07/25/2024
JULY 31 – AUGUST 24, 2024
The 45th season of the Skaneateles Festival starts this week and will run through August 24. The season features concerts from jazz, to classical, to bluegrass, and includes 14 main series concerts, a special matinee concert in East Syracuse, two KidsFest performances, a free music lecture series with Juilliard professor Aaron Wunsch, and several free community performances.
Kicking off the season are two opening concerts celebrating 45 years which will be held on Wednesday, July 31. The first concert on Wednesday is a matinee at 1:00 PM with violinist Joe Genualdi, cellist Steven Doane, and harpist Bridget Kibbey. The concert features works by Saint-Saens, Debussy, and J.S. Bach. The evening concert adds cellist Rosemary Elliott to the lineup, as well as pianist Andrew Russo, and Artistic Directors Aaron Wunsch and Julia Bruskin in a diverse program including Beethoven’s sunny Cello Sonata No. 3; Debussy’s evocative Dances for Harp and String Quartet; and a new piece in memory of beloved Festival supporter, David Stam.
Violinist James Ehnes, (“a true master of the violin, his performances radiating with passion, precision, and an undeniable love for the music,” New York Times) will make his Festival debut on Thursday, August 1 at 8:00 PM with pianist Andrew Armstrong presenting several works by Brahms. Chamber concerts on Wednesday and Thursday this week are at the First Presbyterian Church (97 East Genesee Street, Skaneateles).
Concert evenings at the picturesque Robinson Pavilion offer stunning lake views and are located at Anyela’s Vineyards. Opening the first vineyard concert of the season on Friday, August 2 is renowned musician Rhiannon Giddens (“a powerhouse performer and a true storyteller,” Billboard), a two-time Grammy winner and recipient of the prestigious MacArthur ‘Genius’ grant.
Saturday, August 3 features Gershwin’s iconic Rhapsody in Blue at Westhill High School in Syracuse with their largest-ever orchestral concert. The colorful program also includes Alberto Ginastera’s Harp Concerto highlighting harpist Bridget Kibbey.
The following weeks, the Festival proudly welcomes Syrian clarinetist Kinan Azmeh on Week Two (“Azmeh effortlessly transcends borders, creating music that speaks to the shared humanity within us all,” NPR Music). Appearing at the Festival for the first time on August 17, Chris Thile is a Grammy Award winning mandolinist, singer, and songwriter (“that rare being: an all-round musician who can settle into any style,” Guardian). The Festival Finale features the highly anticipated return of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis (“a beacon of excellence in the world of jazz, captivating audiences with their virtuosity and infectious energy,” New York Times) on August 24.
For concerts at the vineyards, audiences are welcome to arrive as early as 6:00 pm and bring picnic dinners to enjoy on the lawn overlooking the lake. Wine and beer will be available for purchase at Anyela’s Vineyards; outside alcohol is not permitted.
The Dover Quartet (“a tour de force, breathing new life into the chamber music repertoire,” The Guardian) will perform August 8 and 9. On August 9, the Festival will present a premiere performance of a new collaboration between bass-baritone Davóne Tines (“one of the most powerful voices of our time,” L.A. Times) and the Dover Quartet. Newly added for August 9, there will be a special matinee concert with the Dover Quartet at the May Memorial Unitarian Universality Society in East Syracuse at 1:00 PM.
The Claremont Trio takes the stage August 15 and 16, and The Westerlies (“an arty [brass] quartet…mixing ideas from jazz, new classical and Appalachian folk” The New York Times) debut at the Festival on August 22 joined by the young violinist and fiddler, George Meyer. The final week of the Festival highlights an evening concert by candlelight on August 23 from this year’s Young Artist in Residence, the Ivalas Quartet, who are the current graduate quartet-in-residence at The Juilliard School.
With two opportunities to get the whole family involved, KidsFest will take place August 1 and August 23. On August 1, Hark the Harp! with harpist Bridget Kibbey at First Presbyterian Church. On August 23, join The Westerlies for A Children’s Storybook at Mandana Barn. Kids get free entry and adults may purchase a $5 ticket at the door.
Back again this year are free weekly sessions of Skan Fest U, which will take place on Tuesdays, 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm July 30th through August 20th. These sessions are free and open to the public, at the First Presbyterian Church in Skaneateles. Explore how composers express a sense of home in their music; how they bridge the gap between their country of origin and their new homelands. Get to know music by Chopin, Dvořák, Rachmaninoff, Stravinsky, Korngold, and Tania León, and hear music from Festival commissions by Kinan Azmeh (Syria), and Arson Fahim (Afghanistan). These sessions are led by Co-Artistic Director Aaron Wunsch, who teaches at The Juilliard School.
For more information on the season and to get tickets, visit www.skanfest.org.
