Stissing Center to Open Speakeasy Listening Room, The Grace Note, February 13

On February 13, the Stissing Center for Arts & Culture will open The Grace Note, a new speakeasy/listening room-style performance space tucked into the building’s lower level. With fewer than 85 seats, a full bar, and an emphasis on close listening, The Grace Note is designed as an accent to the Center’s mainstage, built for the kind of performances that benefit from proximity and attention and even more intimacy than the rural elegance of the hall above. 

The venue will host performances every Friday night—music, comedy, play readings, storytelling, and hybrid forms—with cover charges ranging from $10 to $25. Doors open at 6pm, with performances beginning at 7:30pm. 

Opening night belongs to singer-songwriter Natalia Zukerman, who is both the inaugural performer and the Friday-night booker for the space. For Zukerman, the role feels like a natural extension of a long touring career spent moving between listening rooms, clubs, theaters, and festivals.

The Right Space

“I’ve sort of circled my wagon around the Stissing Center for a long time,” she says. “Patrick [Stissing Center Executive Director Patrick Trettenero] approached me about doing this inaugural christening of the new space. I wrote back saying I would love to—and what if I helped book the series?” 

Zukerman brings more than two decades of international touring experience to the role, along with a deep understanding of what makes small rooms work, for artists and audiences alike. “The caliber of artists coming in are absolutely ‘upstairs-ready,’” Zukerman says. “This isn’t about downsizing. It’s about a different way to experience a performance.” 

Physically, The Grace Note is intentionally informal. The seating is a mix of café tables, high-tops, and comfortable chairs arranged for sightlines and sound waves. The bar sits toward the back of the room and remains closed during performances, reinforcing the venue’s identity as a listening space rather than a background-music bar. “It’s very woody,” Zukerman says of the design aesthetic. “It has this speakeasy kind of vibe—like the old Living Room or Time Café under Fez. A real listening room.” 

Zukerman says a less formal atmosphere can be impactful for performers. “To feel that you have an audience that’s really there and really available is always lovely,” she says. “And because it still feels chill and laid back, you can try some stuff out that maybe you wouldn’t in a space with a velvet curtain and 400 seats.” 

Programming at The Grace Note is intentionally varied. Alongside nationally touring musicians, the schedule will include open mics, comedy nights, play readings, singer-songwriters, and occasional jazz and classical performances. “It’s a real mix,” Zukerman says. “We want to see what the community responds to.” 

Much of the calendar is already booked through the summer, though not all dates have been publicly announced yet. Fridays are the anchor. “My goal is to create a series where people know that whatever they come to, it’s going to be awesome,” she says. “A cool place to have a drink, hang out, and hear great music every Friday night.” 

Pine Plains Taking Off

For the Stissing Center, The Grace Note is a strategic expansion of its mission to support artists. “This feels like a natural next step for us,” Executive Director Patrick Trettenero says. “The Grace Note gives us a more casual, come-as-you-are space where artists can try new ideas and audiences can discover something unexpected.” 

The timing also aligns with broader changes in Pine Plains itself. Once a pass-through town for Taconic travelers, it has quietly become a destination—anchored by the Stissing Center, the Stissing House, new cafés, and a growing sense of cultural density. “It feels like a real town,” Zukerman says. “You’re driving, driving, driving and then suddenly, there’s culture.” 

The Grace Note opens Friday, February 13, at the Stissing Center, 2950 Church Street, Pine Plains. Tickets and the evolving schedule are available at thestissingcenter.org or by phone at (518) 771-3339.