Live Music in Ithaca

With a variety of venues from outdoor stages to historic theatres and intimate settings. You will find national touring acts as well as talented student musicians performing weekly. Check the annual events list too for some of the region’s best music festivals.


Ithaca and surrounding communities have had rich musical influence for decades. Did you know Ithaca College was founded as a conservatory of music in by William Egbert in 1892? Robert Moog, inventor of the Moog synthesizer, earned his Ph.D. from Cornell University in 1965; Moog lived in Trumansburg where he opened a storefront and factory. The Grateful Dead’s 1977 show at Cornell’s Barton Hall remains an iconic live show. Many local musicians have had celebrated musical careers that started with live performances in Ithaca.