Secret Ballads NYC
An intimate live concert of iconic and forgotten ballads.
Composer and performer Ernie Savage presents a close-listening performance devoted to the great pop ballads of the singer-songwriter era. Hosted in a private Manhattan studio near Bryant Park, this limited-seating experience brings listeners within arm's reach of the artist.
Come inhabit the songs.
The beautiful ones. The melancholy ones. The ones that stay with you.
The Concept
Secret Ballads explores iconic and nearly forgotten songs from the golden era of songwriting — works shaped by melody, feeling, and truth.
Songs associated with artists such as:
Elton John · Paul Simon · Leonard Cohen · Harry Nilsson
Billy Joel · Don McLean · Jimmy Webb
are reinterpreted through solo piano, acoustic guitar, and voice — performed within conversational distance of the audience.
Between performances, Ernie shares brief reflections on the writers, the era, and the craft behind the songs.
About Ernie Savage
Ernie Savage is a New York–based composer, songwriter, and performer whose four decades of musical work span live performance, studio production, and composition for television.
He co-composed the theme for NBC's Early Today, heard nationwide for nearly a decade, and received the 2005 Promax Gold Award for Best Show Theme.
Savage held a residency at Sambucca Jazz Club in Houston (1998–2000). His live album Swing This received worldwide radio airplay and critical acclaim, and he and his band were routinely featured in the Houston Chronicle.
He curated and led a weekly Thursday night music series at New York's historic Friars Club that became a regular staple for entertainment professionals, including Sally Jesse Raphael, Jackie "The Joke Man" Martling, Lisa Lampanelli and Jeff Ross.
His six-month Friday night engagement fronting his 10-piece big band at New York City's Carnegie Club was a sellout.
Performances for corporate clients include American Express, Deloitte, Coca-Cola, and Apple.
His studio production work ranges from pop and rock icons such as Stephen Stills and David Johansen to renowned chanteuses and recording artists such as Lisa Zane and Deanna Kirk.
The Experience
• 75–90 minute curated live performance
• Solo piano, guitar, and voice
• Limited to 8–10 guests
• Seated, salon-style listening
• Stories and musical context woven throughout
• Informal conversation after the final song
You are seated within a few feet of the performer.
The Setting
Secret Ballads is hosted at
Michiko Studios
15 West 39th Street, 7th Floor
Between 5th and 6th Avenues
Steps from Bryant Park and the New York Public Library
The studio is an active working rehearsal space — simple and acoustically rich.
Why Only Eight to Ten Guests?
Because the setting is built for intimacy.
Eight to ten guests creates the feeling of a private gathering — like music in a family living room.
Direct connection. Shared attention. Emotional immediacy.
The songs unfold as they would among friends.
Come inhabit the songs.
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