Mid-Manhattan Performing Arts Foundation (MMPAF)

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Mid-Manhattan Performing Arts Foundation (MMPAF)

Awakening and uplifting the human spirit through the art of great music. Bartholomew’s Church. Trafka since 1995.

Originally founded in 1972 to preserve the time honored tradition of offering major oratorios on Sunday afternoons from October to May, the Great Music at St. Bart’s Series adopted its current format in 1986 in response to a demand from the community for high-quality concerts in the magnificent setting of St. It has been under the direction of current Artistic Director William K.

04/29/2024

Looking for some concert fit inspiration? Look no further than this selection of snazzy jackets!

Don your own snazzy jacket and join us TOMORROW NIGHT at 7:30pm to hear beloved works by all of these snazzy jacket wearing composers: Bach, Handel, Scarlatti, and Rameau!

Get your tickets before they are gone! Visit MMPAF.org (link in bio)

04/23/2024

Next Tuesday! Join Paolo Bordignon, harpsichordist, in recital at St. Bartholomew’s Church!
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The year 1685 saw the births of three of musical history’s greatest creators: Johann Sebastian Bach, George Frideric Handel, and Domenico Scarlatti. The harpsichord was the primary domestic keyboard instrument of the high Baroque and all three of these composers wrote masterfully and prolifically for it. Join us for this program including Handel’s Suite in E major (with the Harmonious Blacksmith Variations), a few handfuls of Scarlatti’s 555 Sonatas for harpsichord, and Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 5, a tour-de-force of the Baroque repertoire and the first keyboard concerto in history.
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Tickets are $25 - and can be purchased at MMPAF.org (link in bio).

03/28/2024

✨Thank you to ALL who came to our Holy Week Meditation in Song. It was a truly special evening, and a wonderful way to begin Holy Week.

Stay tuned for what’s next in our season at MMPAF.com✨

03/25/2024

✨The other half! Come see these fabulous singers next Monday at 6:00pm✨

Each of our soloists will present a unique set of songs, lieder, or mélodie which bring to life six secular themes of Holy Week. We cannot wait for you to join us for this very special recital!

Haven’t gotten your tickets yet? Hurry to MMPAF.org to secure yours!

03/19/2024

✨Three of our fabulous six soloists for our concert next Monday: A Holy Week Meditation in Song✨

Hear these artists explore themes of Holy Week in Secular Song, Lieder, and Mélodie, each bringing his or her own experiences and perspectives to this musical meditation.

Get your tickets now at MMPAF.org! (Link in bio)

03/11/2024

✨A Holy Week Meditation in Song✨

Join six singers of St. Bartholomew’s Choir as they step out of the choir stalls and take center stage as soloists, presenting a concert that reinterpret themes of holy week through the language of secular art song. Experience, the beauty, introspection, and contemplation of this unique musical offering, where the every day meets the divine.

Tickets are $25. Get yours at mmpaf.org ✨

12/29/2023

Swipe for some EXCELLENT NYE party outfit inspiration ✨
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It wouldn't be the holidays without Handel! Our annual "Concert to Usher in the New Year" on December 31 at 11pm will include orchestral works transcribed for organ.
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Handel's Water Music was premiered in 1717 at King George I's request for an orchestral concert on the Thames. The work was an instant hit and was transcribed for keyboard, as in the version here by 18th century composer William Boyce, so that the work could be enjoyed in every drawing room in London and beyond.
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The Hornpipe movement might be the best-known and will feature the horn and trumpet stops of the organ, including those in the Celestial division up in the great dome.
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A donation of $20 is suggested. No tickets required. We look forward to welcoming you.
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12/18/2023

✨A Concert to Usher in the New Year✨

Ring in the new year with a fun and festive concert at 11 pm, followed by a champagne reception at the stroke of midnight. Hear organ favorites like Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in D Major and Vierne’s Carillon de Westminster played by Paolo Bordignon with the console out front-and-center. With over 12,000 pipes sounding into the resplendent nave from both sides of the chancel, the rear gallery, and even above in the dome, the dynamic range and vast color palette of the Æolian- Skinner organ at St. Bartholomew’s is an experience to behold in person, enveloped by one of the world’s largest musical instruments.
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Suggested donation: $20
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More info at www.MMPAF.org

12/13/2023

What a great program, performance, and audience! A fantastic evening for great music! A Joyous Christmas Concert 2023.

Check out the rest of the season at MMPAF.org/2023-2024

12/09/2023

St. Bartholomew’s Choir will be dressed a little fancier next Monday, but our rehearsal tradition is still going strong! A Joyous Christmas Choir decked in plaid!

Don’t wait! Get your tickets at mmpaf.org (link in bio) or purchase at the door!

12/06/2023

Want to know more about this exciting program? Like and share this post!

Details on all the joyous holiday music coming soon!

12/02/2023

🔸Adoration of the Magi 🔸

Jeff Morrissey and William Trafka return to St. Bart’s with their popular Christmas program inspired by the elegant paintings that adorn the mural in St. Bartholomew’s Chapel. Enjoy traditional carols, carols from around the world, spirituals and popular Christmas favorites in this very special recital, and stay after for a festive reception 🍾
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Tickets - $25
Get your tickets at MMPAF.org
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12/01/2023

🎄IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR 🎄

Join St. Bartholomew’s Choir for our annual JOYOUS CHRISTMAS CONCERT! This beloved tradition promises to be a night beautiful music and holiday cheer.
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Tickets are selling fast! Get yours at MMPAF.org!

11/21/2023

Do you know these faces?
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The first person to correctly identify these two ghosts of St. Bart’s 👻 will receive one free ticket to the recital that features their music on November 30th!
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Didn’t win a ticket? Don’t worry! You can purchase your tickets to this event at MMPAF.org!

11/20/2023

Ticket sales are swift! Don't miss out!

Planning your concerts for the season? Don't miss these fantastic concerts sure to bring you good cheer and plenty of joy!!

*Thursday 11/30/23 - Ghosts of St. Bart's - ticketed
*Monday 12/11/23 - The Joyous Christmas Concert - ticketed
*Tuesday 12/12/23 - Adoration of the Magi - ticketed
*Sunday 12/31/23 - A Concert to Usher in the New Year - bubbly toast at midnight - donations encouraged and
appreciated

So much more great music this season!

2023 - 2024 Season Nov 30 Ghosts of St. Bart’s Thursday, November 30, 2023 7:30 PM 9:00 PM St. Bartholomew's Chapel (map) Google Calendar ICS Olivia Sue Greene, soprano, in recitalwith Peiwen Chen, pianoDelve into the captivating musical history of St. Bartholomew’s Church through a recital that...

11/13/2023

Where is the organ in this photo? The short answer is……everywhere!
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Come experience the original “surround sound” instrument TONIGHT at 7:30! Alexander Pattavina will be front and center at the console.
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More information at MMPAF.org/2023-2024

11/10/2023

Join Olivia Sue Greene and Peiwen Chen in recital on Thursday, November 30th at 7:30pm!
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Delve into the captivating musical history of St. Bartholomew’s Church through a recital that pays tribute to three musical giants who have haunted its hallowed halls. This program of American art song presents romantic melodies and thought-provoking poetry which span the 20th century.
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Will we see you there? Leave a like or a comment to let us know!

11/09/2023

See organist Alexander Pattavina in action next Monday, November 13th, at 7:30pm!
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Will we see you there? Leave a like or comment!
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More information at MMPAF.org/2023-2024

07/11/2023

What a splendid Friday night! The Monaco Boys Choir sang a stunning concert for a full house! We couldn’t think of a better way to conclude a wonderful 2022-2023 Season! Thank you to all who came! ✨

07/06/2023

Swipe for some fun history!

1974 ➡️ 2023

The Little Singers of Monaco were founded in 1974 by His Serene Highness Prince Rainier III, who called them his little singing ambassadors. Now known as The Monaco Boys Choir, the ensemble comprises around 30 boys, ages 9 to 16, and is a member of the Maîtrise de la Cathédrale de Monaco, founded in 1904, and regularly perform their musical programs at special events.

Join us tomorrow night at 6PM for a free concert in the chapel at St. Bartholomew’s Church! Hear these singing ambassadors perform works by Bach, Haydn, Rachmaninov, Britten, and more! It is sure to be a lovely evening of singing!

06/07/2023

Free to view!
Enjoy this gala concert presented by the St. Bartholomew's Conservancy which works to preserve St. Bartholomew's Church in New York City.

The Philadelphia Orchestra
David Roberston, conductor
Paolo Bordignon, organ
Anthony Roth Costanzo, countertenor

Learn more about the Conservancy: https://www.stbconservancy.org/
Learn more about the Great Music Series at St. Bart's: https://www.mmpaf.org/

Our FREE ANNIVERSARY STREAM of the St. Bartholomew's Conservancy Gala Organ Concert, performed on May 24, 2022, by The Philadelphia Orchestra, conductor David Robertson, organist Paolo Bordignon, and countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo, continues!

Experience this extraordinary performance, featuring the monumental pipe organ of ST. BART'S-New York City on your own screen at: https://www.stbconservancy.org/programs/anniversary-stream-gala-organ-concert

06/06/2023

Bach + Britten
Happening in just a few hours!
Join us for what will be a spectacular concert experience - the space, the organ, the choir!

A Hymn to St. Cecilia: Music of Bach & Britten
St. Bart's Choir
Alexander Pattavian, organ
Paolo Bordignon, conductor

Tuesday, June 6 at 7:30pm
St. Bartholomew's Church
Park Ave at 50th Street

Tickets and info: mmpaf.org
Purchase in advance to avoid additional fees and the line!
https://www.mmpaf.org/2022-2023/hymn-to-st-cecilia

06/05/2023

TOMORROW!!
Reasons to come:
-A very special program featuring music from two masters - Bach and Britten.
-The space is an incredible place to experience music.
-The organ is magnificent and the largest pipe organ in NYC - over 12,000 pipes.
-The choir is simply fantastic and this is a rare opportunity to hear them in concert.
-It's Tuesday ... what else would you do???

A Hymn to St. Cecelia:
Tuesday 6.6.23 at 7:30pm
St. Bartholomew's Church - 50th & Park

Featuring:
St. Bartholomew Choir
Alexander Pattavina, organ
Paolo Bordignon, conductor
Avoid extra fees and a line! Please purchase your tickets in advance!!

Program and ticket info:

Join St. Bartholomew’s Choir for a concert whose subject is the celebration of music itself by two of its most inventive creators: Britten and Bach. The program will include Bach’s motets Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied , BWV 225, and Der Geist hilft unser Schwachheit auf , BWV 226. more info...

06/04/2023

Bach & Britten! Could there be a better way to spend Tuesday evening? Tickets at mmpaf.org

A Hymn to St. Cecilia: Music of Bach & Britten
Tuesday, June 6, 2023
7:30 PM 9:00 PM
St. Bartholomew's Church

St. Bartholomew’s Choir
Paolo Bordignon, conductor
Alexander Pattavina, organ

Program:
Britten: Jubilate Deo in C
Britten: Festival Te Deum in E, Op. 32
Bach: Der Geist hilft unser Schwachheit auf, BWV 226
Bach:“Gigue” Fugue in G Major, BWV 577 [organ solo]
Britten: Hymn to St. Cecilia
Bach: [Allegro], from Trio Sonata No. 1 in E-flat, BWV 525 [organ solo]
Britten: Antiphon
Bach: Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied, BWV 225
Howells: A Hymn for St Cecilia

https://www.mmpaf.org/2022-2023/hymn-to-st-cecilia

06/03/2023

Sectional Selfies!

Sopranos ✨

Altos 🌸

Tenors 🙃

Basses 😃

Rhythm Section 🙄🎹🪄

As you can tell, EVERYONE is excited to see you this coming Tuesday at 7:30pm! Get your tickets at MMPAF.org

05/29/2023

Many of you know that our concert’s namesake, 'Hymn to St. Cecilia', was a collaboration between British artistic lions Benjamin Britten and W.H Auden. But did you know that it was conceived right here in NYC? And better yet, in a q***r artist commune? For a brief time during World War II, 7 Middagh Street became a hub of European & American culture. The building was dubbed “February House” because so many of its luminary inhabitants shared February birthdays: Carson McCullers, W. H. Auden, Jane Bowles, George Davis, and Oliver Smith. Though this experiment was short-lived (the house was demolished in 1945 to make way for the Brooklyn Queens Expressway!), a stunning amount of important work was generated under the February House roof: McCullers began writing ‘The Ballad of the Sad Cafe’, Lee published The ‘G-String Murders’. Jane Bowles began writing ‘Two Serious Ladies’, and Auden wrote 'Anthem for St Cecilia's Day’, at the request of his housemate who later set it to music.

Swipe for a little photographic history, and Read more about February House and the collaborations between Auden and Britten here:

https://www.them.us/story/themstory-the-q***r-commune-in-wwii-brooklyn-that-became-a-cultural-epicenter

https://www.durham-singers.org/hymn-to-st-cecilia/

…and come hear this masterpiece yourself on June 6th at 7:30! You can purchase tickets at mmpaf.org

05/16/2023

“In a garden shady this holy lady
With reverent cadence and subtle psalm ...
Poured forth her song in perfect calm.” 🌹

W. H. Auden’s Hymn to St. Cecilia is as fresh, startling, and brilliant today as when he first penned the poem in 1940 at the request of his Brooklyn housemate, Benjamin Britten. The collaboration proved to be their last but the short masterpiece they produced is one of the best-loved a ca****la choral works of the century.

Join St. Bartholomew’s Choir on June 6th at 7:30PM for a concert whose subject is the celebration of music itself by two of its most inventive creators: Britten and Bach.

✨Get your tickets at MMPAF.org ✨

Address

325 Park Avenue (At 51st Street)
New York, NY
10022

Website

http://www.mmpaf.org/

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Videos

Bach: Prelude & Fugue in A minor Bach: Schmücke dich, o liebe Seele Vierne: Impromtpu Dupré: Prelude* & Fugue in G minor (*with page-turner tomorrow 😉 ) Paolo Bordignon in recital St. Bartholomew's Church, Park Ave @51st No 🎟️ required. Suggested donation $20

Bach: Prelude & Fugue in A minor Bach: Schmücke Dich, o liebe Seele Vierne: Impromptu Dupré: Prelude* & Fugue in G Minor (*with page-turner tomorrow 😉) Paolo Bordignon in recital, 4pm tomorrow St. Bartholomew's Church, Park Ave & 51st

Advent Suite - Adoration of the Magi -12.15.22 Thanks to Raphael Biran, Brendan Littlefield, Nick Prior, David Wilson and of course Jeff Morrissey and Bill Trafka for this awesome beginning to a truly beautiful evening! Join us for more great music! mmpaf.org

Adoration of the Magi - The Magi see the Star ADORATION OF THE MAGI Thursday, December 15 at 7:30pm St. Bart's Chapel Jeff Morrissey, baritone Bill Trafka, piano Linger at the festive reception after the concert! tickets & info: https://www.mmpaf.org/2022-2023

It's a hot ticket, some seats are still available! Avoid the rush and madness and purchase before 5pm! (After 5pm tickets must be purchased at the box office and incur a $5 fee.) Join us for A Joyous Christmas Concert! Friday, December 9 at 7:30pm St. Bartholomew’s Church Tickets and info: www.mmpaf.org/2022-2023 **Get your tickets before 5pm! Regularly a top concert pick! JOY! WONDER! CHEER! Celebrate the holiday season with beloved traditional carols as well as festive new arrangements of sacred and secular Christmas favorites in the beauty and splendor of St. Bartholomew’s Church! Featuring: St. Bartholomew’s Choir Alexander Pattavina, organist Paolo Bordignon, conductor Ample space for social distancing. Masks encouraged, but not required.

Naughty or Nice? Ready for Santa? Well he's comin' to town! Join us for A Joyous Christmas Concert! Friday, December 9 at 7:30pm St. Bartholomew’s Church Tickets and info: www.mmpaf.org/2022-2023 **Get your tickets soon! Regularly a top concert pick! JOY! WONDER! CHEER! Celebrate the holiday season with beloved traditional carols as well as festive new arrangements of sacred and secular Christmas favorites in the beauty and splendor of St. Bartholomew’s Church! Featuring: St. Bartholomew’s Choir Alexander Pattavina, organist Paolo Bordignon, conductor

JINGLE BELLS and a lot of JOY!! A Joyous Christmas Concert Friday December 9 @ 7:30pm St. Bartholomew's Church Celebrate the holiday season with beloved traditional carols as well as festive new arrangements of sacred and secular Christmas favorites in the beauty and splendor of St. Bartholomew’s Church! Featuring the acclaimed St. Bartholomew’s Choir, Alexander Pattavina on the Great Organ (the largest pipe organ in NYC with over 12,000 pipes), Paolo Bordignon – conductor. The musicians of St. Bartholomew’s Choir frequently appear at many of the city’s most prestigious venues: from Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, to Broadway stages and New York’s finest Jazz clubs. On Park Avenue for over 100 years, St. Bart’s Romanesque-style building decorated with Byzantine style and art deco interior adornments is a National Historic Landmark. Come and experience the beauty, warmth, and vibrancy of the season! **A wildly popular concert, get your tickets soon! **For tickets and more information about our season: https://www.mmpaf.org/2022-2023

Sections of the sung text of Couperin’s Leçons de Ténèbres begin with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Like ornate initial letters in a manuscript, these can be elaborate and beautiful, and they step outside of the narrative flow of the text to pause for reflection on the text. Here’s the letter “mem."

From tonight's rehearsal. Monday, April 11 at 6 pm The Leçons de Ténèbres of François Couperin St. Bartholomew’s Chapel Olivia Sue Greene & Aine Hakamatsuka, sopranos Adam Young, viola da gamba Paolo Bordignon, harpsichord Tickets and information: mmpaf.org

A quick peek at Olivia, Aine, and Paolo in rehearsal for Monday's Holy Week Concert: The Leçons de Ténèbres of François Couperin Monday, April 11 at 6 pm St. Bartholomew’s Chapel Olivia Sue Greene & Aine Hakamatsuka, sopranos Adam Young, viola da gamba Paolo Bordignon, harpsichord Tickets and information: mmpaf.org $75 Angel Club Seating includes a $25 tax-deductible contribution to Great Music $50 Tier 2 $25 Tier 3 https://stbarts.isecuresites.com/.../Holy-Week-Concert...

This will be such fun! Friday, December 10, 7:30pm. In-person only Tickets: www.MMPAF.org

Joyous Christmas Concert rehearsal

Join us next Friday for the annual Joyous Christmas Concert! St. Bartholomew's Choir tells the Christmas story, in a program starting with gorgeous church music in a gorgeous church, and making our way to fun party pieces. Tickets: www.mmpaf.org/20212022 The concert begins with a villancico, music of the Flemish renaissance, French Baroque, 19/20th cent. France & England, 20/21st century US & Canada, plus favorite carols in festive concert arrangements. The second half raises a glass with Somerset Wassail, and lets loose with Santa Claus is coming to town, Jingle Bells, and some surprises, too. Don’t miss it. Here’s a snippet of “A Babe is Born" by William Mathias from the first half of the program.

What a great evening! Jason Roberts accompanies 2 Harold Lloyd films - "High and Dizzy" and "Sailor Made Man" on largest pipe organ in NYC. 11.2.18

Jason Roberts/Buster Keaton

How does he do it?? JASON ROBERTS ACCOMPANIES THREE BUSTER KEATON COMEDY SHORTS Friday, November 3, 2017 at 7:30 pm St. Bartholomew's Church - Park Avenue at 51st Street mmpaf.org for tickets and info. *Convict 13 (1920) features Keaton as an innocent (and untalented) golfer who is mistaken for a convict. *The Boat (1921), Buster and his family sail into the Pacific Ocean in a homemade vessel that is barely seaworthy. *Day Dreams (1922), Buster tries to win the hand of his girl by “making it big” in the city.