54 Finalists Chosen from 130 Applicants Across All Music Genres
Grand Central Madison was filled with music and melody today as 54 performers auditioned for the ability to play in the New York City transit system as part of the Music Under New York (MTA MUSIC) program, now in its 35th year. Out of 130 applicants, 54 finalists were given five minutes to perform in front of a panel of more than two dozen judges made up of music industry professionals, transit professionals and MTA MUSIC musicians.
“Under the banner of the MTA’s MUSIC program, performers of all stripes bring beauty and joy to millions of subway commuters and visitors,” said MTA Arts & Design Interim Director Juliette Michaelson. “Today, we’re asking our judges to select the next generation of talented musicians to join the program – undoubtedly a difficult task, given the caliber of performers here.”
Performers were judged on quality, appropriateness for the transit environment, and musical variety with the goal of increasing the number of genres represented in the program. Twenty new acts will be added to the program roster and MTA Arts & Design will announce the new program members in June.
This year both individuals and groups participated, capturing styles including: singer/songwriters, jazz, folk/country, pop, classical, opera R&B/funk, tango/waltz, one woman band and Renaissance/Baroque and many instruments: saxophone, guitar, trumpet, accordion, clarinet, cello, violin, and Japanese Shakuhachi (sock ah rot see) and Koto, Venezuelan cuatro, South American flute and pan flute, and hand pan.
About MTA MUSIC
MTA MUSIC has more than 350 performers showcasing classical strings, jazz ensembles, world music bands, folk, a cappella groups, singer-songwriters and more, featuring a wide range of instruments such as the Gambian kora, Korean drum, West Indian steel drums, Andean pipes, Cajun cello, Celtic and Baroque harps, guitars, violins, hammered dulcimers and musical saws. Performers are programmed at across 40 MTA MUSIC locations throughout the transit system, including subway stations and MTA commuter rail terminals and the Staten Island Ferry terminal. MTA Arts & Design presents more than 7,500 musical performances in the transit system every year. The musicians perform in designated locations with a Music Under New York banner that features their name and the Music Under New York logo.