Music on the Lawn - Bossamba

Music on the Lawn – Bossamba
August 19, 2026 - 5:00pm–7:00pm

Join us for Music on the Lawn, the Albany Institute's lively outdoor concert series! Enjoy great local music, free gallery admission, and a relaxed evening on the museum’s lawn. The concert series is free and open to the public.

• Dates: August 19, September 16, October 21
• Time: 5–7 PM
• Cosponsored by the Music Performance Trust Fund and arranged by the Albany Musicians Association
• Supported by M&T Bank

Concerts are held rain or shine. In the event of rain, performances will move indoors—same time, same great music. Grab dinner from a featured food truck each month, enjoy a cash bar, and stop by the Art Cart for a free hands-on activity inspired by the museum's collections. Bring your friends, a picnic blanket or lawn chair, and enjoy an evening of live music and community.

Limited parking is available in the museum lot at Dove and Elk Streets. Free street parking is available throughout the city after 5PM.

August features music by Bossamba!

The band will open with their "Languages of Jazz" program: songs in French, Spanish, and Italian, along with some familiar swing and bebop standards. Their second set will feature all Brazilian music: bossa novas and sambas with lyrics in Portuguese and English.

Get a preview of Bossamba before the concert by exploring the band's YouTube channel.

Band members:
- Maggie MacDougall (vocals): A jazz fan since her teens, impressed by vocalists Ella Fitzgerald, Betty Carter, and Jon Hendricks and especially inspired by instrumentalists. She worked for decades as a French and Spanish teacher, sat in on friends' gigs and jam sessions, and had her first professional gig with The Magpies in 2016. A two-week stay in Brazil broadened her musical horizons; during the COVID shutdown she expanded her repertoire, studied Brazilian Portuguese, and formed Bossamba with pianist Wayne Hawkins.
- Wayne Hawkins (piano/keyboard): Has a discography of over 40 recordings, including the Wayne Hawkins Trio and Solo. He wrote the book Piano Aerobics (Hal Leonard), taught at the University of Kansas, and currently teaches at Skidmore College. As a church Music Director he presented "Chant Meets Jazz." He moved east from Kansas City after playing 10 years with Sons of Brasil and studied composition with Jovino Santos Neto.
- Lou Pappas (bass): A versatile bassist active in jazz and classical communities. He has performed with the Woodstock Chamber Orchestra and Westchester Philharmonic, is Principal Bass with the Greater Newburgh Symphony Orchestra, toured with the Jazz Knights, and has performed with Dave Liebman, Michael Brecker, Clare Fischer, Steve Turre, and John Clayton. Lou is an Adjunct Artist in Music at Vassar College and performs with several ensembles.
- Mark Foster (percussion): A percussionist and educator in New York's Capital Region, named "best crossover musician" by the Albany Times Union. He gives lessons at RPI, directs the Empire State Youth Percussion Ensemble, performs with the Albany Symphony Orchestra, and is noted for his mastery of Brazilian drumming.

August's featured food truck is PDT Catering. PDT will be serving Mediterranean food for purchase during the concert. For more information, visit pdtcatering.com.