‘Miss Americana’ Natalia Zukerman, to the Manner Born, to Play at MASS MoCA

 

Natalia Zukerman

Natalia Zukerman

(NORTH ADAMS, Mass.) — Singer-songwriter Natalia Zukerman, the slide, lap steel, guitar and dobro wizard who is a scion of an American musical dynasty, brings her folk, jazz, country and blues-inflected songs to the Dré Wapenaar Pavilion at MASS MoCA on Saturday, June 6, 2015, at 8pm. Zukerman combines the pop songcraft of Shawn Colvin, the rootsy, organic yearning of Lucinda Williams, and the fierce, funky determination of Ani DiFranco, and gives these elements a unique twist with her unmistakably personal and intimate voice.

Since her 2001 debut, singer and multi-instrumentalist Natalia Zukerman’s expertise on myriad instruments, lyrical storytelling, and seductive vocals have set her apart from the crowd as a folk songstress to watch. Armed with an authentic homespun sensibility and backed by major vocal and instrumental chops (most notably her notoriously stellar slide guitar playing), Zukerman is undeniably virtuosic, an engaging and compelling performer. On stage, her gentle demeanor gives way to a passionate stage presence that captivates audiences from opening note to final encore. Lyrically, Zukerman captures a wide assortment of emotions, flawlessly embodying the angst of heartbreak and the lightheartedness of newfound love with equal grace.

The daughter of renowned classical musicians (violinist/conductor Pinchas Zukerman and flutist/writer Eugenia Zuckerman), Natalia Zukerman’s life has been shaped by creativity and musicality from the beginning. Determined to carve her own path, she left New York City —  where she was born and raised — to attend college at Oberlin, then working in visual arts and as a musician in California and Boston before ultimately settling in Brooklyn, where she found her voice in the sincerity and soul of folk music.

Zukerman has released seven albums and collaborated with celebrated musicians including Janis Ian, Susan Werner, Erin McKeown, and Willy Porter. She has performed at numerous festivals, counting Lilith Fair, Rocky Mountain Folks Fest, and Telluride Bluegrass Festival among many. In 2008, she formed Winterbloom, a four-woman musical collective that writes and performs traditional pieces celebrating the music and traditions of winter. Currently, Zukerman is touring stateside and abroad, working as a professional painter and studying art therapy at the Pratt Institute.

Natalia Zukerman performs under MASS MoCA’s Dré Wapenaar Pavilion (or in Club B-10, if it rains) on Saturday, June 6, at 8pm. Dinner and snacks are available from Lickety Split before and during the show. A full bar serves Berkshire Brewing Company beers and Berkshire Mountain Distillery spirits. Tickets are $12 in advance and for students, $18 day of, and $24 preferred. Tickets for all events are available through the MASS MoCA box office located on Marshall Street in North Adams, open 11am – 5pm Wednesdays through Mondays; closed Tuesdays through June 26, 2015. Tickets can also be charged by phone by calling 413.662.2111 during box office hours or purchased on-line at MASS MoCA. All events are held rain or shine.

MASS MoCA is one of the world’s liveliest (and largest) centers for making and enjoying today’s most important art, music, dance, theater, film, and video. Hundreds of works of visual and performing art have been created on its 19th-century factory campus during fabrication and rehearsal residencies, making MASS MoCA among the most productive sites in the country for the creation and presentation of new art. More platform than box, MASS MoCA strives to bring to its audiences art experiences that are fresh, engaging, and transformative.

MASS MoCA’s galleries are open 11am to 5pm every day except Tuesdays. From June 26 through September 7, MASS MoCA’s galleries are open 10am to 6pm every day, with extended evening hours to 7pm on Thursdays through Saturdays. The Hall Art Foundation’s Anselm Kiefer exhibition is open seasonally, spring – fall. Gallery admission is $18 for adults, $16 for veterans and seniors, $12 for students, $8 for children 6 to 16, and free for children 5 and under. Members are admitted free year-round. For additional information, call 413.662.2111 x1 or visit MASS MoCA.

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