The Luzerne Music Center has announced its summer concerts before the beginning of the 2024-2025 season. Hosted in the town of Lake Luzerne, the concerts showcase the talent of regional and local musicians. Moreover attendees can enjoy dozens of performances of classical music from local groups to national touring ensembles. Notably, a wide variety of shows will be hosted this summer throughout the town, including a Chamber Music Festival, student concerts, and the Faculty Artist Series.
Luzerne Summer Lineup
Kicking off the summer is the Luzerne Chamber Music Festival. The festival includes performances from musicians all over the Northeast, including New York City, Philadelphia, and more. Musicians of the NYC Ballet Orchestra kick off the festival on Monday, July 8, presenting a quintet and sextet playing pieces of Mozart and Brahms. Following the NYC Ballet’s performance is the American String Quartet on Monday, July 29, playing pieces from composers like Beethoven, Caroline Shaw, Vivian Fung, and Maurice Ravel. Lastly, the musicians of The Dalí Quartet and The Philadelphia Orchestra, with CEO and Artistic Director Elizabeth Pitcairn, close out the festival on August 5 and 12, respectively.
Following the Chamber Music Festival is a series of Faculty Concerts, performed by faculty members of the Luzerne Music Center. Each concert incorporates music from all periods, including LMC’s composers-in-residence, James Chu and Connor Elias Way. The weekly Faculty Concerts are every Friday, beginning on June 28 and ending on August 9.
Along with festivals, the Luzerne Music Center hosts free concerts featuring their own students. Starting on June 29, students of the Luzerne Music Center will alternate between solo and chamber showcases, displaying what they have learned over the course of the year. The LMC Symphony Orchestra joins them starting June 30, including a piano prelude for specific events. All student and LMC Symphony Orchestra concerts are free and welcome all ages.
Additionally, the full list of all concerts being held in the Luzerne Music Center is on their website, linked here.
The Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) has announced the program for the Fall 2024 season, along with their new musical director, Amy Cassello. Since 2013, Cassello has filled several roles for BAM, including programming, artistic director, and producer. During her decade-long run, Cassello produced and oversaw numerous concerts, plays, festivals, and series at BAM.
This fall, BAM will host a multidisciplinary variety of programs, including plays, poetry readings, multimedia demonstrations, dance shows, holiday concert series, and a new set of in-house resident musicians. Among the events is this year’s rendition of Next Wave, an arts showcase contextualizing the artistic visions projected for the near future. Also featured this year is the return of BAMboo!, The Best of BAMkids Film Festival, and a film program featuring repertory screenings alongside new releases.
Each year, the Next Wave 2024 & Emerging Visions events represent dynamic elements integral to BAM’s path into the future. With a renewed focus on works-in-process, increased presentations from the Global South, and greater investment in presenting partnerships, Next Wave and Emerging Visions support musicians and artists from all over the country. These events provide artists with the space and resources necessary to showcase their hard work and serve as a reminder to all that BAM will always welcome creative visionaries, no matter where they are from or where they trained.
This is an exciting moment for BAM as we bridge our past with our future. Amy is a deep thinker who considers the needs of artists and arts workers at every turn. As a longstanding BAM programmer and creative producer, she intimately understands our role in the arts ecosystem. I could not have a better partner in leading BAM’s artistic programming at this pivotal moment.
Gina Duncan, BAM President
This year’s Next Wave presents well-known creators who bring their groundbreaking theater, music, poetry, multi-media, and dance to the BAM stage. Works being presented at Next Wave include Bill T. Jones’s Still/Here, Hanif Abdurraqib’s election week poetry program honoring the legacy of June Jordan, Dana Gingras’ Frontera, Guillermo Cacace’s Gaviota, Tiago Rodrigues’ Catarina and the Beauty of Killing Fascists, Silkroad Ensemble with Rhiannon Giddens’ American Railroad, Liquid Music’s Sun Dogs, Modesto Flako Jimenez’s Mercedes, Part 1, Journey LIVE with American Composers Orchestra, and ONX Studio’s TECHNE.
Among the new works being presented at BAM, the theatre has also announced its resident artists for the 2024 season. This year’s BAM residents include Baba Oludaré, Hope Boykin, Mayfield Brooks, Delano Burrowes, Kayla Hamilton, Soomi Kim, and Yaa Samar! Dance Theatre.
Below are the dates for Emerging Visions and Next Wave. For more information and tickets, visit BAM’s website here.
Emerging Visions
Sep 17—Oct 20: Safety Not Guaranteed, directed by Lee Sunday Evans, with music by Guster’s Ryan Miller
Oct 24—27: Preview performances of a new play, Reconstructing (Still Working but the Devil Might Be Inside), directed by Rachel Chavkin and Zhailon Levingston
Next Wave 2024 – BAM Howard Gilman Opera House, 30 Lafayette Ave Brooklyn
Oct 25—27 Music engagement (to be announced June 26) Oct 30—Nov 2 Bill T. Jones’s Still/Here Nov 5—9 Hanif Abdurraqib’s I Guess It Was My Destiny To Live So Long poetry series Nov 8 & 9 Dana Gingras’ Frontera Nov 13—23 Guillermo Cacace’s Gaviota Nov 13—17 Tiago Rodrigues’ Catarina and the Beauty of Killing Fascists Nov 18 & 19 Liquid Music’s Sun Dogs with Alarm Will Sound Nov 23 Silkroad Ensemble with Rhiannon Giddens’ American Railroad Dec 3—8 Modesto Jimenez’s Mercedes, Part 1 Dec 6 & 7 Journey LIVE with American Composers Orchestra Jan 4—19 ONX Studio’s TECHNE
Holiday Offerings
Dec 12—22: Mark Morris Dance Group’s The Hard Nut TBD: Music engagement
The American Symphony Orchestra is presenting four full orchestra concerts as a part of their upcoming 63rd season. The lineup consists of free shows at Bryant Park and Kupferberg Center for the Arts on September 6 and 7 as well as ticketed shows at St. Bartholomew’s Church on January 24, Lincoln Center’s David Geffen Hall on March 23, and Carnegie Hall on June 6, 2025.
The exciting upcoming season of the American Symphony Orchestra will have rich offerings for fans of a vast variety of music styles. The series of shows will start with a free concert as a part of the Bryant Park Picnic Series and will bring more exposure to the artists, classical music fans, and curious listeners.
Highlights that concert attendees have to look forward to include the U.S. premiere of C.P.E. Bach’s oratorio Auferstehung und Himmelfahrt Jesu, the ASO’s David Geffen Hall of Lincoln Center debut, and the first New York City performance this century of Richard Strauss’ first opera Guntram.
In 1962 Leopold Stokowski created the American Symphony Orchestra with the intention of playing music fit to everyone’s liking. The ASO consistently upholds that sentiment and will continue to do so throughout their upcoming 63rd season. Audiences are sure to get a unique experience at any of the four shows.
I’m delighted that ASO’s two previous outdoor season-opening concerts with free performances in Bryant Park have attracted so many new concertgoers, and I am looking forward to repeating this success again in September. It’s a wonderful start to our exciting 2024-25 programs and a perfect introduction for these ever-widening audiences to ASO’s mission of presenting surprising premieres and music rarely heard onstage today in a way that’s accessible and affordable for everyone
Leon Botstein, Music Director and Principal Conductor
ASO 2024-25 Program
Friday, September 6(Bryant Park at 7 PM) and 7 (Kupferberg Center for the Arts at 3 PM)– Beyond the Hall: Free Opening Concerts
Featuring: American Symphony Orchestra, Leon Botstein, conductor, Scott Joplin: Treemonisha: Overture (1911), Florence Price: Suite of Dances (1933), Bernard Herrmann: Psycho: A Narrative for String Orchestra in Three Parts (1960), Kurt Weill: Kleine Dreigroschenmusik (Little Threepenny Music) (1928), Leonard Bernstein: Three Dance Episodes from On the Town (1945)
The pieces being played in Beyond the Hall come from different backgrounds and forms of musical entertainment. Ranging from opera and theatre to movies and dance halls, the music played will provide audiences with an authentic and diverse preview of the upcoming season.
For BryantPark on Sept. 6, no tickets or RSVP required; For Sept. 7 at Kupferberg Center for the Arts, attendance is free with online RSVP at americansymphony.org(starting on Aug. 7)
Friday, January 24, 2025 (St. Bartholomew’s Church at 7 PM)- Bach at St. Bart’s
Featuring: American Symphony Orchestra, Leon Botstein, conductor, Bard Festival Chorale, James Bagwell, music director of the Bard Festival Chorale, C.P.E. Bach: Heilig ist Gott, H.778 (1776), C.P.E. Bach: Die Auferstehung und Himmelfahrt Jesu, H.777 (1787) (U.S. premiere)
Dipping into the Baroque and Classical periods with vocal compositions from Carl Phillipp Emanuel Bach. The ASO in collaboration with the Bard Festival Chorale will explore changes in mood, harmonic writing, and Romanticism. This performance marks the U.S. premiere of Bach’s Die Auferstehung und Himmelfahrt Jesu (The Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus).
Sunday, March 23, 2025 (David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center at 2 PM)- Tapping into the Twenties
Featuring: American Symphony Orchestra, Leon Botstein, conductor, Orion Weiss, piano, John Alden Carpenter: Skyscrapers (1924), Erwin Schulhoff: Concerto for Piano and Small Orchestra, Op. 43 (1923), William Grant Still: Symphony No. 1, Afro-American Symphony (1929-30), Edgard Varèse: Amériques (1922)
Signifying the ASO’s David Geffen Hall debut, Tapping into the Twenties will honor composers whose careers flourished in the 1920s. This list of composers includes Edgar Varèse whose work portrays imagery, and Erwin Schulhoff who brings jazz and piano pieces to the mix. In the March 23 show, Orion Weiss will perform as the piano soloist.
Tickets, priced at $25–$65, are available on Jan. 3 at lincolncenter.org, by calling CarnegieCharge at 212.721.6500, or by visiting the box office at 10 Lincoln Center Plaza.
Friday, June 6, 2025 (Carnegie Hall, Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage at 7 PM)- Strauss’ Guntram
Featuring: American Symphony Orchestra, Leon Botstein, conductor, Bard Festival Chorale, James Bagwell, music director of the Bard Festival Chorale (Soloists to be announced at a later date), Richard Strauss: Guntram (1887-93, rev.1939)
ASO will perform Richard Strauss’ rarely performed first opera, Guntram, in New York City, for the first time this century. Themes of love, guilt, and renunciation tell the story of Strauss in his youth. With exemplary orchestral work and vocal techniques, this execution of Guntram is not to be missed.
Tickets, priced at $25–$65, are available on Sept. 9 at carnegiehall.org, by calling CarnegieCharge at 212.247.7800, or by visiting the box office at 57th St. & 7th Ave.
More information about the ASO’s 2024-25 season is available at americansymphony.org
On a long anticipated day for musicians and fans alike, Trey Anastasio performed for the first time at Tanglewood Music Center, joined by the Boston Pops, conducted by Edwin Outwater.
photo by Hilary Scott
Initially scheduled to perform in June 2020, Anastasio beamed with joy as he took the stage following the orchestra for this long-awaited evening of music.
For the June 29 crowd, the day was full of gray skies and rain that was tolerable, but not terrible, as fans were well prepared for the misty weather of the Berkshires that accompanies any passing storm system. Newcomers to Tanglewood were amazed by the sprawling grounds, the ability to bring in everything from food and drink to portable chairs and tables, all making for a relaxing pre-show that led into an evening of unforgettable music.
photo by Hilary Scott
Opening up the night with “First Tube”, this more staid by comparison, yet intricate, version of the classic Phish arena rocker elicited early erupts of cheers from fans, especially the uninitiated to Anastasio’s body of orchestral work. Following Thank You’s to the crowd, Anastasio shifted into the appropriate “Water in Sky” donning his acoustic guitar for the relaxing string-led number that evoked the orchestration of Disney’s early Silly Symphony cartoon series.
Following was “Evolve,” which saw its orchestral debut a few nights earlier in Vienna, VA. The pandemic-era song, turned Phish single, now sits prominently in Anastasio’s arsenal of compositions for orchestras.
photo by Hilary Scott
A 17-minute “Divided Sky” was the closest to a Phish performance this evening, as the composition itself has been ideally suited for orchestra performance since it was written, and allows Anastasio to shine on guitar more than any other song this evening. The ‘open space’ was divinely orchestrated in the lead up to the ‘moment’, with cheers welcomed by the Bad Lieutenant, and the second half textbook early Phish orchestration, with a tremendous ending lead to roars of cheers from the crowd spread across the lawn and inside the Koussevitzky Music Shed.
After introductions of conductor Edwin Outwater and the Boston Pops, “Mercy,” also a Vienna debut, followed for a soft breather that paired well with “Divided Sky.”
photo by Hilary Scott
Closing the set was “Stash,” a more complicated song for the orchestra, but offered a samba beat thanks to the horn section, the percussion and clave driving the mellow tempo forward with a ‘cha cha cha’ beat.
Following a short setbreak (and an appreciated heads up given to the audience five minutes prior to showtime), “Harry Hood” saw its second ever performance (following Vienna), with the orchestra joining in to say “Thank You, Mister Minor” and featuring a unique ending compared to the Phish standard.
“Petrichor” was a perfect fit following the excitement prompted by “Hood,” as well as with light sprinkles coming down as the song started.
A short acoustic version of “More” followed, with “What’s The Use?” surprising the audience as it is wont to do at many a Phish show.
Harpist Jessica Zhou was the MVP in the ‘quiet spot’ of “WTU?,” building the strings in gentle, rising to the occasion and giving this meditative song deeper resonance with the audience.
In September 2009, “You Enjoy Myself” saw its debut at Carnegie Hall, and the moment saw the audience sitting in silent awe, with occasional laughs during the ‘vocals.’ On this evening at Tanglewood, for the unenlightened, “You Enjoy Myself” would draw out more than laughs and silence, but also dancers in the aisles of the lawn (yes, there are aisles on the lawn, sort of) and back of the shed.
Trombonists Toby Oft and Stephen Lange, along with the percussion section combined for a memorable ‘vocal jam’ that led into the boisterous ending that Trey Anastasio and Phish have been performing since 1986.
After a performance like this, Anastasio kept the new orchestrations flowing with acoustic guitar in hand for “The Inlaw Josie Wales.” Now a Phish rarity (last played in 2000), “Inlaw” is welcome at any performance from Anastasio and an orchestra moving forward.
And to cap off an incredible day at Tanglewood and evening of music, fan favorite “The Lizards” closed the show, the tale of Rutherford the Brave as seen through the eyes of Colonel Forbin bringing fans to their feet once again.
Trey Anastasio and the Boston Pops – Koussevitzky Music Shed at Tanglewood – Saturday, June 29, 2024 – setlist via Phish.net
Set 1: First Tube, Water in the Sky*, Evolve, Divided Sky, Mercy, Stash Set 2: Harry Hood, Petrichor, More*, What’s the Use, You Enjoy Myself Encore: The Inlaw Josie Wales*, The Lizards * Trey on acoustic guitar
Trey Anastasio at Tanglewood photos by Hilary Scott
photo by Hilary Scottphoto by Hilary Scottphoto by Hilary Scottphoto by Hilary Scottphoto by Hilary Scottphoto by Hilary Scottphoto by Hilary Scott
Schola Cantorum, an early music vocal ensemble, has been performing European classical music since 1975. Catering to a unique niche of classical music, the cantorum performs compositions from the Medieval, Renaissance, and early Baroque eras.
Schola brings traditional technique and style straight from the Middle Ages to the Syracuse area. Barry Torres, Schola’s founding and present Music Director, formed the cantorum as the community based successor to an early music collegium at Syracuse University.
Barry Torres pursued his love of traditional music at Syracuse University, where he studied composition and music theory. Torres served 25 years as Director of Music Ensembles at St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York. At St. Lawrence, he taught singing and 16th Century performance practice in addition to directing the Laurentian Singers (St. Lawrence’s 28-member select choir), the University Chorus, and the Gospel Choir and Band. Torres has showcased his passion for music in the Orchestra of Northern New York, with NYS Baroque, and Sonare.
Every season, Schola presents three or more vocal ensemble concerts, as well as smaller early music ensembles.
Schola performing in 2009
Since 1983, Schola Cantorum has hosted their Summer Workshop for Singers, where singers have the opportunity to expand their repertoire and develop skills specific to early music ensemble singing. In 2024, Dr. Kristina Boerger will be the director of the singers workshop. From July 25 to the 28, participants will practice the mutual attentiveness that allows singing without a conductor. Dr. Boerger specializes in elements of quality vocal production: loose and relaxed onset of sound, well-defined, resonant vowel formation, crisp consonants, and precise, speech-oriented declamation.
The workshop is held primarily for amateurs aged 16 and up. Participants must be able to learn music and to sing in time, and in tune, from a score to attend the workshop. More information is available at the following link. For more information on classical events in your area, a link to the NYS Music classical section is available here.
A video of a previous year’s workshop performance is available below.
The Sembrich in Bolton Landing will present violinist Rubén Rengel and pianist Ahmed Alom on July 6 and “A Night at the Museum” on July 11.
Rubén Rengel
Classical Splendor
The first of the two events at The Sembrich is a Chamber Music concert featuring violinist Rubén Rengel and pianist Ahmed Alom on Saturday, July 6 at 7 PM. The duo will perform sonatas by Brahms and Poulenc, Liszt’s Paraphrase on a theme from Rigoletto, and selections from Stravinsky’s Pulcinella.
Rubén Rengel is praised for his talents as a soloist as well as his collaborations with violinists such as Joseph Silverstein and Pamela Frank, among many others. He is also recognized for his work in the Autana Trio, which won at the 2015 Fischoff Chamber Music Competition. Furthermore, Rengel has experience playing Venezuelan folk music and Jazz, which helps expand his style and repertoire.
Ahmed Alom
Ahmed Alom is a Cuban pianist, composer, producer, and arranger. His skills are shown through his ability to unite his Cuban roots with Classical music, allowing audiences to interpret his music at new depths. Alom is also the youngest Artistic Director and Conductor of The Washington Square Music Festival, contributing his experiences to making good ones for audience members.
Both musicians will bring immense talent and amazing performances to Bolton Landing.
We’re thrilled to bring these two acclaimed artists together in a program designed specifically for The Sembrich’s centennial. The evening features works by composers Sembrich knew and those who carried on the spirit of musical innovation which she exemplified throughout her career. We are also grateful to the Alfred Z. Solomon Charitable Trust for their underwriting and continued support of the Masterwork Series here at The Sembrich.
Richard Wargo, Artistic Director
A Night at the Museum
On Thursday, July 11 at 7 PM, The Sembrich will host “A Night at the Museum,” a one-night-only exhibition centered around the life of Marcella Sembrich, Lake Georges’s Opera star of the Gilded Age. At the exclusive exhibit, attendees will have the chance to see Sembrich’s belongings such as her diamond winged tiara and gold & diamond bracelet from the Czar of Russia, as well as hear stories of her honorable life.
Marcella Sembrich
In addition, the exhibit will feature the unveiling of Sembrich’s restored Queen of the Night costume from the premier performance of The Magic Flute at New York City’s Metropolitan Opera in 1900. Following the event is an outside reception with drinks and hors d’oeuvres.
Through my research, I was able to explore the life of Marcella Sembrich beyond the usual litany of opera roles, venues and dates; the image of the opera star portrayed in numerous headlines and glowing reviews expanded into a view of an accomplished woman with an engaging smile, a warm and generous personality, strong views and surprising passions
Betty Spinelli, Sembrich board member and program creator
Tickets for Classical Spledor are $53 and may be purchased here
Tickets for “A Night at the Museum” are $103 and can be purchased here. Proceeds go towards Sembrich operation, preservation and programming.
Renowned conductor Maestro Daniel Hege has renewed his contract as Music Director of The Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra.
Hege first took the position in 2018 and with this renewal he will continue his role for another five years. He is a seasoned director as he was the music director of the Syracuse Symphony for 11 years and in 2009 he became the director of Wichita Symphony. Right before his current position he was named Principal Guest Conductor of the Tulsa Symphony of the 2015/16 season.
Hege comes from a line of musical talent as his grandfather, Boyd Eagle Piatote was a Jazz Musician and composer. Although he currently works in New York, he is a Nez Perce Colorado Native and a member of the Colville Confederated Tribes. He is also one of the only Indigenous orchestra directors in America.
In 1978, he graduated from Bethel College, Kansas where he studied music and history. He then received a Master of Music degree in orchestral conducting from the University of Utah. During his time in Utah, he founded the University Chamber Orchestra, and served as both the Assistant Conductor of the University Orchestra and Music Director of the Utah Singers.
Notably, in 2015, Daniel Hege conducted Bartok’s Bluebeard’s Castle, with operatic bass, Samuel Ramey.
In this upcoming season he plans to do more community outreach by participating in the Kilmer Lectures and adding a series of public chats at the Broome County Arts Council.
Bard College announced the return of its Bard Music Festival, “Berlioz and His World,” a two-weekend concert event in the Fisher Center for the Performing Arts Aug 9-18.
The festival has been presented since 1990 and this summer will be its 34th season. Co-artistic director and founder of the festival, Leon Botstein will conduct The Orchestra Now (TŌN) on weekend one and the American Symphony Orchestra on weekend two. The Bard Festival Chorale is also featured in all vocal repertoire under the direction of James Bagwell.
As referenced in the title, the theme of this year’s festival is French composer, Hector Berlioz. He was a guitarist and flutist who toured all over Europe but surprisingly was not very popular in his home country. His most famous work is Symphonie fantastique, an orchestra piece inspired by an opium dream. Aside from larger orchestral pieces, Berlioz also wrote songs for guitar and voice.
Weekend one is titled “Revolutionary Spectacle and Romantic Passion.”The first of these five concerts will be Symphonie fantastique performed by the TŌN. The last concert will pay homage to “Women Musicians in Berlioz’s Time,” with music from composers like Clara Schumann and Louise Bertin.
The final weekend explores “Music and the Literary Imagination.”The first concert of the weekend will move to Rhinebeck, NY in Episcopal Church of the Messiah for the sound of its renovated organ.
For the final concert, “Faust and the Spirit of the 19th Century,” on Aug 18, New York City residents have the opportunity to take a bus to and from the venue. The roundtrip can be ordered online. Tickets for mainstage events are $25 per person and the live streams are $20. Patrons can purchase these tickets on the Fisher Center website.
Program details of Bard Music Festival, “Berlioz and His World”
WEEKEND ONE: Revolutionary Spectacle and Romantic Passion
PROGRAM ONE: Staging the Musical Imagination
Friday, August 9
Sosnoff Theater
7pm performance with commentary by Leon Botstein, with Joshua Blue, tenor; Alfred Walker, baritone; Bard Festival Chorale and James Bagwell, choral director; and The Orchestra Now, conducted by Leon Botstein, music director (plus livestream)
Hector BERLIOZ (1803–69)
Symphonie fantastique: Episode de la vie d’un artiste, Op. 14 (1830)
Lélio, ou Le retour à la vie, monodrame lyrique, Op. 14b (1831–32, rev. 1855)
PANEL ONE: A Revolutionary Life in a Revolutionary Era
Saturday, August 10
Olin Hall
10am–12 noon
Leon Botstein, moderator; Anna Celenza; Esther da Costa Meyer; Michael P. Steinberg
Free and open to the public
PROGRAM TWO: Anxieties of Influence: Models and Teachers
Saturday, August 10
Olin Hall
1pm preconcert talk: Jonathan Kregor
1:30pm performance: Jana McIntyre, soprano; Rebecca Ringle Kamarei, mezzo-soprano; Tyler Duncan, baritone; Noël Wan, harp; Michael Stephen Brown and Erika Switzer, piano; Balourdet Quartet; and others
Hector BERLIOZ (1803–69)
Le montagnard exilé (1822–23)
Songs
Luigi CHERUBINI (1760–1842)
Etude No. 2 (1804)
Anton REICHA (1770–1836)
String Quartet in C minor, Op. 49, No. 1 (1803)
Carl Maria von WEBER (1786–1826)
Invitation to the Dance, Op. 65 (1819)
Elias PARISH ALVARS (1808–49)
Introduction and Variations on Themes from Bellini’s Norma, Op. 36 (n.d.)
Arias by Jean-François LE SUEUR (1760–1837), Gaspare SPONTINI (1774–1851), and Ambroise THOMAS (1811–96)
PROGRAM THREE: The Sounds of a Nation: Patriotism and Antiquity
Saturday, August 10
Sosnoff Theater
6pm preconcert talk: Sarah Hibberd
7 pm performance: with Jana McIntyre, soprano; Megan Moore, mezzo-soprano; Joshua Blue, tenor; Bard Festival Chorale and James Bagwell, choral director; and The Orchestra Now, conducted by Leon Botstein, music director (plus livestream)
Hector BERLIOZ (1803–69)
Hymne des Marseillaise (arr. 1830)
“Trojan March,” “Nuit d’ivresse et d’extase infinie,” and “Royal Hunt and Storm” from Les Troyens (1856–58)
Te Deum Op. 22/H.118 (1849)
Christoph Willibald GLUCK (1714–87)
Overture to Iphigenia in Aulis (1774; arr. R. Wagner 1847)
Daniel-François-Esprit AUBER (1782–1871)
Overture to Fra Diavolo (1830)
PROGRAM FOUR: Chansons, romances, et mélodies: Vocal Music from Cosmopolitan Paris
Sunday, August 11
Olin Hall
11 am performance with commentary by Byron Adams; with Jana McIntyre, soprano; Rebecca Ringle Kamarei, mezzo-soprano; Maximillian Jansen, tenor; Tyler Duncan, baritone; and Kayo Iwama and Erika Switzer, piano
Hector BERLIOZ (1803–69)
From Irlande, Op. 2 (1830); songs
Songs and arias by Giacomo MEYERBEER (1791–1864); Gioachino ROSSINI (1792–1868); Franz LISZT (1811–86); Richard WAGNER (1813–83); Pauline VIARDOT (1821–1910); Ernest REYER (1823–1909); Camille SAINT-SAËNS (1835–1921); Georges BIZET (1838–75); Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840–93); and Gabriel FAURÉ (1845–1924)
PROGRAM FIVE: Women Musicians in Berlioz’s Time
Sunday, August 11
Sosnoff Theater
2:30pm preconcert talk: Hilary Porris
3pm performance: Laquita Mitchell, Monica Yunus, and Camille Zamora, sopranos; Rebecca Ringle Kamarei and Adriana Zabala, mezzo-sopranos; Noah Stewart, tenor; Babatunde Akinboboye, baritone; Anna Polonsky and Lucy Tucker Yates, piano; Sharyn Pirtle, director of Le dernier sorcier; and others (plus livestream)
Hector BERLIOZ (1803–69)
Le mort d’Ophélie, Op. 18, No. 2 (1842)
La captive, Op. 12 (1831–32)
Pauline VIARDOT (1821–1910)
Le dernier sorcier (1869)
Works by Gioachino ROSSINI (1792–1868); Louise BERTIN (1805–77); Clara SCHUMANN (1819–96); and others
WEEKEND TWO: Music and the Literary Imagination
PROGRAM SIX: Sacred Music in France
Thursday, August 15 at 7pm
Friday, August 16 at 3pm
Episcopal Church of the Messiah, Rhinebeck
With Renée Anne Louprette, organ, and members of the Bard Festival Chorale and members of The Orchestra Now, conducted by James Bagwell
Hector BERLIOZ (1803-1869)
Veni Creator Spiritus (c. 1860-68)
La fuite en Égypte: Mystère en style ancien (1850)
Choral and organ works by Dmitry BORTNIANSKY (1751-1825), Luigi CHERUBINI (1760–1842), Giacomo MEYERBEER (1791–1864), Gioachino ROSSINI (1792–1868), Pierre-Louis DIETSCH (1808–65), Alfred LEFÉBURE-WÉLY (1817–69), César FRANCK (1822–90), Camille SAINT-SAËNS (1835–1921), Gabriel FAURÉ (1845–1924), and Olivier MESSIAEN (1908–92)
PROGRAM SEVEN: Berlioz: The Composer as Writer
Friday, August 16
Sosnoff Theater
6:30pm preconcert talk: Peter Bloom
7pm performance: Jana McIntyre, soprano; Noah Stewart, tenor; Alfred Walker, bass-baritone; Luosha Fang, viola; Piers Lane and Orion Weiss, piano; and others (plus livestream)
Hector BERLIOZ (1803–69)
Harold en Italie, Op. 16 (1834; arr. Liszt)
Niccolò PAGANINI (1782–1840)
Cantabile (1823)
Felix MENDELSSOHN (1809–47)
Andante and Rondo Capriccioso, Op. 14 (1830)
Piano works and arias by Louis SPOHR (1784–1859), Fromental HALÉVY (1799–1862), Adolphe ADAM (1803–56), Mikhail GLINKA (1804–57), Michael BALFE (1808–70), Charles-Valentin ALKAN (1813–88)
PANEL TWO: Musical Romanticism and Literature
Saturday, August 17
Olin Hall
10am–12 noon
Eric Trudel, moderator; Francesca Brittan; Mark Pottinger; and others
Free and open to the public
PROGRAM EIGHT: Literary Romantics
Saturday, August 17
Olin Hall
1pm preconcert talk: Dana Gooley
1:30pm performance: Jana McIntyre, soprano; Rebecca Ringle Kamarei, mezzo-soprano; Noah Stewart, tenor; Tyler Duncan, baritone; Piers Lane, Anna Polonsky, and Orion Weiss, piano; Balourdet Quartet; and others
Hector BERLIOZ (1803–69)
Les nuits d’été, Op. 7 (1841)
Fanny MENDELSSOHN (1805–47)
From Sechs Lieder, Op. 1 (1846)
Felix MENDELSSOHN (1809–47)
String Quintet No. 2, Op. 87 (1845)
Robert SCHUMANN (1810–56)
Andante and Variations, Op. 46 (1843)
Piano works by Ferdinand HILLER (1811–85), Stephen HELLER (1813–88); and Louis Moreau GOTTSCHALK (1829–69)
SUMMER SOIRÉE
Saturday, August 17
Blithewood
3:30pm
PROGRAM NINE: An Evening with the Orchestra
Saturday, August 17
Sosnoff Theater
6 pm preconcert talk: Christopher H. Gibbs
7 pm performance: American Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Leon Botstein, music director (plus livestream)
Hector BERLIOZ (1803–69)
Waverley Overture, Op. 1 (1827)
Gioachino ROSSINI (1792–1868)
Overture to William Tell (1829)
Louise FARRENC (1804–75)
Symphony No. 3 in G minor, Op. 36 (1847)
Joachim RAFF (1822–82)
Symphony No. 10 in F minor, “In Autumn,” Op. 213 (1879)
PROGRAM TEN: Berlioz’s Transformation of the World of Sound
Sunday, August 18
Olin Hall
11 am preconcert talk: Richard Wilson
11:30am performance: Anna Polonsky, piano; New Hudson Saxophone Quartet; Bard Festival Wind Ensemble; and others
Hector BERLIOZ (1803–69)
Chant sacré (arr. 1844)
Jean-Baptiste ARBAN (1825–89)
Fantaisie and Variations on The Carnival of Venice (1861)
Richard STRAUSS (1864–1949)
Andante, op. posth. (1888)
Edward ELGAR (1857–1934)
Romance, Op. 62 (1910)
Eugène BOZZA (1905–91)
Andante et Scherzo (1938)
Edgard VARÈSE (1883–1965)
Density 21.5 (1936, rev. 1946)
Olivier MESSIAEN (1908–92)
Le merle noir (1952)
Steve REICH (b. 1936)
Clapping Music (1972)
Luciano BERIO (1925–2003)
Sequenza V (1966)
György LIGETI (1923–2006)
Six Bagatelles (1953)
PROGRAM ELEVEN: Faust and the Spirit of the 19th Century
Sunday, August 18
Sosnoff Theater
2pm preconcert talk: Francesca Brittan
3pm performance: with Sasha Cooke, mezzo-soprano; Joshua Blue, tenor; Alfred Walker, bass-baritone; Stefan Egerstrom, bass; Bard Festival Chorale and James Bagwell, choral director; American Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Leon Botstein, music director (plus livestream)
The Ballston Spa Business and Professional Association, located in Ballston Spa, NY, has announced its summer concert series, “Concerts in the Park.” Events and performances will take place weekly on Thursdays from 6-8 pm in Lions Music Park at the historic Iron Spring Park on Front Street. Attendees can enjoy performances from a wide variety of performers, including community symphonic bands and local rock groups.
Formed in 1983, the BSBPA is committed to making Ballston Spa a thriving, prosperous community that is great for both business and everyday life. Since its inception, they have promoted local vendors, merchants, and businesses alongside artists and musicians in and surrounding the area. The Concerts in the Park series is one of their many events promoting the extensive talent in the thriving neighborhood.
From chamber ensembles to indie rock bands, the Ballston Spa Concerts in the Park series celebrates musicians of all kinds. Listed below is the full list of those performing for Concerts in the Park.
The Ballston Spa Community Band makes their return to the concert series just in time for the opening performance. Since 2005, the volunteer musicians that make up the band have bonded over their love of music. About a dozen times each year, the Ballston Spa Community Band performs in schools, parks, and theaters in the area. Join them for a sensational opening performance on June 27.
For the last 15 years, HEARD has brought captivating fusions of jazz, improvisational, and world music to festivals and concerts all over the country. Their vibrant sound incorporates influences from West Africa, Brazil, the Caribbean, and beyond.
Based in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., Fenimore Blues performs an eclectic mix of blues, R&B, and rock. The blend of genres comes from multiple inspirations, including Bonnie Raitt, Aretha Franklin, the Neville Brothers, the Allman Brothers, Linda Ronstadt, Etta James, Santana, and even Tedeschi Trucks. Their unique stage presence stems from its instrumentation – Sherian Nolan’s powerful vocals are backed by guitar, keyboards, saxophone, bass, and drums, and one band member doubling on accordion.
Concerts in the Park once again welcomes the Union Fire Company Band with an ice cream social, accompanied by a performance from the Union Fire Company Band. Support the Ballston Spa local fire department on August 1st.
Hailing from Upstate NY, Sirsy is a sassy pop-rock duo with an amazing musical ability. Drummer Melanie Krahmer, who also plays keyboards, is joined by her husband John (guitar), these multi-instrumentalists manage to sound like a full band. Sirsy is known for their passionate, honest, heartfelt live performances. The Boston Globe calls SIRSY the “little band with the big sound.”
For the last 30 years, Lustre Kings have cemented themselves as focused, driven, and passionate musicians returning to their roots. Their reverb-driven sounds of early rock lean on touchstones of country, blues, and R&B.
The Protones are a group of well-seasoned musicians bringing back the classic sounds of 70s rock to venues and festivals all over the state. Join them as they close out the Concerts in the Park series on August 22!
Classical Pianist, Lara Downes has curated a free concert, Rhapsody for This Land: The American Odyssey in Music at the Brooklyn Bridge Park on July 27 at 6 p.m.
Rhapsody for This Land is an innovative new take on George Gershwin’s Rhapsody In Blue. The new piece was composed by a young Puerto Rican artist, Edmar Colón. The concert will celebrate the 100th anniversary of Gershwin’s most famous piece.
Listeners don’t need to leave their home to experience the concert as WNYC, New York’s public radio, will broadcast the concert as part of their own 100th anniversary celebration. The event brings many different artists and organizations together to provide free entertainment to the city.
Headcount is a nonpartisan organization that will be at the concert, getting New Yorkers registered to vote. Rhapsody for This Land is only possible with The Robert W. Wilson Charitable Trust, a foundation that supports the arts. Brooklyn Bridge Park, WNYC and St. Ann’s Warehouse are all collaboratively hosting the event. St. Ann’s Warehouse is an avant-garde Brooklyn venue that presents plays, dance and music performances and visual arts.
The celebration involves many decorated musicians including Downes who is not only a pianist, but is the host of NPR’s Amplify with Lara Downes as well as another nationally syndicated radio program, Classical Americana. Her 2023 album, Love at Last, reached #1 on the Billboard Classical Chart.
Grammy award winning artists like Rosanne Cash, Christian McBride, Arturo O’Farrill and string trio, Time for Three, will perform the compositions. Aram Demirjian will conduct the ensemble of young NYC musicians, Orchestra Elena.
The concert will also feature music from other legendary artists like Leonard Bernstein, Duke Ellington, Nina Simone.
To listen to the concert, you can visit the WNYC website here.
