PHANTOM WAVES Concert Series Comes to The Green-Wood Cemetery

The Green-Wood Cemetery will present Phantom Waves, a new series of concerts featuring boundary-breaking performances in the distinctive acoustic spaces of the Catacombs and Historic Chapel. The series is curated by acclaimed experimental singer, songwriter, and Broadway star Gelsey Bell, who has been hailed by The New York Times as “one of New York’s most adventurous musicians.” Headlined by musicians making waves with experimental approaches to voice, instrumentation, and composition, the series offers immersive sonic journeys that blur the line between the living and the spectral. 

“We are thrilled to be launching a new series of concerts celebrating the historic structures in the Cemetery. While not initially designed as music stages, they’ll now host a roster of artists whose performances embody experimentation and site specificity, curated by the very talented Gelsey Bell. You won't be able to experience these performers, and these works, anywhere else like you will at Green-Wood,” says Harry Weil, Vice President of Education and Public Programs.

“Curating this series has been an absolute honor and joy. In a completely acoustic environment, the spaces at Green-Wood contain unique sonic and historical reverberation unlike anything else in New York City. All of the experimental artists in the series are invited into these spaces not just for their incredible creativity and virtuosic ability, but also for their profound attention in the creative process to the sonic, emotional, and spiritual characteristics of each space they inhabit. I have found creating in these spaces incredibly enriching, and I am thrilled to share my work and to see what delights of the soul all of these artists cook up,” says Gelsey Bell, Curator of Phantom Waves.

The 2024 Series includes:

 Trumpeter Amir ElSaffar on April 24th and 25th in the Historic Chapel: ElSaffar is one of the few musicians in the world who perform maqam, a centuries-old, now endangered tradition in Arabic music. A classically trained trumpeter, he has created a unique musical language: blending the sounds of his ancestral heritage—the Iraqi Maqam—with jazz, classical, and other Western genres. The New York Times described ElSaffar as a “celebrated trumpeter and composer who explores vital connections between jazz and Arabic music.”

Gelsey Bell and Saxophonist Erin Rogers May 15th and 16th in the Catacombs:

Celebrating the release of their new album, Skylighght, which features tracks recorded in the Catacombs, Bell and Rogers use the historic structure as a third collaborator. Their performance will feature a site-specific sonic interaction, artfully integrating the unique architectural shape and resonant acoustics of the space.

Vocalist and Composer Odeya Nini on June 4th and 5th in the Catacombs:

In a rare east-coast appearance by the LA-based artist, Nini’s performance encompasses the vast spirit of the voice. A manifestation of dynamic vocal sound, her works explore resonance in its many forms, as it relates to the physical space, the body within, and the human connections between us.

A performance of Darius Jones’ Samesoul Maker on July 24th and 25th in the Historic Chapel:

As the companion piece to his 2014 composition The Oversoul Manual, which took us into the alien birthing ritual of the mothers of a planet called Or’gen, Darius Jones’ Samesoul Maker shows us the daily meditation that is performed by the fathers and community while the mothers are away from home. The work crafts a world of sound, syntax, and speech patterns that are different from ours, expressing the hope and truth that real communication lies beyond the realm of words and the familiar. The composition will be performed by vocalists Gelsey Bell, Sunder Ganglani, Aviva Jaye, and Paul Pinto, with vibraphonist Levy Lorenzo.

Additional concerts will be added in the fall and winter, stay tuned!

 Tickets are $40 for the general public and $35 for Green-Wood members. There will be two performances each night, at 6:30pm and 8:30pm. Doors close 30 minutes after the time on the ticket. Capacity is limited at both locations to 66 people.

Because the Catacombs are deep in the Cemetery, attendees will be transported to and from the Catacombs from Green-Wood’s Main Entrance (25th Street and Fifth Avenue) via trolley.

Test and expand your Broadway knowledge with our new game - The Broadway Match-Up! How well do you know your Broadway casting trivia?	Play the Daily Game, explore current shows, and delve into past decades like the 2000s, 80s, and the Golden Age. Challenge your friends and see where you rank!
How well do you know your Tony Awards history? Take our never-ending quiz of nominations and winner history and challenge your friends.	Can you beat your friends? Play today’s daily Broadway word game, featuring a new theatrically inspired word or phrase every day!