Park Avenue Artists Expands Booking Division

24 April 2024 - Press release

New York multihyphenate agency signs new talent, brings on booking co-director in ongoing push to create a new model for arts agencies and management.

 

Park Avenue Artists has expanded both its artist roster and its executive team in its booking division. This division extends PAA’s mission to transform how artists and agents collaborate to build meaningful, sustainable, creatively groundbreaking careers for some of the world’s most talented musicians and performers. 

As part of this expansion, the agency has formalized its management relationship with producer, bassist and DJ, Alissia. Alissia has produced and/or worked with many artists across multiple genres including Anderson .Paak, Nile Rodgers, Mary J. Blige, Bootsy Collins, DRAM, EarthGang, Calvin Harris, Cee-Lo Green, 21 Savage, Jamila Woods, Mark Ronson, Kaytranada, etc. Her Boogie Nights events have become a “must go” for artists in the music industry.  

PAA has also signed Natalie Tenenbaum to its management and booking rosters, the pianist, composer, and singer-songwriter who, in addition to a notable career performing around the world, has created original arrangements and orchestrations for Lang Lang's most recent album release with the London Royal Philharmonic (Universal Media Group/Deutsche Grammophon/Disney), created an original arrangement for Lang Lang & The Pentatonix, and worked with Tina Fey (Mean Girls) and David Byrne (American Utopia). 

Along with these unique voices, Greg Kastelman has joined the agency as Co-Director of Artist Bookings, teaming up with Co-Director Devi Reddy. Kastelman founded and ran his own booking agency for five years and built an artistry-focused roster of multidisciplinary artists who are now represented by PAA. Artists which are joining the PAA booking roster include Brazilian singer Badi Assad, Ethio-American singer Meklit Hadero, Venezuela performance artist Migguel Anggelo, violinist/storyteller Philippe Quint, and soulful Swedish/Thai artist Sirintip. They join PAA’s existing booking roster which features the inimitable Philip Glass Ensemble, Senegalese griot and percussionist, Abu Diop, Mexican pianist, Daniela Liebman, soprano Larisa Martinez, and Broadway stars, Ashley Brown and Ryan Silverman. 

Booking is an essential part of Park Avenue Artists’ agency philosophy. The company unites management, booking, and creative direction under one aegis, collaborating with premier artists, venues, and brands to craft extraordinary events and projects. The agency’s vision does not fit into the neat categories of past behind-the-scenes work in the arts, and the company seeks to build mutually reinforcing divisions that make artists thrive creatively and businesswise in the long term.

“Our goal is to translate artists’ ideas into meaningful work with engaged performing arts venues. The philosophy of our booking division epitomizes that process,” says PAA Co-President David Lai. “It’s about more than setting up a lucrative tour; it’s about establishing strong relationships, understanding what our presenting partners are wanting for their audiences, and laying foundations for ongoing creative partnerships.”

“We sit on two sides, the music industry and the fine arts/performing arts world, sides that rarely talk to each other. Because of that, very few people can do what we do,” adds Ross Michaels, PAA’s co-president. “We focus on artists who are culturally and musically relevant to an institution, and Greg and Devi’s approach truly supports that focus.” “PAA’s approach reaffirmed my confidence that artist managers and agents could be compassionate and forward thinking, affirming artists in their journey,” Kastelman notes. “I am thrilled to be working alongside Devi and the agency to tackle big challenges and embrace unique opportunities."