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.
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.
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