Holiday Harmonies

Celebrate Holiday Under the Palms with a lunchtime concert series every Tuesday from 12 – 1 PM! Enjoy the enchanting sounds of talented musicians as they perform a delightful array of seasonal favorites, all while basking in the tropical atmosphere of Brookfield Place.

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE:

DECEMBER 3
Aerial Acoustics

The guitar duo Aerial Acoustics has been delighting audiences for over 25 years with their spirited original and cover instrumentals. Described as “electrifyingly acoustic,” Dorothy Wagner and Dennis Smith play complex arrangements of classic tunes, as well as original compositions, infused with elements of rock, jazz, classical and Spanish guitar.

DECEMBER 10
Brandee Younger

A leading voice of the harp, Brandee Younger recently made history at the 2022 Grammy Awards as the first Black female solo artist nominated in the Best Instrumental Composition category for her song “Beautiful Is Black.” The mesmerizing track is from her 2021 critically well-received major label debut album, Somewhere Different, that also received a 2022 NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Jazz Album – Instrumental. Over her career Ms. Younger has performed and recorded across countless genres with artists including John Legend, The Roots, Lauryn Hill, Common, Pharoah Sanders, Ravi Coltrane, Ron Carter, and Charlie Haden. Additionally her original composition “Hortense” was featured in the Netflix Concert-Documentary, Beyoncé: Homecoming and in 2019 the tireless musician was selected to perform her original music as a featured performer for Quincy Jones and Steve McQueens’ “Soundtrack of America.” Ms. Younger’s ability to seamlessly inject the harp into arrangements and venues where it has historically been overlooked is a testament to her deep love for and exemplary command of the instrument. In addition to performing, she is on the teaching artist faculty at New York University and The New School College of Performing Arts in New York City.

DECEMBER 17
Shoko Nagai’s Menorahs Quartet
Drop-in Art-making Activity with Tova Speter

The performance on December 17 is accompanied by a therapeutic art-making activity led by art therapist, Tova Speter. Inspired by the Edith Wharton quote “there are two ways of spreading light, to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it,” the artist invites you to design a mini LED candle holder and coaster to brighten your spirit as you consider how you spread your light to others. Click here to learn more.

Shoko Nagai, a Japanese-born composer, pianist, accordionist, and improviser, is a versatile and accomplished musician. She collaborates with world-renowned artists and creates original scores for films and live performances. Since moving to NYC from Japan, she has showcased her mastery of the keyboard by adapting it to various instruments, such as prepared piano, accordion, electronics, and more. Whether performing Klezmer, Balkan, or experimental music, Nagai captivates audiences with her charismatic presence on stage, mesmerizing them with her intense focus and virtuosic sound. “Nagai treats every moment as an opportunity for deep synchronicity, reflecting her profound musical artistry,” wrote Giovanni Russonello of The New York Times. She created the Menorah’s Quartet with remarkable musicians whose repertoire range from rambunctious to entrancing, touching on traditional folk dance, Yiddish lullabies, and re-grooved Klezmer music for special holidays. Ljova Zhurbin on violin, Zisl Slepovitch on clarinet, Mitya Ishenko on bass, Shoko Nagai on accordion.

Tova Speter is a Massachusetts-based artist, art therapist, art educator, and arts consultant with a passion for engaging individuals and groups in meaningful art experiences. With a Master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling and Art Therapy, she has over 20 years of experience working at the intersection of arts and healing. Tova offers individual art therapy services through her private practice and facilitates therapeutic art workshops focused on self-care and resilience to groups both in person and online. She is also a practicing painter, installation artist, and community muralist who travels worldwide to engage communities through artist residencies and collaborative art opportunities. Recent highlights from 2024 include facilitating art therapy workshops for caregivers in Ukraine, creating public art on display in Lexington, MA for America’s 250th anniversary, engaging participants in therapeutic art-making at an international conference in Berlin, and leading a community mural at one of the largest Jewish temples in New York City. Tova has created several large-scale art displays inspired by light, Hanukkah, and the Jewish spirit, and she enjoys the process of helping others share their voice and perspective through the layers of meaning and metaphor embedded in the art they design and create. All of her work is based on her belief that engaging in art-making is inherently therapeutic and formative.

WHILE YOU’RE HERE:

Dine at a BFPL restaurant or Hudson Eats, or start your holiday shopping early! Click here for more information on holiday happenings at Brookfield Place.

UPCOMING HOLIDAY PROMOTIONS:

HOLIDAY SPEND & RECEIVE:

Available November 29 – while supplies last

• Spend $300 and receive a $25 gift card
• Spend $750 and receive a $60 gift card
• Spend $1,500 and receive a $150 gift card

Gift cards can be redeemed at the concierge desk across from Theory on the first level. Promotion is valid for one gift card per person, while supplies last.

GIFT WRAPPING:

Available November 29 – December 24

• Show your BFPL shopping receipt and receive complimentary gift wrapping!
• Monday – Saturday, 12:00 – 8:00 PM
• Sunday, 12:00 – 6:00 PM
• The gift wrapping station is located at 230 Vesey, first level (next to the concierge desk).