Archives 2026-2027
Guest Curator Series
Curator: Mark Wahl
Alexandr Misko Guitar Virtuoso
August 30th $17-20
Alex Misko is a modern fingerstyle guitar prodigy who mesmerizes audiences worldwide. From viral videos with over 80 million views to performing at Carnegie Hall and collaborating with Hans Zimmer, his music captivates fans online and at live shows around the globe.
Still in his 20s, Misko has gained international recognition with seven albums, a YouTube channel exceeding 1 million subscribers, and performances spanning from America to Japan. He's known for his innovative Frankenstein Guitar, a one-of-a-kind acoustic instrument featuring a triple detuning system, built-in percussion, and 14 pickups.
With a style that blends technical innovation with accessible musicality, Misko's compositions transcend cultural barriers and speak a universal language wherever they are heard.
National Stage
Delaney Brothers Bluegrass with special guest Nick Piccininni
September 26th $17-22
Two-time SAMMY winners, Delaney Brothers Bluegrass is one of CNY's oldest and best-loved bluegrass bands. More than just bluegrass, their music is influenced by many other acoustic traditions such as country, folk, gospel, and celtic.
A local band starting in the early 1980s, the Delaney Brothers Bluegrass have traveled the country playing their music for all to hear. The band is a mixture of vocal and instrumental songs consisting of five members: John Delaney, Jonathan Delaney, Scott Corbett, Luke Parsnow and Jessica Collins. John Delaney and his brother Ray were the band’s original members and found their love of music and bluegrass at a young age. John Delaney is a mandolin player by trade and believes that his biggest inspiration was listening to the best mandolin players out there. He credits musicians like David Grisham, Sam Bush and Bill Monroe, known as the father of bluegrass, as his influences. Scott Corbett, the band’s banjo player, credits Earl Scruggs as his inspiration. “He pretty much came up with it back in the ‘40s and he’s like the godfather of every banjo player that there ever was,” Corbett said. John Delaney’s son Jonathan grew up with a father playing bluegrass and introducing to him a love of music and playing guitar. “I grew up with bluegrass music ever since I was a little kid, so once I got a chance to play, I just picked up the bass and did bass playing,” Jonathan Delaney said. “Scott remembers [Jonathan] as a little tiny kid running around dancing to the music,” John Delaney said. “So he’s been in it all his life.” When looking towards the future, all the band wants is to keep playing. From Mississippi to Nashville, they have done it all, but now they are content with staying local and having fun. “We traveled all over, we’ve played a lot of different places, but we’re all older and just local stuff is fine with us now,” John Delaney said. Maria Pawelczyk, Oswegonian
Nick Piccininni
Guest Curator Series
#JazzByTheLake The Joseph Brothers Clarinet Summit "One More Time"
October 2nd $17-22 (students $10)
Curator: Dave Kaspar
The opening event of #JazzByTheLake for Fall of 2026 showcases The Joseph Brothers Quintet Clarinet Summit "One More Time"
Anthony Joseph is originally from Rome, NY before starting his teaching career in Oswego. He was a band director from 1973-2006. He founded the Oswego High School's "Evening of Big Band Concerts" in 1981. These show paired nationally recognized jazz artists performing with OHS students. The Anthony Joseph Swingtet was a frequent performer at the Oswego Music Hall specializing in classic jazz standards and ballads from The Great American Songbook. This group was nominated for a Syracuse Area Music Award (Sammy)
Ron Joseph, also a native of Rome, NY, is one of New York's finest clarinetists. Over the years Ron has performed with various jazz outfits including Skip Parson's Riverboat Jazz Band, the Jambalaya Jazz Band, Jon Seigler All Stars, and The Gordon Webster Trio. He was recently featured at "Jazz at The Beeches" and Jazz n Caz.
Barry Blumenthal is a multi-instrumentalist. He is a Crane School graduate, where he served as Concert Master of the Crane Symphony for several years including a performance at the 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid. Barry maintained a dual life as a keyboardist and violinist with The Syracuse Symphony Orchestra, Symphoria, and Central New Jazz Orchestra. He is also a member of The Salt City Jazz Collective where he plays trumpet.
Dave Arenius is a Rochester, NY native. Dave is one of the most in-call bassist in Central New York. He has shared the stage with Don Menza, Sal Nistico, Tal Farlow, and Herb Ellis to name a few. Dave has also performed with blues greats: Matt"Guitar" Murphy, Joe Beard, and Steve Grills.
Drummer Mike Melito is a Rochester native who started playing drums at age four. He started his professional career at sixteen playing with Joe Locke and saxophonist Joe Romano. In the 90s, he started to lead his own groups along with freelancing all over Upstate NY and the country. Mike is on the faculty of The Eastman Community Music School. Since 1997, he has released seven critically acclaimed CDs which have landed him a feature article in Down Beat magazine. Over the years, he has become the house drummer for the Rochester International Jazz Festival. He has shared the stage with James Moody, Benny Golson, and Barry Harris to name just a few.
This series is presented by The Ontario Center for the Performing Arts Guest Curator Program and made possible in part by The New York Council of The Arts.