Washington Heights and Inwood might lack the large concert venues of lower Manhattan, but the neighborhoods make up for it with performances held in more-unusual locations, including a church crypt, a co-op building’s lounge, and a pianist’s living room.
550 West 155th Street (at Broadway)
The Church of the Intercession. Image: Beyond My Ken/Wikimedia
A New York City Landmark building that’s more than a century old, the Church of the Intercession hosts the Crypt Sessions, classical music performances held in its 2,300-square-foot Gothic crypt. The next performance in the series is not announced until after the preceding one is over, so it is suggested that you visit the series’ website, deathofclassical.com, to get on the mailing list. Before each concert is a wine and food tasting tailored specifically to the concert. Performances are held roughly every other month; recent concerts included soprano Alyson Cambridge performing “From the Diary of Sally Hemings” and a solo performance by pianist David Greilsammer. The Episcopal church produces its own musical events as well: In November, for instance, it hosted a performance by chamber ensemble Meraki of works for clarinet and piano. That same month, it held a Blessing of the Musicians, in which musicians were encouraged not only to bring their instruments to be blessed but also to perform on the church’s Steinway piano. Incidentally, David Hurd composed “Intercession Mass,” used in many Episcopal congregations today, while he was the organist for the Church of the Intercession.
Parlor Jazz at Marjorie Eliot’s
555 Edgecombe Avenue (at 160th Street), Apartment 3F
In 1994, after the death of one of her sons, Marjorie Eliot decided to honor his memory by holding a free Sunday jazz concert in her apartment. And she has continued to do so every Sunday afternoon, without having missed a single one. She sets up 50 chairs in her parlor for guests, though the crowd spills over into her kitchen and hallway. Eliot, an accomplished pianist and music teacher, accompanies the other performers, some of whom were once her students. Saxophonist Sedric Choukroun, trumpeter Koichi Yoshihara, and Eliot’s son Rudel Drears, a pianist and singer, are frequent performers. While a parlor might seem an unlikely locale for concerts that attract visitors from around the world, the apartment building itself is an apt setting: Among its former residents were jazz legend Count Basie, sax player and bandleader Andy Kirk, singer/actress Lena Horne, and singer/actor/activist Paul Robeson, for whom the building was renamed after his death in 1976.
Fort Washington Collegiate Church
729 West 181st Street (at Magaw Place)
Fort Washington Collegiate Church. Image: Beyond My Ken/Wikimedia
Fort Washington Collegiate Church serves as the home of the Washington Heights Chamber Orchestra. Now in its second season, the ensemble performs one concert a month from September through May. December’s performance features French classics on harp and flute; January is the Young Artists Competition Finals, in which five teenage string players will compete for a scholarship and a solo engagement with the orchestra; February’s concert will be an afternoon of string music by composers who include Pulitzer Prize winner (and local resident) Aaron Jay Kernis. Beyond the orchestra, the church is home to the Fort Washington Community Choir, which performs several concerts a year. In addition, the Joyful Voices choir performs traditional hymns, contemporary Christian music, and urban gospel during the Dutch Reformed church’s Sunday morning services. The group’s Thursday evening rehearsals and Sunday morning warm-ups are open to the public.
The Lounge at Hudson View Gardens
116 Pinehurst Avenue (at 183rd Street)
Hudson View Gardens. Image: Beyond My Ken/Wikimedia
One of New York’s oldest co-op apartments, Hudson View Gardens has its own cultural group, the Hudson View Gardens Performing Arts Group. The organization hosts classical, jazz, and world-music performances in the building’s lounge, which seats 60 people. Shows, held roughly once a month, are open not just to residents but also to the community at large. Upcoming events include a December concert by the Lions Gate Trio, a violin, cello, and piano ensemble, and a concert by piano duo Four Hand Band.
4857 Broadway (between Academy and 204th Streets)
This self-described “cultural arts hub” hosts film screenings, art shows, workshops, and a range of live performances, from poetry readings to concerts. Recent shows included the Don Slatoff Jazz Experience and Puerto Rico en Canción, featuring mezzo-soprano Laura Virella.