The Queen's Cartoonists Come to Cooperstown Summer Music Festival
The performance is on Wednesday, July 30 at 7pm at Fenimore Farm.
By: Stephi Wild Jul. 15, 2025
The Cooperstown Summer Music Festival has announced a one-of-a-kind performance with The Queen's Cartoonists on Wednesday, July 30 at 7pm at the Fenimore Farm and Country Village's Louis C. Jones Center.
The Queen's Cartoonists have carved out a unique niche in the entertainment world by making jazz accessible and fun for audiences of all ages through their innovative "Ages 2-102" show that combines live music, classic animation, and witty commentary. Audience members will watch their favorite classic cartoon characters interact with the musicians on stage, and can expect the unexpected from the Golden Age of Animation, cult cartoon classics, and modern animated films.
Inspired by the cross-roads of jazz, classical music, and cartoons, The Queen's Cartoonists feature Jazz Age composers like Carl Stalling, Raymond Scott, and John Kirby, alongside classical giants Mozart, Rossini, and Strauss. The sextet performs meticulously reproduced film scores synchronized to original cartoons, bringing these beloved soundtracks to life with remarkable precision.
Founded in 2015, The Queen's Cartoonists consists of six virtuosic musicians who all now reside in the New York City borough of Queens but originally hail from four continents. The ensemble includes band leader and pianist Joel Pierson, Rossen Nedelchev on drums, Drew Pitcher on flute and tenor saxophone, Mark Phillips on clarinet and soprano saxophone, Greg Hammontree on trumpet and trombone, and Pablo Lanoguere on bass.
The performance goes beyond just musical excellence, incorporating imaginative foley techniques, light-hearted comedy, and audience participation. Band members provide live sound effects using kazoos, train whistles, and other creative instruments while sharing fascinating anecdotes about the films and composers.
The Queen's Cartoonists have performed in a wide variety of prestigious venues, including opening for the New York Philharmonic, selling out the Blue Note Jazz Club, a sold out residency at Konzerthaus Berlin, and an extended run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. They have been featured in over fifty publications, including The Wall Street Journal, the Chicago Tribune, the L.A. Times, The San Diego Tribune, the Houston Chronicle, NPR's All Things Considered, Mashable, and on BBC Radio 3.
The evening promises to showcase beloved animated characters and demonstrate how jazz music has been woven into the fabric of popular culture through cartoons. True to their "Ages 2-102" concept, The Queen's Cartoonists make this sophisticated musical style accessible and entertaining for the entire family, from toddlers to seniors.
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