The wait is finally over! We’re thrilled to announce the tour dates for the 2015 Levitt National Tour, featuring the one and only Black Violin!
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You’ve probably heard the music of Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) sometime in your life—on the radio, at the grocery store, in the background of a TV show. But have you heard it in the subways?
Tomorrow is Bach in the Subways Day (BITSD), a celebration of Bach on the 330th anniversary of his birth. Musicians everywhere will be filling not just subways but all kinds of public spaces, including several near Levitt venues, with free, live performances of his music, increasing classical music’s accessibility to the public. Continue reading
These two gals bring together two of the things we love most here at Levitt Pavilions—you guessed it: groovin’ and green! Hope your St. Patrick’s Day is filled with both!
What do creativity, collaboration and improved academic performance all have in common?
They’re all benefits enjoyed by children who study music. Continue reading
We all know that music brings people together—just head to any Levitt venue during concert season and you’ll see people of all ages and backgrounds dancing, picnicking and enjoying free, live music under the stars.
But what happens when music pushes people apart?
That’s what Johnathan Chen, founder and CEO of nonprofit record label OneReasonRecordings, experienced when he moved from Texas to New York City in 2012. Although he saw homeless people nearly everywhere he went (there are over 60,000 in the city), he noticed that few passerby ever reached out to those most in need. Since many of these commuters were wearing headphones, Chen assumed music was making social issues easier to ignore.
Inspired, Chen, then a freshman at NYU, founded OneReasonRecordings (ORR), with the mission to promote music as a tool to combat social problems. Continue reading
What better way to celebrate Women’s History Month than to spotlight a group of determined female musicians who’ve pioneered their way into music history?
Here we celebrate one of the 15 talented members of Mariachi Divas de Cindy Shea, the all-female, two-time GRAMMY-winning mariachi group. Dedicating their lives to a genre that has traditionally been dominated by men, Cindy Shea and the ladies of Mariachi Divas de Cindy Shea have challenged gender stereotypes, creating some incredible music in the process. In 2009, the group became the first all-female mariachi group to earn a GRAMMY nomination and win. They’ve since been nominated five times and took home a second GRAMMY Award for Best Regional Mexican Music in 2013—an award which marked the first time any mariachi group (male or female) had received two GRAMMY awards.
Be sure to check out their recent album, 15 Aniversario, which celebrates 15 years of making music with one another. We can’t wait to see what these determined divas are up to next!
Past Levitt performances:
Levitt Los Angeles (2014, 2007)
Levitt Pasadena (2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006)
Ever found yourself on a beautiful grassy hill with the urge to throw your hands into the air and belt out, “The hills are alive…with the sound of music?” As music lovers—who happen to be particularly fond of filling beautiful green open spaces with melodious sounds—we’ve experienced this feeling many times.
50 years ago today—March 2, 1965—the one and only Julie Andrews sang her way into people’s hearts across the nation with the U.S. premiere of the Academy Award-winning film, The Sound of Music. Continue reading
Are you excited for the Levitt National Tour? In just a few months, Black Violin, the genre-busting pioneers of urban meets highbrow, will be bringing their show-stopping talent to six Levitt stages across the country: Levitt Arlington, Levitt Los Angeles, Levitt Memphis, Levitt SteelStacks, Levitt Pasadena and the future site of Levitt Denver.
We’ll be announcing their tour dates soon, but until then, here’s a taste of what’s to come! Earlier this month, the duo turned a plane ride into an impromptu show, breaking out their instruments for a rousing rendition of “A-Flat.” Check out their surprise performance!
Artists pictured above (clockwise, from top left): Barbara Morrison, Black Violin, Tia Fuller, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Gedeon Luke & the People, The Soul Rebels, Chubby Carrier, Ruthie Foster, Booker T. Jones and The Drifters)
African Americans have shaped many of the most iconic American music styles—gospel, jazz, rock and roll, funk, hip-hop…the list goes on and on. As we wrap up Black History Month, we’d like to celebrate the musical contributions of some of the many talented African American artists who’ve graced Levitt stages across the country. Continue reading
What better reason to come together than free, live music? Levitt lawns give families, friends and people of all ages and backgrounds a place to gather and enjoy a rich spectrum of music—discovering new worlds and one another in the process!
Here are four adorable girls doing what Leviteers do best—comin’ together and dancing without a care in the world!