A concert featuring performances by Mavis Pan (L) and Mark Wade (R) will take place at Sunnyside Community Services next week (Photos via Eventbrite)
April 29, 2022 By Michael Dorgan
A free concert with a mix of classical and jazz music is coming to Sunnyside next week.
The event will take place at Sunnyside Community Services, located at 43-31 39th St., May 7 at 2 p.m.
The concert will feature performances from two separate bands and is expected to last approximately one hour.
The first performance will see the Mavis Pan String Quartet perform Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. The group is led by Mavis Pan, a Manhattan-based bandleader who is also a pianist, singer, and songwriter.
The second act will be a jazz performance by the Mark Wade Trio, led by Long Island City bassist Marc Wade, who is also a composer. The band, which includes Tim Harrison on piano and Scott Neumann on drums, will perform music from their recently released album “True Stories.”
The album features a mix of old and modern jazz tunes. He was inspired by jazz giants such as Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter and Joe Zawinul, according to Wade. He said the band will also play music they have composed.
Wade said he hoped for a big turnout that day, noting that before the pandemic, similar concerts at the venue drew more than 100 people. He said attendees can look forward to a pleasant afternoon of music.
“People will have the unique experience of hearing new music presented by active composers in the New York music community,” Wade said.
The concert is organized by SCS and New musical horizonsa non-profit music group started by Wade that promotes the work of emerging and mid-level musicians.
Wade said he used a grant his organization received through the Queens Council of the Arts to help cover the costs of the event. The QCA finances artistic and musical events throughout the borough.
The funding, Wade said, plays a vital role in promoting local musicians and allowing free public concerts to take place in Queens.
“It’s really awesome and it opens us up to whole new audiences that we wouldn’t have been able to reach otherwise,” Wade said. “There are a few people [in Queens] who can’t make the trip to Manhattan or pay the high ticket prices in some places.
Monica Guzman, Director of Development at SCS, said she was delighted to see the center being used again for public events after two years of pandemic restrictions.
“We are thrilled to open our doors to the community and look forward to seeing people back at the center to support our local musicians,” Guzman said.
“This concert will show the community that the center is fully open and available to all residents.”
Guzman said the center has resumed offering all of its regular programs, which include Meals on Wheels, Home Care Assistance and Care Assistance Counselling.
Nonetheless, Guzman said COVID-19 still poses a threat and all attendees will be required to wear masks during the concert as a precaution.
Those wishing to attend the event are requested to register in advance by click here.
The event will also be broadcast live via the Sunnyside Community Services Facebook page.
concert poster
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