Music on the Mountain

Helen Sung: “Mohonk Pictures At An Exhibition”

To kick of our week of exciting music, pianist/composer Helen Sung presents a musical matinee inspired by the legendary Mohonk Mountain House and its environs: from its breathtaking sunsets to the sweeping vistas seen from Skytop Tower, to the beauty of its flora and fauna, and the serene magic of Lake Mohonk. Join Helen for a specially curated program of jazz standards and original compositions accompanied by visual imagery.

Lee Falco & Friends

Lee Falco is a creative force from the Hudson Valley region. As a music producer, Falco draws from a large and dynamic network of talented musicians including artists such as Ron English’s Rabbits, The Restless Age, Amy Helm, Steely Dan, and Lorkin O’Reilly. Join tonight’s collaboration of artists as they present music that inspires.

Music from a Row Boat

Scott Robinson, legendary Jazz multi-instrumentalist best known for his work on multiple saxophones, will present a solo performance . . . from a row boat on Mohonk Lake. Find a spot around the lake to sit, listen, relax, and enjoy as Scott plays some beautiful selections to match the scenic beauty.

Woody Sez

Woody Sez is a tale of struggle, activism, patriotism and commitment celebrating the life and times of one of the giants of American Music. Many of Woody Guthrie’s songs (Bound for Glory, Pastures of Plenty, The Ballad of Tom Joad, This Land is Your Land) express what is universal about the American spirit.

Helen Sung is an acclaimed pianist and composer who had a jazz epiphany during undergraduate classical studies. An in-demand performer and clinician, she seamlessly integrates the jazz and classical worlds with a soulful, modern sensibility. In addition to her own band, Helen has worked with jazz luminaries including the late Clark Terry, Ron Carter, Wayne Shorter, and MacArthur Fellow Regina Carter, and currently can be seen with fine ensembles including the Grammy-winning Mingus Big Band and Cecile McLorin Salvant’s “Ogresse.” She has served on the jazz faculties of the Berklee College of Music, the Juilliard School, and was the inaugural Jazz Artist-In-Residence at Columbia University’s prestigious Zuckerman Institute in 2019. In April 2020 she was named a Steinway Artist.

Lee Falco is a creative force from the Hudson Valley of NY. As a musician, he has toured the world over, drumming for such artists as Donald Fagen (Steely Dan), The Lemonheads, Rachael Yamagata, Doyle Bramhall II and countless others. As a recording producer, engineer and session player at his studio, Building Records, Lee has worked on hundreds of recording sessions in all capacities. As a composer, Falco has scored numerous short films and advertisements. His original compositions for film director Ivan Cash have earned two ‘Vimeo Staff Pick’ Awards. In addition to performance and production, Falco also helps present live music at his family’s music venue, The Falcon, a premier performance space in the hamlet of Marlboro NY.

Scott Robinson is one of today’s most wide-ranging instrumentalists and has been heard on tenor saxophone with Buck Clayton’s band, on trumpet with Lionel Hampton’s quintet, on alto clarinet with Paquito D’Rivera’s clarinet quartet, and on bass saxophone with the New York City Opera. His discography now includes more than 190 recordings. Scott has performed in some thirty nations, in such diverse venues as Carnegie Hall, the Village Vanguard, the Library of Congress, and the Vienna Opera House. Scott’s group was selected to be the closing act at the Knitting Factory’s Sun Ra Festival in New York City. Scott has also written magazine articles and liner notes, and was an invited speaker at the Congressional Black Caucus Jazz Forum in Washington, D.C.

David M. Lutken is originally from Dallas, Texas, and graduated from Duke University with a Bachelor of Arts in Classics. He completed his Acting Degree at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Arts in London. He has performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, The 92nd St Y, at Cooper Union (with Ted Sperling’s ‘Master Voices’), Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, with the North Carolina Symphony and the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra, on NPR, Polskie Radio, the BBC, Voice Of America, and The Louisiana Hayride. With his original show, “Woody Sez: The Life & Music of Woody Guthrie”, he and his company have toured Europe, the British Isles, the US, the Middle East, and China. David won the Helen Hayes and the Joseph Jefferson Best Actor award for his portrayal of Woody Guthrie.

Mariachi Artístico pride themselves on their professionalism and passion for their art. This passion has allowed them to perform with artists such as Luis Miguel, Pedro Fernandez, and Cristian Castro at venues such as the Madison Square Garden. They’ve appeared on hit shows such as ABC’s The Chew and One Life To Live. They’ve performed at events hosted by Billy Joe Armstrong, Billy Joel, Richard Gere, President George H. W. Bush, Conan O’Brien, and Salma Hayek to name a few.

David Gonzalez is a professional storyteller, poet, playwright, musician and public speaker. He is a cultural ambassador for the U.S. State Department, and is the proud recipient of the International Performing Arts for Youth “Lifetime Achievement Award for Sustained Excellence“. David was named a Fellow of the Joseph Campbell Foundation and was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for “Unique Theatrical Experience” for The Frog Bride. He was the host of New York Kids on WNYC for eight seasons. His poetry has been featured at Lincoln Center’s Out-of-Doors Festival, Bill Moyers’ documentary Fooling with Words on PBS, and NPR’s All Things Considered. David was a featured performer at the National Storytelling Festival and received his doctorate from New York University’s School of Education. Mr. Gonzalez is bi-lingual and is the Artistic Director for the Crisalida Communications, a company that consults on arts outreach to theaters and community organizations. David has been performing for audiences at Mohonk for over 30 years.

Frederic Chiu performs at major venues on five continents: Lincoln Center in New York, Kennedy Center in Washington, The Chatelet in Paris, the Mozarteum in Buenos Aires, as well as touring extensively in smaller and unusual venues. He collaborates with Classical music friends Joshua Bell, Pierre Amoyal and the St. Lawrence String Quartet, as well as non-Classical friends like jazz pianist Bob James or storyteller David Gonzalez, to bring vivid live piano experiences to all audiences. Across 30 albums, he has recorded works of Chopin, Liszt, Ravel, Mendelssohn, Brahms, Rossini and Grieg, and most recently Beethoven/Liszt Symphonies V and VII. His innovative programming includes “Classical Smackdown,” where composers face off in head-to-head comparisons, with listeners voting for their favorite composer. With his wife, Jeanine Esposito, he co-created the arts non-profit, Beechwood Arts & Innovation to explore collaboration across art genres and the integration of arts and technology to create community. Frederic teaches at both Carnegie Mellon University and The Hartt School.

Caledonia is Caroline Bennett and Al Burgasser, both of Scottish descent who perform a wide variety of Scottish music. Caroline, who has been the program coordinator for our annual Mohonk Mountain House Scottish Weekend for nine years, has received awards and recognition for her Gaelic singing, songwriting and poetry – in local Mòd competitions as well as the Royal National Mòd in Scotland. Her original songs have recently been featured on a new BBC program series highlighting current generation Gaelic singer-songwriters who are writing new songs in Gaelic, hosted by Gillebride MacMillan. Caroline has a very special ability to create songs and poems in the traditional bardic tradition of Scotland and is passionate about singing the voices of the past as well as bringing new music to the Gaelic tradition.

Al Burgasser, has been a singer/songwriter and working musician for more than 50 years. He is currently very active full time in the western Connecticut music scene, performing and organizing musical events, music classes, and working on sound and video production. At the heart of the collaboration between Al and Caroline has been their love of singing together as well as the recording, production and creation of videos for many of her original works.

Cordeone began his journey playing Portuguese Balls at the tender age of 9. He is a multi-instrumentalist who, starting with the accordion, taught himself to play piano, classic guitar, Portuguese guitar, Brazilian percussions, drums, and the bass. At the age of 18, he embarked on a professional career in music. Cordeone’s musical odyssey has allowed him the pleasure of working and collaborating with amazing musicians from all walks of life, such as Jah Mason, Turbulence, Big Joe Turner, Clyde Spencer, Ben l’Oncle Soul, La Ruda Salska, and many more. The artist strives to compose music that best represents his personal and artistic identity.

Hubby Jenkins is a talented multi-instrumentalist who endeavors to share his love and knowledge of old-time American music. Born and raised in Brooklyn he delved into his Southern roots, following the thread of African American history that wove itself through country blues, ragtime, fiddle and banjo, and traditional jazz. Hubby got his higher musical education started as a busker. He developed his guitar and vocal craft on the sidewalks and subway platforms of New York City, performing material by those venerable artists whose work he was quickly absorbing. An ambitiously itinerant musician, he took his show on the road, playing the streets, coffee shops, bars, and house parties of cities around the U.S. After years of busking around the country and making a name for himself, Hubby became acquainted with the Carolina Chocolate Drops. He was an integral part of the Grammy award winning Carolina Chocolate Drops (2010 – 2016), as well as a member of Rhiannon Giddens band. Today he spreads his knowledge and love of old-time American music and history through his dynamic solo performances.

Rhett Miller is perhaps best known as the front man of the Dallas-based alt-country band the Old 97’s, although he has also pursued a critically acclaimed solo career. Formed in 1993, the Old 97’s built a devoted following with their brash blend of country and power pop influences, making a splash with 1995’s Wreck Your Life, which won the group a brief stay on the roster of Elektra Records, a period kicked off with one of their finest hours, 1997’s Too Far to Care. In his solo career Rhett has captured attention, as a literate songwriter training his eye on such subjects as fatherhood, sex, and love.

Martin Wind, bassist and composer, has become a regular at all major jazz clubs in New York and is also in demand as a session player; his credits include movies such as “The Alamo,” “Intolerable Cruelty,” “ Mona Lisa Smiles,” and “Fur ”. He has recorded and/or performed with the following artists, among many others: Guidon Kremer, Clark Terry, Mark Murphy, Slide Hampton, Toots Thielemans, Jim McNeely, Buddy DeFranco, The Metropole Orchestra, Michael Brecker, Randy Brecker, Eddie Daniels, Curtis Fuller, Phil Woods, Bud Shank, Johnny Griffin, Bucky Pizzarelli, Mike Stern, Terell Stafford, Larry Goldings, and Village Vanguard Orchestra.

David Temple has performed as a classical guitarist and composer throughout the country. He is dedicated to presenting guitar performances that are full of color and variety, and to making the concert experience as enjoyable for the newcomer as for the experienced listener. Concerts have included the Festival of the Arts at Mohonk, the Ulster Chamber Music Series, the Philadelphia Classical Guitar Society, the Center for Performing Arts at Rhinebeck, the Foothills Performing Arts Center in Oneonta, NY, and many others. A graduate of the music school at Eastern Michigan University, David is Artistic Director and Vice President of the Mid-Hudson Classical Guitar Society, and teaches both guitar and composition at Bard Conservatory, Preparatory Division, and at his home studio in Red Hook, NY. He has produced four recordings, which include an eclectic selection from the repertoire, as well as original arrangements and compositions.