An NEA Jazz Master and 10x GRAMMY winner, the legendary Eddie Palmieri kicks off Harlem Stage’s 2024/2025 season at Bryant Park with his fiery 13-piece Salsa Orchestra. A longtime member of the Harlem Stage family of artists, Palmieri is known as one of the finest pianists and innovators, as well as a bandleader, arranger, and composer of the highest order of salsa and Latin jazz. His playing skillfully fuses the rhythms of his Puerto Rican heritage with the complexity of his jazz influences: Thelonious Monk, Herbie Hancock, and McCoy Tyner, as well as his older brother, Charlie Palmieri. Born in Spanish Harlem and raised in the Bronx, Palmieri closes out the summer with a giant dance party for his beloved city.

Harlem Stage is the performing arts center that bridges Harlem’s cultural legacy to contemporary artists of color and dares to provide the artistic freedom that gives birth to new ideas.

For more than 40 years their singular mission has been to perpetuate and celebrate the unique and diverse artistic legacy of Harlem and the indelible impression it has made on American culture. Harlem Stage provides opportunity, commissioning, and support for visionary artists of color, make performances easily accessible to all audiences and introduce children to the rich diversity, excitement, and inspiration of the performing arts.

Bryant Park Picnic Performances presented by Bank of America is a free outdoor festival that welcomes all New Yorkers to experience the city’s vibrant arts and culture. The series provides a platform for extraordinary artists and serves as a vital outdoor venue for a wide array of New York’s cultural institutions.

Bryant Park, 6th Avenue between 40th and 42nd Street Map
212-768-4242