Casa de Música I House of Music

 In 1986 Pete Seeger and Mercedes Sosa presided over a ceremony to dedicate El Taller’s auditorium to the memory and work of Woody Guthrie and Violeta Parra; performers who inspired nations, while traveling to preserve their culture’s vital musical treasures. El Taller has played host and “musical home” to musicians from around the world and staged concerts for renowned artists. Unique double-bills have been featured like Pete Seeger and Mercedes Sosa, Philip Glass and Tico da Costa, among others. Some of New York finest musicians - including James Begian’s Big Band, David Soldier, Valerie Naranjo, Dan Zanes, Quique Sinesi, Cecilia Zabala, Juan Falú – are frequent visitors, routinely transforming an intimate salon into an exciting center of innovative musical performance. Recognizing this, in 2007, the New York State Music fund awarded El Taller a grant to produce and record six concerts under the name of Famousos Desconocidos (Famous Unknowns).

Since 1979, music has been central El Taller ‘s programming and aims to present the best in the music of the Americas while encouraging the creation of truly new music through inventive collaborations from the blending of musical traditions from North and South America. The work of the Guthrie/Parra Auditorium is the genuine expression of El Taller Latino Americano’s essence – the ability to artistically unite the English-speaking and Spanish-speaking cultures of the Americas to reveal something essential: shared knowledge and common values.

El Taller’s Cultural programs are supported by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with City Council, the Jacob and Ruth Epstein Foundation
and individual donations.