Flushing Town Hall set to launch 2019 season
World music performances, family programs and classical music concerts headline lineup
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
Continuing its 40th anniversary
celebrations, Flushing
Town Hall will launch a jampacked
lineup of 72 programs
in its Winter-Spring 2019 season
spanning jazz, global music,
family shows, exhibitions
and more.
From January through
June, Flushing Town Hall’s
Winter-Spring 2019 program
will include 18 world music
shows, 10 jazz performances,
eight family programs,
seven classical musical concerts
and three exhibitions.
The launch of the 2019
season on Jan. 8 will include
preview performances by the
contemporary classical tabla
ensemble Talavya and Ba Ban
Chinese Music Society.
“The program is about
dance and music, but is based
on the concept of the book of
Ching — an ancient Chinese
philosophy that talks about
how we can change human beings
into nature,” said Zhou
Yi, of the Ba Ban Chinese Music
Society. “We believe that
when you perform the energy
surrounds the musician and
dancer exchange, also the energy
between the performers
and audience and we inspire
each other.”
The Ba Ban Chinese Music
Society is dedicated to the preservation,
creation, and presentation
of Chinese traditional
and contemporary performing
arts.
The ensemble performs
on “silk and bamboo” (sizhu)
instruments — a classical instrumental
grouping dating
from the Qing Dynasty (1636-
1911) that includes various dizi
(bamboo flutes), sheng (mouth
organ), pipa (lute), zhongruan
(alto lute), guzheng (zither),
huqin (fiddles), and yangqin
(hammered dulcimer).
This will be the group’s
third year performing at Flushing
Town Hall.
While classical tabla ensemble
Talavya, formed by Indian
composer Pandit Divyang
Global ambassadors for Indian percussion, contemporary classical
tabla ensemble Talavya. Courtesy of Flushing Town Hall
Vakil, is set to perform for the
first time in Queens.
The group will be performing
with its tabla percussion instrument,
which consists of a pair of
drums, used in traditional, classical,
popular and folk music.
The intensity and generosity of
Talavya keeps the spirit of Indian
classical art, while expanding
its palette and audience.
“We’re really excited because
we have a large community
through the Taalim School of
Indian Music,” said Mike Lukshis,
a member of Talavya. “We
have a large community in the
New York-New Jersey area, and
it’s a good opportunity for us to
bring the music to our community,
and of course, the diverse
community in Flushing.”
Lukshis added, “I think
one of the best aspects of this
performance is that it puts
this classical music and ancient
artform in a context
that is very new and exciting,
and it makes it acceptable for
audiences of many ages and
ethnicities, and also even different
experiences listening
to music.”
The celebration continues
with a lineup of global performers
throughout the 2019 season.
“The spring season is
truly global, with performers
coming from far and
wide to share their talents
with our Queens audiences,”
said Ellen Kodadek, executive
and artistic director
of Flushing Town Hall. “We
look forward to welcoming
the world for a wide range
of free and affordable jazz,
global music, exhibitions,
family shows, and more at
Flushing Town Hall!”
Tickets can be purchased at
www.flushingtownhall.org or
by calling (718) 463-7700 x222.
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