WNYC and The Greene Space present "JS 30: Three Decades of John Schaefer" on Friday, December 2 at 8pm

WNYC and The Greene Space present

JS 30: Three Decades of John Schaefer

Angelique Kidjo to Emcee Celebration of WNYC’s Pioneering Music Host, with guests including Steve Reich, Laurie Anderson, We Are Augustines, and Simone Dinnerstein

Friday, December 2 at 8pm – Tickets for Event with After-Party on Sale Now
Live Video Webcast available at www.thegreenespace.org

(New York, NY – November 15, 2011) – In 1981, a young radio host from Brooklyn came to WNYC. JOHN SCHAEFER was hired to read newscasts and introduce classical music, but soon found himself hosting a new music show that quickly became the on-air hub of the fertile downtown music scene.

Thirty years later, Schaefer is a singular force at WNYC – a host who retains his street cred, but can often be found emceeing broadcasts from the New York Phil or Carnegie Hall. NEW SOUNDS continues to champion new music, international voices, and obscure artists; the highly-regarded NEW SOUNDS LIVE concert series presents commissioned works and unexpected pairings of artists; and SOUNDCHECK is the city’s only multi-genre, multiplatform source for smart conversation and live music. The only thing that hasn’t changed? Schaefer’s penchant for T-shirts and jeans… and his boundless curiosity about music.

Thoughout December, WNYC will celebrate Schaefer’s inimitable contributions to the musical life of New York City. The festivities kick off on Friday, December 2 at 8pm, when WNYC presents “JS 30: THREE DECADES OF JOHN SCHAEFER,” an evening of live music and heartfelt memories in its downtown, street-level studio, The Jerome L. Greene Performance Space. The event will be followed by an after-party with Schaefer and invited musical guests.

The celebration will also include a dedicated webstream of Schaefer programming, a photo timeline, and an opportunity for listeners to share their favorite “Schaefer moments,” to launch shortly at www.wnyc.org/js30/.

“John Schaefer has done more to promote and draw attention to new and interesting music in NYC than anyone else I can think of,” said MOBY, multiplatinum-selling artist and DJ. “I think of him as the John Peel of New York radio.”

Grammy Award-winning singer ANGELIQUE KIDJO will emcee the event, leading the audience through each of Schaefer’s three decades at WNYC – the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s – with personal stories from musicians, artists and friends, and of course, live musical performances. Scheduled guests include:

STEVE REICH, one of the few landscape-changing composers of the last half-century
LAURIE ANDERSON, experimental performance artist and the first guest on New Sounds
WE ARE AUGUSTINES, Brooklyn-based indie rock group among Schaefer’s new favorite acts, who will play a stripped-down set
SIMONE DINNERSTEIN, critically-acclaimed classical pianist, and TIFT MERRITT, folk-pop singer-songwriter, who will perform one of their new collaborations
ETHEL, innovative, postclassical New York string quartet, who will perform a New Music piece
MARGARET JUNTWAIT, radio host for the Metropolitan Opera’s Saturday matinee broadcasts and former WNYC music host
SCOTT JOHNSON, New York-based composer, who will play the first movement of “John Somebody,” an early hit on New Sounds that is actually not about John Schaefer, contrary to popular belief

In addition to her hosting duties, Kidjo will perform during the evening. The event will be taped for later broadcast on Soundcheck, set to air December 15.

“John Schaefer is a great teacher. He always keeps his ears open, and loves to share his discoveries,” said DAVID HARRINGTON founder and violinist of award-winning ensemble, KRONOS QUARTET. “I always have a pencil and paper when I'm with John because I will invariably hear about amazing music that is totally new to me. John has galvanized music lovers from all over the world through the force of his passion for the musical stories of humanity. I wonder if he knows how many times in the last 30 years he has played music we have never heard before. His work teaches us how much one totally focused person can contribute to our society. Does anyone love music more than John Schaefer?”

Tickets are $30 and include access to the after-party. To purchase tickets or stream the event via live video webcast, visit www.thegreenespace.org.

JS 30 ONLINE – A Month-Long Celebration on WNYC.org

Throughout the month of December, a dedicated webstream called Schaefer FM will feature a treasure trove of recordings from New Sounds Live, Soundcheck and Schaefer’s 1990s show, Around New York. Schaefer FM will stream 24/7 at www.wnyc.org/js30/ and include commissions, archived shows, interviews, and “best-of” live performances by artists as wide-ranging as Philip Glass, Adele, Peter Gabriel, Meredith Monk, PJ Harvey, Andy Summers, Yo-Yo Ma, Mos Def, Iron & Wine, Vernon Reid, The National, Caetano Veloso, Youssou N’Dour, Iron & Wine, Astor Piazzolla, Carla Bley, Nico Muhly, David Byrne, and so many others.

Online bonus features will also include a photo timeline spanning Schaefer’s “Greatest Hits,” capturing his best, favorite and most candid moments of the past three decades.

Listeners are encouraged to submit their personal “Schaefer moments” – musical discoveries introduced by the host and recollections of unforgettable shows – to be featured on-air and online during the month-long anniversary programming.

The JS 30 online features will launch later in November.

* * * * *

New Sounds provides a place for your left and right brain to unwind at the end of day. Host John Schaefer combs recent recordings for one of the most educational and enchanting hours on radio. For 30 years, he’s been finding the melody in the rainforest and the rhythm in an orchestra of tin cans. The program offers new ways to hear the ancient language of song. With guest musicians from David Byrne to Meredith Monk to Ravi Shankar, Schaefer presents performances and premieres new works from the classic and operatic to folk and jazz. The show is broadcast from 11pm-midnight EST on 93.9 FM in New York and WNYC.org. For more background, visit www.wnyc.org/newsounds.

Soundcheck is a daily talk show about music that features conversations with musicians, critics, scholars, journalists and others related to the music industry. Past guests include She & Him, Mavis Staples, Sting, Yoko Ono, Hilary Hahn, Mark Ronson, Regina Spektor, Aaron Neville, Sheryl Crow, Chuck Klosterman, Norah Jones, Moby, Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings, Danger Mouse and The Kronos Quartet. The show is broadcast live from 2-3 pm EST on 93.9 FM in New York, on WNYC.org, on WDET 101.9 FM in Detroit, and on Sirius XM Satellite Radio. For more background, visit www.wnyc.org/soundcheck.

New York Public Radio is New York's premier public radio franchise, comprising WNYC, WQXR, and The Jerome L. Greene Performance Space, as well as www.wnyc.org, www.wqxr.org and www.thegreenespace.org. As America's most listened-to AM/FM news and talk public radio stations, reaching 1.1 million listeners every week, WNYC extends New York City's cultural riches to the entire country on-air and online, and presents the best national offerings from networks National Public Radio, Public Radio International, American Public Media, and the British Broadcasting Company. WNYC 93.9 FM broadcasts a wide range of daily news, talk, cultural and music programming, while WNYC AM 820 maintains a stronger focus on breaking news and international news reporting. Classical 105.9 WQXR is New York City's sole 24-hour classical music station, presenting new and landmark classical recordings as well as live concerts from the Metropolitan Opera, the New York Philharmonic, among other New York City venues, immersing listeners in the city's rich musical life. In addition to its audio content, WNYC and WQXR produce content for live, radio and web audiences from The Jerome L. Greene Performance Space, the station's street-level multipurpose, multiplatform broadcast studio and performance space. For more information about New York Public Radio, visit www.nypublicradio.org.

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