In Banning Hall
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Stissing Center’s Season Launch Event, Spark!, offers a preview of our exciting 2026 season, and we are delighted to welcome our very special guest artist Rosanne Cash. A celebrated composer and singer-songwriter, Cash has earned four Grammy Awards and fourteen nominations. She is also the author of the acclaimed memoir Composed, a New York Times bestseller. A respected voice in American music history, she became the first female composer to receive the MacDowell Medal in 2021.

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In Banning Hall

Stand-up comedy has become a hilarious Stissing Center tradition, and this night delivers. Headliner Ophira Eisenberg (NPR, The Moth, Comedy Central) brings her sharp, fast, relatable wit, joined by Jenny Rubin, Shawn Hollenbach, and Will Purpura. Expect big laughs, punchlines that sneak up on you when you least expect them, and the kind of comedy night that reminds you why laughing together matters.

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In The Grace Note

Natalia Zukerman brings intimate storytelling and masterful musicianship to the stage, blending folk, blues, and Americana with wry humor and emotional clarity. Her warm voice and fluid guitar work create a space that feels both personal and expansive. A Zukerman concert is equal parts porch-side conversation and poetic journey — inviting, soulful, and deeply resonant.

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In Banning Hall

Jungle Love - five-time Best of the Hudson Valley winners (2021–2025) - returns to Stissing Center for our Valentine’s Day Community Dance. More than a band, they’re an experience: six lifelong musicians delivering a high-energy journey through Classic Soul, R&B, Motown, Disco, and Funk from the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s. For this special Valentine’s Day Community Dance, we remove all seating from the center of the auditorium so you can dance with your sweetheart, and your friends and neighbors, all night long.

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Join Palestinian master musician Zafer Tawil and Rabbi Zachi Asher for a magical evening of old and new Arabic sounds, transportive trances and prayers and Sufi melodies to whirl us into enchantment.

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Matt Turk and C Lanzbom joined forces to form Deadgrass, a string band jamgrass adventure through Jerry Garcia’s musical world. Bassist Dave Richards, banjo player Kris Bauman and fiddler Kensuke Shoji complete this fine group of seasoned pros exploring the life works of Jerry Garcia on the instruments that first inspired him. Deadgrass celebrates and interprets the music of Jerry Garcia, drawing from Old & in the Way, JGB, Jerry’s Jug Band days and Grateful Dead.

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The Maker and the Muse is a new musical, written and performed by Schuyler Press, about a disillusioned artist yearning for authenticity who is catapulted into a surreal, reimagining of 1960s NYC where she steps into the life of Patti Smith and her electrifying connection with Robert Mapplethorpe. She is swept into a world of artistic awakening and discovers the courage to embrace her own voice.

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In Banning Hall

Charlie Chaplin’s beloved silent classic The Kid is a heartwarming blend of comedy and tenderness that delights audiences of all ages. This family-friendly gem follows Chaplin and an irrepressible child through laughter, mischief, and deep affection. Enjoy the film accompanied live by organ virtuoso Peter Krasinski, courtesy of the New York Theatre Organ Society.

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Please join the Galen Pittman Quartet for an evening of jazz standards, freshly reimagined with original melodies and inventive lines by some of our favorite composers. Rooted in tradition but alive with spontaneity, this performance blends familiar tunes with creative twists, inviting listeners into a warm, expressive night of jazz at its most engaging.

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In Banning Hall

Isle of Klezbos is a powerhouse all-gal klezmer ensemble infused with genre-defying artistry, performing internationally together for over two soulful, fun-loving decades. Celebrating Yiddish musical traditions with equal parts chutzpah and heart, the group blends neo-folkloric tunes, re-imagined classics, and a sophisticated sound all their own. “Rapturous and rollicking” (L.A. Blade), “intoxicating” (The New York Times). Don’t miss this fabulous band!

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New Quartet Live features trumpeter Amir ElSaffar, drummer Tomas Fujiwara, tenor saxophonistOle Mathisen, and pianist Tania Giannouli. The ensemble blends jazz instrumentation and Middle Eastern sounds guiding the new ensemble into unexplored musical territories. The music ranges from intensely quiet and nearly silent to ecstatic and declamatory, with the microtonal piano ringing ear-opening and beautifully unconventional harmonies throughout.‍ ‍

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RiverBlue combines the musical talents of Ron Minkoff (vocals/rhythm guitar/percussion) and Dan Blum (lead guitar/vocals), both long-time veterans of the Hudson Valley music scene. Ron and Dan will play original and cover songs from their two CDs, combining rock, folk, bluegrass and country into something entirely new and exciting.

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"Makin' Cake" is more than a performance-- it's an experience! Through powerful storytelling, Dasha Kelly Hamilton takes the stage to slice into history, unpacking race, class, and culture in a way that's as thought-provoking as it is engaging.

For most of human history, baking required patience, resources ... and luck. Ingredients were scarce and expensive; chemistry was fickle; and the chain of procedures required days. When our nation began experiencing abundance for the first time, most Americans couldn’t afford basic cake ingredients. 

This one-night-only event includes delicious conversation after the show and cake for all. ‍

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Laura Zarougian and the Little Tree band present an evening of music in the Folk/Americana genre interwoven with stories of her songwriting journey and life as an Armenian cowgirl in the Hudson Valley.

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In Banning Hall

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with the championship Irish dancers of Darrah Carr Dance! Featuring live music on the fiddle and accordion, this spirited performance of Irish traditions features high-energy selections that are enjoyed by a broad audience! The exuberant energy of the performers is quickly picked up by the audience. Lucky volunteers get a chance to join the excitement onstage!

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In the Deep Heart’s Core is Joseph Sobol’s acclaimed musical theater work—a welcoming blend of song, story, and spoken word inspired by the poetry and life of W.B. Yeats. Through Celtic-inflected folk music and storytelling, it explores Irish identity, folklore, and the inner life with warmth, beauty, and imagination.

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In Banning Hall

A proud samurai seeks a husband for his daughter at the shrine of Benten, goddess of good fortune. When a humble fisherman is chosen instead, love follows—and conflict soon turns him into a dragon. Using beautifully crafted Bunraku-style puppets and folk traditions from around the world, this poetic tale unfolds as a journey of love, courage, and self-discovery.

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In Banning Hall

In this 19th-century supernatural winter epic, a drunken applejack salesman must go from zero to hero and become North America's greatest fur trapper by defeating hundreds of beavers. “It’s that rare thing in the current film landscape: a genuine cult classic.”

- Time Out

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Italian-born jazz guitarist Pasquale Grasso is a rising star known for his virtuosic, piano-like approach to the guitar. Winner of the inaugural Wes Montgomery International Jazz Guitar Competition, he records for Sony Masterworks and frequently collaborates with Grammy-winning vocalist Samara Joy. Grasso performs worldwide and is touring in support of his 2025 release Fervency.

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Leslie Mendelson brings her soulful voice and deeply personal songwriting to Stissing Center for an intimate evening of music and connection. Blending folk, pop, and Americana, her songs feel timeless yet grounded in the present—warm, honest, and quietly powerful. It’s a chance to hear a remarkable artist up close, sharing stories and songs that linger long after the night ends.

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In Banning Hall

Our friends at Symphony Space return for another live taping of NPR's long-running program "Selected Shorts". The theme for this afternoon is Neighbors and Other Strangers.

Join us for an afternoon of funny and poignant tales about the people who live just beyond the next door. Acclaimed actors bring to life short fiction that celebrates the unexpected bonds, everyday tensions, and quiet acts of connection that shape our communities.

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The Tom Duffy Band is a local band that hits the sweet spot where Classic Rock meets high-energy performance. They seamlessly weave through rock history, delivering hard-hitting classics that read like the soundtrack of your life.

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In Banning Hall

Bees in the Barn fires up the stage with high-energy acoustic playing and a musical interplay that’s downright contagious. Their inventive, genre-bending compositions keep audiences on their toes and hungry for more. Anchored in bluegrass but pushing far past its boundaries, they craft a “beyond grass” sound—an exhilarating mix of colors, rhythms, and heart-pounding joy.

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Join us for Stissing Center’s very first Open Mic Night, a welcoming evening for music, spoken word, comedy, and every kind of self-expression. Artists of all ages and experience levels are invited to share. Come perform, listen, and cheer on friends and neighbors as creativity, courage, and community meet on one stage together here tonight.

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In Banning Hall

The 2nd Annual Hudson Valley Puppet Slam returns to Stissing Center for a night of bold, playful, and wildly inventive puppetry. Enjoy a fast-paced mix of short acts bursting with humor, surprise, and imagination. From strange to beautiful to laugh-out-loud funny, expect the unexpected in this anything-goes celebration of puppetry.

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The Jody Redhage Ferber Trio performs music from their new album EcoTones: Beings of the Air, inspired by the flying beings of the Hudson River Valley. Developed during her ongoing performance project EcoTones Concerts, Jody’s compositions and arrangements live in a transition zone between chamber music and jazz improvisation, and are inspired by the tremendous biodiversity found in natural ecotones.

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Stissing Center opens its 2026 Classical Music season with cellist Peter Wiley and pianist Anna Polonsky, two towering chamber musicians. Wiley, former cellist of the Beaux Arts and Guarneri Quartets, joins Polonsky, a sought-after soloist and Lincoln Center favorite, for an evening of intimate, masterful music-making that brings depth, warmth, and experience to the stage.

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Rachael Kilgour brings heartfelt indie folk to The Grace Note stage, pairing warm melodies with lyrics that are honest, brave, and deeply human. Praised for her “unapologetic lyrics” and “master crafted indie folk,” Kilgour invites listeners into songs that feel personal, generous, and quietly powerful.

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In Banning Hall

Tablao Flamenco brings the spirit of southern Spain to Stissing Center in an intimate, up-close performance. Master singers, dancers, guitarists, and percussionists share flamenco in its raw, emotional form—full of rhythm, storytelling, and feeling. Expect an evening that’s fiery, human, and deeply moving.

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Experience world-renowned cellist Amanda Forsyth as you’ve never heard her before. Step beyond classical tradition into a one woman extravaganza of hilarious stories, lush melodies, and irresistible musical surprises, directed by Doug Fitch and joined by pianist Danny Zelibor. With this new program, Amanda brings passion and playfulness to every note for a performance that will thrill, charm, and captivate.

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In Banning Hall

Taylor Ashton makes his Stissing Center debut with a live show that’s thoughtful, funny, and quietly moving. A shape-shifting songwriter with a warm baritone and playful wit, Ashton blends folk-rock intimacy with surprising twists, drawing listeners into songs that feel like short stories—honest, generous, and easy to love.

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Join us for a raucous night of music, weaving together Celtic and Bluegrass threads with the energy of alternative rock! High Horse, the Boston/Colorado based quartet with guitar, bass, cello, and fiddle, will take us all on a wild ride that will have you hooting just as loud as you holler!

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In Banning Hall

We are delighted to welcome The Bang Group back to Stissing Center for an evening of innovative, surprising, humor-ridden, rhythm driven, dramatically anarchic choreography.

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In The Grace Note

For more than 30 years, singer, songwriter and master guitarist Willy Porter's songs have traced the fragile, funny, luminous edges of being human. Drawing from 13 albums, Porter invites listeners into a living, breathing ritual where stories shimmer, grooves settle deep, and songs feel like home. A solo show with Porter is part concert, part conversation, part gentle reckoning — music as ritual, humor as grace, and connection as the point.

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A reading of a new play by Robert Lyons. Gloria is getting on in years. She lives alone and needs some help. Her long-time neighbor helps manage her money. Her brand-new neighbor helps in her tomato garden. Suddenly Gloria finds herself in a cosmic clash of good vs. evil. But who is which?

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Stissing Center's Summer Children's Series launches with a free Children's Art Workshop led by teachers from The Art Effect in Poughkeepsie. This pay-what-you-can event coincides with Pine Plains' Community Day celebration, offering young artists hands-on creative exploration. Join us for an inspiring afternoon of art-making that kicks off a summer of programming designed to engage and delight children in our community.

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In Banning Hall

Stissing Center's 2nd Annual Art Auction features exceptional pieces donated by collectors and celebrated artists from around the world and around the corner. This is your opportunity to acquire extraordinary art while directly supporting the arts in Pine Plains. All proceeds benefit Stissing Center's vital arts and cultural programming, ensuring creativity continues to thrive in our community. Bid on remarkable works and invest in Pine Plains' artistic future.

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Singer-songwriter Gail Ann Dorsey brings her powerful voice and soul-deep songs to The Grace Note on Juneteenth. Best known for her long collaboration with David Bowie, Dorsey offers a rare chance to experience a legendary artist up close, sharing music shaped by decades of brilliance, heart, and history.

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An evening of Gershwin comes to Stissing Center with celebrated pianist Sophia Zhou, celebrating music that feels both classic and fresh. From sweeping melodies to jazzy rhythms, Gershwin’s songs capture the spirit of America, brought to life here with warmth, elegance, and a deep love for storytelling at the piano by our former Director of Chamber Music, Sophia Zhou.

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Over her 25-year career, Susan Werner has earned acclaim as “one of the most innovative songwriters working today” (Chicago Tribune). A virtuoso of guitar, piano, and voice, her performances are one-woman master classes. Spanning folk, jazz, gospel, Latin, and musical theater, her wide-ranging songwriting showcases fearless creativity and dazzling musicianship.

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The Dances of Chihuahua invites children into an interactive workshop exploring the vibrant cultural dances of this dynamic Mexican region. Led by Karina Powers of Red Hook's Dance and Theater Arts Center, young participants will experience authentic movement while learning about Mexican culture and geography. Part of Stissing Center's Summer Children's Series, this engaging program combines physical activity with cultural education through dance.

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In Banning Hall

The documentary Bar None: Cannabis Redemption explores how outdated marijuana laws impact formerly incarcerated individuals. Though cannabis is now legal in much of the U.S., hundreds of thousands still carry past convictions—tens of thousands remain imprisoned. This documentary follows 13 people who've transformed their lives by entering the legal cannabis industry as advocates, business owners, and community leaders. It's about second chances, equity, and what justice truly means.

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