New musical acts to play at New York’s busiest venues — subway stations

A stained glass piece at 33rd Street station in Long Island City. Eagle photo by Jonathan Sperling.

By Victoria Merlino

Showtime!

MTA Arts & Design announced that it added 33 new musical acts to its competitive Music Under New York program, rounding out its roster of more than 350 performers and brightening New Yorker’s commutes just a little bit more.

“We thank all of our finalists for treating us to an amazing day of auditions, and we’re very excited to introduce the 33 groups and performers who are joining our MTA MUSIC family this year,” said MTA Arts & Design Director Sandra Bloodworth in a statement. “We can’t wait for our customers to catch them in the transit system performing under the Music Under New York banner for the first time.”

The Music Under New York program, which began in 1985, places musicians in 30 high-traffic locations throughout the transit network, such as subway stations and rail terminals, to create a more pleasant environment for commuters.

The performers this year were chosen out of 72 finalists and 318 applicants, and span instruments and genres from a brass band to cello, and blues to gospel. The performers come from all five boroughs of New York City, and to Nassau, Westchester, New Jersey and Connecticut.