Special Concert Series

Our concert series celebrates the past, present, and future of the Bronx’s homegrown musical culture.

Events include free and low cost performances that enable broad-based access within the community. Our Bronx Living Legends Concerts, for example, honor notable musicians for their artistic merit and significant contributions to past and contemporary music genres that have a home in the Bronx, from hip hop and Latin jazz, to doo-wop and gospel. Concerts include an onstage interview, multimedia presentation, and discussion with the community. A live performance featuring and/or curated by the honoree follows. Past honorees include Arlene Smith of the Chantels, jazz pianist Valerie Capers, acclaimed bassist Andy Gonzalez, and hip hop pioneer DJ Kool Herc. Furthermore, to continue honoring the Bronx musicians who have been in the vanguard of their fields, we launched a series of live interviews, called Conversations with the Masters.

In addition, the BMHC often partners with local arts groups and organizations throughout the year to produce additional performances inspired and made possible by these various collaborations. These concerts bring Bronx residents together to experience their community’s musical heritage and serve as a magnet for music-lovers from throughout the city as well as tourists in search of unique cultural experiences. This includes special concerts with guests such as the Lowdown Brass Band from Chicago, as well as annual events like the Melrose Parranda, in which we stage a traditional Puerto Rican Christmas caroling procession, in partnership with Nos Quedamos + Rincón Criollo.