Music Haven Gears Up to Go Around the World in 62 Days
34th Annual Series Set to Bring the World to the Park
Music Haven Concert Series 2024
Sundays at 7 p.m. / Special Events as noted
July 7–Sept. 6
Music Haven Stage
Central Park, Schenectady, NY
Free
(Rain site for most performances is Proctors)
Schenectady is once again primed to play host to the region’s most diverse slate of worldclass international touring artists in Central Park as its Eddie Award-winning ‘Outdoor Venue / Concert Series of the Year’, Music Haven, announces the details of its (34th annual) free spin around the world. From July 7 through September 6, the popular summer venue will welcome audiences from all corners to 10 spectacular concerts and a Blues BBQ, a new three-part film and event series and the region’s only staging of a full-length improvised musical.
Music Haven 2024 launches with the highly danceable Afrofusion of Mokoomba. Up next, Buckwheat Zydeco Jr. & The Legendary Ils Sont Partis Band with an evening of Louisiana Zydeco, followed by the fiery Balkan brass, funky grooves, Roma (Gypsy) accordion wizardry, and virtuoso jazz chops of Slavic Soul Party. Live Ireland’s “Traditional Group of the Year,” Goitse, holds down the season’s Celtic slot. Jazz Journalists Association’s “Clarinetist of the Year,” Anat Cohen debuts her Brazilian Quartetinho. Eliades Ochoa, the founding soñero of Buena Vista Social Club, brings classic Cuban Son to bear. Global jazz and folk chanteuse, Magdalini Giannikou, caps the global series with songs in 7 languages, accompanied by her Banda Magda.
Music Haven’s annual Summer Social event on Sunday, Aug. 11 wraps a casual, ticketed dinner buffet under the Central Park pavilion and a stage-side meet and greet after the show around what promises to be the standout Cuban concert of the season, featuring Eliades Ochoa.
Several notable non-Sunday performances—listed below—will broaden Music Haven’s cultural reach even further.
As per Music Haven tradition, the roll call of special guests for the season is just as impressive as the headliners they join. From the to the NOLA-style second line stylings of The Brass Machine to the melodic Macedonian Izverna (Roots) music of Niva, the authentic Piedmont picking of Piedmont Bluz, the world beats a path to Music Haven’s door. The Capital Region’s own Celtic standouts Hair of the Dog, along with authentic West African drummer Jordan Taylor Hill and dancers, ace jazz quartet Art D’echo Trio +1 and Cuban salsa sextet Bolero Blues, led by Walter Ramos. An artist to usher in the August 18 concert is TBA.
In the case of inclement weather, Proctors remains the official rain site for Music Haven. Niskayuna High School auditorium will serve in this capacity on August 4 & 10 (when Tina: The Tina Turner Musical takes over Proctors).