The three outdoor concerts, presented by WQXR radio, are a delightful way to unwind after a long summer day. Visitors can take a stroll before the concerts begin and view the 20 Henry Moore works located throughout the Garden. Moore in America is the largest outdoor display of Moore’s sculpture ever presented in a single venue in the United States. Curator-led tram tours depart every 15–20 minutes with the last scheduled departure at 7:15 p.m. Educators will be on-hand to talk about and answer questions regarding the Moore pieces at the Orchid Rotunda, Benenson Ornamental Conifers, Main Tram Stop, Rock Garden, and the entrance to the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden. Visitors can then relax and listen to the musical performances by jazz, classical, and choral musicians near several select works of art.
On August 7, the concert location is near Tulip Tree Allée with two Moore sculptures in proximity: “Knife Edge Two Piece” and “Hill Arches” set against the majestic Library building in the background, where Moore’s maquettes and found objects are on view in the Orchid Rotunda. On August 14, the concert takes place on the lawn in front of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, which features “Working Model for Standing Figure: Knife Edge” in the serene reflecting pool of the Palms of the Americas Gallery. The concert series concludes on August 21 at the Leon Levy Visitor Center where two of Moore’s pieces can be seen: “Goslar Warrior” on the Visitor Center Cafe lawn and “Oval with Points” at the Main Tram Stop past the Tanyosho Pines in the Ross Conifer Arboretum.
The outdoor concerts will feature the talents of some notable musicians and some rising stars:
• Thursday, August 7, 7 p.m., Tulip Tree Allée. Two young, up-and-coming musicians start the festivities – classical guitarist Mattias Jacobsson and popular violinist Kristin Lee.
• Thursday, August 14, 7 p.m., Conservatory Lawn. International conductor and composer Owen Burdick and the Trinity Singers take the stage with a choral performance.
• Thursday, August 21, 7 p.m., Leon Levy Visitor Center. The Outdoor Concert Series concludes with a performance by jazz musicians The David Grossman Ensemble.
During Evenings at the Garden, the Haupt Conservatory and other venues throughout the Botanical Garden will remain open until 8 p.m. Shapes of Nature in the Summer Garden, the flower show in the Seasonal Exhibition Galleries of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory is a perfect indoor complement to the Moore show on the Botanical Garden grounds, illustrating the artist’s belief that “the whole of Nature is an endless demonstration of shape and form.” Spiked flax, fan-shaped palms, puffy vine seed pods, arrowhead caladiums, dozens of varieties of scalloped-leafed coleus, and more are magnificently displayed in beds, on trellises, and in formal terra-cotta containers flanking rectangular pools. Outside, the plants in the pools of the Conservatory Courtyard are at their summer peak in the Waterlilies and Lotus Aquatic Exhibition, creating a dramatic, colorful display surrounded by lush container plantings. Brilliant yellows, pinks, reds, purples, and blues contrast with the lavish textures of shallow cattails, sweet-flags, and water iris.
Enjoy the Jane Watson Irwin Perennial Garden and the Nancy Bryan Luce Herb Garden in full summer flower, as well as the stunning evergreen trees of the Arthur and Janet Ross Conifer Arboretum. Select a gift, plant, or book from an astonishing assortment at the Shop in the Garden. Indulge in a glass of white wine and a light dinner or snack at one of the Cafes.
Concerts are free for Botanical Garden Members and Corporate Members. All-Garden Pass tickets are $20 and include the concert and admission to the other Garden features. The concerts take place rain or shine at 7 p.m. During Evenings at the Garden on August 7, 14, and 21, The New York Botanical Garden will close at 8 p.m.
For more information call (718) 817-8700.
