New York Forward Festival
The New York Forward Festival began in 2015 as a celebration of the remarkable Daniel Carter’s 70th birthday. A multi-instrumentalist, composer, and improviser, Daniel has been a vital presence in New York’s creative music scene for decades. His open spirit, boundless curiosity, and passion for collaboration have connected generations of musicians and shaped the language of improvisation worldwide.
What started as a heartfelt birthday tribute has blossomed into a festival with 20 editions across the US, Africa, and Europe, with Brooklyn, New York, as its home base. The festival has become a meeting point for improvisers from around the globe — a place where legendary artists share the stage with emerging voices, and where audiences are invited into the magic of spontaneous creation.
In New York, these concerts have strengthened the city’s reputation as a hub for adventurous music, offering intimate gatherings where artists and listeners alike can form deep connections. Internationally, the festival has helped foster a spirit of exchange, bringing together diverse traditions and inspiring improvisers worldwide to create, collaborate, and carry forward the spirit of Daniel Carter’s music: open, inclusive, and endlessly inventive.
NEW YORK FORWARD FESTIVAL
CANALE MONTERANO (ROME, ITALY) 2025
FEATURING:
LEO GENOVESE (NEW YORK)
BUSTER WOODRUFF-BRYANT (LONDON)
FEDERICO UGHI (NEW YORK/ROMA)
NEW YORK FORWARD FESTIVAL MOROCCO
MAY 2025
FEATURING:
DANIEL CARTER (NEW YORK)
BUSTER WOODRUFF-BRYANT (LONDON)
LEO GENOVESE (NEW YORK)
MATTHEW LAVOIE (BOSTON)
WILSON NOVITZKI (MEMPHIS/HANNOVER)
ROBERTO CASSANI (SCOTLAND)
FEDERICO UGHI (NEW YORK/ROME)
NEW YORK FORWARD FESTIVAL
APRIL 2025
FEATURING:
Daniel Carter (winds), Matthew Putman (piano), Zachary Swanson (bass), Federico Ughi (drums)
Diego Hedez (trumpet) and The Avant-garde Movement
Melissa Almaguer (tap dancer)
Jeff Pearring (alto sax), Eri Yamamoto (piano)
Diego Hedez (trumpet), Hans Young Binter (piano)
Jonathan Reisin (tenor sax), Nate Wooley (trumpet)
HORNTET: Jeff Pearring (alto sax), Daniel Carter (winds), Stan Zenkov (winds), Guillermo Gregorio (clarinet), Ayumi Ishito (tenor sax), Diego Hedez (trumpet)
NEW YORK FORWARD FESTIVAL
JANUARY 2025
FEATURING:
Daniel Carter (winds), Matthew Putman (piano), Zachary Swanson (bass), Federico Ughi (drums)
Michael Sarian (trumpet), Allison Philips (trumpet), Zack O’Farrill (drums)
Jessica Pavone (viola), Vivek Menon (violin)
Hans Young Binter Trio: Hans Young Binter (piano), Melissa Almaguer (tap dance), Joshua Mathews (drums)
Leo Genovese (solo piano)
Jessica Pavone (viola), Ches Smith (drums)
Colonial Crime Spree: Eric Shorter (woodwinds and percussion), Giacomo Lorino (bass and electronics)
NEW YORK FORWARD FESTIVAL
DECEMBER 2024
FEATURING:
Daniel Carter (winds), Hans Young Binter(piano), Zachary Swanson (bass), Federico Ughi (drums)
Jeff Pearring (alto sax), Jeong Lim Yang (bass), Yuko Togami (drums)
Eva Novoa (solo piano)
Eri Yamamoto (piano), Ellen Christi (voice)
Farcadia: Ayumi Ishito (sax), Rema Hasumi (piano), Yuko Togami (drums)
Daniel Carter (winds), Patrick Holmes (clarinet), Zachary Swanson (bass), Federico Ughi (drums)
Patricia Nicholson (movement), William Parker (strings)
Jennifer Gersten (violin), Brandon Lopez (bass)
