weekend will focus on different communities, with a day of music and celebration followed free Albany Symphony orchestra performance. It's so much more than music—we'll be partnering with communities on all sorts of events, from historic kayak trips, to yoga on the trail, to a sunset chamber music happening at Olana National Historic Site, and percussion pop-up and chamber music performances. It will be an absolutely unforgettable month of sights, sounds and experiences highlighting our region." 

TrailBlaze NY is the Albany Symphony's latest regional tour of free concerts designed to spotlight the beauty, history and diversity of the region. The Empire State Trail, completed in 2020, connects Manhattan north to Canada and Albany west to Buffalo. In that spirit, the Albany Symphony is harnessing its role as pioneers of contemporary music to bring people together in celebration.

TrailBlaze NY is supported in part by New York State through a Market New York grant from I LOVE NY, the state's Division of Tourism, through the Regional Economic Development Council initiative, and the New York State Council on the Arts, with vital additional support from the National Endowment for the Arts and corporate and individual donors from across the region. 

The Festival kicks off with a wall-to-wall week of new music in Troy and Cohoes, including performances by the Albany Symphony at the historic Troy Savings Bank Music Hall and the Dogs of Desire, the Symphony's new-art chamber music group, at the historic Cohoes Music Hall. Both groups are led by Maestro Miller.

"The Troy and Cohoes week of the Festival will culminate on Saturday, June 4, in a magnificent evening of absolutely incredible recent orchestral music. Pulitzer Prizewinner John Corigliano's dazzling new Saxophone Concerto, "Triathlon," features astounding virtuoso and old friend of the Symphony Timothy McAllister, who will play a different member of the sax family—soprano, alto, and baritone—in each movement of the work. We are also deeply honored that the legendary John Williams has allowed us to give the American Premiere of his new "Prelude and Scherzo" for Piano and Orchestra with my dear friend Gloria Cheng as soloist. A fabulous new work by Gabriella Smith, "Field Guide," celebrating birdsong, and Steven Stucky's luminous "Radical Light" round out this engaging program," Miller said.

In addition to the Albany Symphony concert, the Dogs of Desire will present a program of five world premieres inspired by the Empire State Trail. The week also features recitals by Cheng and the quartet Sandbox Percussion, special chamber music performances, and more. (See complete schedule below.)

After Troy and Cohoes, the Albany Symphony, David Alan Miller and local musical guests hit the trail to present free outdoor concerts and events in Schuylerville at Hudson Crossing Park, in Hudson at Basilica Hudson with a special wind quintet sunset concert the following day at Olana National Historic Site, in Schenectady at Mohawk Harbor, in Albany at Jennings Landing, and in Amsterdam at Riverlink Park. Each stop features a daytime schedule of health and wellness events on and around the Empire State Trail, hiking and cycling opportunities, free activities for kids, craft food and drink selections by local vendors and more, tailored to celebrate the bountiful offerings of each community.

At 7:30 p.m. at each stop, the Albany Symphony will present a program featuring new music and summertime favorites including music by John Williams and John Philip Sousa, plus a folk-song sing-along. Many of the stops will feature a post-concert fireworks display.

"TrailBlaze NY is a unique opportunity for people from all over the Northeastern US and Canada to discover some of the most extraordinary towns in New York State and the glorious nature that surrounds them," Miller said. "I hope all our friends and supporters will also join us to celebrate New York State in all its wonder and natural beauty, as well as our resilient communities and the things that connect us and bring us together, all the trails we explore, real and imagined." 
 
ABOUT THE ALBANY SYMPHONY
The Albany Symphony celebrates our living musical heritage through its adventurous programming, commissioning and recording of new work, and broad community engagement beyond the concert hall. 

Recognized as one of the American's most innovative and creative orchestras, the two-time GRAMMY® Award-winning Albany Symphony is renowned for virtuosic performances featuring classic orchestral favorites, lesser-heard masterworks, and a diverse array of new music from leading and emerging voices of today. The Symphony has received more ASCAP Awards than any other orchestra in America, as well as several GRAMMY® nominations, including the orchestra's most recent win in 2021.

Led by Music Director David Alan Miller, now in his 30th year, the Symphony presents a core classical series throughout the region, each featuring a world-premiere or recent composition; a multi-day American Music Festival that celebrates established and emerging living composers; performances by its cutting-edge new music chamber ensemble, the Dogs of Desire; and a family series and holiday concerts in collaboration with youth performing arts groups. The Albany Symphony's award-winning education programs serve all ages, from Tiny Tots concerts to library talks and pre-concert Classical Conversations. Symphony in Our Schools brings musicians into classrooms for interactive music education, and Literacy-through-Songwriting, its in-school composer residency program, empowers youth to tackle issues of diversity and self-expression through songwriting, storytelling, improvisation, and teamwork. 

Founded in 1930 in New York's Capital Region, the Albany Symphony serves a diverse regional audience covering more than seven counties and parts of three states. In addition to an eight-concert subscription season, an annual multi-day American Music Festival including performances by the orchestra's genre-bending ensemble Dogs of Desire, and a host of education and community outreach events, the Albany Symphony regularly serves as an ambassador for new music and Upstate innovation beyond the Capital Region. The Symphony is the only organization to have made multiple appearances at Carnegie Hall's invitational Spring for Music festival, and past special Symphony initiatives include 2017's Water Music NY tour, which drew nearly 25,000 people to concert events in seven towns along the historic Erie Canal. In each of the canal towns, the Symphony commissioned emerging composers to collaborate with local arts organizations to create a new orchestral piece to express each town's unique heritage. 

As a leader in the creation, performance, and recording of new orchestral music, the Albany Symphony is reshaping the nation's musical legacy.

ABOUT DAVID ALAN MILLER
Two-time Grammy Award winning conductor David Alan Miller has established a reputation as one of the leading American conductors of his generation. As music director of the Albany Symphony since 1992, Miller has proven himself a creative and compelling orchestra builder. Through exploration of unusual repertoire, educational programming, community outreach, and recording initiatives, he has reaffirmed the Albany Symphony's reputation as the nation's leading champion of American symphonic music and one of its most innovative orchestras. He and the orchestra have twice appeared at "Spring For Music," an annual festival of America's most creative orchestras at New York City's Carnegie Hall, and at the SHIFT Festival at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Other accolades include Columbia University's 2003 Ditson Conductor's Award, the oldest award honoring conductors for their commitment to American music, the 2001 ASCAP Morton Gould Award for Innovative Programming, and, in 1999, ASCAP's first-ever Leonard Bernstein Award for Outstanding Educational Programming. 

Frequently in demand as a guest conductor, Miller has worked with most of America's major orchestras, including the orchestras of Baltimore, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Houston, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and San Francisco, as well as the New World Symphony, the Boston Pops, and the New York City Ballet. In addition, he has appeared frequently throughout Europe, the UK, Australia, and the Far East as guest conductor. Since 2019, Miller has served as Artistic Advisor to the Little Orchestra Society in New York City, and, from 2006 to 2012, served as Artistic Director of "New Paths in Music," a festival of new music from around the world, also in New York City. 

Miller received his most recent Grammy Award in 2021 for his recording of Christopher Theofanidis' Viola Concerto, with Richard O'Neill and the Albany Symphony, and his first Grammy in 2014 for his Naxos recording of John Corigliano's "Conjurer," with the Albany Symphony and Dame Evelyn Glennie. His extensive discography also includes recordings of the works of Todd Levin with the London Symphony Orchestra for Deutsche Grammophon, as well as music by Michael Daugherty, Kamran Ince, Michael Torke (London/Decca), Luis Tinoco, and Christopher Rouse (Naxos). His recordings with the Albany Symphony include discs devoted to the music of John Harbison, Roy Harris, Morton Gould, Don Gillis, Aaron J. Kernis, Peter Mennin, and Vincent Persichetti on the Albany Records label. He has also conducted the National Orchestral Institute Philharmonic in three acclaimed recordings on Naxos. 

A native of Los Angeles, David Alan Miller holds a bachelor's degree from the University of California, Berkeley and a master's degree in orchestral conducting from The Juilliard School. Prior to his appointment in Albany, Miller was associate conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. From 1982 to 1988, he was music director of the New York Youth Symphony, earning considerable acclaim for his work with that ensemble. Miller lives in Slingerlands, New York, a rural suburb of Albany.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

For inquiries contact Robert Pape, Albany Symphony Director of Development & Marketing,
at 518-465-4755 x144, 585-739-5265 (cell), or [email protected]

TROY & COHOES NEW MUSIC WEEK
Albany Symphony's annual American Music Festival featuring performances by the Symphony and our new-art chamber orchestra Dogs of Desire as well as special guests. 

THURSDAY, JUNE 2
Dogs of Desire Open Rehearsal
3pm, Cohoes Music Hall (free)
Gloria Chang Piano Recital
7:30pm, Troy Savings Bank Music Hall ($10)

FRIDAY, JUNE 3 
Prevue Talk
Noon, Bethlehem Public Library (free)
Dogs of Desire Concert
7:30pm, Cohoes Music Hall ($42)
Featuring world premieres by Natalie Draper, Jack Frerer, Bobby Ge, Loren Loiacono, and Andre Myers
Late Night Lounge: Jordan Taylor Hill
10pm, Table 41 Brewing Co. ($10)

SATURDAY, JUNE 4 
"Endangered" Chamber Performance
9:30am, St. Paul's – Troy (free)
Sandbox Percussion Recital
3pm, Location TBA – Troy ($10 general admission)
Albany Symphony: TrailBlaze!
7:30pm, Troy Savings Bank Music Hall ($20-$62)
John Williams' Prelude and Scherzo (American Premiere) feat. pianist Gloria Cheng, John Corigliano's Triathalon for Saxophone and Orchestra feat. saxophonist Timothy McAllister, and Steven Stucky's Radical Light. 
Late Night Lounge: Carol Daggs
10pm, Lucas Confectionery, ($10)

SUNDAY, JUNE 5
VegOut at Monument Square
11:30am ensemble performance, Troy (free)
Inuksuit – group percussion performance
4pm, Troy Riverfront Park (free)
"First Draughts" Reading Session & Beer Tasting
7pm, Troy Savings Bank Music Hall (free)

ALBANY SYMPHONY ON THE TRAIL!

SCHUYLERVILLE - SATURDAY, JUNE 11 - HUDSON CROSSING PARK
Morning and afternoon boat tours by Mohawk Maiden Crusies, guided bike rides, drumming circle/ukulele meet-up, historical tours of the area as well as:
NYS Mesonet Weather Station
Upstate Kayak Group Paddle rentals
Lake George Arts Project local art sale
Philip Schuyler House – open for tours/visitors
5pm – Food and drinks available from local vendors
5pm – Free KidsZone activities
6pm – Opening act performance: Wa Lika Band
7:30pm – Albany Symphony Concert
Takuma Itoh: Endangered Species, Aaron Copland: Appalachian Spring, Viet Cuong: Re(new)al for Percussion Quartet and Orchestra, and popular favorites by John Williams, John Philip Sousa, and a folk song sing-a-long!

KINGSTON - SUNDAY, JUNE 19 - HUTTON BRICKYARDS
8am to 10am – Self-guided cycle and hike in Sojourner Truth State Park
10am to 4pm – Activities in the Rondout
10am bike clinic
10:30am guided bike ride hosted by Kingston YMCA and Bike Friendly Kingston
11am – 12:30pm healing sounds with Root3d
Hudson River Maritime Museum tours
Trolley Museum tours
5pm – Food and drinks available from Hutton Brickyards and other area vendors
5pm – Free KidsZone activities and Dad Joke Contest
6:15pm – Opening act performance: Taina Asili
7:30pm – Albany Symphony Concert
Lauren Loiacono: new work, Aaron Copland: Appalachian Spring, Viet Cuong: Re(new)al for Percussion Quartet and Orchestra, and popular favorites by John Williams, John Philip Sousa, and a folk song sing-a-long!
Post-concert fireworks

HUDSON - FRIDAY, JUNE 24 - BASILICA HUDSON
5pm – Food and drinks available from local vendors
5pm – Free KidsZone activities in with The Kite's Nest
6pm – Opening act performances – Mundo Nuevo and Devesh Chandra
7:30pm – Albany Symphony Concert
Jack Frerer: new work, Aaron Copland: Appalachian Spring, Viet Cuong: Re(new)al for Percussion Quartet and Orchestra, and popular favorites by John Williams, John Philip Sousa, and a folk song sing-a-long!
Post-concert fireworks

HUDSON - SATURDAY, JUNE 25 - AROUND HUDSON
10am to 1pm – Family Fun activities at Henry Hudson Waterfront Park
10am to 5pm – Thomas Cole National Historic Site tours
1pm to 4pm – Trail Sessions at Olana State Historic Site
7pm – Olana Summer Sunset Concert featuring Albany Symphony musicians, in partnership with Olana State Historic Site and New York State Parks

SCHENECTADY - FRIDAY, JULY 1 - MOHAWK HARBOR
8am to 10am – Morning trail activities including a cycling excursion
10am – Historical Schenectady Kayak Tour with Upstate Kayak Rentals
10am to 2pm – miSci Colorful Chemistry STEAM activity
11am to 12:30pm – Mushroom identification walk with Collar City Mushrooms
2pm to 5pm – Ale Trail Scavenger Hunt
5pm – Food and drinks available from local vendors
5pm – Free KidsZone activities
6pm – Opening act performance – Flame the Band
7:30pm – Albany Symphony Concert
Bobby Ge: new work, Aaron Copland: Appalachian Spring, Viet Cuong: Re(new)al for Percussion Quartet and Orchestra, and popular favorites by John Williams, John Philip Sousa, and a folk song sing-a-long!
Post-concert fireworks

ALBANY - SATURDAY, JULY 2 – JENNINGS LANDING
10am to 2pm – Healing and Wellness on the Trail with Root3d – stations based on the seven chakras
10am to 11:30am – Group bike ride led by Albany Bike Coalition
Time TBA – Interactive visual arts activities led by Albany Barn
5pm – Food and drinks available from local vendors
5pm – Free KidsZone activities and a Zalda Hotaling drum-making demo
6pm – Opening act performance TBA
7:30pm – Albany Symphony Concert
Andre Myers: new work, Aaron Copland: Appalachian Spring, Viet Cuong: Re(new)al for Percussion Quartet and Orchestra, and popular favorites by John Williams, John Philip Sousa, and a folk song sing-a-long!
Post-concert fireworks

AMSTERDAM - SUNDAY, JULY 3 – RIVERLINK PARK
Morning trail activities (times TBA) including:
Morning yoga on the Mohawk Valley Gateway Bridge
Birdwatching on the trail
Bike ride with Capital Movement
A bike skills class
5pm – Food and drinks available from local vendors
5pm – Free KidsZone activities
5:30pm – Waterski Show (always a crowd favorite!)
6:45pm – Opening act performance by Jordan Taylor Hill
7:30pm – Albany Symphony Concert
Natalie Draper: new work, Aaron Copland: Appalachian Spring, Viet Cuong: Re(new)al for Percussion Quartet and Orchestra, and popular favorites by John Williams, John Philip Sousa, and a folk song sing-a-long!
Post-concert fireworks

Programs and events subject to change.
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