| New York, NY — In a playful nod to Sammy Hagar’s classic anthem ‘I Can’t Drive 55,’ composer Gene Pritsker celebrates the milestone with ‘I Can Survive 55’, a festive birthday concert featuring his ensemble Sound Liberation.
For the occasion, Pritsker will premiere his new 30-minute composition, ‘I Can Survive 55’, a work that embodies the eclectic spirit and stylistic freedom that have characterized his music throughout the years.
Also on the program, composer friends of Gene will each contribute a one-minute work for string quartet, collectively forming the ’55 Suite’—a musical celebration of the number 55. These miniature compositions explore the milestone’s many symbolic, rhythmic, and creative possibilities, creating a unique birthday tribute inspired by the number itself. The contributing composers are Lynn Bechtold, Seth Boustead, Charles Coleman, Dan Cooper, Audrey Morse, Ginka Mizuki, Machiko Ozawa, Lara St. John, Michiyo Suzuki, and Robert Voisey. The program will also feature a new song by composer and singer Milica Paranosic, likewise inspired by the number 55.
Blending jazz, classical, rock, and improvisation, the evening brings together Sound Liberation with a string quartet for a genre-defying musical experience. Featured performers include vocalists
D.Bankx and Zakiah Modeste; violinists Lynn Bechtold and Machiko Ozawa; violist Artie Dibble; cellist Sahara von Hattenberger; trumpeter Franz Hackl; bassist Moppa Elliott; drummer Damien Bassman; and Gene Pritsker on guitar, along with many special guests joining the celebration.
Expect an adventurous evening of unexpected collaborations, diverse musical influences, and plenty of birthday spirit as friends, colleagues, and fellow musicians come together to celebrate Gene Pritsker’s 55th year in true Sound Liberation style. After all, if you can’t drive 55, you can certainly survive it!
Sound Liberation
Gene Pritsker – guitar/conductor/rap
D.Bankx, Zakiah Modeste, Milica Paranosic – voice
Lynn Bechtold, Machiko Ozawa – violins
Artie Dibble – viola
Sahara von Hattenberger – cello
Franz Hackl – trumpet
Moppa Elliott – bass
Damien Bassman – drums
The concert will also be live-streamed.on Joe’s Pub youtube page
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Event Details
I Can Survive 55
Feat. Gene Pritsker’s Sound Liberation
Composers:
Gene Pritsker, Milica Paranosic
’55 Suite’ Composers: Lynn Bechtold, Seth Boustead, Charles Coleman, Dan Cooper,
Audrey Morse, Ginka Mizuki, Machiko Ozawa, Lara St. John, Robert Voisey
Date: Sunday, Aug. 30th, 2026
Time: 6pm
Venue: Joe’s Pub
425 Lafayette Street, NYC
Tickets are $30
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Staying in rotation for 43 years in NYC is a rare feat. In the case of a new music presenting organization, it requires not only diligence and cognizance of achievements of the past but also an ethic of keeping one’s ear to the ground for emerging stylistic and technological developments, as well as talented new composers on the scene. Composers Concordance, founded in 1984 by Joseph Pehrson and Patrick Hardish, advised by Otto Luening, strives to present contemporary music in innovative ways, with an emphasis on thematic programming. Directors Gene Pritsker and Dan Cooper co-curate the programs and lead the CompCord Ensemble, Chamber Orchestra, String Orchestra, and Big Band. Associate Directors are Milica Paranosic, Peter Jarvis, Debra Kaye, Seth Boustead, and Audrey Morse. Composers Concordance has also created a Naxos-distributed record label: Composers Concordance Records. Composers Concordance’s overriding vision is to promote contemporary music, composers, and new works as a rightful and respected part of society. Good music performed and recorded well, pushing the boundaries of sound and composition.
“Composers Concordance..a veritable New York new music institution of concerts, album production and multiple ensembles under a sweeping, tenacious brand, thriving on the emulsion of contemporary classical, free improv, jazz and rock, overt humor and fearless political statements, all very much in evidence..The ensemble..was masterful throughout.”- John Pietaro, The New York City Jazz Record
“An unwavering force in giving composers exposure through concert bookings and its own record label, the intrepid new-music organization Composers Concordance” – The Brooklyn Rail
“The Composers Concordance folks are unpredictable and at times refreshingly irreverent in a reverent sort of way….ingenious fun” – Classical-Modern Music Review
“Enterprising new music organization” – The New York Times
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