Grammy-Winner Comes to Adams Theater for Piano Solo Show

ADAMS, Mass.—Three-time GRAMMY-winner Gustavo Casenave will be presenting a concert experience at the Adams Theater at 7:30pm on June 6, featuring a personalized program that offers unexpected turns and merges genres.

Tickets are available at www.adamstheater.org/events. 

Casenave is a Uruguayan pianist, composer, and producer based in NYC. He is a Steinway Artist, Illustrious Citizen of Montevideo, and designated Cultural Ambassador of Uruguay. Over decades, he has built an international career that encompasses jazz, tango, and classical music, always with a personal stamp that integrates improvisation and composition as fundamental pillars of his artistic language. The New York Times describes him as an "exuberant and virtuosic" performer.

"When I play, I've been preparing for that moment for 50 years," he said. "Sometimes I don't know what will happen. Every concert is unique. My journey is always trying to find that voice."

In his career, Casenave has collaborated with world-renowned figures such as Yo-Yo Ma, John Patitucci, Eddie Gomez, Christian McBride, Paquito D'Rivera, Bette Midler and Deepak Chopra. He was Director of the Jazz Department at the Harbor Conservatory for the Performing Arts in New York for fifteen years, and has given masterclasses and lectures at institutions including The Juilliard School, Yale University, Eastman School of Music, Oberlin Conservatory, Columbia University, and New York University.

Castenave originally connected to the Adams Theater at a party hosted at Floating Tower Artist Retreat in North Adams, where 2025 Adams Theater artist Olga Rabetskaya was staying during her time presenting and developing work at the theater. 

See a full lineup for 2026 at www.adamstheater.org/events. 

The Adams Theater participates in Mass Cultural Council's Card to Culture program, in collaboration with the Department of Transitional Assistance, the Women, Infants & Children Nutrition Program, and the Mass Health Connector.

 EBT, WIC, and ConnectorCare cardholders receive free admission to our shows and events by presenting their cards at our Box Office. See the complete list of participating organizations offering EBT, WIC, and ConnectorCare discounts.

Berkshire Arts & Tech Grads 'Grateful to Be Weird'

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
06:30PM / Saturday, June 06, 2026

Class speaker Liliana Choque says she was thankful to be 'weird with all of you.' See more photos here. 

ADAMS, Mass. — Among the things that Berkshire Arts and Technology Charter Public School senior Lilianna Choque was thankful for on Saturday was the fact that she knows all her classmates.

 

"In preparation for today, I have read and watched a lot of other graduation speeches," Choque said during her "senior reflection" at the school's graduation exercises. "All of them, without fail, had some version of the same throwaway line: 'Although I don't know all of my classmates,' or, 'Some of you may not know me.'

 

"But the beautiful thing about a graduating class of 32 is that that doesn't apply. I do know all of you … quite well."

 

And, Choque said, she likes what she knows.

 

"Maybe the rumors are true, and we are the weird kids," she said. "But — and you have to forgive me, because I'm going to invoke the right I've been given as a BArT student to be a little cringe here — I'm so grateful to be weird with all of you."

 

Choque was not the only one to extoll the virtues of what she called her "32-ring circle of friends," and she was not the only one to talk about the kindness exhibited by the Class of '26.

 

Head of School Jonathan Igoe set that tone in his opening remarks.