The Albany Symphony In Partnership with the New York Power Authority, New York State Canal Corporation, New York State Canal Corporation, and M&T Bank have Announced an Erie Canal Bicentennial Event, the 2025 Water Music NY: More Voices Festival, Highlighting the Past, Present, and Future of the Erie Canal Through Extraordinary FREE Concerts, Outdoor Recreational Activities and Craft Food and Beverage in Unique Canalside Communities Spanning New York State, July 2-6
State-Wide Creative Endeavor Commemorates the Bicentennial of the Completion of the Original Erie Canal and is in Partnership with the New York Power Authority and New York State Canal Corporation; M&T Bank is a Proud Sponsor
ALBANY, NY — This July, the two-time GRAMMY® award-winning Albany Symphony, in partnership with the New York Power Authority and the New York State Canal Corporation with additional support from the New York State Council on the Arts, will perform a free five-part concert series along the Canal system. This musical experience, entitled Water Music NY: More Voices Festival, will be offered in Medina, Seneca Falls, Utica, Fort Plain, and Schuylerville with each concert composed specifically for the host canalside communities. The music series will explore themes of nature, the environment and contemporary communities on the Erie Canal; the food and stories of people from around the world who now call Utica, a premier Erie Canal community, home; music that honors the multi-layered stories of women on the Waterways; Indigenous heritage; and the experience of enslaved people who fought for freedom on the Underground Railroad. This year’s concerts build upon the Water Music NY: More Voices program offered last year that focused on exploring underrepresented voices, including those of women, immigrants, people of color and Indigenous peoples.
In addition to the Water Music NY: More Voices Festival, the entire New York State Canal System will remain open for navigation for an extra three weeks this year, closing in early November after the Erie Canal’s official 200th birthday on October 26. Cyclists can traverse the Empire State Trail by participating in a bicentennial themed Cycle the Erie Canal tour, which will take place in July with hundreds of participants from around the world. The Buffalo Maritime Center’s Seneca Chief, a replica of the boat Governor DeWitt Clinton used for his inaugural Erie Canal voyage from Buffalo to New York Harbor, will depart from Buffalo during the World Canals Conference (held in the same locale) in September, making 28 stops in Canal communities as it traverses the Erie Canal and Hudson River, eventually docking in New York Harbor. And ice cream lovers can take part in the celebration too by grabbing a scoop of “Minted in 1825” ice cream from their local Stewart’s Shops. Dozens of community bicentennial celebrations and events across the Erie Canal are scheduled to take place all season long. Information can be found on the Erie Canalway Events Calendar.
New York Power Authority President and CEO Justin Driscoll said, “We are pleased to partner with the Albany Symphony Orchestra on this exciting concert series, which will connect music and people to the canal in ways that have not yet been explored. These five concerts and accompanying celebrations are the perfect way for canal visitors to get outside and spend some time on the water this summer as we honor this momentous milestone.”
New York State Canal Corporation Director Brian U. Stratton said, “As we reflect on 200 years of the Erie Canal and contemplate its next century of use, we’re focusing on revitalization, recreation, arts and culture. This partnership with the Albany Symphony Orchestra embodies all those themes by bringing people together at Canalside communities for free and inclusive concerts that celebrate the unique aspects of the communities where they are taking place.”
“As the Erie Canal nears its third century of operation, we are so excited to embark on a grand new adventure with our wonderful partners at the New York State Canal Corporation,” said Albany Symphony Music Director David Alan Miller. “In anticipation of the Erie Canal’s momentous bicentennial season, we have engaged five brilliant composers who have immersed themselves in five gorgeous canalside communities and have created visionary new works for our orchestra and community collaborators exploring the vibrant history and culture of our great state. We cannot wait to celebrate with thousands of residents and visitors at free daylong festivals that include delicious food, fun outdoor activities, historical explorations, and family-friendly arts, culminating in fabulous orchestra concerts featuring these dazzling new works. It is our hope that our music will spark dialogue, expand perspectives, and inspire everyone to experience and cherish the beautiful canal system that flows through our state and is so much a part of New York State’s past, present and future.”
M&T Bank Regional President for Albany and the Hudson Valley Charles Pinckney said, “At M&T Bank, we believe in the power of community—the connections that bring us together, the stories that shape us, and the experiences that inspire us. Founded nearly 170 years ago in New York State, M&T Bank’s history is deeply intertwined with the communities that grew and thrived along the Erie Canal. This iconic waterway has long been a source of connection, commerce, and progress, which are values that continue to inspire us today. As we celebrate its bicentennial, we’re proud to support initiatives that bring people together, create shared experiences, and honor the rich culture that makes New York so extraordinary.”
A series of five free festivals, each culminating in an outdoor Albany Symphony concert, will take place July 2-6, 2025. Recently, Medina community members joined world-renowned, Brazilian American composer Clarice Assad on a “Sound Capture Journey,” as she began crafting a new orchestral work on the theme of the sound of nature and the environment and along the Erie Canal. Clarice and adventurous listeners recorded sound snippets from around Orleans County, collecting personal stories about local connections to nature, the environment, and individual sense of place. The completed composition – a blend of these “found sounds” and orchestral ingenuity – will be performed by the Albany Symphony as the centerpiece of the Water Music New York: More Voices Festival in Medina on July 2. The free day-long event commemorates the bicentennial of the Erie Canal and celebrates the waters that connect everyone through local food, arts, music, and outdoor fun. The festival promises a special appearance by ORLY the Ox, Medina Bicentennial’s lovable mascot, and concludes with a spectacular fireworks show. There will be yoga, face painting, wildlife displays, artisans, a history talk about the Medina Sandstone and the Erie Canal, performances by the popular local bands, and much more!
The next festival event will be located at the newly re-opened Harbor Point in Utica on July 3. The festival celebrates the critical role played by immigrant and refugee communities in making Utica the vibrant, welcoming city it is. As the centerpiece of the festival, Puerto Rican-born composer Christian Quiñones is creating a new commissioned work for orchestra and narrators, telling the story of Utica’s uniquely beautiful communities through a blending of music, food, and stories. In preparation, Christian visited community members and professional chefs in Utica to cook together, letting time shared in the kitchen be the door into learning each person’s journey, cuisine, and culture. The day-long free festival on July 3 is focus on how food and music reflect life and create a sense of belonging for so many different immigrant and refugee groups. Christian will weave a joyful musical celebration of the beautiful variety of peoples and cultures in the Utica area. On July 3, festival goers will delight in “a taste of Utica” with Bosnian, Lebanese, Karen, Somali, Dominican, Mexican, and much more, food available. Visitors can also enjoy over a dozen short, beautiful performances in celebration of World Refugee Day, organized in part by the Midtown Utica Community Center, Mohawk Valley Latino Association, and Bosnian American Community Association, among other neighborhood organizations. Those attending are encouraged to come hungry and ready to celebrate the diversity of the people of Utica.
On July 4, in Seneca Falls, the centerpiece of the day will be a new composition by composer Tanner Porter, created in close collaboration with the Seneca Falls community. Inspired by Seneca Falls’ extraordinary history as the epicenter of the Women’s Rights movement in America, Tanner’s work will explore and honor the multi-layered stories of women, past and present, who have lived and worked along the Erie Canalway. The past is in conversation with the present as local students and choirs raise their voices with the orchestra: a symphony of community. Festival goers are encouraged to explore the entire town of Seneca Falls, becoming immersed in the history and culture of this beautiful, pristine place, including the iconic bridge from “It’s a Wonderful Life” and the majestic Bonafiglia Family Foundation property. No American Independence Day festival is complete without a showstopper: the concert concludes with a specially curated drone show, considered to be an environmentally friendly fireworks alternative. Events during the day include nature and history walks, yoga, jazz hour, artisanal foods and beverages, and tours of National Parks Women’s Rights Museum, Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s home, and many other local museums. The festival also features local musical talents. Composer Tanner Porter will work with community members in the lead-up to the festival to teach singers their parts and develop a shared biography of place.
Composer-Cellist Dawn Avery has been meeting with members of the Fort Plain community in preparation for a festival on July 5. Dawn, of Mohawk heritage herself, is a singular talent at bridging American native and classical music and art. She has assembled some of the most important Indigenous creators to celebrate and uplift the richness of traditional song, dance, and storytelling. On May 29 Dawn will be joined by singer-songwriter Bear Fox to teach the traditional Mohawk Water Song to students from the Fort Plain Central School District. This Water Song forms the centerpiece of Dawn’s specially commissioned composition to be performed by the Symphony during the festival on July 5, and everyone can join the Water Song! The daylong festival on July 5 celebrates the rich Indigenous history of the Fort Plain region and the members of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy who lived there for centuries. In the 17th century, Fort Plain was the site of four major Mohawk villages. The Albany Symphony and New York State Canal Corporation are proud and excited to begin a journey of rediscovery, celebrating the uniqueness of Fort Plain and Montgomery County's multifaceted history. Audience members can practice the Water Song with Bear Fox and filmmaker Tom Porter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyGzfuJhbrI. There will be a Water Dance Workshop, arts activities, handmade crafts and jewelry, interactive activities prepared by the Fort Plain Free Library, delicious food and beverages, and more!
On July 6 at Hudson Crossing Park in Schuylerville, there will be a celebration the multifaceted history of Washington and Saratoga Counties, with an emphasis on the experiences of Black Americans, culminating in a free orchestra concert that will feature a thrilling world-premiere composition by Daniel Bernard Roumain inspired by the legacy and life of Solomon Northup. Northup was a free-born Black man, professional fiddler, and farmer from Schuylerville and Saratoga Springs, who was kidnapped into slavery in 1841. Upon his rescue in 1853, he wrote a remarkable memoir, Twelve Years a Slave, describing his ordeal in extraordinary detail. He became a noted abolitionist speaker in the years following his return to New York State. Daniel, an accomplished violinist himself and a leading American composer, will create a uniquely collaborative work for the Albany Symphony and audience of massed violins, in which community members are all invited to pick up a violin and join in, even those who have never played before. In addition, the day’s events will celebrate the rich culture of the Schuylerville region, the historic Erie Canal and Hudson River, and the central role the region played during the Revolutionary War during the Battle of Saratoga, the turning point of the Revolution. Violinists and country fiddlers of all kinds will be wandering during the day, along with activities with visual artists, bird walks, farm animals, live chainsaw art, history and walking tours, and many recreational activities. Artisanal foods and beverages from the region will also be featured, including a family favorite – ice-cream! Visitors are encouraged to explore the entirety of Hudson Crossing Park and surrounding Canal areas, including Philip Schuyler House, Lock C-5 Museum, Mohawk Maiden Cruises, and much more.
Water Music NY: More Voices Festival brings people together to explore new musical works that amplify voices that have been underrepresented. This project strives to elevate more aspects of local culture to weave an inclusive history and future of the Erie Canal.
Water Music NY: More Voices Festival Details
Daytime Recreation, Nature Activities, Arts & Crafts Fair, Local Vendors, Craft Food & Beverage, and Family Friendly Activities
6pm Music begins
8pm Albany Symphony Concert
Wednesday, July 2
Medina, NY
Medina Canal Basin
335 N Main St, Medina, NY 14103
Thursday, July 3
Utica, NY
Harbor Point
Friday, July 4
Seneca Falls, NY
Canal Harbor Southside
Bonafiglia Family Foundation property between Bridge St. and Ovid St.
Friday, July 5
Fort Plain, NY
Lock E-15 Fort Plain
Saturday, July 6
Schuylerville, NY
Hudson Crossing Park and Lock C-5