Tag Archives: Northern Manhattan

Hudson View Gardens Lounge: Cellist Peter Stumpf

The Performing Arts Group at Hudson View Gardens is thrilled to present a member of the Weiss-Kaplan-Stumpf Trio, after that group’s wildly popular performance here in January. On Sunday, May 18 at 5 pm, cellist Peter Stumpf returns to The Lounge at HVG for a recital that features Bach’s Cello Suite No. 5 and sonatas by Mendelssohn and Prokofiev with pianist Noreen Cassidy-Polera.

Peter Stumpf is a member of the Weiss-Kaplan-Stumpf Trio. As a soloist, he has appeared with the Boston Symphony, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Philadelphia Orchestra, and was the former principal cellist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic for over a decade. He’s performed on chamber series and festivals around the world, and is Professor of Cello at Indiana University.

The pianist Noreen Cassidy-Polera is the winner of the Accompanying Prize at the VIII International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. She maintains a career that has taken her to every major American music center and abroad to Europe, Russia, and Asia, including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center and Jordan Hall. She has recorded for Sony, EMI, Audiophon, and Centaur Records.

The Performing Arts Group’s Spring 2025 concert season at The Lounge wraps up on Sunday, June 22 with HVG’s own pianist Evelyne Luest and the ThEMA Ensemble with cellist Angela Lee and guest clarinetist Nikki Pet. Details are below; more information and updates are at Facebook.com/HVGPAG.

Just the Facts

Sunday, May 18, 2025 at 5 pm

HVG Performing Arts Group presents:

Peter Stumpf, cello

Noreen Cassidy-Polera, piano

The Lounge at Hudson View Gardens
128 Pinehurst Ave at W. 183rd Street (Manhattan)

Admission: $15 suggested donation
($12 seniors/children, children under 8 are free)

PROGRAM

J.S. Bach: Cello Suite No. 5 in C Minor

Felix Mendelssohn: Cello Sonata #1 in B Flat Major Op. 45

Sergei Prokofiev: Cello Sonata in C Major Op. 119

Details and updates at Facebook.com/HVGPAG

Dyckman Farmhouse: History in Focus 2025

For the first installment of Dyckman Farmhouse Museum’s History in Focus 2025, we will be hearing from Dr. Andrew Rasmussen, a Professor of Psychology and head of the Culture, Migration, and Community research group at Fordham University.

Dr. Rasmussen will present findings from three studies from two decades of research with various West African immigrant groups.

Findings point to challenges often reported by new immigrants related to child-rearing and resolving spousal conflict. Parents’ concerns about children acting “American” are exacerbated by a fear of child protective services, leaving parents feeling at a loss for how they can stay true to their cultures’ strict values concerning child rearing. Children, who acculturate faster than their parents, often appreciate close monitoring and even strict discipline by parents but also feel they are somewhat limited by it. Spousal conflict also appears to be related to more conservative cultural norms, but is also related to the necessity of two-income households in the city.

Findings from all three studies are integrated to build a model of social problem-solving in West African communities, one that includes family members, neighbors, and community leaders, and then also state actors (police and welfare officials).

This program is supported, in part, by, the Honorable Carmen De La Rosa, New York City Council, District 10.

Hebrew Tabernacle: The Nature Connection

Our current exhibition The Nature Connection – “In nature nothing exists alone” (quote by Rachel Carson in Silent Spring) is on the walls of the Armin and Estelle Gold Wing art gallery.

Please visit and join us for a meet the artist reception on Wednesday, May 21, 2025 from 6-8 pm.

Laura Twersky Stempel is a biology professor and a nature photographer. She has published research on the developmental effects of environmental endocrine disruptor/microplastics.
She hopes to encourage conservation by sharing photographs of our awesome nature world.
 
Contact:Instagram/@LauraTwersyStempel.

Official hours of the Hebrew Tabernacle’s Armin and Estelle Gold Wing :

Mondays – 9am – 3:30 pm
Tuesday – closed
Wednesday – 9am-5pm
Thursday – closed
Friday – 9am – 5 pm
and by appointment – call 212-568-8304
Free admission, wheelchair accessible.

Hebrew Tabernacle Synagogue
551 Fort Washington Ave (@185 St.)

WHCO: 10th Anniversary Season Finale!

Featuring the string players of the orchestra, the Washington Heights Chamber Orchestra concludes our season with Landscapes, a musical homage to the distant lands that are a part of our heritage.

Program:

  • Fela Sowande: African Suite for Strings
  • Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Serenade for Strings

Even those born and raised in Washington Heights tend to look back to their heritage in a distant homeland. Talking about “where we are from” is one of the most common unifying conversations in our community. We conclude our 10th anniversary season exploring heritage with Landscapes, featuring the string players of the WHCO in two large format works hailing from Nigeria and Russia. Fela Sowande is considered the father of modern Nigerian music, and his piece African Suite for Strings seamlessly blends both original and traditional themes from countries like Nigeria and Ghana into its five contrasting movements. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky is synonymous with the Russian musical output of the late 19th century and was responsible for other powerhouse works like 1812 Overture and The Nutcracker. We conclude the program with his Serenade for Strings. Tchaikovsky himself believed that this work was one of the finest pieces he ever wrote, stating it is “a piece from the heart, and so, I venture to hope that this work is not without artistic qualities.”

Prior to the concert, at 2:15pm, 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. This event will take place (weather permitting) in the beautiful setting of the Fort Washington Green, the community garden space at FWCC.