WELCOME
Alumni & Friends of Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts
 |
 |
 |
|---|
ALUMNI & FRIENDS HIGHLIGHTS
Wednesday November 30th, 2022
Check out this PBS video including four alumni performing in the chorus at the NY Phil Reopening of David Geffen Hall!
Wayne Arthur (LaG '07), Cherisse Williams and Cherissia Williams (LaG '09), and Omar Bowey (LaG '11). The video will stream on PBS until December 2, 2022:
www.pbs.org/wnet/gperf/ny-phil-reopening-of-david-geffen-hall-about/14020/
This concert special led by the New York Philharmonic Music Director Jaap van Zweden inaugurates the newly renovated David Geffen Hall. Recorded October 28, the concert features a performance of “Ode to Joy” as the finale of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony along with a world premiere work by Puerto Rican composer Angélica Negrón celebrating the ritual of gathering around music and art. Under the baton of Music Director Jaap Van Zweden the concert features performances from soloists Joélle Harvey, Kelley O’Connor, Issachah Savage and Davóne Tineschorus for Ode to joy and “You are the Prelude” by Angelica Negron.
Tuesday November 29th, 2022
November 30 is the opening night of LaGuardia's All School Musical "Chicago" (teen edition)! Previews are on November 30 and December 1, and performances continue through December 10. Get your tickets before they're all gone at www.tix.com/ticket-sales/laguardiahs/699
Directed by LaG '08 alumnus and Drama Faculty, Gasparo Capobianco-DiBlasi and Conducted by Kevin Blancq.
Emma Gonzalez
Tuesday November 29th, 2022
Watch this amazing performance on Jimmy Fallon of Lorna Courtney (LaG '16 vocal), star of the new musical And Juliet Broadway!" Lorna was the recipient of numerous Alumni & Friends scholarships and awards that helped hone her craft and led her on her path to BROADWAY! She starred in the LaGuardia all-school musicals and she was an intern in the Alumni & Friends office! Go Lorna!
Brava!!
Saw her and cast in dress. Lorna was incredible. Will be back in January!
Tuesday November 29th, 2022
🎼Shoutout to LaGuardia’s Senior Chorus, who will perform the World Premiere of Eric Whitacre’s 'The Gift of the Magi' at Carnegie Hall on Tuesday, November 29, at 7:00 PM! Jana Ballard, Choral Director.
The Holiday Music of Eric Whitacre | Nov 29, 2022 at 7 PM
www.carnegiehall.org
Join DCINY and singers from around the world for an evening with one of today’s celebrated choral composers, Eric Whitacre. He leads the choir through a program of his popular holiday works, includi...Anybody in the all city orchestra get to play there? I know Joey did an all city Tympani stint with Zubin Mehta at Carnegie….I was good enough on violin for M and A, but not good enough for a Carnegie gig!!!! Wish I was in town Nov 29th!!!! Have a great gig!😀
That's awesome! Congratulations!
Joey who?
Monday November 28th, 2022
Tune into NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon on Monday, November 28th @ 11:35pm ET to see Lorna Courtney (LaG '16) perform LIVE with the cast of Broadway's new hit musical "& Juliet!"
Saw it on Saturday, it was fabulous and she was spectacular!
Saturday November 26th, 2022
We mourn the passing of Irene Cara, who starred as Coco Hernandez in The iconic 1980 “Fame.” While she was not an alumna of our school, she is certainly an honorary one, and we will always remember her name. 🎼🎹
theguardian.com/film/2022/nov/26/fame-and-flashdance-singer-and-actor-irene-cara-dies-aged-63
Fame and Flashdance singer and actor Irene Cara dies aged 63
amp.theguardian.com
The Oscar-winning What A Feeling singer, who played Coco Hernandez in 1980’s Fame, died at her home in FloridaRIP
No! 😥
Talented! ... attended several rehearsals for recording sessions early in her career...
Irene Cara Said This Before She Died | Warning Signs Were There😭😭 youtu.be/7x1pkl_n54s
Rip Legend.
...her beautiful voice will be forever. 🎶🎶🕊️
I was very sorry to hear.
What a tragedy! So multi-talented. RIP
🥀💔🥀💔🥀💔🥀💔🥀💔
🙏🏾🕊🙏🏾
RiP Queen
Whatttt so sad
She was a huge part of my childhood - hearing /watching her on Fame which made me want to be CoCo and go to LaG.. So blessed I did!! Thank you Irene Cara & May you Live forever and light up the sky like a flame 💫RIP 🫶🏻🙏🏼
She’ll live in our hearts and minds forever.
Remember... www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1gMQ_q3FSM
Surely she's lighting up the sky like a flame 🌟 So many M&A and PA folks were in the Fame movie, we've lost a beloved family member 💔🙏🏽
Tuesday November 22nd, 2022
Shoutout to Britt Shacham (LaG '14) whose project, COROMANCE, was featured in a WNBC news story that won the NY Emmy Award during the 65th Annual New York Emmy Awards!
Finding — and Documenting — Love in the Time of COVID
www.nbcnewyork.com
Brooklyn photography student Britt Shacham Bernstein is using people’s search for love during COVID to capture a different side of the pandemic. NBC New York’s Adam Harding reports.Monday November 21st, 2022
Read about George Lois (M&A '49) and his memorable ad campaigns and slogans, including "I want my MTV." He passed away on November 18 at age 91.
"He was Madison Avenue’s best-known 20th-century art director, who put the counterculture of the 1960s and ’70s into postwar advertising and created stunning covers for Esquire magazine that rebuked American racism and involvement in the Vietnam War.
Irascible and uncompromising, Mr. Lois created witty, irreverent campaigns that shattered the ham-handed advertising conventions that had relied on testimonials and romanticized images. In one campaign, a chimpanzee demonstrated the simplicity of a Xerox machine; in another, the former heavyweight champion Joe Louis, who was deep in debt to the I.R.S., appeared in a brokerage ad asking, 'Where were you when I needed you?'"
George Lois, Visionary Art Director, Is Dead at 91
www.nytimes.com
He brought the counterculture to advertising and designed memorable covers for Esquire magazine, many of them wordless critiques of American society.Marvelous
Friday November 18th, 2022
Happy #FiorelloFriday! Today we share about the first principal of the High School of Music and Art (from 1937-1959).
From his 1974 obituary in the NY Times: "Noting that only 10 to 15 percent of the school's students became professional artists or musicians, he said 'But that's not what we are after. We give them something they'll have all their lives.' He expressed the belief that students with talent in music and art generally will do superior work in their other courses, too."
An alumna from 1957 recently shared about Principal Steigman: "During the winter every Friday after school he, and lots of students, went to the Wollman ice skating rink in Central Park."
Yes they do!!!!
I have owned "Accent on Talent" for many years. It is quite self-congratulatory, and one amusing passage tells of Steigman being confronted with girls wanting to wear "slacks" to school (that generation would never say "pants," which suggested underpants or panties). He wrote this couplet: "Slacks are not for you intended, unless you are diminuended."
I remember him well
He was a treasure.
Charles Klein. Fyi
I remember Dr. Steigman well. He was a treasure. Slacks were allowed, simply out of necessity. Imagine trying to play the cello while wearing a skirt, or trying to sit at a potter's wheel in a skirt. Not practical.
I remember Dr. Steigman
One day in 2015, when the La Guardia HS library was throwing out books, I found Principal Steigman’s book about Music and Art HS, “Accent on Talent: New York’s High School of Music and Art” on the sidewalk. An amazing intellectual book about education at the school. I can imagine Principal Sorenson writing his own version of this work but cannot imagine the principals who came after him having the interest or the ability to even read it.
I bought his book as soon as it was published and still peruse it occasionally. I never met him in person but he was always someone we were aware of while we were students at that glorious school.
Amazing
A great man indeed! Class of 1956
A WONDER OF A MAN! Made a difference in the world.❤
Yes, he left a legacy of love of Art and Music throughout one’s life. Nina Raskin, class of winter, 1951
He was so open to all forms of art. In 1972, he submitted an entry to a playwriting contest at the University of Chicago. Didn’t win, but oh! what an expansive mind.
Thursday November 17th, 2022
Join artist Mary Frank (M&A '49) at her opening November 17, 6-7:30pm at DC Moore Gallery. The exhibit "What Color Courage?" is new and historic work by Mary Frank, featuring mixed media paintings, painted stones, sculptures, along with several groups of works on paper from 1990-2022. Through December 22, 2022.
DC Moore Gallery is located in Chelsea at 535 West 22nd Street, New York, NY.
www.dcmooregallery.com/exhibitions/mary-frank-what-color-courage
This is an exquisite exhibit.
Thursday November 17th, 2022
Get your tickets to LaGuardia's All-School Musical - CHICAGO Teen Edition! Performances are November 30-December 10, $30 per ticket ($20 for previews November 30 and December 1): www.laguardiahspa.org/all-school-musical
Please remember that we are following current DOE health and safety guidelines. All adult guests must show ID and proof of vaccination to enter a DOE building to attend a performance. Students do not need to provide proof of vaccination.
Showtimes are:
Wednesday, November 30 @ 5 pm (preview)
Thursday, December 1 @ 5 pm (preview)
Friday, December 2 @ 2 pm
Friday, December 2 @ 7 pm
Saturday, December 3 @ 2 pm
Saturday, December 3 @ 7 pm
Thursday, December 8 @ 7 pm
Friday, December 9 @ 7 pm
Saturday, December 10 @ 2 pm
Saturday, December 10 @ 7 pm.
Thursday November 17th, 2022
The LaGuardia Parents Association is selling raffle tickets for the Jingle Ball, which is a sold out holiday concert at Madison Square Garden on Friday, December 9. With Dua Lipa, Lizzo, Charlie Puth, Backstreet Boys, The Kid LAROI, AJR, Demi Lovato, Lauv, Ava Max, Dove Cameron, and Jax.
1 ticket for $20 - tinyurl.com/53j78xaf
6 tickets for $100 - tinyurl.com/3ny4s7ek
More about the Jingle Ball: www.msg.com/calendar/madison-square-garden-december-2022-z100s-jingle-ball
Tuesday November 15th, 2022
Playwright/Director Kotryna Gesait (LaG ‘08 Drama) has a show that opens November 16 at the Gene Frankel Theatre (24 Bond St, NYC, NY 10012). COCOON is a play of four stories intertwined to explore different phases of romantic love.
www.cocoonplay.com
Four stories intertwine to explore different phases of romantic love. Follow as we delve into the caverns of innocence, desire, and human connection both lost & found.Thursday November 10th, 2022
What a treat! Today ALL LaGuardia students, faculty, and staff will be attending a private performance of Kurt Jooss’ 'The Green Table' presented by The Paul Taylor Dance Company at Lincoln Center! www.davidhkochtheater.com/tickets-and-events/paul-taylor/
Principal Vasconcelos writes: "This is one of the most influential artistic works of the 20th century. To honor and revive this masterpiece, The Paul Taylor Dance Company recently presented The Green Table at Chatham, NY’s PS21, and at The 92nd Street Y. Now Paul Tayor is presenting it as part of Lincoln Center’s Fall 2022 season, and has scheduled a special, private performance just for LaGuardia. We are so grateful to be invited to this relevant and timeless example of how artists respond to war, conflict, reconciliation, and peace through their artistic medium."
Thursday November 10th, 2022
Shoutout to Joy Sunday (LaG '14, and former intern in the Alumni & Friends office!) for her role as Bianca in the upcoming Netflix series "Wednesday!" Premieres November 23, 2022. www.thelist.com/1057255/meet-the-cast-of-netflixs-wednesday/
She got her start in 2018 with a role on the Lucas Till show "MacGyver." Since then, she has appeared in the show "Yas Kween," "Dear White People," the horror film "The Beta Test," the Hulu film "Bad Hair," and the Channing Tatum-led film "Dog."
Fantastic 76'
wow... wonderful PA music 1958
Thursday November 10th, 2022
Check out the new single by Caroline Meade (LaG '19)! Caroline is currently studying at NYU's Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music.
Monday November 7th, 2022
Enjoy some of the Student Curated Art Show that opened on November 4! Mezzanine level of LaGuardia.
Thursday November 3rd, 2022
Come to LaGuardia tomorrow for the first student art exhibition of the school year! The opening of the Student Curated Art Show: REFLECTION is from 2pm to 7pm, Friday, November 4th. There is an additional viewing opportunity on Saturday, November 5th from 10am to 2pm.
Works are on display in the lobby, mezzanine, and in the second floor art gallery. Suggested admission is $15 for adults, $5 for students.
** Please be sure to bring proof of vaccination if you would like to come into the LaGuardia school building to see the exhibition. **
Thursday November 3rd, 2022
Look who came back to school! We are so grateful to opera singer Laquita Mitchell, LaG '94, who returned to LaGuardia to give master classes to vocal students. Her Soprano voice graced the halls and the students were mesmerized! A giant thank you to Malcolm J. Merriweather as well, who also worked with the students.
Pictured from left to right: T.J. Walker - accompanist and Musical Director of LaGuardia Gospel Choir, Darryl Jordan - LaGuardia Choir Director and Voice Instructor and Director of the LaGuardia Gospel Choir, Laquita Mitchell - Opera Singer and Voice Professor at Mannes College of Music and Brooklyn College, and Malcolm J. Merriweather - conductor, musical director and faculty at Brooklyn College, Director of the Dessoff Choirs and the newly appointed Conductor of the NY Philharmonic Chorus.
What a small world! I just sang with them with the Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus at Chautauqua. Lag Alum ‘11 here 🙂
Tuesday November 1st, 2022
Enjoy a snippet of the amazing performance by Béla Fleck at the Gabriel Kosakoff Memorial Concert on October 17! www.belafleck.com/
Tuesday November 1st, 2022
Congratulations to Lorna Courtney (LaG '16) on her starring role in Broadway's "& Juliet!" Lorna was the recipient of multiple Alumni & Friends scholarships and awards, which helped her hone her craft, and look at her now! Read her interview in Glamour! www.glamour.com/story/lorna-courtney-its-about-time
Show information at: andjulietbroadway.com/
Broadway Breakout Lorna Courtney Is Grateful to Be Here
www.glamour.com
The New York native opens up about her path to the stage and covering the the world's biggest pop icons.She's fabulous! So nice to hear.
Love these LaGuardia (The original “Fame” high school.)insider tips. Seems so many very fortunate and successful people got their start there. Thanks for sharing and keep em coming!
Tuesday November 1st, 2022
Shoutout to Adam Ali-Perez (LaG '11, Instrumental) on his Broadway debut in "Hamilton!"
He is a Universal Swing, working with the New York cast through December 2022. He will be covering multiple tracks, in different companies of "Hamilton" through 2023.
Welcome back and Congrats Adam Ali-Perez!!! 👏🏾🍾
Monday October 31st, 2022
Happy Halloween from the haunted halls of LaGuardia! 💀🎃👻 #lagoween2022
Hailey BG
Very cool 😎
Friday October 28th, 2022
If you're in Seattle, see Soprano Laquita Mitchell (LaG '94) October 30 in the title role of "Josephine"- Tom Cipullo’s one-act monodrama based on the life of singer and dancer Josephine Baker, who escaped racism in America and found fame and success in France as an artist, a French Resistance hero and a civil rights activist. The program is paired with the world premiere of MOR commission Wertheim Park by Lori Laitman – a dramatic song weaving music and poetry together in a deeply moving elegy for the Dutch Jews lost to the Holocaust – and chamber works by Holocaust-era composers Max Vredenburg and Erwin Schulhoff.
Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall at Benaroya Hall 200 University St Seattle, WA 98101
www.musicofremembrance.org
Join Singer and dancer Josephine Baker who escaped racism in America to find fame and success in France as an artist. Book your Tickets now!Friday October 28th, 2022
Enjoy some of the amazing Alumni Percussion Quintet from the Gabriel Kosakoff Memorial Concert on October 17, performing “Blue Rhythm” by Anthony Korf.
Four of the five alumni are playing the same parts they played at Music & Art in 1974! Justin DiCioccio conductor. Larry Aberman (‘82), Dan Druckman (‘76), Mark Sherman (‘75), Rand Steiger (‘75), Kenny Washington (‘76).
Ken & Dan was in my percussion ensemble classes & The Great Justin Di Cioccio was our Director & Teacher Amazing Performance
Ehran Elisha did you see this?
Ehran Elisha did you see this?
Thursday October 27th, 2022
We present the first LaG student concert of the year! Join us November 4 at 6:30pm for the LaGuardia Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Orchestra! Adults must show proof of vaccination and ID. Tickets are available online at laguardiahs.org/events and at the door (cash only).
Thursday October 27th, 2022
Congratulations to furniture designer Sophie Glenn (LaG '07)! Boston’s Society of Arts + Crafts announced that Sophie Glenn is the 2022 recipient of the John D. Mineck Fellowship, a high-profile award with an unrestricted $25,000 prize given annually to an early-career furniture artist. www.furninfo.com/furniture-industry-news/15666
Thanks for sharing!
Thursday October 20th, 2022
"Ron Carter: Finding the Right Notes" will air on PBS on Friday, October 21 at 9pm! We were so fortunate that he came to speak to LaGuardia jazz students - please enjoy the video!
"The jazz legend visits Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, alma mater to his two sons, to share insights from his life and music career with students studying jazz. Ron details how confronting racial injustices early in his career shaped his musical legacy."
Ron Carter: Finding the Right Notes | Ron Carter Visits LaGuardia High School | PBS
www.pbs.org
The jazz legend shares insights from life and music with high school jazz students.Dror Ben-Gur
I miss those rooms ❤
Ron Carter Jr. , yes we know and remember those days!😜
Thursday October 13th, 2022
Join us for the LaGuardia Faculty and Staff Art Show, Friday October 14, 1-7pm in the 2nd floor Art Gallery!
Wednesday October 12th, 2022
We look forward to celebrating the life and legacy of Gabriel Kosakoff on Monday, October 17 at 7pm in the LaGuardia Concert Hall. Please register today - tickets are free and advanced registration is required. www.eventbrite.com/e/gabriel-kosakoff-memorial-concert-october-17-tickets-422909974117Gabriel
Gabriel Kosakoff graduated from the High School of Music & Art in 1944, was part of the Instrumental Music Faculty beginning in 1956, and was the Chair of the department until 1991.
Former faculty member Justin DiCioccio is the music director for the event, which will feature performances by Bela Fleck, Larry Aberman, Daniel Druckman, Mark Sherman, Rand Steiger, Kenny Washington, and the LaGuardia High School Brass Ensemble.
The event will not be live-streamed but will be recorded for online viewing at a later date.
Gabriel Kosakoff Memorial Concert, October 17
www.eventbrite.com
Join us to honor the life and legacy of Gabriel KosakoffTuesday October 11th, 2022
THE TRILOGY CELEBRATION AT 2 ICONIC NYC THEATERS!
Apollo Theater and The Joyce Theater are partnering together to present a cross-town celebration of Camille A. Brown's (LaG '97) Trilogy of dance theater works on race, culture, and identity.
For the first time, Camille A. Brown & Dancers, will stage back-to-back performances of The Trilogy works: Mr. TOL E. RAncE (2012), BLACK GIRL: Linguistic Play (2015), and ink (2017) in a NYC celebration at two iconic New York cultural destinations—The Joyce Theater and The Apollo.
This presentation marks the first partnership between The Apollo—which has long been a partner, producer, and collaborator with artists and other cultural organizations, creating and presenting work that centers Black artists and voices from the African Diaspora—and The Joyce Theater, which has long championed Brown’s work and is committed to sustaining dance by supporting artists and educating audiences.
CLICK THIS LINK FOR TICKET INFORMATION: www.camilleabrown.org/upcoming
Tuesday October 11th, 2022
Read a great feature on Alma Schneider (M&A/LaG '86), a licensed social worker, who talks about her podcast “2 Moms No Fluff” - the uncensored truth about raising kids with disabilities.
“We want families to feel less isolated and more supported and empowered to become advocates for their children,” Schneider says. “We want the allies of the disability community, including healthcare workers, teachers, employers to learn what can be done to be more inclusive and sensitive to the needs of families with disabilities.”
psych.wisc.edu/news/alma-schneider-90-records-podcast-sharing-uncensored-truth-about-raising-kids...
Her podcast can be found here: 2momsnofluff.com/
2momsnofluff.com
2 Moms No Fluff, in addition to its popular podcast, provides advocacy, support and consulting for families of children with disabilities.Friday October 7th, 2022
Happy #fiorellofriday with the Jazz Orchestra! What a great way to start the day!
Looking forward to seeing Chicago this December at LaGuardia!
Friday September 30th, 2022
Happy #FiorelloFriday! Each Friday morning LaGuardia students perform in the lobby! There’s no place like LaGuardia!
This is when I consider writing a check for piano tuning….
My Alma Mater..Class of 1970
Thursday September 29th, 2022
Congratulations to composer/songwriter/bassist/record producer Marcus Miller (M&A '76) who wrote the original score for the new documentary "Sidney."
"From producer Oprah Winfrey and directed by Reginald Hudlin, this revealing documentary honors the legendary Sidney Poitier and his legacy as an iconic actor, filmmaker and activist at the center of Hollywood and the Civil Rights Movement."
www.apple.com
Download and view the latest press images, press contacts and information for Apple Original "Sidney" on Apple TV+.This Documentary is Wonderful in every way ! Congratulations to Marcus Miller, he is amazing at everything he does!!!!!!
Awesome .⭐️👏🏼🎼🎶🎷🎸🎥🎬🎹🙏🏽💎😎❤️🌹.
I want to see this film 🎥!
Thursday September 29th, 2022
Congratulations to Maryanne Cozzetto (LaG '18) on her professional directing debut! She is assistant-directing "Kim’s Convenience" at the Laguna Playhouse in Laguna Beach, CA through October 9, 2022.
lagunaplayhouse.com
Midsized regional theater stages big-name plays & musicals, comedy shows, kids' productions & more.Thursday September 29th, 2022
Huge shoutout to the student production team for "Rising Stars 2021: Behind the Mask," which is nominated for a NY Emmy® Award under the “Teen 13-19” category! Congratulations to Szymon Samborski (Tech '21), Senior Production Manager; Macy McGrail (Drama ’21), Senior Producer; Avery Bloomberg (Instrumental ’21), Music Director; Danielle Wu (Instrumental ’21), Music Director; Jia Ying Liu (Tech ’22), Production Manager; and Suha Khan (Tech ’22), Production Manager.
If you'd like to help the team attend the (expensive!) Emmys Ceremony on October 8 at the NY Marriott Marquis, please visit:
www.gofundme.com/f/help-recent-emmy-nominated-NYCLaguardia-students
You can watch "Rising Stars 2021: Behind the Mask" here:
www.allarts.org/programs/all-arts-performance-selects/rising-stars-2021-behind-the-mask-7zymp7/
Congratulations
Hi all please contribute if you can! there is no donation too small we are so close to be fully funded but need that extra help to get there!!
Done. Congrats!
Thursday September 29th, 2022
8th floor watercolor art stroll at LaGuardia - Ms. Riley’s Advanced Painting class!
Thursday September 29th, 2022
Read a great review of this important book by Margaret A. Burnham (M&A '61): www.nytimes.com/2022/09/21/books/review/by-hands-now-known-margaret-burnham.html
"'By Hands Now Known,' by Margaret A. Burnham, examines the chronic, quotidian violence faced by Black citizens in the American South — and the law’s failure to address it. More than a decade ago, Burnham, a law professor, founded the Civil Rights and Restorative Justice Project at Northeastern University, and with the help of the political scientist Melissa Nobles created a database of what Burnham calls a 'forgotten history of racially motivated homicides' in the American South during the Jim Crow era.'"
Wednesday September 28th, 2022
Shoutout to Lynn Nottage (M&A '82) - two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, and MacArthur Genius Grant recipient!
'An annual survey by American Theater magazine, conducted this year for the first time since the start of the pandemic, found that Nottage’s sandwich shop comedy, “Clyde’s,” will be the most-produced play in the country this season, with at least 11 productions. The survey also found that there were 24 productions of Nottage plays planned this season.'
Lynn Nottage’s ‘Clyde’s’ Is the Most-Staged Play in America
www.nytimes.com
An annual survey, suspended during the pandemic, resumes and finds theaters nationally doing fewer shows and torn between escapism and ambition.Friday September 23rd, 2022
We are pleased to announce that you may now register for the Gabriel Kosakoff Memorial Concert on Monday, October 17 at 7pm in the LaGuardia Concert Hall! This is a wonderful celebration of the life and legacy of Gabriel Kosakoff (M&A ‘44 and Instrumental Music Faculty and Chair 1956-1991). Tickets are free and advanced registration is required. (The event will not be live-streamed.)
Gabriel Kosakoff Memorial Concert, October 17
www.eventbrite.com
Join us to honor the life and legacy of Gabriel KosakoffHaving trouble registering for the event. I’ll keep trying.
Thursday September 22nd, 2022
Friday, September 23, watch the opera "Intimate Apparel" on PBS at 9pm! Written by Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage (M&A '82) and starring Justin Austin (LaG '10). www.pbs.org/wnet/gperf/intimate-apparel-about/13916/
'Set in Manhattan in 1905, Great Performances: Intimate Apparel tells the story of Esther Mills (Kearstin Piper Brown), a single African American seamstress who makes elaborate corsets and ladies’ undergarments. After beginning a letter-writing relationship with a mysterious laborer on the Panama Canal, she marries, but discovers the relationship is not what either of them expected. Through this romance and other interactions with friends, one of her clients, and the Orthodox Jewish man who sells fabrics to her, Esther realizes that only her self-reliance will see her through life’s challenges. Featuring music by Ricky Ian Gordon, a libretto by Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage based on her play, and direction by Tony winner Bartlett Sher, Great Performances: Intimate Apparel premieres Friday, September 23 at 9 p.m. ET on PBS (check local listings), pbs.org/gperf and the PBS Video app as part of Great Performances’ 50th anniversary season.'
Great Performances: Intimate Apparel ~ About | Great Performances | PBS
www.pbs.org
Experience this powerful opera with a libretto by Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage.Thanks for posting/sharing.
Friday September 16th, 2022
Happy #fiorellofriday! Today the LaGuardia Jazz Orchestra performed at the USPS Swearing In Ceremony for new postmaster Wanda Diaz! Kevin Blancq, Orchestra Director. about.usps.com/newsroom/local-releases/ny/2022/0909ma-first-latina-postmaster-swears-in-at-iconic...
We are Everywhere!!!
So cool … from M&A 1964…
They’re all incredibly talented!
Thursday September 15th, 2022
Shoutout to Lorna Courtney (LaG '16) who stars as Juliet in the new Broadway musical "& Juliet!" playbill.com/article/hear-lorna-courtney-sing-baby-one-more-time-in-broadways-juliet-official-tra...
Lorna was the recipient of numerous Alumni & Friends scholarships and awards and was an intern in the Alumni & Friends office!
Featuring a book by Schitt's Creek writer and Emmy winner David West Read and music from Grammy winner Max Martin, "& Juliet" irreverently considers a new story for Shakespeare's tragic heroine and lovestruck teenager Juliet in which she chooses to live after Romeo dies, with a score featuring familiar pop songs from the last three decades such as “Since U Been Gone,” “Roar,” “Baby One More Time,” “Larger Than Life,” “That’s The Way It Is,” and “Can’t Stop the Feeling." Previews begin October 28, 2022 at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre.
andjulietbroadway.com/
Hear Lorna Courtney Sing 'Baby One More Time' in Broadway's & Juliet Official Trailer
playbill.com
The jukebox musical with a book by Schitt's Creek writer David West Read imagines a different ending for the Shakespearean heroine.Wednesday September 14th, 2022
Save the date! Monday, October 17, 2022 at 7pm in the LaGuardia Concert Hall - a celebration of the life and legacy of Gabriel Kosakoff (M&A ‘44 and Instrumental Music Faculty and Chair 1956-1991), who passed away in March 2022. www.eventbrite.com/e/gabriel-kosakoff-memorial-concert-october-17-tickets-422909974117
Featuring performances by Bela Fleck, Larry Aberman, Daniel Druckman, Mark Sherman, Rand Steiger, Kenny Washington, and the LaGuardia High School Brass Ensemble! More details to follow. Spread the word! This event is free and reserved tickets will be available soon. The event will not be live-streamed.
Can it be streamed for distant alumni?
Can’t wait to attend and honor our beloved teacher!
So glad that La Guardia is honoring one of its great all-time teachers, who literally handed the baton to so many to start their career.
Many people from my year!
Looking forward to this!!!
Tuesday September 13th, 2022
Joan Sheingold Ditzion (M&A '59), an original co-founder of "Our Bodies Ourselves" and Co-author of all editions, has launched a new website - Our Bodies Ourselves Today with the Center of Women’s Health and Human Rights of Suffolk University. www.ourbodiesourselves.org/
This online platform will continue the 50 year legacy by providing up to date, trustworthy, feminist information on health, reproduction, and sexuality.
www.ourbodiesourselves.org
Your accurate and inclusive guide to health, sexuality, and reproductive justiceTuesday September 13th, 2022
See Grace Van Patten (LaG '14) in the new Hulu series "Tell Me Lies," which premiered September 7! She also recently starred in "Nine Perfect Strangers," also on Hulu.
‘Tell Me Lies’ Review: Hulu’s Bad Romance Is Very Good
www.hollywoodreporter.com
Based on the novel by Carola Lovering, the series traces the toxic relationship between Lucy (Grace Van Patten) and Stephen (Jackson White) over eight years, from college to young adulthood.Monday September 12th, 2022
LaG '90 alumnus Yoichiro Yoda will be in the group exhibition "American Realism Today" at the New Britain Museum of American Art in (56 Lexington Street / New Britain, CT 06052) - September 16, 2022 - January 1, 2023. nbmaa.org/exhibitions/american-realism-today
See more of Yoi's work at yoichiroyoda.com/
Congrats again!!
Monday September 12th, 2022
All City High School Music Program is still accepting applications --- Chorus, Concert and Marching Band, Orchestra, Jazz & Latin Ensembles, and Modern Music Project for 9-12 grade.
Groups rehearse on Saturday, and the first rehearsal is this Saturday, September 17.
ALL-CITY HIGH SCHOOL MUSIC PROGRAM REGISTRATION AND INFORMATION 2022-23
tinyurl.com
ALL-CITY HIGH SCHOOL MUSIC PROGRAM REGISTRATION AND INFORMATION ALL REHEARSALS TAKE PLACE ON SATURDAYS: CHORUS 9:00-12:30 @ Brooklyn H.S. of the Arts goo.gl/maps/pgXCCGHkqyVqHb6s7 CONCERT BAND...Monday September 12th, 2022
Read about the late Diane Rosenblatt Noomin (M&A '65), a pioneer of feminist underground comics in the 1970s, and whose comic book 'Twisted Sisters,' a collaboration with her fellow artist Aline Kominsky-Crumb, has been a touchstone for generations of female cartoonists.
Diane Noomin, 75, Who Helped Bring Feminism to Underground Comics, Dies
www.nytimes.com
Her best-known creation was a sendup of a certain kind of female stock character. But Ms. Noomin rendered her with compassion, and used her to tell important stories.Friday September 9th, 2022
September 11 at 8am, Jacqulyn Buglisi (PA '68), Artistic Director of Buglisi Dance Theatre, in partnership with Lincoln Center, presents Table of Silence Project 9/11
A PROJECT OF THE ARNHOLD DANCE INNOVATION FUND
www.lincolncenter.org/venue/josie-robertson-plaza/table-of-silence-project-911-338
This FREE event is open to General Admission, first-come first-served. The performance will also be streamed live at 8:10am on September 11.
The Table of Silence Project 9/11 is an annual free public performance ritual for peace conceived and choreographed in 2011 by Jacqulyn Buglisi, Artistic Director of Buglisi Dance Theatre. Artistic collaborators for this year’s program include Buglisi Dance Theatre Co-Founder/Principal Dancer Terese Capucilli, Conch/Flute John Ragusa, Trumpet Pamela Fleming, Composer/Percussionist Paula Jeanine Bennett and Film/Livestream Producer Nel Shelby and Nel Shelby Productions. Table of Silence Project 9/11 is achieved through community partnerships with Dance/NYC, Chelsea Factory, The Juilliard School, Gibney Dance Center, Martha Graham Center, Steps on Broadway, among others.
Table of Silence Project 9/11 · Lincoln Center
www.lincolncenter.org
Lincoln Center in partnership with Buglisi Dance Theatre presents Table of Silence Project 9/11 A PROJECT OF THE ARNHOLD DANCE INNOVATION FUND The…Tuesday September 6th, 2022
If you're in the Westport, CT area, see the beautiful work of Derek Buckner: Paintings (LaG '88) through September 11 at the George Billis Gallery! www.georgebillis.com/ ; www.derekbuckner.com/
Cara Aber
Friday September 2nd, 2022
If you're in the Hudson, NY area, enjoy the group exhibit "Still Life and the Poetry of Place" featuring the work of artist Katy Schneider (M&A '82, @katyschneiderpainter). At the Pamela Salisbury Gallery - 362 1⁄2 Warren Street, Hudson, NY - September 3 - October 16, 2022; artists’ reception Saturday, September 3, 3-5pm.
A site-wide, six floor exhibition of paintings, works on paper, photography, sculpture, and video installation focusing on the themes of still life and interiors. www.pamelasalisburygallery.com
Thursday September 1st, 2022
Read a great feature on the late renowned musicologist Richard Taruskin (M&A '61), author of a number of groundbreaking musicological studies, including the six-volume 'Oxford History of Western Music.'
The Monumental Musicology of Richard Taruskin
www.newyorker.com
The most formidable modern writer on music seamlessly mixed the literary and the conversational, the meticulous and the evocative.Wednesday August 31st, 2022
We sadly announce the passing of Damon Thornton (M&A '85). Service will be Friday, September 2 at 7pm and will be livestreamed via zoom.
Zoom Meeting ID: 542 833 7127 / Passcode: 147292
Prayers are up for his biological and high school family.
Wednesday August 31st, 2022
Calling all artists for a great NYC experience - painting a garbage truck! pix11.com/news/local-news/manhattan/nyc-sanitation-looking-for-artists-to-paint-their-garbage-trucks
The submission cutoff for artists is Sunday, Sept. 18, 2022, at 11:59 pm. You can find the application here: dsny.cityofnewyork.us/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Trucks-of-Art-2022-RFP.pdf
Want to paint an NYC garbage truck? Here's your chance
pix11.com
NEW YORK (PIX11) — New York City’s Department of Sanitation is looking for artists who want to paint murals on their garbage trucks. The Trucks of Art program is a zero-waste challenge.…Tracy Ballas Marie Wolpert Might be good idea as a club activity?
Wish it could be a paid opportunity 😩
I think it’s absolutely disgusting the city won’t pay artists for their work.
Monday August 29th, 2022
Through October 2022 you can enjoy “The Artist’s Experience: From Brotherman to Batman" at the Society of Illustrators, NY, co-curated by comics artist Shawn Martinbrough (LaG '89). The exhibit celebrates Black comic-book artists. Society of Illustrators, 128 East 63rd Street. Read an interview with Shawn:
sva.edu/features/sva-alumnus-shawn-martinbrough-helps-elevate-black-comics-creators-at-society-of...
Monday August 29th, 2022
Check out Jade Brathwaite (LaG '20) singing with Kelly Clarkson on The Today Show!
Monday August 22nd, 2022
Read a great feature on conductor James Gaffigan (LaG '97)!
A Conductor Comes Into His Own in the Opera Pit
www.nytimes.com
James Gaffigan is leading a taut “Tristan und Isolde” in Santa Fe ahead of taking the podium at the Komische Oper in Berlin.Wednesday August 17th, 2022
Tonight, August 17th at 7pm, listen to guest DJ Justin Michael Austin (LaG '10) on WQXR!
Justin Austin of WQXR's Artist Propulsion Lab is a dynamic young baritone who has already appeared on many of the world’s major stages. Tonight you'll hear him on air as he shares some of his favorite recordings and one of his own recorded performances. Learn more about Justin, including his favorite NYC bagel spots and memories from growing up in the Bronx, in this interview"
www.wqxr.org
Baritone, Justin Austin shares his favorite spots for a bagel, a story of a near-death experience, and what it means to be a New Yorker.Wednesday August 17th, 2022
Check out the new off-Broadway show "Two Jews, Talking" starring Hal Linden (M&A '48) and Bernie Kopell. Previews begin August 20, 2022 for this open-ended run at Theatre at St. Clement's (423 West 46th St).
TV Legends Hal Linden And Bernie Kopell Team Up For TWO JEWS, TALKING Off Broadway This Summer
www.broadwayworld.com
Tony & Emmy Award Winner Hal Linden (The Rothschilds, Barney Miller) and legendary television star Bernie Kopell (The Love Boat, Get Smart, That Girl) will pair up for the world premiere of the new co...They could do a revival of The Sunshine Boys.
Wednesday August 17th, 2022
Did you know that the televised (on All Arts) 2021 LaGuardia "Rising Stars: Behind the Mask" is up for an Emmy Award? Wow! Watch these amazing students performances, which took place during the height of the pandemic: www.allarts.org/programs/all-arts-performance-selects/rising-stars-2021-behind-the-mask-7zymp7/?f...
Rising Stars 2021: Behind The Mask | ALL ARTS Performance Selects
www.allarts.org
Students from LaGuardia, the renowned NYC public arts "FAME" school, transcend the pandemic with their music, dance, vocals, drama, art and tech skills — turning dark stages into a screen debut that...Bravo!
Shout out to alumnus Lillian Rosario and Terry Cowans
Tuesday August 16th, 2022
Read a great reminiscence by Michael Klein (M&A '72) on the 53rd anniversary of Woodstock (and scroll the article for a great photo of Michael and his twin brother Kevin outside of the High School of Music & Art). Michael was 15 years old when he attended Woodstock.
www.spin.com
Woodstock (the original one) was 53 years ago. Our writer was there, at 15 years old, and only with his twin brother. This was his experience.Woodstock ‘69 -— The largest protest against maturation in world history.
Monday August 15th, 2022
Read a great feature on portrait photographer Marion Ettlinger (M&A '66)!
"Once the hard and lonely work of book-writing was done and the publishing machine’s publicity gears were whirring, authors hoped to get “Ettlingered.” The coinage, which for decades was common parlance in the literary world, referred to having your picture taken by Marion Ettlinger, a master of the authorial portrait. If you found yourself in front of her lens, as countless luminaries had, there was a sense that you had somehow made it. Not only were you a real writer, in the sense that you had a book that was in need of a publicity photograph in the first place, but you would now, finally, really look like one: serious, austere, timeless. Ettlinger would make you appear like a writer whose book was worth reading."
www.newyorker.com/culture/photo-booth/the-stories-behind-marion-ettlingers-author-portraits
The Stories Behind Marion Ettlinger’s Author Portraits
www.newyorker.com
For decades, getting “Ettlingered” was a rite of passage in the book world. The photographer, now retired, looks back.Friday August 12th, 2022
Shoutout to LaGuardia Art student Ellis Timmer who received honorable mention at the 41st Quilt Show & Competition in Knoxville, Tennessee! www.qchron.com/editions/queenswide/astorian-sews-them-the-way/article_0bdeb9c0-2176-5c06-a644-a77...
www.qchron.com
Ellis Timmer of Astoria was honored for her creativity and workmanship at the 41st Quilt Show & Competition, hosted by the Smoky Mountain Quilters of Tennessee Aug. 5 and 6Wednesday August 10th, 2022
Congratulations to Elyse Scro McKeown (M&A/LaG '86) on winning our Alumni and Friends of LaGuardia High School ticket giveaway to see Steely Dan on Friday, August 12 at the Capitol Theatre (and thank you to the Capitol Theatre for donating the tickets)!
We do amazing giveaways for our donors - join as a member or donate today and you can be part of our giveaways for tickets, merchandise, and more! alumniandfriends.org/give/
Fun fact: LaG '92 alumnus Michael Leonhart has been the arranger and trumpet player for Steely Dan since 1996 and his sister Carolyn Leonhart (LaG '89) has worked as a backup singer for the band since 1996!
Thursday August 4th, 2022
Read a great NY Times feature about Gabriel Gomez (LaG '09), a commercial video director for fashion brands including Nike, North Face, Dr. Martens and H&M, known for his encyclopedic knowledge of New York subcultures. Through his production company Crooked Letter, he puts international brands in touch with local talents, whether they are unsung dancers from the Bronx or electronic musicians in Brooklyn. www.nytimes.com/2022/07/29/style/filmmaker-gabriel-gomez-tells-brooklyn-stories.html
Filmmaker Gabriel Gomez Tells Brooklyn Stories
www.nytimes.com
He toggles between commercial videos for big fashion brands, and art-house projects on the New York creative class.I like his post it system!
Wednesday August 3rd, 2022
Shoutout to former LaGuardia student Khristina J. Williams, who founded digital sports media outlet Girls Talk Sports TV in 2018 to give women a voice in the sports media industry. It has served as a destination for WNBA social and digital content, including her "Kickin' It with Khristina" podcast and digital series featuring candid conversations with the biggest names in the WNBA.
www.si.com/wnba/2022/07/29/khristina-williams-girls-talk-sports-100-influential-black-women