NYS Music 2023

Category: Classical

  • SPAC Announces Return Of The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Summer Residency

    Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) has announced the return of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center (CMS) back to the Spa Little Theatre for its summer residency from June 11-August 20.

    Marking the 10th anniversary of its collaboration with SPAC, the six-concert summer season follows two previously announced performances on March 18 and May 13 by CMS, now a year-round presence in Saratoga Springs.

    “Our 2023 season carries a celebratory theme across all of our residencies, but none more so than with the 10th anniversary of our partnership with Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center,” says Elizabeth Sobol, President and CEO of Saratoga Performing Arts Center. “Over the past decade, SPAC and CMS have cultivated a dedicated audience of chamber music devotees in Saratoga Springs and we are excited to the continue the tradition not just every summer, but year-round as well.”

    Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center

    Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s summer season opens with “From Classic to Modern,” showcasing works from Brahms and Beethoven to Bloch, Khachaturian and Milhaud (June 11), followed by “Great Quintets” of Mozart, Dohnányi and Dvořák (June 18); “From Vienna to Paris” (July 16); a program from guest artists The Miró String Quartet (July 23); and “Spanish Journey” (August 13). The season closes with “New Classics” (August 20), which includes quintets by Bloch and Suk that CMS has ushered into the standard chamber repertoire.

    Anchored by Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Artistic Directors Wu Han (piano) and David Finckel (cello), this season’s guest artists also include violinists Arnaud Sussmann, Alexander Sitkovetsky, Ani Kavafian, Ida Kavafian, Stella Chen, Danbi Um, Kristin Lee, and Aaron Boyd; violists Paul Neubauer, James Thompson, Molly Carr, and Matthew Lipman; cellist Sihao He, pianists Wu Qian, Juho Pohjonen, Soyeon Kate Lee; clarinetist Ricardo Morales, guitarist Jason Vieaux, soprano Rihab Chaieb, and The Miró Quartet.

    The summer season follows two previously announced spring concerts offered by Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. On March 18, soprano Jessica Rivera joins pianists Michael Stephen Brown and Gilles Vonsattell, cellist Nicholas Canellakis and percussionist Ian David Rosenbaum to present “Voices of the Americas,” a program celebrating the range of ideas, sounds, and cultures that have inspired composers from the Americas in the 20th Century like Copland, Gershwin, Golijov, and Villa-Lobos. On May 13, pianist Wu Han, violinist Arnaud Sussmann, and cellist David Finckel unite to perform works by Beethoven and Dvořák.

    For a full schedule of performances, and to purchase tickets, visit SPAC’s website for more information.

  • MVW Teams Up With TiaCorine and Lil Cherry For Latest Single ‘Tru Tru’

    Fresh off his second full-length LP, Staten-Island raised and LA-based MVW returns with another mashup of cultures, sounds and styles. This time, the classical composer turned hip hop producer, has recruited the likes of Tia Corine and Lil Cherry for a syrupy ode to female empowerment and pleasure.

    MVW releases his latest single "Tru, Tru."

    “Tru Tru” sees MVW remain on his experimental journey. Since breaking through in hip hop, the former La Monte Young understudy has used his signature blend of minimal classical compositions with trap-heavy hip-hop influences. Hence, on “Tru True” MVW uses piano arpeggios, flutes and trap synths to create a sultry, inviting and abstract record.

    Things have been tightened over the last few years across the world, and with one another – I feel like friendships are truly being tested. A song like ‘Tru Tru’ is about giving people this psychedelic, anime trap dream world to escape into. That escapism feels especially important right now, and can help bring us together.

    – MVW

    Keeping in theme, MVW recruits the likes of Lil Cherry and TiaCorine to complete the record’s sensual vibe. “Tru Tru” is a global trap track that combines the best elements of MVW’s favorite genres. Blending the ominous feel of classical music, the bluntness of trap drums and the way TiaCorine and Lil Cherry’s soft croons and low hues compliment it all.

    Bitch I’m colder than the snow on the Polar Express” hilariously boasts Tia. With her rousing, raspy whisper-rap flow adding to her aura. Meanwhile, Cherry infectiously swats away male groupies with a self-assured, “I’m the man, bitch, duhhhh!” 

    Ultimately, MVW swerves the listener. In short, the record’s sensual production offers the thought of more somber lyrics. However, TiaCorine — whom Rolling Stone pinned as a rapper set to make it big in 2023 — and K-Hip Hop sensation Lil Cherry exert their control.

  • Lincoln Center Announces Schedule for Annual ‘American Songbook’ Events

    Lincoln Center has announced the schedule for its annual American Songbook: A Place You Belong performances, giving today’s brightest vocal talents the chance to shine in styles ranging from country to rock, from bluegrass to jazz, and more.

    Lincoln Center at The Allen Room.

    New York City isn’t just one place, it has five boroughs, thousands of distinctive communities with unique cultures, and hundreds of neighborhoods. Within these areas are dance clubs and music halls where we can sing, laugh, and dream about the future of life together. American Songbook: A Place You Belong presents American singers, songwriters, and composers in intimate concerts at The Allen Room and others in Lincoln Center, resurrecting old NYC long-lost performance spaces and dance clubs. Co-conceived by George C. Wolfe, this year’s theme explores themes of belonging and discovery, embodying the spirit of iconic New York City venues which paved the way for legendary artists.

    Venues like the Palladium Ballroom, Paradise Garage, the Savoy Ballroom, and Café Society all have historical significance to the city and are showcased during these performances. The Palladium Ballroom was home to the mambo craze in the 1940s and ’50s and created a welcoming oasis where New Yorkers of all races, ethnicities and social classes could dance the night away. Paradise Garage was Soho’s gay underground dance haven in the 1970s and ‘80s, creating a safe space for the queer community. It was the place to connect with others through dance, to lose yourself in the music, and to find yourself along the way.

    Portrait of Dizzy Gillespie, New York, N.Y., between 1946 and 1948, from Lincoln Center.

    The Savoy Ballroom was one of the first integrated ballrooms in the country, operating from the 1920s to the ‘50s in Harlem. It was home to the Lindy Hop, and those who went danced to the best swinging big bands of the era and swayed to the vocals of Ella Fitzgerald, Chick Webb, Dizzy Gillespie, and more. Café Society was one of the first racially integrated nightclubs in North America, tucked away in Greenwich Village. It was where Billie Holiday first sang the protest song “Strange Fruit,” and many soon-to-be stars sang there, including Lena Horne, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, and more.

    Events

    American Songbook: A Place You Belong kicks off April 1 in David Geffen Hall, NYC’s newest cultural hub, with singer-songwriter Nathaniel Rateliff, performing along with his orchestra Harry Nilsson’s 1973 LP A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night from start to finish on its 50th anniversary. Next in David Geffen Hall on April 8, Academy Award winner and Tony-nominated actress, singer, and dancer Ariana DeBose debuts an original solo concert, Authenticity. It will showcase her musical influences, including Judy Garland, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ray Charles, and ABBA, and her dynamic voice.

    In honor of Café Society’s impact, The Appel Room plays host to three nights of cabaret from April 5-7 led by house band the Matt Ray Trio, featuring performances from Rizo and comedian Ikechukwu Ufomadu, Grammy-nominated R&B artist and Broadway star Mykal Kilgore and comedian Aminah Imani, and singer-songwriter Raye Zaragoza and comedian Jordan Carlos, each night ending with a special guest performing Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit.” You can choose what you pay for the evening.

    In honor of the Paradise Garage, on April 14, queer-owned Brooklyn venue C’mon Everybody reimagines the venue in a free one-night dance party blowout at the David Rubenstein Atrium with a set from DJ Samuella, hip hop drag provocateurs The Dragon Sisters and disco, funk duo The Illustrious Blacks. On April 20, the spirit of the Savoy Ballroom comes to the Atrium with jazz vocalist Charles Turner & Uptown Swing and The Eyal Vilner Swing Band. The audience is welcomed to the dance floor by professional Savoy swing Lindy Hoppers from choreographer Caleb Teicher’s SW!NG OUT, all for free.

    Closing out the American Songbook series is a free event on April 21, a tribute to The Palladium Ballroom and the mambo craze that started there with Tito Rodríguez, Jr., one of the leading timbaleros and bandleaders of salsa and Latin Jazz.

    The events on April 1 and April 8 at the American Songbook: A Place You Belong require tickets to view the performances, for more information and to purchase tickets, go here.

  • Opera Saratoga Announces 2023 Summer Festival Lineup

    Gearing up for Summer festival season, Opera Saratoga has released their slated lineup of performances that will take place in the heart of Saratoga Springs in 2023.

    “We are excited to be partnering with Universal Preservation Hall this season for our MainStage performances and look forward to introducing our audiences to this amazing space right in downtown Saratoga Springs” says Managing Director, Amanda Robie. However, the season will also showcase performances in various beloved Saratoga venues including Spa Little Theatre, The Mansion of Saratoga and at Caffè Lena (which will play host to their America Sings concert series). 

    This year’s summer festivals will be comprised of various talents who emerged through Saratogas Young Artist Program

    Opera Saratoga Lineup and Performances 

    Overall, this year’s summer festival season is keeping in theme, as the lineup consists of sixteen festival singers, two conductors, a pianist and two directors. With this intention, two noteworthy guest acts, Andy Papas and Eric McConnell will also feature (both of whom are alums of Opera Saratoga’s prestigious training program).

     “I am particularly excited about this season” says Head of Music Staff, Laurie Rogers, “as it is cast completely from either current or former members of our prestigious Young Artist program. Additionally, this year’s talented singers, drawn from an application pool of over 900, will be take part in our Broadway and Stars of Tomorrow concerts.”

    Opera Saratoga provides something for all, featuring three productions brought to life. Namely, the Tony-award winning A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, historic composer Donizetti’s bel canto masterpiece Don Pasquale, and a world-premiere of a new children’s opera based upon Oscar Wilde’s short story The Selfish Giant. Additionally, Clarice Assad and libretto by Lila Palmer will handle scoring and additional festival concerts. Moreover, each performance will feature production elements that leverage the unique site-specific features of Universal Preservation Hall. All in all, Opera Saratoga’s summer festival lineup is suitable for the entire family.

    For more information on Opera Saratoga and this summer’s lineup and the America Sings concert series at Caffè Lena, visit Opera Saratoga’s official website.

    2023 Festival Performances:

    A Gentleman’s Guide — June 30, July 2 (matinee), 6, & 8, 2023, Universal Preservation Hall

    Don Pasquale — July 1, 7, & 9 (matinee), 2023, Universal Preservation Hall

    The Selfish Giant — July 1 (matinee) & 8 (matinee), 2023, Universal Preservation Hall

  • Opera Saratoga Names Mary Birnbaum Artistic and General Director

    On Feb. 9, Opera Saratoga’s board of directors named Mary Birnbaum their new general and artistic director. Birnbaum succeeds Lawrence Edelson, whose eight-year tenure concluded at the end of the 2022 season. The 10th general director in Opera Saratoga’s history, Birnbaum’s hiring comes ahead of the summer 2023 season.

    Credit: http://www.marybirnbaum.com/about

    “We are incredibly excited and honored to have Mary Birnbaum join Opera Saratoga. She was selected after an extensive nationwide search, in which we interviewed many highly qualified candidates. Mary’s level of enthusiasm and love of opera are infectious and I am certain she will be an inspirational leader for the company as well as an integral part of the Saratoga Springs community,” said Board President Steve Rosenblum.

    Other than her hiring at Opera Saratoga, Birnbaum teaches acting for singers as the Dramatic Advisor to the Masters of Music and Graduate Diploma Program at Juilliard. Birnhaum will main her position at Juilliard in addition to her role at Opera Saratoga. Birnbaum has worked both internationally, from Taiwan (Otello) to Australia and Israel, and across the U.S.

    “I am thrilled to accept the position of General and Artistic Director of Opera Saratoga and look forward to collaborating with the talented staff and superior board of directors to bring exceptional music theater to Saratoga Springs and the surrounding communities,” Birnbaum said.

    Fans can meet Birnbaum this summer, during the 2023 festival season. Her introduction to the public will happen on Thursday, June 8, 2023, at the Saratoga National Golf Club.

    Opera Saratoga started under the name Lake George Opera Festival on July 5, 1962. Its first production was Die Fledermaus at the Diamond Point Theatre. The company now calls Saratoga Springs home and has put on productions for more than 25,000 people annually.

    Shortly after Birnbaum’s introduction, Opera Saratoga’s summer festival will begin Friday, June 30, and continue until Sunday, July 9. Curated by Managing Director Amanda Robie, Don Pasquale, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, and The Selfish Giant, are among the acts set to perform. Tickets can be purchased through www.operasaratoga.org.

  • Cayuga Chamber Orchestra Announces Chamber Series Performance

    The Cayuga Chamber Orchestra has announced the launch of its Chamber Series on Sunday, Feb.
    26, as part of their 47th season.

    The Featured Performers

    The performance will include pieces by Beethoven and Brahms, a program featuring Concertmaster Christina Bouey, Principal Cellist Rosemary Elliott, violinist Anthony Bracewell and guest artist, pianist Vadim Serebryany. The program will feature Beethoven’s lush and lyrically expansive String Trio in E-flat
    and Brahms’ majestic and emotionally turbulent Piano Quartet No. 3.

    It is a privilege to be preparing the Brahms Piano Quartet for a performance with
    beloved colleagues and friends, Tina, Anthony and Vadim. The slow movement is
    a true gem. From the dark, brooding landscape of c minor Brahms transports us
    to e major and a world of serenity and beauty. As I prepare to perform this
    miraculous movement (which starts with a cello solo!) I am reminded of all that
    is good in life, even amidst the suffering of so many in the world.

    Principal Cellist Rosemary Elliott

    The Cayuga Chamber Orchestra’s mission lies in its professional excellence, vibrant performances, community education, and passion for transformation through music. The Orchestra is devoted to fostering artistic life in the Ithaca and Finger Lakes regions of New York State.

    The Cayuga Chamber Orchestra has a strong commitment to serving its community in a variety of ways. An annual Family Series of concerts (all free admission) was added in 2013. In 2015, the CCO received the national honor of a Yale Distinguished Music Educator Award for the comprehensive school program that reaches over 800 elementary students each year. In 2017, the CCO added a Youth Orchestra program for advanced student musicians that currently has 57 members. In 2019, the first Diversity Fellowships were established to create opportunities for college music majors from underrepresented minority communities. Through partnerships with Longview and Kendal, CCO musicians enjoy regular opportunities to perform for and interact with the senior communities in the Ithaca region.

    Tickets may be purchased by phone, at the door, or at the orchestra’s website

  • UAlbany Music Program Announces Three Concerts in Four Days this March

    University at Albany’s Department of Music and Theatre has announced three concerts, featuring the UAlbany Percussion Ensemble, throughout the first week of March. 

    On March 3rd, at 7pm you can enjoy special guests from the Empire State Youth, Repertory & Chamber Percussion Ensembles, the Festival of Contemporary Music accompanying the ensemble. March 8 showcases The UAlbany Concert Band presenting a Concert in the Round. Lastly, The UAlbany Symphony Orchestra will perform the final concert on March 9th.

    All events for the three-day concert will be located at the UAlbany Performing Arts Center. The center can be found on the uptown University at Albany campus at 1400 Washington Avenue.

    The Festival of Contemporary Music program premieres The Empire State Youth Percussion Ensemble performing Joseph Ott’s landmark work, Quartet for Percussion. Under the direction of Christopher David Neubert, the ensemble will also perform a program of three works: Felix Mendelssohn’s Fingal’s Cave Overture, Gabriel Faure’s Pelleas et Melisande and James Barnes’s Heatherwood Portrait.

    Audience members can count on hearing works by Nathan Daughtrey, Elliot Del Borgo, Daniel Montoya and the enigmatic Rainforest Journey of Charlie Sivils, in addition to the second set of Chick Corea’s magical and haunting Children’s Songs and three of composer-educator Ney Rosauro’s Brazilian Myths. The Myths include recounting legends of a deadly Brazilian mermaid, the mystical protector of the avian wildlife of the Amazon Forest, and the evil headless horsewoman spreading fear and pestilence throughout the villages and towns. 

    A Concert in the Round will feature the UAlbany Concert Band performing eight selections such as Charles Parker Peters’s American Legion, Robert Sheldon’s Beyond the Higher Skies, Arthur Benjamin’s Jamaican Rumba, Tyler Arcari’s Beacons (Guiding Lights), Scott Joplin’s The Entertainer and Claude T. Smith’s Serenade and Dance. Band director Kevin R. Champagne’s Octopercussiocity along with selections from the musical Rent will also encompass the concert. 

    Concert tickets are $5 for the general public and $3 for students, seniors and UAlbany faculty-staff. Tickets purchased on the day of performances are $10 for the general public and $8 for students, seniors and UAlbany faculty-staff. All tickets must be purchased on-line from the UAlbany Performing Arts Center’s site.

  • Gustavo Dudamel to Leave L.A. Philharmonic and be New York Philharmonic’s Artistic Director

    Conductor Gustavo Dudamel is leaving the L.A. Philharmonic to become the Music and Artistic Director for the New York Philharmonic.

    Gustavo Dudamel
    Joel Saget/AFP via Getty Images

    Dudamel will step into the role of leading the New York Philharmonic at the beginning of the 2026-27 season. For the 2025-26 season, he will serve as the orchestra’s Music Director, and his full contract will last for five years. He has been with the Los Angeles Philharmonic since 2009.

    In addition to the L.A. Philharmonic, Dudamel has been the Music Director of the Opéra National de Paris since 2021, and Music Director of the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela since 1999. His mission statement is wanting to bring music to people across the globe, which he has accomplished through YOLA (Youth Orchestra Los Angeles), developed in 2007, which provides 1,500 young people with free instruments, intensive music instruction, academic support, and leadership training.

    Some of the honors Dudamel has achieved during his career include the Americas Society Cultural Achievement Award in 2016, the 2014 Leonard Bernstein Lifetime Achievement Award for the Elevation of Music in Society from the Longy School of Music, Spain’s 2020 Gold Medal for Merit in Fine Arts, the 2019 Konex Foundation Classical Music Award, Distinguished Artist Award from the International Society for the Performing Arts (ISPA), and many more.

    In a statement, he said he was “grateful” for the new title, and “grateful to the musicians and leaders of the New York Philharmonic as we embark upon this new and beautiful journey together [and] to my beloved family at the Los Angeles Philharmonic and YOLA [the Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles].” NY Phil Board Co-Chairmen Peter May and Oscar Tang said they are excited to welcome him to the Philharmonic. “Building on this orchestra’s great legacy, he joins a historic list of distinguished Music Directors.”

    Gustavo Dudamel
    Gustavo Dudamel conducts the Los Angeles Philharmonic, 2022, photo by Getty Images.

    Dudamel’s hire to the New York Philharmonic means the L.A. Philharmonic will be looking for a music director of its own. Said best by Gary Ginstling, Executive Director and incoming President & CEO, “With Gustavo Dudamel, the Philharmonic is poised for what I believe will be one of the most exciting chapters in its storied history.”

  • SPAC Announces 2023 Classical Season Featuring NYC Ballet & The Philadelphia Orchestra

    Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) announced the return of the New York City Ballet and Philadelphia Orchestra, to their summer home in Saratoga Springs. This celebratory season is highlighted by a theme of earth and features masterpieces from classical cannon, SPAC premieres and debuts. 

    SPAC Classical

    From July 18-22, the New York City Ballet (NYCB) returns with the full company that encompasses a roster of 90 dancers. Under the direction of Artistic Director Jonathan Stafford, Associate Artistic Director Wendy Whelan, and led by Music Director Andrew Litton, the company will showcase four programs including “NYCB On and Off Stage”.

    Hosted by NYCB Principal Dancers Tiler Peck and Adrian Danchig-Waring, the programs illustrate a unique “behind the curtain” experience featuring excerpts from the week’s ballets. Contemporary works such as Play Time by Gianna Reisen, Love Letter by Kyle Abraham, Liturgy by Christopher Wheeldon, and music from Solange Knowles, James Blake, Arvo Pärt, etc will foreground the season. Also featured is a program dedicated to three story ballets including Balanchine’s Swan Lake, Robbins’ Fancy Free and Firebird by both choreographers.

     Kicking off our summer season is ‘NYCB On and Off Stage,’ which has become an important part of our efforts to bring new people to experience ballet in an inviting, accessible way. New for this year, the celebratory evening will culminate in a ‘dance party’ in the Hall of Springs.

    Elizabeth Sobol

    During August 2–19, The Philadelphia Orchestra will display two programs including a Rachmaninoff 150th birthday celebration, led by Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin. Additionally, The Philadelphia Orchestra will perform Patrick Doyle’s magical score, which won both the International Film Music Critics AWARD (IFMCA) and ASCAP Film and Television Music Award, live while the entire film plays in high-definition on a 40-foot screen.

    SPAC Classical

    There will also be appearances by cellist Yo-Yo Ma and violinist Gil Shaham, on the 16th and 17th of August. Shaham is returning for the first time in a decade for a special SPAC premiere leading Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons. SPAC’s 2023 debut will also contain performances by a diverse roster of artists including Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Award-winning icon Audra McDonald, and pianists Isata Kanneh-Mason and Bruce Liu. Furthermore, the 2023 season embraces a diverse line-up of conductors such as Fabio Luisi, Enrico Lopez-Yañez, Roderick Cox, and Xian Zhang. 

    The SPAC classical season for 2023 has a theme of Earth will be accentuated by “Earth: An HD Odyssey”. The production features ravishing images of the planet on a large LED screen accompanied by Richard Strauss’ epic tone poem, “A Space Odyssey and John ­Adams’ exhilarating Short Ride in a Fast Machine”. Additionally, Yannick Nézet-Séguin will lead the Orchestra in the SPAC premiere of Pulitzer-Prize winning composer John Luther Adams’ Vespers of the Blessed Earth, alongside Stravinsky’s famed, “The Rite of Spring”.

    Celebrating the 30th anniversary of the film, SPAC has resumed their popular film night for all ages. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire™ in Concert and Jurassic Park in Concert will play in support of this celebration.

    Tickets will be available starting February 14th for members and February 23, for the general public here.

    SPAC Classical Season Schedule

    NEW YORK CITY BALLET: JULY 18 – 22

    NYCB On and Off Stage

    TUESDAY, JULY 18 @ 7:30PM

    SPAC Premieres

    WEDNESDAY, JULY 19 @ 7:30PM

    THURSDAY, JULY 20 @ 7:30PM

    Peck & Copland

    THURSDAY, JULY 20 @ 2PM

    SATURDAY, JULY 22 @ 7:30PM

    Swan Lake, Fancy Free & Firebird

    FRIDAY, JULY 21 @ 7:30PM

    SATURDAY, JULY 22 @ 2PM

    THE PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA: AUGUST 2 – 19

    WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 2 @ 7:30PM: Festive Fireworks

    Fabio Luisi, conductor

    David Kim, violin

    THURSDAY, AUGUST 3 @ 7:30PM: Schubert’s “Great” Symphony

    Fabio Luisi, conductor

    Isata Kanneh-Mason, piano

    FRIDAY, AUGUST 4 @ 7:30PM: Pink Martini and The Philadelphia Orchestra, Featuring China Forbes

    Enrico Lopez-Yañez, conductor

    Pink Martini

    SATURDAY, AUGUST 5 @ 7:30PM: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire™ in Concert  

    Justin Freer, conductor

    WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 9 @ 7:30PM: Beethoven’s Seventh

    Roderick Cox, conductor

    Philippe Tondre, oboe

    THURSDAY, AUGUST 10 @ 7:30PM: An Evening with Audra McDonald

    Andy Einhorn, conductor

    Audra McDonald, vocalist

    FRIDAY, AUGUST 11 @ 7:30PM: Rachmaninoff at 150

    Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor

    Bruce Liu, piano

    SATURDAY, AUGUST 12 @ 7:30PM: Blessed Earth

    Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor

    The Crossing

    Donald Nally, artistic director

    WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16 @ 7:30PM: The Four Seasons with Gil Shaham 

    Gil Shaham, leader and violin

    THURSDAY, AUGUST 17 @ 7:30PM: Yo-Yo Ma Plays Dvořák

    Xian Zhang, conductor

    Yo-Yo Ma, cello

    FRIDAY, AUGUST 18 @ 7:30PM: Earth: An HD Odyssey

    SATURDAY, AUGUST 19 @ 7:30PM: Jurassic Park in Concert

    Constantine Kitsopoulos, conductor

  • Geneva Music Festival Announces 2023 Theme, Dates

    Known as the Finger Lakes premiere summer kick-off event, the Geneva Music Festival has announced their 2023 season theme and dates.

    The festival was founded in 2011 by Geneva native and violinist Geoffrey Herd with fellow Genevans violinist Eliot Heaton and cellist Hannah Collins. Originally a weekend of chamber music for their hometown, the festival has grown over the years. Now in its 13th season, the festival attracts audiences of all regions to hear outstanding musicians from the world’s stages. 

    While still rooted in the chamber music repertoire, performances now include jazz, contemporary, and bluegrass music. Festival musicians include leading classical soloists, multiple Grammy Award-winning artists, members of the Lincoln Center Chamber Music Society, and faculty from Yale, Juilliard, the Colburn School, and the Cleveland Institute of Music.

    This years theme will be “Gods, Myths and the Divine” from May 21 to June 11. GMF artists-in-residence and visiting artists will explore the connection between music and experiences of uplifting our spirit, seeking something larger in the universe, or contemplating anew our place here on earth. This 8-concert series explores composers throughout history who have been inspired by their religious beliefs or by the universal themes embedded in cultural myths to create music of rich meaning and beauty.

    “I’m excited to share our 2023 theme, Gods, Myths, and the Divine, through which we will explore musical masterpieces inspired by composers’ religious and spiritual beliefs. Walking through Milan last summer, I was struck by the inimitable architecture of the Duomo di Milano and found myself pondering how many of the world’s greatest pieces of art grow naturally out of their creator’s religious beliefs.

    Festival Director Geoffrey Herd

    The Geneva Music Festival’s mission is to entertain, inspire, and nurture a lifelong appreciation of chamber and other musical genres in Finger Lakes communities. They strive to present world-class artists that engage audiences of all ages, including populations with little exposure to music of this caliber.  Purposeful engagement with young people is an integral part of the Festival’s programming and children 18 years and younger are admitted free to all public concerts.  

    A full lineup and schedule will be availible in the coming weeks. Please visit the festivals website for more information.