Past
Events
See some of the wonderful performances hosted at Stissing Center over the last few years.
Back to the Full Event list.
See some of the wonderful performances hosted at Stissing Center over the last few years.
Back to the Full Event list.
In Banning Hall
Experience Beethoven’s music as it was meant to be heard, performed by Daniel Adam Maltz on a replica of the composer’s own Viennese fortepiano. This early instrument offers a strikingly different sound from the modern piano. Hailed as “the foremost performer in the world of the fortepiano,” Maltz brings clarity, nuance, and insight to this rare and intimate concert.
In The Grace Note
Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Garrison Starr brings her powerful voice and finely crafted songs to The Grace Note. Known for blending pop sensibility with Americana edge, her music has appeared in shows like Grey’s Anatomy and Nashville. With a career spanning decades and a deeply engaging live presence, this is a chance to hear an accomplished artist up close in an intimate setting. “A Lucinda Williams for Gen X’ers.” -NPR
In Banning Hall
Bada Swing! is a lounge-jazz musical comedy that reunites two deeply questionable 1960s crooners, Bobby Bingus and Tommy Linguini, for one last comeback concert. A hit at Joe’s Pub and the New York Comedy Festival, the show mixes live music, oddball storytelling, and sharp humor into a strange, slightly unhinged celebration of ego, nostalgia, and showbiz past its prime.
In Banning Hall
Arm of the Sea Theater presents Estuary Tales: The Life & Times of the Hudson River dives into the checkered history of “America’s River”. Giant sturgeon, eels and river otters play the stage, alongside steamboats, fishermen, immigrants, and citizen scientists. With whimsy and ingenuity, the show reveals the Hudson’s complex inner life and chronicles the long struggle to clean up the river.
In The Grace Note
Join us for a night of stand-up comedy, where the intimacy of the room creates a uniquely close connection for laughter, giggles and guffaws. Headliner Carolyn Castiglia, who has appeared on Comedy Central, MTV, VH1, and more, is a regular on New York stages from Joe’s Pub to The Bell House. Her quick wit and lively, unpredictable style make for a dynamic set that feels right at home in a small space. She’s joined by MothSlam winner Bridget O’Neill, and local favorite Shawn Hollenbach. Hosted by Jenny Rubin. A hilarious night of comedy in Pine Plains!
In Banning Hall
The Maryland State Boychoir, Maryland’s “Official Goodwill Ambassadors,” brings its rich choral tradition to Stissing Center for a special free performance. Founded in 1987, the ensemble now includes 130 singers ages 7–20 from diverse backgrounds, united by a shared commitment to music, discipline, and growth. Join us for an inspiring evening of choral music, open to all.
In Banning Hall
CANCELED. 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.
In Banning Hall
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.
In The Grace Note
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.
In Banning Hall
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.
In The Grace Note
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.
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.
In The Grace Note
Stissing Center's Summer Children's Series launches with a free Children's Animation 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. Explore the wild and wacky world of humanimation, which is stop-motion animation using only our bodies to create the illusion of movement! Capturing live-action footage in stop-motion animation format is a fun and freeing way to get creative without making a mess. Make yourself float in mid-air, experiment with silly movements, and create a fun and funky video to share and enjoy. All participants receive their animations by the workshop's end.
In The Grace Note
Stissing Center is pleased to continue its tradition of introducing audiences to new plays with a staged reading of Helpful Neighbors, a sharp, funny, and thought-provoking new work byplaywright Robert Lyons.
For decades, Lyons has been a leading force in New York's downtown theater scene as the artistic leader of the acclaimed New Ohio Theatre in Manhattan. Now a resident of Pine Plains and a valued member of Stissing Center’s Advisory Board, he brings his latest play to our community for a special evening of theater.
Helpful Neighbors centers on Gloria, who is getting on in years and could use a little assistance. Her longtime neighbor helps manage her finances, while a new neighbor lends a hand in the tomato garden. Before long, Gloria finds herself caught in a surprisingly cosmic struggle between good and evil—but determining who is who may not be so simple.
This special reading features a cast of local performers and community members: Grace Dietrich, Vaughn Fritts, Mary Jenkins, and Jamie Gerber.
Photo: Patrick Grego / The New Pine Plains Herald
In Banning Hall
Behold a bevy of beauties, bananas, back hair, burlesque, & more! The RoundTop Burlesque Revue returns to Stissing Center for its second year, celebrating the timeless tradition of burlesque with humor, glamour, and surprise. Enjoy a playfully entertaining evening of comedy, striptease, and theatrical flair from a bold cast of performers. Adults only.
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.
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.
In The Grace Note
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!
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.
In The Grace Note
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.
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.
In The Grace Note
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.
In Banning Hall
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.
In Banning Hall
In the 1920s, actor George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) is a bona fide matinee idol with many adoring fans. While working on his latest film, George finds himself falling in love with an ingenue named Peppy Miller (Bérénice Bejo) and, what's more, it seems Peppy feels the same way. But George is reluctant to cheat on his wife with the beautiful young actress. The growing popularity of sound in movies further separates the potential lovers, as George's career begins to fade while Peppy's star rises.
In The Grace Note
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.
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. Adults Only!
In The Grace Note
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.
Hosted by local duo Roger & Lenny
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.
In The Grace Note
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.
In Banning Hall
The long-running public radio program Selected Shorts returns to the Stissing Center for an afternoon of funny and poignant tales about the people who live just beyond the next door. Presented by Symphony Space, acclaimed actors Jane Curtin (Saturday Night Live, 3rd Rock From the Sun), Joanna Gleason (Into the Woods, Hannah and her Sisters), Michael Emerson (Lost, Person of Interest), Deborah S. Craig (And Just Like That… , Elsbeth, Funny or Die) bring to life short fiction that celebrates the unexpected bonds, everyday tensions, and quiet acts of connection that shape our communities.
Our greatest actors transport us through the magic of fiction, one short story at a time. Sometimes funny. Always moving. Selected Shorts connects you to the world with a rich diversity of voices from literature, film, theater, and comedy.
(Actors are subject to Change.)
