Isaiah Sheffer, the co-founder of Symphony Space on 95th Street, died last month. He was an integral part of the Upper West Side’s artistic community, and Symphony Space is one of the great grassroots-inspired institutions in New York. Sheffer also spearheaded Selected Shorts, the popular live series that ran on NPR where actors read short stories (that series will continue).
On Monday, Symphony Space will honor his legacy with a special memorial celebration from 5 to 7 p.m. that will be livestreamed at a theater in Symphony Space and over the Internet at symphonyspace.org.
“Please join us in the Leonard Nimoy Thalia at Symphony Space for a live video stream of Isaiah Sheffer: A Memorial Celebration on December 17, 2012, at 5 pm. To reserve complimentary tickets, please call the Symphony Space Box Office at (212) 864-5400.”
Click here for information on donating to Symphony Space in his name.
To learn more about the history of Symphony Space, and its role in the revitalization of the Upper West Side, check out this piece in Untapped Cities.
Below, see a video report about Wall to Wall Bach, the performance in 1978 that launched Symphony Space. To anyone who has had a dream that seemed too unconventional to work — let’s put on 12 straight hours of Bach, and let amateurs play alongside professional musicians! — it should serve as an inspiration.
Photo via Symphony Space.
Isaiah was a marvel. He almost single-handedly changed the fabric of the UWS. The memorial will be packed. He was so loved.