NEWSLETTER
Hudson, NY (December 14, 2023) -- Hudson Hall at the historic Hudson Opera House announces an invigorating winter/spring series of events that enliven the senses and engage the body, mind, spirit, and community through the arts.
Running until April 14, the season brings world-class musicians to Hudson Hall’s beautiful 1855 stage, including masterful jazz trumpeter Sean Jones and his quartet on March 2, and internationally acclaimed string ensemble The Shanghai Quartet on April 6. It also signals a much-anticipated homecoming for Hudson favorites Lady Moon & The Eclipse, who perform their celestial grooves on March 23 as part of a multidisciplinary art exhibition and wellness-focused event series curated by Hudson-based artist Ntangou Badila. Investigating the connection between nature, grief, healing, and wellness, the exhibition opens on March 9 with experiential evening showcasing local healers followed by a free yoga and movement session in the first-floor gallery on March 17 led by Nkoula Badila.
Hudson Hall’s commitment to free community programming continues with a special screening of feature-length documentary It’s Basic (2023, 1hr 16min) on February 28. Directed by Marc Levin and executive produced by Mayors for a Guaranteed Income (MGI) Founder Michael Tubbs, the film explores the power of the Universal Basic Income program and life-altering effects of financial security. Ruby Jackson and Lou Smith’s ever-popular Sideways Art lead two youth sewing workshops this season, and professional and amateur musicians take their skills to new heights once again this season with Bobby Previte’s online improvisation masterclass.
“In a world that has become fraught with conflict and uncertainty, we are grateful for the opportunity to shine a light on artists and practitioners whose work feeds hope, forges relationships, and offers our community extra resources for self-care,” says Hudson Hall Executive Director, Tambra Dillon. “Whether it’s experiencing the sublime music of The Shanghai Quartet or the exhilaration of Sean Jones’ artistry or learning about the powerful healing properties of sound, touch, or art through Ntangou Badila’s exhibition, we look forward to creating more space for conversation and connection this season.”
Ticketed events go on sale to members Thursday, December 14 and to the public Monday, December 18 at hudsonhall.org or by phone on (518) 822-1438. Registration is required for all workshops. The Bobby Previte improvisation masterclass is by application only. Applications close December 20, 2023.
WINTER/SPRING SEASON LISTINGS
FILM
Movies on Mainstreet:
IT’S BASIC (dir. Marc Levin, 1hr 16min)
Wednesday, February 28 at 6pm
Presented in partnership with Mayors for a Guaranteed Income, Greater Hudson Promise Neighborhood & the City of Hudson
Free; reservations recommended
It’s Basic profiles several pilot programs launched in the US and the effects of providing everyday people with an extra $500 to $1,000 monthly, with no strings attached. Directed by Marc Levin and executive produced by Mayors for a Guaranteed Income (MGI) founder Michael Tubbs, the film explores the power of money, the importance of dignity, and the ongoing work of providing an income floor through the eyes of guaranteed income recipients who have witnessed firsthand the life-altering effects of financial stability.
Since 2020, HudsonUP, The Spark of Hudson’s flagship initiative for the City of Hudson, , has launched three UBI cohorts and currently serves 128 Hudson residents who receive $500 a month, guaranteed.
MUSIC
SEAN JONES QUARTET
Saturday, March 2, 2024 at 7pm
Tickets start at $23 (fees included)
Sean Jones, trumpet
Aiden Taylor, bass
Allyn Johnson, piano
Eric Kennedy, drums
“Trumpeter Sean Jones is known in the jazz world as a force of nature.” – NPR (2022)
Combining “artistry and virtuosity, with a sound reminiscent of vintage Freddie Hubbard and Lee Morgan yet completely modern” (Jazz Times), internationally acclaimed trumpeter Sean Jones brings his masterful sound and talented quartet to the stage for his Hudson Hall debut. A former member of the SFJAZZ Collective and first-chair trumpeter of Wynton Marsalis’s Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Jones is a musical chameleon who draws from a rich history of musical influences.
Preceding the concert, Jones leads a free jazz workshop for students in the Hudson City School District band program, led by HCSD Music Department Head Scott Voorwald.
LADY MOON & THE ECLIPSE
Featuring projections by Ntangou Badila and James Autery
Saturday, March 23, 2024 at 7pm
Tickets start at $18 (fees included)
"[Lady Moon and The Eclipse] stole my soul, they stole it, nurtured it, realigned it and gently returned it. I was entranced. They captured the room with their textured tones, group rhythm and extraordinary aurora." – TransitBlog
Led by Ngonda Badila (whose name means ‘moon’ in Lingala) and featuring Hudson Hall artist and vocalist Ntangou Badila, Lady Moon & The Eclipse blend soaring vocal textures with R&B/afrobeat-influenced rhythms to create inspirational music with an emphasis on inclusivity and spiritual unity. The ensemble, who are based in New York and California, released their debut EP Believe in 2016 and their full-length album Journey to the Cosmic Soul in 2020.
This performance is in conjunction with the exhibition E(n)ternal Lighf: The Eternal Ecosystem Exposed.
Clarion Concerts Presents:
SHANGHAI QUARTET
Saturday, April 6, 2024 at 7pm
Tickets start at $28 (fees included)
“Utterly sublime.” New York Times
Haydn: Quartet in D major, Op. 20, No. 4
Zhou Long: Selections from Eight Folk Songs
Grieg: Quartet No. 1 in G minor, Op. 27
Weigang Li, violin
Angelo Xiang Yu, violin
Honggang Li, viola
Nicholas Tzavaras, Cello
Over the past 40 years, the Shanghai Quartet has become one of the world’s foremost chamber ensembles. The Shanghai’s elegant style, impressive technique, and emotional breadth allows the quartet to move seamlessly between masterpieces of Western music, traditional Chinese folk music, and cutting-edge contemporary works. Formed at the Shanghai Conservatory in 1983 soon after the end of China’s harrowing Cultural Revolution, the quartet is now based in the U.S. while maintaining a robust touring schedule at leading chamber-music series throughout North America, Europe, and Asia.
EXHIBITION
E(N)TERNAL LIGHF: THE ETERNAL ECOSYSTEM EXPOSED
Curated by Ntangou Badila. Featuring works by Ntangou Badila, Reggie Madison, Tyrone Mitchell, and Tshidi Matale
On view March 9 to April 14, 2024
Opening Saturday, March 9 with a reception with the artists featuring musical performances and demonstrations by healers.
Dedicated to Kimora Mitsuki
In this interdisciplinary exhibition curated by lead artist Ntangou Badila, artists explore the human ecosystem and the interconnectedness between nature, grief, healing, and wellness through visual art, movement, traditional healing practices, and musical performance.
Join Ntangou and her fellow artists for a mind, heart, and soul-opening reception featuring consciousness-altering, immersive environments of light and sound by Daniel Friedman, sound bath performance by Nea, music by Young Paris, nervous system care by Char CA, massage by Sasha Grace Decker, acupuncture by Taganyahu Swaby of Yaad Wellness, and the sharing of herbs, tinctures, salves and nutritional information by Ngonda Badila of Obi Kanda Medicinals.
E(N)TERNAL LIGHF: THE ETERNAL ECOSYSTEM EXPOSED
YOGA & MOVEMENT WITH NKOULA BADILA
Sunday, March 17 at 10:30am
Free; reservations recommended
Come move and stretch amongst the beautiful artwork of E(n)ternal Lighf: The Eternal Ecosystem Exposed with certified yoga teacher and member of Lady Moon & The Eclipse, Nkoula Badila.
COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS
BOBBY PREVITE’S 360 IMPROV ONLINE MUSIC WORKSHOP
Saturday, January 13 – Monday, January 15, 2024
Free; by application only. Application deadline: December 20, 2023
"Bobby strips away your illusions and creates an environment of talented musicians who mutually support each other in building a better version of themselves as players and as creative artists. it is transformational." -- Workshop participant
Acclaimed composer, drummer and bandleader Bobby Previte leads a free, online three-day improvisation masterclass for student, amateur, and professional musicians.
Bobby Previte is a composer and performer whose work explores the nexus between notated and improvised music. One of the seminal figures of the 1980s New York ‘Downtown’ scene, Previte has received multiple awards for music composition including the 2015 Greenfield Prize for Music and a 2012 Guggenheim. His original compositions have been recorded and released by Sony, Elektra, Rykodisc, New World, Cantaloupe and Rarenoise. He leads a plethora of ensembles around the world from his instrument, the drums.
TEA PARTY WORKSHOP
Saturday, January 13, 2024 at 10:00am
Co-presented by Sideways Art
Ages: 8-12
10am-2pm (with lunch break)
Free; registration required. Materials provided and no prior sewing experience necessary.
Led by Ruby Jackson and Lou Smith of Sideways Art, Tea Party Workshop explores sewing through collaboration and celebration. Participants learn hand-sewing and work together to create a homemade tablecloth to be used at a celebratory tea party with their families.
CLOTHING CLUB
Saturday, February 17, 2024 at 10:00am
Co-presented by Sideways Art
Ages: 12-16
10am-2pm (with lunch break)
Free; registration required. No prior sewing experience necessary.
Join Ruby Jackson and Lou Smith of Sideways Art for a half-day workshop reimagining the boundary between clothing and sculpture. Students explore clothing alteration and reuse through hand-sewing and other fabric processes. Materials provided, but bringing in items to rework is welcomed and encouraged!
The Sean Jones Quartet concert and related jazz workshop for Hudson City School District students has been made possible with support from: MarketNY through I LOVE NY/New York State's Division of Tourism as a part of the Regional Economic Development Council awards.
E(n)ternal Lighf:The Eternal Ecosystem Exposed and Hudson Hall's programs are made possible by a grant from the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature.
Hudson Hall's Youth Arts Program has been supported by a grant from the Fund for Columbia County of the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation.
A special thank you to our community programming funders: Bank of Greene County Charitable Foundation, Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, Children’s Foundation of Columbia County, Cornelia T. Bailey Foundation, Dyson Foundation, Hover Foundation, The Spark of Hudson
ABOUT HUDSON HALL
hudsonhall.org
Hudson Hall is a cultural beacon in the Hudson Valley, offering a dynamic year-round schedule of music, theater, dance, literature, exhibitions, workshops for youth and adults, as well as family programs and large-scale community events such as Winter Walk. Located in a historic landmark that houses New York State’s oldest surviving theater, Hudson Hall underwent a full restoration and reopened to the public in April 2017 for the first time in over 55 years. In 2019, through an extensive program encompassing live performance, art exhibitions, city-wide festivals, free community events and workshops, Hudson Hall served an audience of 50,000 and employed over 400 artists and skilled technicians, making it a valuable contributor to Columbia County’s $8 million creative economy. Approximately 70% of Hudson Hall’s programs are free of charge or subsidized to ensure equitable access to the arts.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Caroline Lee
caroline@hudsonhall.org
(518) 822-1438