The Lake George Arts Project is set to present a Courthouse Gallery exhibition titled “Jazz at the Lake: A Graphic Design Retrospective” in honor of the community’s annual event “Jazz at the Lake.” The display will be open to viewers for an entire month beginning on Aug. 23 and ending on Sept. 23.
Jazz at the Lake is an annual event held by Lake George’s Art Project that brings some of the most incredible talent in jazz right to Shepard Park. The weekend has been a staple of Lake George’s community for over forty years, striving to bring unity and culture to the New York town. This year, the jazz performances will be held from Sept. 15-17.
In anticipation of the arrival of the musicians and as a way to honor the legacy of “Jazz at the Lake,” the Lake George Arts Project will showcase the evolution of the imagery that has complemented the weekend since 2009. The design firm, Gruskin Creative, which has provided ample support and visuals for the jazz extravaganza for the past fifteen years has created beautiful images that layer the picturesqueness of Lake George with a visual representation of the mood of jazz. “Jazz at the Lake: A Graphic Design Retrospective” will also honor the vision of Paul Pines, Jazz at the Lake founder and artistic director from 1984 until 2018.
A Gallery Reception for the exhibit will also be held on Thursday, Sept. 14, from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM to kick off the weekend!
The Sembrich in Bolton Landing will be holding its annual gala on Aug. 26, featuring renowned tenor Leonardo Sánchez. This year’s event is titled “Mi México Querido” and is set to honor traditional Mexican music. Along with Sánchez, the performance will also incorporate instruments like the guitar, guitarrón, vihuela, and accordion.
Leonardo Sánchez rose to prominence after becoming the youngest tenor to win the “Carlo Morelli” National Singing Competition in Mexico. Highly regarded as the most important award in Latin America, Sánchez now hones his craft as part of the Chanteurs Solistes program in Switzerland. He trains under soprano Jeanne-Michelle Charbonnet and is an ambassador for “Opera for Peace”. After five years of performing in Europe, “Mi México Querido” marks the vocalist’s return to the sounds and traditions of Mexico.
The evening’s featured performer Leonardo Sánchez has shared the stage with great artists such as Rolando Villazón, Ramón Vargas, Susana Zavaleta, María José, Anastasiya Petryshak, Thomas Hampson, and Placido Domingo, and has performed on some of the most prominent stages in Switzerland, Italy, Germany, France, Spain, the United States, and Mexico.
Artistic Director Richard Wargo
Sánchez will be accompanied by outstanding musicians, including Humberto Flores of the Villa Lobos brother. Flores is the producer of the program which he plans to present at other venues around the world.
I am delighted to return to Bolton Landing with “Mi México Querido”, a project which represents the beauty of Mexican culture in an authentic and elevated way.
Humberto Flores
The Marcella Sembrich Memorial Association commemorates opera singer Marcella Sembrich at her former teaching studio and woodland retreat. Programming at the site includes a film series, musical performances, and discussions with scholars. The Sembrich also features an 80-year-old museum and an annual summer festival. The Association is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts.
Tickets are $150 for regular admission or $250 for the honorary committee. Tickets can be purchased here or by calling (518) 644-2431.
Seven great bands will perform for free from Aug. 3-5 at Shepard Park in Lake George for the Rockin For Ronald Benefit Concert supporting Ronald McDonald House Charities.
The benefit shows will help Krantz Cottage, the Ronald McDonald Family Retreat location. It is for families whose children are experiencing serious illnesses and can house up to two families at a time for stays as long as five days.
Two bands will perform on Thursday and Friday and three on Saturday. Admission to all shows is free, and vendors will be on hand with beverages and food for sale. Kicking off the event on Aug. 3 from 6-7:10 p.m. is Across the Pond, who has been performing the music of The Beatles in the Northeast since 2008. Also performing from 7:30-9:30 are The Accents, a high-energy dance band that has been a staple in the Capital Region for many years. Featuring three powerhouse vocalists, a dynamic rhythm section, and powerful horns, they cover all your favorite Motown, dance, pop, and classic rock songs. They are also one of the first groups to be inducted into the Capital Region Thomas Edison Music Hall of Fame and to be nominated for top dance band. Following the music is a spectacular fireworks show.
The next day, Aug. 4, starts from 6-7:10 p.m. with The Newells, a family band that includes well-known keyboard/guitar player and vocalist Jonathan Newell, his wife Jennifer, their teenage sons Brandon and Evan, and a great rhythm section. They cover music from the 60s-80s, including music by Led Zeppelin, Fleetwood Mac, Bruce Hornsby, and 10,000 Maniacs. Ending the night from 7:30-9:30 p.m. is Skeeter Creek, a five-piece Americana band blending their variants of country, folk, bluegrass, and rock, ranked among the best of the new and upcoming alternative artists. They have each toured with some of the biggest names in the industry and won several awards.
Skeeter Creek.
The final day, Aug. 5, has three acts, starting from 4-5:40 p.m. with The Schmooze. The band has been one of the region’s premier party bands for the past two decades, getting the party rocking with their versions of rock, pop, dance, and country hits that will have the crowd dancing and singing along. The Ultimates, a fairly new band from Saratoga, plays from 6-7:10 p.m., featuring members from Bad Cheaperones and Dealt the Blues.
Ending the Rockin For Ronald benefit concert is Classic Rock Legends Live in Concert from 7:30-9:30 p.m. Formed by Albany native Gary Weinlein, the performance includes him as the Doors’ Jim Morrison, as well as recreates the music, the look, and the energy of the British Invasion (Eric Clapton) and American rock legends (Linda Ronstadt, Stevie Nicks and Ann Wilson of Heart).
The Coby Foundation, one of the leading supporters of the textile art field, has awarded The Sembrich in Bolton Landing a $30,000 grant to aid in the restoration of Marcella Sembrich’s iconic Queen of the Night couture opera costume.
Marcella Sembrich’s Queen of the Night Gown (Front) – Photograph by Bill Hubert (2015).
Experience music, history, and nature at The Sembrich in Bolton Landing, featuring museum exhibitions and an annual summer festival with an exciting mix of world-class musicians, noted musical scholars, and a free film series. Listed on the National Historic Register, The Sembrich was once the teaching studio of Polish soprano Marcella Sembrich, one of the most famous musicians at the turn of the 20th century. Visitors can discover her storied legacy, which includes over 400 performances at the Metropolitan Opera and faculty positions at both the Juilliard Graduate School and the Curtis Institute of Music.
The gown was first seen at the Metropolitan Opera in 1900 when Sembrich performed in the company’s debut production of Mozart’s operatic masterpiece Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute). The costume, now over 120 years old, is slated as the centerpiece for The Sembrich’s 2024 Centennial Exhibition.
Sembrich’s Queen of the Night was created by Berlin designer Bertha Pechstein. According to Metropolitan Opera Costume Designer Judy Levin, the embroidered metallic stars on the gown allude to an 1816 Berlin production of The Magic Flute, the designs for which were inspired by images from Napoleon’s Egyptian campaign. The spangled gown was mentioned in several newspaper articles as one of the most ornate and expensive costumes of the time, with suggestions that it cost upwards of $1,000 to design and create, equal to approximately $35,800 in today’s dollars. The Colby Foundation will give The Sembrich $30,000 to restore the costume.
The Sembrich’s costume collection contains several complete opera costumes worn by Sembrich during her 40-year operatic career. Robert Tuggle, the former Director of Archives at the Metropolitan Opera, considered The Sembrich’s costume collection as “perhaps the finest surviving example of the grandeur of opera in the late-19th and early-20th centuries.”
We are so grateful to the Coby Foundation for their generosity and support of this important project. The Queen of the Night gown is arguably one of the most notable and most recognizable textile works in The Sembrich Collection. The Coby Foundation’s generous gift is instrumental in moving this project forward and preserving this unique piece of fashion and theatrical history for future generations.
Lisa H. Hall, President of The Sembrich’s Board of Directors
The Coby Foundation, located in New York City, funds projects in the textile and needle arts field. Established in 1994 by Irene Zambelli Silverman in honor of her mother, Irene Meladakis Zambelli, it began its grantmaking in 2002, awarding more than $5 million to over 170 projects.
The restoration will cost approximately $75,000 and will be completed by Spicer Art Conservation, an upstate New York-based art conservation firm. The project will be overseen by the firm’s full-time principal conservator Gwen Spicer, who has over 25 years of experience in conserving historically significant textile works. Spicer has assisted many museums, institutions, and private collectors with the treatment of artifacts and antiquities for both display and storage.
Marcella Sembrich as Queen of the Night (ca. 1899) – From The Sembrich Collection.
For more information or to get involved in the effort to restore this unique work, visit here.
The 13th annual Lake George Music Festival will be held August 6th to the 17th. The festival will take place at the historic and lakeside Carriage House on the grounds of the Fort William Henry Hotel.
Lake George has often received wide-spread admiration and reverence as a cultural destination, yet that public sentiment seems to have lost its relish in recent years. This culturally vibrant location was once heavily influenced and supported by the presence of 20th century artists such as composer Samuel Barber and visual artist Georgia O’Keeffe. Though lacking these spirited artists and musicians today, The Lake George Music Festival hopes to shift the open opinion of the location back in this direction.
The festival aims to make that change with the assistance of classical music. Individuals from the classical music world remain adamant in the town’s position as a cultural and musical staple, as it is known as one of the most loved classical artist retreat locations in the nation.
This year’s musicians represent numerous professional orchestras including The Cleveland Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Atlanta Symphony, and the Czech Philharmonic. Students in the festival’s fellowship program represent nearly every music school in the nation including The Juilliard School, the Yale School of Music, and the Curtis Institute of Music. Musicians from as far away as New Zealand, China and the Czech Republic will be in attendance this season.
This year, the festival will bring together over 100 classical artists, composers, podcasters, radio hosts, and pedagogues for public concerts and other events. The venue will offer festivalgoers an intimate experience bringing them up close to some of the nation’s best and brightest artists.
The Festival is committed to commissioning and premiering new works. This year’s commissions include a new solo violin work by Juilliard School Dean, David Serkin Ludwig, a full Symphony Orchestra piece by Curtis alumni Sheridan Seyfried, and a chamber work by Curtis and Princeton graduate Alyssa Weinberg.
Building off last year’s successful opening night where they presented Grammy award-winning trio Time for Three, the first public performance will be held on Aug. 9 in Shepard Park. Famed electroacoustic violin/cello duo ARKAI is set to perform with the Lake George Music Festival Symphony.
The festival along with Lake George’s other music staple, the Lake George Jazz Weekend hosted by the Lake George Arts Project have both brought musical enrichment to the town. Still, the aura of summer tourism and people’s avoidance because of that make their enrichment difficult to solidify and bring to light.
Founder and CEO of the festival, Alexander Lombard, claims, “Great arts and culture is happening in Lake George and now is your chance to be there for it vs. lamenting about missing what happened. The Curtis Institute of Music, where one of the Music Festival’s founders studied, as well as many of our alumni, uses the phrase “tomorrow’s artists today.” This, I feel, is especially relevant to what’s happening now in Lake George.”
Festival passes are available for sale now for $149/$49, or, single tickets will be available at the door for $25. Parking is affordable and convenient only steps from the venue.
Mark & Jill, a duo combining roots blues and soulful Texas smoke, will be playing at the Gem every Saturday this July and August. The Gem is in Bolton Landing, just north of the Village of Lake George, and is a smokehouse with cocktails and farm fresh sides.
Mark and Jill, based in Upstate NY, combine their talent and vision, making a sound where New Orleans meets Austin. Mark Tolstrup performs vocals and guitar, and has been inducted into the NY Blues Hall of Fame. Jill Burnham performs vocals, bringing the Texas soul to their music. They sing original songs that bring a fresh interpretation of the roots of blues.
Singin’ the blues, although stolen colloquially to indicate complaining about your situation, was intended to do just the opposite, to pull you out of your doldrums, to wave your fist at misfortune, face your troubles head on…howl at the moon. Mark and Jill embrace that tradition by diving into the rich history of the music as well as paying it forward with their own heartfelt compositions.
Producer Joel Moss
Mark & Jill won the Capital Region Thomas Edison Awards “Blues Artist of the Year” and the Capital Region Blues Network competition in 2022. They were finalists in the International Blues Challenge in Memphis.
Shows will be held every Saturday until the end of August from 6:00-9:00 p.m.. To find out more about the artists and for scheduling information, check out their website. For more on the Gem and additional showings there, take a look at the Gem’s website.
A host of 80’s tribute bands will “Rock the Lake” in Lake George for two days beginning August 11. Visitors to Lake George can watch performances by a variety of cover bands during the Rock the Lake weekend.
Rock the Lake kicks off Friday, August 11 and continues throughout Saturday, August 12. Performances will take place all day long at the Festival Commons located in Charles R. Wood Park. The park can be found at the southern end of Lake George. The 12.5 acre park includes a 2.5 acre festival space where attendees can enjoy the live music.
While listening to the Rock the Lake performers, audiences will also have the opportunity to take in the beautiful landscape of the park. The Festival Commons website boasts, “With panoramic views of ‘The Queen of American Lakes,’ event-goers can also take advantage of all that Lake George has to offer in terms of activities and sight-seeing, all within a very short walk from the grounds.”
The performers for Rock the Lake include:
August 11
Broken Clover – 90’s Alt Rock
Broken Hearted – Tom Petty Tribute
Monsters of Rock – 80’s Hair Metal
Tommy V – Arena Rock
August 12
The Skynyrd Experience – Lynyrd Skynyrd Tribute
LED Sabbath – Led Zeppelin/Black Sabbath Tribute
Run Rabbit Run – Pink Floyd Tribute
Ultimate Journey Experience – Journey by Legend
KISSTORY – Kiss Tribute
Back in Black – AC/DC Tribute
General admission and VIP tickets can be purchased here. Admission is free for children 12 and under.
The initial lineup for the 2023 Wild in the Trees Music and Skate Festival in Lake George has been announced by Mirth Films.
Taking place October 7-8 at the Lake George Skate Plaza, this year’s lineup is set to feature Joe Mansman and The Midnight Revival Band, FUNGKSHUI, Candy Ambulance, Victory Soul Orchestra, Hilltop, Shu, Fine Grain, The Skunches and many more. The multi-talented Connor Dunn will also be hanging out for the weekend as the Artist at Large.
The first ever Wild in the Trees Music and Skate Festival took place October 1-2, 2022 hosting local acts and also included five different skateboarding events. On the grounds of the festival you can find some of the area’s best food and craft beer along with over 20 craft vendors located at the space. Wild in the Trees pays homage to efforts made in 2008 to raise money to build the Lake George Skate Plaza while embracing all the incredible musical talent regionally and beyond.
photo by Frank Cavone
Back in 2008, local skateboarders in Lake George, NY brought to the towns attention about the need to have a skate park. Through various town board meetings and the creation of a skateboarding committee put together by skaters, family members and community leaders, it was time to raise money to make the dream come true.
Throughout the early 2010’s, local skateboarders held various fundraisers over the years including spaghetti dinners, coin drops, benefit concerts and much more. Between all the efforts locally along with a few grants, the skateboarders were able to raise nearly $100,000. By 2014, the park was designed with oversight from the local skaters. In 2015, ground was broken at the newly created Charles R. Wood Park and the dream was realized. The Lake George Skate Plaza attracts skateboarders from all across the Northeast and beyond each year giving kids a safe place to skateboard without getting in trouble.
photo by Frank Cavone
Wild in the Trees will also feature two days of skateboarding contests including Best Trick, Spot-Based Jam, Game of Skate, High Ollie and much more. Skaters will have the chance of winning prizes from Seasons Skateshop and Corners Skateshop.
If you thought Reubens were good, just wait until this year’s Wild in the Trees Music and Skate Festival!
Frank Cavone, owner of Mirth Films stated
The headliner to this year’s Wild in the Trees Music and Skate Festival will be announced on August 15th. This year will also feature an official after party with Two Planets Away at The Lagoon in the heart of Lake George on October 7th.
Wild in the Trees Music and Skate Festival 2023 is made possible by sponsors, including Lake George Steamboat Company, Seasons Skateshop, Ginter Electric Uncommon Grounds, S.F. Janitorial, Law Office of Paul Ryan, Altered Apparel, Radio Radio X and Corners Skateshop.
Weekend and single-day passes are available now at Mirth-Films.com/WildintheTrees. 50 percent of all ticket sales will go directly to the Ronald McDonald House of the Capital Region.
From July 12 to the 14, Lake George will be hosting a Summer-Lovin Funfest hosted by the organization Kelly’s Angels. The multi-day musical extravaganza will take place at Shepard Park and work to support the Angels’ many inspirational causes while simultaneously providing fun for all ages through music, food, crafts, and more.
Kelly’s Angels was founded by Channel 13 news anchor/reporter Mark Mulholland in honor of his late wife, Kelly, who sadly lost her battle with cancer in 2007. The foundation raises money to provide grants to children and families in need in the Capital Region of New York including children whose lives have been impacted by the loss of a parent or sibling to cancer as well as struggling families who have moved to the state from Ukraine. The Summer Lovin’ Funfest will be an event to provide the organization with support and to celebrate their work.
The festival kicks off on Wednesday, July 12 with the soothing voice of the Nashville-based singer/ songwriter Kyshona who uses music to embody the healing power of song. In 2021, Kyshona founded her own charity, “Your Song,” which provides therapeutic songwriting sessions to at-risk youth, parents, the incarcerated population, and the elderly. Her journey and mission make her a perfect fit for the Kelly’s Angels festivities.
On Thursday, three regional favorites will be taking the stage starting at 4:40 PM. The family band, the Newells will be the first to perform with a setlist of songs from the 60s-80’s by groups from Led Zeppelin to Fleetwood Mac. Following the family, The Bluz House Rockers will be celebrating their 28th year as one of the region’s premier bands by rocking out with the crowd, taking on classics by Frank Sinatra, and the Allman Brothers, along with their usual setlist of blues blues blues.
Their 6:10 PM performance will lead the way for the headlining group of the night, Funk Evolution who will utilize their horn-fueled sound to mesh together the genres of funk, soul, and rock. The evening will come to a historic close with the North Country’s first-ever drone and fireworks show at 9:45 PM in which more than 300 drones will be illuminated in countless shapes all over the lake.
The Kelly’s Angels Summer Lovin’ Funfest will continue on Friday with Lake George’s annual summer concert series, Friday’s at the Lake. The event will bring back the Bluz House Rockers for their second night with the additional headliners the New York Players. The Players have been widely recognized over the past years as being the number one dance band in the region and will bring all that energy and more to the event.
The Summer Lovin’ Funfest will be three great nights of incredible music, unforgettable fun, and an undeniably worthy cause that you won’t want to miss!
Summer Lovin’ Fun Fest LineUp
July 12th – Kyshona 7:00 PM
July 13th – The Newells 4:40 PM; Bluz House Rockers 6:10 PM; Funk Evolution 7:45 PM
July 14th – Friday’s At The Lake; Bluz House Rockers 6:00 PM; New York Players 7:30 PM
The Lake George Arts Project has announced its plans to continue the town’s Summer concert series, offering free concerts every Wednesday night at the Shepard Park Amphitheater. From July 5 to August 30, the Lake George venue will host ten shows, moving forward a tradition that has been a part of the community for over forty years.
This year’s lineup showcases a diverse, talented group of artists, from New York, New England, Nashville, and other various regions. What makes the lineup so special is the wide array of musicians specializing in different genres, ranging anywhere from bluegrass to hip-hop.
A non-profit organization, the Lake George Arts Project began in 1977 to promote music and artists throughout the region, also providing arts programs for the town.
The Lake George Arts Project also puts on an array of other cultural programs like the Jazz at the Lake jazz festival, the aforementioned Summer Concert Series, and the year-round Courthouse Gallery Exhibition.
In addition to the Wednesday night shows, there will be a special Thursday show on August 24. The show celebrates the 50th-anniversary party for The Stony Creek Band with The Switch, presented in partnership with the Village of Lake George.
As for the start times for the shows, most plan to begin at 7:00 pm (with the exception of the August 24 show). Admission is free and attendees should bring chairs, blankets, or comfortable seating.
Lake George Summer Concert Schedule
July 5: Annie and the Hedonists
July 12: Kyshona
July 19: Guy Davis
July 25: The Clements Brothers
August 2: Three Quarter North
August 9: ARKAI (presented in partnership with the Lake George Music Festival)
August 16: Zikina
August 23: The ILL Funk Ensemble
August 24: 50th Anniversary Party for The Stony Creek Band joined with The Switch
