EcoTones Concerts feature live creative music directly inspired by the flora and fauna surrounding each trailside stage, and create a stylistic ecotone between classical chamber music and jazz improvisation. EcoTones Concerts invite audiences to discover local nature spaces that they may not otherwise visit and to experience nature and music with an open awareness.
Click here to find out about our event last year!
On Sunday, June 1, 2025 at 2:00pm, audiences meander River Hook Preserve's half-mile trail to experience EcoTones Concerts: The Wise Trees of River Hook, hearing world-class professional musicians on trailside stages performing music directly inspired by notable trees throughout the preserve and the wisdom that we humans can garner from these titan nonhuman neighbors. Inspired by the word ecotone from ecology denoting a transition zone where two biomes meet that is particularly rife with life, EcoTones Concerts encourage an eco-social worldview of interrelatedness between humans and nonhumans, and whimsically create musical ecotones between classical and jazz.
The performance features a collaboration between Nyack poet Lily Greenberg and composer Jody Redhage Ferber, in which new poems by Greenberg, written in response to specific trees in the preserve, become the lyrics of new songs premiered at the event. The event features performances of live creative music directly inspired by the preserve's trees by the world-class professional musicians of the Hudson Valley EcoTones Ensemble, Nyack-based vocal ensemble Collective Accord directed by Dru Pluhowski, and the Nyack High School Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Tanya Chanphanitpornkit, and vocal soloists Ilana Davidson and Gino Sitson. Hand-crafted woodblock printed stage signs created by the Nyack High School Art Department and artist Danielle McDonald will be featured at each trailside stage, and local nature art organization Strawtown Studio collaborates for audience art-making in response to music.
-
Alan Ferber- trombone, compositions, arrangements
Ben Kono- flute, saxophones, arrangements
Chris Dingman- vibraphone
Gino Sitson- voice, compositions
Glenn Schloss- percussion
Ilana Davidson- voice
Jody Redhage Ferber- cello, voice, compositions
Jon Roth- trombone
Kevin Farrell- bass
Mayra Casales- percussion
Zaneta Sykes- percussion, voice
The Music Trail opens at 2:00pm and includes small ensembles on trailside stages along the preserve’s half-mile meandering path, including:
The Breath Exchange in the west sculpture garden
Oracle Grove in the west forested grove
Mother Maple beside the preserve's largest maple near the Carriage House
The Flora & Fauna Percussion Jam in the naturescape playground
Immediately following the Music Trail, a sit-down large ensemble set features all professionals of the EcoTones Ensemble, the Nyack HS Chamber Orchestra, Collective Accord, and vocal soloists Gino Sitson and Ilana Davidson at the preserve’s central Carriage House Stage.
Audience members should plan to BYO-Everything: camp chairs, food and drink. Audience members embarking on the Music Trail portion of the event should wear appropriate footwear. In the event of rain, portions of the event will be moved under cover within River Hook Preserve. River Hook’s half-mile trail is ADA accessible.
Special thanks to ArtsRock.org, the Village of Upper Nyack, Greenbush Construction, Long Path Outfitters, the Bakehouse at the Tarrytown train station, the Friends of River Hook, an ArtsAlive grant through ArtsWestchester, and many local private donors for making this event possible!