Groundtone is a Summer music festival organized by PS21 Center For Contemporary Performance featuring 10 artists from Thursday, June 18 through Sunday, June 21. The event will create a space to celebrate innovative music with several kinds of performances, such as virtuosic percussion, post-punk meets jazz, lucid film scoring, and recent compositions.
In addition to the art, PS21’s theater design preserved 100 acres of untouched woodlands, meadows, and orchards. This creates an enriching, relaxing experience for visitors, while maintaining biodiversity.
PS21 is a performing arts center in the Hudson Valley that provides unique performances at affordable prices. For their summer programming, they will either be enacting a pay-as-you-wish ticketing system, or a standard ticketing system that allows for as much financial inclusivity as possible. The open-air theater seats 325 and converts to a black box theater that seats 99 during colder months. Known for its sustainability, PS21 is the only venue in the country that has a full LED theatrical lighting system.
Judy Grunberg founded PS21 in 1999. Its humble beginnings started with its first season in 2006 that was held under a tent in Chatham. Eventually, the programs and crowds grew too large for the tent. In 2018, PS21 moved into the theater its audiences now know and love.
Groundtone will feature ten artists across the four day festival. One of them being, Clara Warnaar, who is a percussionist, composer, and educator. Currently, she is a Visiting Assistant Professor at Ithaca College. She has collaborated with well known composers, appeared on Broadway, features on movie soundtracks, and has released two solo albums of her own.
Next, Sō Percussion will have two performances at PS21. Sō Percussion is a quartet with over 25 albums of material. The band is best known for their electric performances and social work. Currently, the group are the Edward T. Cone Performers-in-Residence at Princeton University.
Thirdly, Becca Stevens will be performing alongside Sō Percussion during their first performance. Stevens is a songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer. She has fused genres such as Jazz, Appalachian Folk, and Experimental Indie. Furthermore, she’s collaborated with artists such as Jacob Collier, leads the Becca Stevens Band, written music for artists like Antonio Sánchez, and worked on her own music.
The Messthetics will also be performing at Groundtone. The Messthetics are a Jazz Punk Jam quartet founded in 2016. The group is heavily influenced by Post-Handcore band Fugazi. The band recently released Deface the Currency with James Brandon Lewis.
James Brandon Lewis will be performing alongside The Messthetics. James Brandon Lewis released Apple Cores, on February 7, 2025. The record is a Jazz LP that incorporates elements of Hip-Hop and Funk.
Next, harpist Parker Ramsey will be performing at Groundtone. Ramsey has performed solo at venues such as Alice Tully Hall and The Miller Theatre at Columbia University. Additionally, the harpist has performed in ensembles such as Mark Morris Dance Group, Apollo’s Fire, and the Van Kuijk Quartet. Ramsey is dedicated to the harp and bringing it to new audiences.
Miranda Cuckson, is a violinist and violist who will be sharing the stage with Parker Ramsey. She has performed at concert halls such as Berlin Philharmonie, Suntory Hall, Casa da Musica Porto, Teatro Colón, Cleveland Museum, and many more. She performed Concerto No. 1 with the American Symphony Orchestra when she made her Carnegie Hall. Cuckson has worked with many artists of different backgrounds and participated on several albums.
Jay Campbell is a cellist who will be performing alongside Parker Ramesey and Miranda Cuckson. Campbell has performed as a soloist and as a member of an ensemble with JACK Quartet. This appearance at Groundtone perfectly fits his desires, as Campbell is always looking to collaborate with other musicians. He has worked with Catherine Lamb, John Luther Adams, Marcos Balter, Tyshawn Sorey, and many others.
Next, Order of the Illusive is a trio that performs live scores for film. The band uses Experimental Ambient Rock to add a new dimension to silent film. The band has performed live scoring for films such as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Epic of Everest, Vampyr, Nosfaratu, and many more.
Lastly, Phil Kline is a composer like no other. Kline is known for his unpredictability and range. Many of his compositions uniquely used a large number of boomboxes. In addition to his compositions, he has worked on soundtracks and played in bands.
Groundtone Summer 2026 Schedule
Thursday, June 18
4:30 pm – Clara Warnaar, Pulse Atlas, a vivid percussion program with works featuring marimba, vibraphone, and mixed percussion.
7:30 pm – Sō Percussion with Becca Stevens, Grammy-winning percussion quartet are joined by songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Becca Stevens
Friday, June 19
4:30 pm – Sō Percussion performs Steve Reich, staged outdoors in the beautiful PS21 fields
7:30 pm – The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis, a fusion trio featuring the rhythm section of post-punk band Fugazi joined by jazz saxophone giant James Brandon Lewis
Saturday, June 20
4:30 pm – Parker Ramsay, Miranda Cuckson, and Jay Campbell, afternoon concert of harp, violin, and cello featuring pieces by Haas and Trapani
7:30 pm – Order of The Illusive, film screening with live score by Geoff Gersh (guitar and electronics), Bradford Reed (drums and pencilina, an instrument of his own design), and Zach Layton (17 string bass and effects)
Sunday, June 21
5:23 am – Phil Kline: Force of Nature (June), a sunrise processional performance ushering the first day of summer
Comments are closed.