Dawn of Midi & More Set for Rite of Summer Music Festival on Governors Island, Begin. 5/31

Blair McMillen and Pam Goldberg are thrilled to present the fourth and busiest season yet of the Rite of Summer Music Festival, taking place Summer 2014 at Colonels' Row on Governors Island, New York City. Rite of Summer will present free outdoor concerts on four different weekends on beautiful Governors Island from Memorial Day until just after Labor Day. In a locale The New York Times has called a "Playground for the Arts," the aim of the Festival is simple: to present the highest quality live performances, and to bring free contemporary classical music to as many people as possible in a relaxed, fun, outdoor setting.

The season kicks off on Saturday, May 31st, with one of the most hyped and extraordinary bands to emerge in years, the all-acoustic (but electronica-influenced) trio, Dawn of Midi. Next up, Rite of Summer collaborates with New York Philharmonic's Very Young Composers to present New York: Harbor to the World, an exhilarating afternoon of world premieres, on Sunday, July 13th. Composed by the young students and faculty members including teaching artist-composers Justin Hines and Angélica Negrón, these brand new commissions will be performed by stellar ensembles ETHEL and Iktus Percussion. On Saturday, August 9th, one of Rite of Summer's very own, pianist and ROS co-director Pam Goldberg, will collaborate with Esther Noh, Caitlin Sullivan and Allison Charney in a fabulous program titled: American and Argentine Sounds from Ives to Piazzolla. Bringing the season to an ecstatic conclusion on Saturday, September 6th, the NYC-based piano "supergroup" Grand Band will present A Bigger Picture with six-piano music by Steve Reich, Kate Moore, Philip Glass, and two New York premieres by Michael Gordon and Paul Kerekes.

Rite of Summer shows will be presented twice the same day, at 1pm and 3pm, for each respective date. Audiences should feel free to walk by, stop and listen, lay down a picnic blanket and relax, eat lunch, intermingle, and take in these engaging live performances.

Governors Island is a short 5-minute ferry ride from South Ferry, in lower Manhattan and a 3-minute ride from Brooklyn Bridge Park. Ferries and concerts are free. For a full ferry schedule, please visit www.govisland.com.

For more information, visit www.riteofsummer.com. Digital Photos are available upon request.

Saturday, May 31 - Dawn of Midi (Rain date: Aug 10)

Sunday, July 13 - New York: Harbor to the World (Rain date: July 19)

Rite of Summer collaborates with New York Philharmonic's Very Young Composers program, in presenting an exhilarating afternoon of world premieres inspired by New York City and its multicultural, multifarious history. Featuring renowned ensembles ETHEL and Iktus Percussion performing seven brand new compositions by children from the Philharmonic's VYC program, two world premieres by NY Philharmonic teaching artist-composers Justin Hines and Angélica Negrón, and a few other musical surprises along the way. Very Young Composers, created by composer (and former Philharmonic Associate Principal Bass) Jon Deak, enables students with or without musical background to create, notate, and hear their very own music performed by professional musicians.

Saturday, August 9 - Pam Goldberg, Esther Noh, Caitlin Sullivan & Allison Charney (Rain date: Aug 10)

American and Argentine Sounds from Ives to Piazzolla featuring ROS Co-Founder & pianist Pam Goldberg, violinist Esther Noh, cellist Caitlin Sullivan and soprano Allison Charney.

Saturday, Sept 6 - Grand Band (Rain date: Sept 28)

New York's piano sextet Grand Band presents A Bigger Picture - performed by ROS Co-Founder & pianist Blair McMillen, Vicky Chow, David Friend, Paul Kerekes, Lisa Moore and Isabelle O'Connell. The New York Times calls Grand Band "the Traveling Wilburys of the city's new-music piano scene." They will present a program of recent works by Philip Glass, Kate Moore, Steve Reich and two New York premieres by Michael Gordon and Paul Kerekes.