Oct 31. Spooky Stories with Cyro Baptista! Bill will join Cyro Baptista at his residency at The Stone on Halloween Night. Bill with his banjo will be telling scary stories from around the world accompanied by Grammy Award Winning percussionist Cyro Baptista.
July 20. Talking to the Moon in Santa Monica Bill will be joined by musical guests Larry Dilg, Rondalis Tandy, Bob Gordh, Daniel Gordh and Louise Dobbs to perform "Talking to the Moon: Songs and Stories of Love and Longing" on July 20, 2024 at the Church in Ocean Park, Santa Monica. The show begins at 7:30 and is $15. A selection from the more than 50 Jenny songs, Bill has written since the passing of his wife in 2018 will be interpreted by Bill and his guests. A couple of theme-related folktales will round out the program. In an age sorely in need of human kindness and compassion, Bill Gordh has cast a glowing light on what it means to express love and devotion. Humble, direct, never pretentious, gloomy or self-pitying, Bill's songs explore what it means to love someone unconditionally. Plus, the tunes are haunting, unforgettable … A gentle message to humanity and a work for the ages. Jon Deak Founder, Director Very Young Composers NY Philharmonic associate principal Bassist 1969-2009
April 14: Stories and Songs of Freedom. The JCC in Tarrytown, NY presents a special program for adults of stories and songs celebrating freedom for Passover. Storytellers Bill Gordh and Therese Folkes-Plair and virtuoso award-winning fiddler Lisa Gutkin have designed a collaborative piece for this event. Weaving klezmer and African-American with folktales - Jewish, African, African-American and Chinese, the program looks at and celebrates a range of notions of freedom.
April 1. The White House Easter Egg Roll. Bill was invited to come to the White House with his banjo and share stories for the thousands who attended the Easter Egg Roll this year. This was his first time back at the event since he performed for the last three years of the Clinton Administration. He also got to meet and be photographed with President Biden and his wife. Bill performed multiple sets. It was quite a day!
March 23. Talking to the Moon. On Saturday, March 23 at 4:00 p.m., the White Barn presents Bill Gordh performing "Talking to the Moon: Songs & Stories of Love and Longing". In the show Bill arranged some songs from the cycle in groups that share the themes, feelings and moments that inspired them - following the passing of his wife in 2018. The program also includes a couple of folkktales that share the themes of loss and love. The White Barn is in St. Helena, CA.
Feb. 6: Adventures in the Enchanted Forest: The Dragon's Fire. On Feb 6, the Leonia, NJ Public Library will present a Lunar New Year Concert of "Adventures in the Enchanted Forest: The Dragon's Fire" by composer Richard Carrick and librettist Bill Gordh. It will be performed by the Leonia Chamber Musicians including Beth Robin (piano), Daryl Goldberg (Cello), Janey Choi (violin), Theresa Norris (Flute) and James Musto (percussion). The adventure will be narrated by Bill Gordh. A perfect celebration of the "Year of the Dragon"! It's at the Leonia Library at 6:00PM. FREE!
The Signal Awards 
We had a fantastic time at The Signal Awards where we were honored with the Gold Award for our Folktales Podcast hosted by Bill Gordh!
Featured left to right: WMI Executive Director Gaby Sappington, Storyteller and Folktales Podcast Host Bill Gordh, Folktales Producer Kate Winn, WMI Board Co-Chair Andy Faulkner
September 22: Saint-Saens. The Carnival of the Animals. Bill will narrate the marvelous children's work, Camille Saint-Saens The Carnival of the Animals at a Family Concert as part of the The Summit Chamber Music Series. They are based in Morgantown, WV and this program will be performed at the Lyell B. Clay Concert Center at West Virginia University. This will be the premier of a new libretto that Bill has written especially for this concert. The Players are an exciting ensemble of dazzling musicians. The concert is at 6:00 PM and is FREE.
July 1: Storytelling at Hans Christian Andersen Statue! Storytelling has returned to the statue after a sad hiatus during covid. An exciting line up of tellers will share tales on Saturdays at 11:00 AM - Noon throughout the summer. Bill will be there this weekend telling Andersen's "Little Ida's Flowers" as well as a batch of folktales from around the world. As usual Bill will accompany the stories on banjo. Come on up to Central Park and at the statue right above East 72nd Street beside the Model Sail Boat pond. FREE!
March 13: Very Young Composers at David Geffen Hall. Jon Deak, founder of the Very Young Composers (VYC), and Bill Gordh, his co-producer and co-narrator will host another musical session featuring the works of 3 Very Young Composers in the Sidewalk Studio just before the Young Peoples Concert. On Jan 28, they presented 4 VYC summer commissions with a string quartet followed by an audience created composition about a flood threatening Instrument Village. This time following a VYC fanfare, 2 VYCers, M and Adam will present new works for a quartet of Flute, Trumpet, Bass and Percussion. Instead of standard notation, for the first time each composer created a graphic score to be explored by the players. The program will be repeated and each closes with a narrative score that the audience contributes their own ideas that will be interpreted by the musicians.
April 8: Sugar Hill Children's Museum of Art and Storytelling. Bill returns to the museum for a storytelling program of Animal Folktales from Around the World. As always he will be playing his banjo as he takes you on a story adventure. Tales with foxes and rabbits and wolves and Spider and Coyote and perhaps a Bunyip as well. Scandinavian, West African, North and South American, Asian and Australian stops included. Should be fun. First show at 11:00. More or less repeated at 1:00.
Oct 30: Lincoln Center/David Geffen Hall Open House. Bill Presented a storytelling workshop at the Lincoln Center All Day Open House on Oct 30th. In his workshop the children and family attendees helped build a musical story about 3 instrument friends Banjo, Flute and Percussion. Bill played his banjo and led the story-making and composing with the help of two marvelous New York Philharmonic teaching artists, Anna Urey (Flute) and Justin Hines (Percussion). The young people in the audience guided the adventure across the river, to the North Pole, through a rainforest and into a Haunted House. It was quite a musicalized adventure.
Nov 9 - 11. NAES Biennial Conference. San Antonio. Bill will be offering 2 workshops as well as holding a Meet-and Greet at the booth of the publisher of his latest book, "Making Room for Everyone". His workshops at this year's NAES Biennial Conference include a storytelling approach to Children's Chapels and using folktales from around the world to explore fairness and justice. Bill has presented workshops at every biennial since 2000.
Oct 1: Storytelling with Kardemimmit! The World Music Institute and Scandinavia House invite you to a live recording for the WMI Folktale Podcasts. Bill is the storytelling host for the series, which pairs Bill's telling of a traditional folktale from the culture of the guest musician. The guest musician accompanies the story. For the Oct 1 event, WMI and Scandinavia House have teamed up to present a live performance of Bill and the Finnish quartet Kardemimmit. Kardemimmit consists of 4 musician/vocalists from Finland. They play the kantele and the story Bill will tell for the concert is "The Enchanted Kantele". Prior to the introduction to the 4 artists, Bill will open the program with a couple other Finnish folktales. The concert is at Scandinavia House at 58 Park Ave (Between 37th and 38th) in New York City. It will be at 4:00 and is FREE. Kardemimmit will be offering a full concert at 7:00 PM on the same day at Scandinavia House.
July 23: Storytelling at Sugar Hill Children's Museum On Saturday at 11:00 AM and again at 1:00 PM, Bill will present a program of "Animal Tales of Animal Tails' and other stories. Of course with banjo in hand, it should be an exciting time for the family. Here's more info on the Sugar Hill Children's Museum of Art and Storytelling. Hope to see you!
June 15: WMI Folktale Podcast with Colombian Harpist Edmar Castaneda. The World Music Institute Folktales Podcasts with storyteller host Bill Gordh continue with the launch of "Two Girls", a South American folktale retold by Bill accompanied by master Columbian harpist Edmar Castaneda. The collaboration is a dynamic realization of this exciting story. It continues the vibrant spirit of the previous podcasts - "Night Comes to the Rainforest" with Award Winning Brazilian percussionist Cyro Baptista, "Red Rory and the Fairies", an Irish tale accompanied by Seamus Egan and the Indian tale "Grandmother Rabbit and the Elephant King" with veena player Saraswathi Ranganathan.
June 25: Family Midsummer Celebration at Scandinavia House On Saturday June 25th, come for music, stories and crafts at Scandinavia House for a Midsummer Family Celebration. Finnish Singer/songwriter Ida Metsberg will share some songs and Bill will tell a couple of Scandinavian folktales accompanied by his banjo (of course) and one tale with a kantele. There will also be arts activities for the family. It begins at 11:00. Tix available. Scandinavia House is at 58 Park Ave between 37th and 38th.
April 9: Sugar Hill Children's Museum of Art and Storytelling. Bill has created a program as part of the museum's celebration of the work of artist Faith Ringgold. Entitled Here We Are in Harlem: The Faith Ringgold Storytelling Project, Bill with his banjo will present stories and songs. These are inspired by two of the artist's children's books, The Three Witches, a folktale collected by Zora Neale Hurston and retold by Joyce Carol Thomas with illustrations by Ringgold and We Came to America. Bill will retell the witch story as well as a Brer Rabbit tale Hurston also collected. This leads to other Southern African-American Brer Rabbit folktales and include some songs with lyrics by Langston Hughes. Bill will also tell a Swedish folktale from his own heritage honoring Ringgold's theme of how all of us came to America with special things to share. The program will be presented twice at the museum on Saturday, April 9 at 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM. All welcome. Here is MORE INFO!
March 15: WMI Folktales Podcast launches! Bill is the host of the new podcast produced and presented by the World Music Institute "Folktales Set to Music from Around the World". Bill is working with a range of top world musicians, in which he tells a folktale from the culture of the special guest artist. Families will enjoy hearing favorite instruments and musicians as well as being introduced to new ones. Each folktale has been selected specifically for the musician and instrument that will accompany the tale. The first which is now available is an Irish folktale called "Red Rory and the Fairies". Bill tells the tale accompanied by renowned composer and multi-instrumentalist Seamus Egan. He plays the whistle. The story is an exciting one. A new story will be podcast each month on the 15th. Upcoming programs include an Indian follktale accompanied by Saraswathi Ranganathan on Veena and a rainforest story with Bill on Banjo and the multi-award winning Brazilian percussionist, Cyro Baptista. Tune in!
Jan. 8: Sugar Hill Children's Museum of Art and Storytelling. Bill returns to the Sugar Hill with a very special storytelling program to begin the new year. The Storytelling Stone introduced stories to the Iroquois. Bill will share the story of the stone and some of the tales it told. The folktales in the program will include "Dewando and the Flying Head", "The Frog Pond" and "The Boy who Lived with the Bears". The program will be presented twice with shows at 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM.
Nov 7th:,2009 The New York Philharmonic’s KIDZONE at the Young Peoples Concert, Avery Fisher Hall. Jon Deak and Bill Gordh’s “Instrument Village: The Instruments’ Guide to Young People” with new music by 10 and 11 year old composers from the Bridge Composers Programs.
October 31st : The Haunted House – a special 2 hour event designed for 6 and 7 year olds at the Jacob Burns Film Center Media Lab.
October 17th: A Program of Swedish Tales; Scandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, NYC. 11:00 AM. Free to the Public.
September: 2 Songs on New Bluegrass Recording: 2 songs Bill wrote with Billy Boone Smith "Whippoorwill" and "Regardless" appear on Billy’s new CD "Live from the Moose Lodge". Other songs on the album include ones Billy wrote with the legendary Tom T. Hall, Grammy winner Paul Overstreet and Irene Kelly. www.muddysunshine.com
September 18: Curriculum Consulting and Development: Trinity Wall Street Pre-School, NYC has arranged for Bill to work with its faculty for a series of workshops throughout the school year.
September 11: Storytelling Workshop: Bill led a 3 hour Storytelling Workshop for Children’s Librarians at the Midtown –Manhattan Branch for the New York City Public Library.
Aug 3rd – 6th : Workshops for Children of new Curriculum: Seeing Stories Summer Workshops at Jacob Burns Film Center, Pleasantville, NY. Newly created curriculum for very young filmmakers (ages 6 and 7) incorporating stories, storytelling, music, watching and making movies.
July 22 – July 30: Workshops and Performances for Children in Music Composing Instrument Village: The Haunted House (15th Instrument Village adventure) Very Young Composers of Eagle County, CO. Mentoring workshops and public performances for 8 – 13 year olds with composer/educator Jon Deak. Performed by NY Philharmonic musicians. Sponsored by The New York Philharmonic and The Vail Valley Music Foundation.
August 2: 4th Annual “Spin the Globe” Family Performance: presented by Eagle Montessori near Vail Colorado. Venues have included Gerald Ford Amphitheatre, Minturn Amphitheatre and the Lundgren Amphitheatre in Gypsum.
July 14th – 17th. Seeing Stories Summer Workshops at Jacob Burns Film Center, Pleasantville, NY. Newly created curriculum for very young filmmakers (ages 4 and 5) incorporating stories, storytelling, music, watching and making movies.
July 11th – 13th – Workshop Leader at the Episcopal Women’s Triennial, Anaheim, California.
July 6 – 10: Director of Manhattanville College’s 7th annual Summer Arts Institute. 3- credit – Graduate level program.
June 28 – July 2nd Guest Storyteller and Workshop Leader: Hollins University Graduate Program in Children’s Literature.
June 20th : Program of Greek and Cypriot Tales – Byzantine Fresco Chapel Museum, Houston, Texas.
June 18th – 19th: Featured Speaker. Early Childhood Retreat, Southwest Association of Episcopal Schools, Houston, Texas.
