MUSIC
FRIDAY, JUNE 1
7:00 PM

Brooklyn Art Song Society:  New Voices
National Sawdust
80 North 6th Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn

$29
https://nationalsawdust.org/event/brooklyn-art-song-society/

Don't know how "new" Harrison Birtwistle and Kaija Saariaho are, but there certainly are no better (the post-Spectralist Saariaho is a particular favorite of mine:  her music draws you in in a way that New-Music skeptics deny such music can do -- but it can, it does).*  Truly new is a song cycle by West Coast composer Kurt Rohde that I just listened to:  it's a good one, spiky but with underlying melodic appeal.  If you want a contemporary liederabend, this seems truly fine -- especially with singing by Charlotte Mundy and Zach Finkelstein.

MAKE A NIGHT OF IT:  Maison Premiere doesn't have quite the food program it once did, but the food's still fine, the wine is fine, the cocktails are more than fine.  And -- except for the fact it's always packed -- you couldn't find a more pleasing room.  Good luck getting in.