Tag Archives: Classical music

United Palace: Crackalackin’ Concert

The Crackalackin’ Concert of Classical Music
Bringing It Back Home, Uptown

One of the United Palace of Cultural Arts’ (UPCA) programming goals is to find innovative ways to make classical music accessible to new and old audiences, particularly by combining the genre with other art forms. “The Crackalackin’ Concert of Classical Music” serves as a dynamic platform designed to break down barriers and make the beauty of classical music accessible to everyone, including underrepresented communities, ensuring it resonates with a diverse and inclusive audience. (NOTE: “Crackalackin’” is old-time (as far back as the 1990s!) urban slang for what’s new, relevant, and happening. We think it is a great description of how people should feel about classical music.)

This year’s theme is Bringing It Back Home, Uptown and features performances and mash-ups by:

-Crackalackin’ Symphony Orchestra (Musicians of all ages are welcome to sign up here)
-DJ Boo
-Leadlights Ensemble
-Washington Heights Community Choir (WHCC)
-Washington Heights Community Conservatory of Fine Arts (WHCCFA) and Association of Dominican Classical Artists (ADCA)

“So many people are turned off by classical music because they see it as a corny, elitist art form,” said Fitelson, who 12 years ago co-created The Hip Hop Nutcracker, now an annual touring show produced by New Jersey Performing Arts Center. “We believe classical music is timeless and seek new, crackalackin’ ways to help audiences discover it.”

Act I kicks off with a performance by the Crackalackin’ Symphony Orchestra, freshly created for the event by community musicians of all skills, performing new arrangements of Celia Cruz songs and William Grant Still’s “Poem for Orchestra.”

The event features the world-premiere of a collage of videos taken of the community by Northern Manhattan residents while students from several local community programs, overseen by ADCA, perform “Bacchanale Dance” from Camille Saint-Saëns’ grand opera “Samson and Delilah.”

Leadlights performs “The Seasons of Inwood,” created by violinst Evelyn Petcher based upon the wide range of stories, musical ideas, and reflections on Inwood.

The Washington Heights Community Choir sings tunes with local ties, inviting the audience to join in a sing-along.

As always, throughout the day DJ Boo will perform his turntable magic, mixing the classical genre with the beats and sounds of today.

Act II features the debut of 4 songs of a work-in-progress celebrating the United Palace’s 100th anniversary in 2030. The show, “Wonder Theatre Revival,” is a musical history of the United Palace and its audiences, written by Mike Fitelson and brought to life by 6 singers and a dozen local musicians.

Doors: 4:30pm, Show: 5:00pm

 

WHCO: Concierto de MainStage: Breaking Barriers

September 19th at 7:30 pm – 9:00 pm

Join the WHCO as we kick off our 2026–27 season dedicated to exploring Resiliencia con Rompiendo barreras , a program celebrating those brave and bold artistic voices that defied the expectations of their time.

Repertorio:

  • Igor Stravinsky:  Dumbarton Oaks
  • Andrea Casarrubios:  Heritage
  • Louise Farrenc: Sinfonía n.º 3

The concert will last approximately one hour, without an intermission. Afterwards, there will be a reception with the musicians.

Rompiendo barreras  comienza con  Dumbarton Oaks, Igor Stravinsky’s ingenious and elegant chamber concerto, inspired by Johann Sebastian Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos . Herencia (“Heritage”) by Andrea Casarrubios is a deeply personal reflection on memory, identity, and cultural roots. Inspired by the composer’s Spanish heritage, the work intertwines lyrical melodies and evocative textures in a moving musical tribute to the traditions and stories that have spanned generations. We conclude our program with Louise Farrenc’s Symphony No. 3. Completed in 1847, this is generally considered the pinnacle of her orchestral output. Combining the balance of Classicism with the intensity of Romanticism, the work demonstrates a masterful command of orchestral color, dramatic structure, and lyrical invention, reaffirming her place among the leading symphonic composers of her time.

WHCO: Family Concert: Breaking Barriers

September 19 @ 3:15 pm – 4:45 pm

Designed for young concertgoers, each event ticket includes Meet the Instruments before the 45-minute hosted concert.

  • 3:15pm-3:45pm: Meet the Instruments
  • 4pm-4:45pm: Family Concert

Bring the whole family to our Meet the Instruments petting zoo where even our youngest listeners can get up close and personal with their favorite instruments before seeing them come alive onstage. Then find your seats for our enchanting and engaging Family concert! Narrator Sarah Ziegler will guide you through musical selections from our MainStage concert “Breaking Barriers.

Best for children age 1-10 and their families. Infants under the age of 1 receive complimentary admission.

WHCO Family concerts are relaxed performances.

United Palace: Dudamel, NY Phil & Spanish Harlem Orchestra

Dudamel, NY Phil & Spanish Harlem Orchestra

Saturday, May 9, 2026
Doors: 6:00pm, Show: 7:30pm
United Palace
4140 Broadway, New York, NY, 10033
The Philharmonic goes uptown. In a bold collaboration between two orchestras, Gustavo Dudamel, the Oscar L. Tang Music and Agnes Hsu-Tang Music & Artistic Director Designate, leads Members of the New York Philharmonic and the three-time Grammy-winning Spanish Harlem Orchestra at the historic United Palace. Dudamel conducts an invigorating program of Latin-flavored works and some surprises in one of New York City’s most beautiful venues.