Free Classical Music Coming To East River Esplanade This Week

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — Need a break from the harsh sounds of the city? Consider stopping by the free classical music concert coming to the East River Esplanade this week.

Thursday's concert by the Kristina Gitterman Quartet will run from 6–7:30 p.m. at the Alice Aycock Pavilion: the red structure at East 60th Street.

Organized by Friends of the East River Esplanade, the show is open to all comers, weather permitting. (As of Tuesday, the forecast for Thursday was partly cloudy with a high of 84 degrees.)

Gitterman, a violinist, said the performance was made co-sponsored by the Music Performance Trust Fund and by her husband, Tom Gitterman of Gitterman Gallery. The sponsorship is meant to encourage musicians to perform free concerts for the public in exchange for payment and healthcare contributions.

"We have been without work for 16 months due to Covid and many of us will fall off our health insurance plan due to lack of contributions from employers, so these little performances mean a lot to us for many reasons," she said in an email.

Gitterman said her quartet is "happy and grateful" to be playing for live audiences after a long time away.

"Audience members are sometimes in tears telling us how much they've missed live music," she said. "I hope our performance brings joy, hope and peace to whomever attends."