WILLIAMSBURG — A new 13,000-square-foot classical music venue will debut this fall with a jam-packed lineup of jazz singers, guitarists, cellists, violinists and more.
National Sawdust, at 80 N. Sixth St., is a nonprofit that includes both performance and recording space, based in a former sawdust factory that's undergone a $16 million renovation.
The organization, founded by accountant and amateur musician Kevin Dolan, is led by composer Paola Prestini, who aims to support artists and composers spanning a variety of genres.
Programming at National Sawdust kicks off in October, with artists and genres ranging from the Inuit throat singer Tanya Tagaq to the bluegrass band Punch Brothers.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, Oct. 1, is free and features performances by Grammy-nominated vocalist Theo Bleckmann and poet Roger Bonair-Agard. A concert after the ceremony, which costs $60 for early buyers and $100 later on, will feature even more artists.
Two other concerts this fall will also be free.
Jon Rose, an experimental Australian violinist, will play a 10-foot-tall "interactive electronic musical instrument" as part of a free peformance on October 4. The event, which runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., will also feature workshops for children and a kid-friendly art installation by Wilco drummer Glenn Kotche.
On Nov. 8, the NOW Ensemble will perform a free concert at 5 p.m. The show, part of Carnegie Hall's Neighborhood Concert Series, will showcase the collective's contemporary classical and indie-rock music.
For the full lineup of National Sawdust's concerts this fall, visit its website.
