Aug. 9: West Coast Premiere of Lisa Bielawa’s PULSE Feat. Violin Soloist Tessa Lark Conducted by Music Director Cristian Măcelaru – Presented by The Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music

Photo of Tessa Lark by Lauren Desberg available here & Lisa Bielawa by Shawn Poynter available here.

West Coast Premiere of Lisa Bielawa’s Violin Concerto PULSE on August 9, 2026

Featuring Violin Soloist Tessa Lark
with The Cabrillo Festival Orchestra

Conducted by Music Director Cristian Măcelaru
Presented by The Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music

Sunday, August 9, 2026 at 7pm
Civic Auditorium | 307 Church St. | Santa Cruz, CA
Tickets and More Information

Lisa Bielawa: www.lisabielawa.net | Tessa Lark: www.tessalark.com

Santa Cruz, CA – Composer Lisa Bielawa’s new violin concerto, PULSE, will receive its West Coast premiere performed by The Cabrillo Festival Orchestra conducted by Music Director Cristian Măcelaru on Sunday, August 9, 2026 at 7pm at the Civic Auditorium (307 Church St). The performance is presented as part of The Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, for its Grand Finale night, Hope As Our Banner.The featured violin soloist will be Tessa Lark, for whom the piece was written. The program will also include Ascending Creatures (West Coast premiere) byEunike Tanzil, Rainbow Promise (U.S. premiere) by Elena Kats-Chernin, and Wanderlust (West Coast premiere) by Sean Shepherd.

Of her new violin concerto, Bielawa writes, “This concerto was conceived as a way of keeping my finger on the pulse of American life during a period of seismic change and self-examination. Composed over a six-month period starting just before the 2024 presidential election, it is also informed by my immersion during this time in our sentimental history as told through our traditional musics. Tessa Lark’s artistry draws from multiple musical traditions, from Old-time to jazz to the classical avant-garde. I have had the enviable opportunity to hear Tessa play in the Smoky Mountains with Appalachian traditional musicians, at the Blue Note in midtown Manhattan, and on concert stages in concertos and chamber music both new and old.”

Lark, for whom Bielawa wrote this concerto, is one of the most captivating artistic voices of our time, consistently praised by critics and audiences for her astounding range of sounds, technical agility, and musical elegance. Increasingly in demand in the classical realm, in 2020 she was nominated for a GRAMMY® in the Best Classical Instrumental Solo category. She is also a highly acclaimed fiddler in the tradition of her native Kentucky, delighting audiences with programming that includes Appalachian and bluegrass music and inspiring composers to write for her.

PULSE was co-commissioned by the Koussevitzky Foundation, Library of Congress; Boston Modern Orchestra Project; and Louisville Orchestra; with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Santa Fe Pro Musica. Support has also been provided by James Rosenfield, Justus Schlichting, Kari and Jon Ullman, New Music USA's Amplifying Voices Program, and the Loghaven Artist Residency.

In addition to PULSE, Lisa Bielawa’s 2025-2026 season has featured more bold programming, new collaborations, and world premieres of several new works. Knoxville Broadcast, a new installment in Bielawa’s Broadcast series, premiered on October 17 and 18, 2025 in Knoxville, TN in three site-specific performances at Knoxville’s World’s Fair Park presented by Big Ears. On February 26, 2026, Miller Theatre at Columbia University in New York presented a Composer Portrait concert dedicated exclusively to Bielawa’s music, including the world premiere of Balloon Variations, a new work, all performed by Contemporaneous led by David Bloom, with Bielawa singing. She is currently at work on her Guggenheim Fellowship project, a hybrid film and live action opera called La Ballonniste or Balloon: A Hot Air Opera – a heartfelt comedy centering on 18th century French opera singer Élisabeth Tible, the first woman to fly in a hot air balloon. Bielawa is also a Howard Hanson Visiting Professor at the Eastman School of Music for this academic year. Her newest “spatial symphony,” Rochester Broadcast, was performed outdoors at Parcel 5 in Rochester on April 18, 2026.

Lisa Bielawa is a Guggenheim Fellow and Rome Prize winner who takes inspiration for her work from literary sources and close artistic collaborations. She has received awards and fellowships from the Koussevitzky Foundation, American Academy of Arts & Letters, OPERA America, American Antiquarian Society, Loghaven Artist Residency, and was part of the inaugural Louisville Orchestra’s Creators Corps. She received a Los Angeles Area Emmy nomination for her unprecedented, made-for-TV-and-online opera Vireo: The Spiritual Biography of a Witch's Accuser. Bielawa’s music has been premiered at the NY PHIL BIENNIAL, Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, SHIFT Festival, National Cathedral, Rouen Opera, MAXXI Museum in Rome, and Helsinki Music Center, among others. Orchestras that have championed her music include The Knights, Boston Modern Orchestra Project, ROCO, and the Orlando Philharmonic. Premieres of her work have been commissioned and presented by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Brooklyn Rider, Seattle Chamber Music Society, Radio France, Yerevan Concert Hall in Armenia, the Venice Architectural Biennale, American Music Week in Salzburg, the INFANT Festival in Novi Sad, Serbia, and more. Bielawa consistently incorporates community-making as part of her artistic vision. She has created music for public spaces in Lower Manhattan, a bridge over the Ohio River in Louisville, KY, the banks of the Tiber River in Rome, on the sites of former airfields in Berlin and San Francisco, and to mark the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. During the pandemic, Bielawa cultivated a virtual community using submitted testimonies and recorded voices from six continents through her work Broadcast from Home, now archived by the Library of Congress.

For Calendar Editors:

Description: Composer Lisa Bielawa’s new violin concerto, PULSE, will have its West Coast premiere as part of The Cabrillo Festival for Contemporary Music, performed by The Cabrillo Festival Orchestra, conducted by Music Director Cristian Măcelaru with violin soloist Tessa Lark. The program will also include Ascending Creatures (West Coast premiere)Eunike Tanzil, Rainbow Promise (U.S. premiere) by Elena Kats-Chernin, and Wanderlust (West Coast premiere) by Sean Shepherd.

Concert details:

What: PULSE - a new violin concerto by Lisa Bielawa - West Coast Premiere
Presented by The Cabrillo Festival for Contemporary Music
Who: The Cabrillo Festival Orchestra, conducted by Music Director Cristian Măcelaru with Violin Soloist Tessa Lark
When: Sunday, August 9, 2026 at 7pm
Where: Civic Auditorium, 307 Church St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Tickets More information: cabrillomusic.org/events-calendar/hope-as-our-banner-grand-finale-2026-cabrillo-festival

July 17: Sony Classical Releases 2026 Summer Night Concert with The Vienna Philharmonic and Bass-Baritone Sir Bryn Terfel – Conducted by Lorenzo Viotti

Sony Classical Releases The 2026 Summer Night Concert
with The Vienna Philharmonic, Conducted by Lorenzo Viotti
Bass-Baritone Sir Bryn Terfel

New Single Out Now
Tchaikovsky: Trepak from The Nutcracker 
Listen Here

Album Release Dates:
Digital - July 17, 2026
CD - July 17, 2026
DVD and Blu-Ray - July 17, 2026

Sony Classical and the Vienna Philharmonic are for the very first time, offering innovative music products on the occasion of the successful 2026 Summer Night Concert from the grounds of Vienna’s Schönbrunn Palace.  

The Vienna Philharmonic’s 2026 Summer Night Concert will be released by Sony Classical on July 17, 2026 on CD, DVD, Blu-ray and digital. New single,Trepak from The Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky, is out now - listen here 

The 2026 Summer Night Concert was held on June 19, 2026 before an audience of 50,000 enthusiastic fans. This open-air concert by the Vienna Philharmonic has been held annually since 2008 and, as always, the grounds of the UNESCO World Heritage Site at Schönbrunn Palace have provided a magical backdrop.

This concert was also the first occasion on which the Vienna Philharmonic and Sony Classical presented a range of innovative music products with an NFC chip as part of their joint partnership deal. These products were sold on site by Michaela Pretul and Andreas Poglitsch from the Viennese specialist music firm of Major Babies Entertainment. The products in question are valuable caps in nine different colors and a scarf embroidered with the venerable orchestra’s logo linked via an NFC chip to a digital musical experience. If a smartphone is held next to the chip, a limited-access web application will open, allowing users to stream and download concert highlights from the last few years as well as find out more about the evening’s program and test their knowledge of the Summer Night Concert by means of a quiz. As soon as the recording of the concert has been mixed, this too will be available to be streamed and downloaded. The latest information about the Vienna Philharmonic is also available on this app.

The President of Sony Classical, Per Hauber, has said in a statement: “Together with the Vienna Philharmonic we have developed a product format that allows audiences to experience classical music in the most up-to-date ways outside the formal setting of a concert hall. This combination of innovation and a living tradition is very special. It also reflects the spirit not only of the Summer Night Concert but also of the Vienna Philharmonic and Sony Classical. We are immensely grateful to the Vienna Philharmonic and to the organizers of the Summer Night Concert for their inspirational partnership and for the opportunity to develop a product like this one.”

Daniel Froschauer, the Chairman of the orchestra’s board of directors, adds: “For the Vienna Philharmonic, it is of central importance that we keep our finger on the pulse of the times and continue to present our musical tradition in new and exciting ways. Thanks to these innovative products and ideas Sony Classical is supporting us in our desire to inspire our audiences all over again.”

Held at the height of the summer in a uniquely memorable atmosphere, the 2026 Summer Night Concert was conducted for the first time in its history by Lorenzo Viotti and witnessed the Vienna Philharmonic presenting a varied program full of musical highlights that included gripping scenes from Arrigo Boito’s Mefistofele, Verdi’s Falstaff and Wagner’s Das Rheingold. The evening’s soloist was Welsh bass-baritone Sir Bryn Terfel, who added a very special note of his own with Tevye’s “If I Were A Rich Man” from Jerry Bock’s phenomenally successful musical Fiddler on the Roof. A further high point was undoubtedly the appearance of the Vienna State Ballet in the Second Suite from Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé. The Vienna Philharmonic’s Summer Night Concert is one of the world’s most important classical music events and is broadcast on the radio, on television and online. Millions of viewers from over eighty countries have been able to follow the concert online, on television and on the radio.

Oct. 9: Violinist Esther Abrami Releases Amour on Sony Classical – New Album Presents Her First Large-Scale Composition

Acclaimed Violinist Esther Abrami
Releases New Album Amour on Sony Classical

Album Marks Major Artistic Milestone For Abrami
Who Presents Her First Own Large-Scale Composition

New Single by Zdeněk Fibich Out Now
Moods, Impressions and Souvenirs
Op. 41/H 311, Book 4, No. 14: Lento

Listen Here | Watch the Music Video Here

Worldwide Album Release Date: October 9, 2026
Pre-Order Available Now

Celebrated violinist and social media sensation Esther Abrami announces the release of her new albumAmour on October 9, 2026 on Sony Classical. The first single, out now, is a new version for solo violin and orchestra of the lento from Zdeněk Fibich’s piano work Moods, Impressions and Souvenirs, Op. 41, released to coincide with the pre-order, which is available now. Listen to the new single here and watch the accompanying music video here.

Marking a major artistic milestone, ‘Amour’ is the first album where Abrami presents an original own large-scale composition at its core: a self-written nine-part suite. Conceived as an intimate and deeply expressive exploration of love in all its forms, the work captures the full spectrum of emotions, from tenderness and passion to longing and heartbreak, and stands at the heart of a project that blends original music with newly reimagined works for violin and orchestra.

“With ‘Amour’, I wanted to explore love in all its forms – not just the joy and beauty, but also the vulnerability, the longing, the anger and the pain that often comes with it. Writing my own suite of nine movements allowed me to express a range of very personal emotions, while the other pieces on the album reflect how universal these feelings are across time and genres. Love is something that we all experience, for the best and the worst but at the end, that’s what connects us all. I hope this album resonates with anyone who listens to it”, says Esther Abrami.

Beyond the central suite, ‘Amour’ brings together a diverse selection of iconic classical works about love, each newly arranged for solo violin and orchestra. A particular highlight of the album is Nino Rota’s ‘Romeo and Juliet: Love Theme’, featuring the celebrated mezzo-soprano Marina Viotti. Viotti’s vocals add a captivating dimension to the piece as she engages in a duet with Esther’s violin. The programme further includes epic versions for violin and orchestra of Céline Dion’sAll by Myself’ and Georges Bizet’sCarmen: L’amour est un oiseau rebelle from Habanera. New arrangements of Francis Poulenc’sLes chemins de l’amour, Christoph Willibald Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice: Dance of the Blessed Spirits (Melodie), and the virtuosic intensity of Tomaso Antonio Vitali’s Chaconne in G minor add even more musical colours to this collection of works centred around love. The album also features a new version arranged by Esther Abrami of Charlie Chaplin’sDésillusion amoureuse from the movie “The Circus”, a poignant composition that reveals the legendary filmmaker’s deeply expressive musical voice.

Throughout her career, Esther Abrami has been known for her ability to connect classical music with a wide and diverse audience, bringing fresh perspectives to the repertoire. With ‘Amour’, she reaches a new artistic dimension, uniting her work as a composer with her unique voice as an interpreter, thus shaping a musical language that is unmistakably her own.

This new chapter in her career follows a period of exceptional success. Since the release of her album ‘Women’ in April 2025, Esther Abrami has become one of the most visible young artists in classical music. Especially in her home country, France, she has appeared on major television programmes, performing for millions of viewers and captivating audiences through a series of highly successful concerts. Her book ‘La musique est (aussi) une affaire de femmes’ has quickly become a genre bestseller and will be released in English and German in September under the title ‘Music is (also) a Women’s Affair’. In recognition of her artistic impact, she will receive an Opus Klassik Award 2026, the most important classical music prize in the German speaking world.

Amour features the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of conductor Irene Delgado-Jiménez and will be available for streaming and digital download in stereo and the immersive format Dolby Atmos. The album will also be released as CD and a limited-edition 2x Ecorecord InkPlosion Colour LP – pre-order here.

Amour - Track List

1. Désillusion amoureuse (Charlie Chaplin)
2. – 10. Amour Suite (Esther Abrami)
11. Romeo and Juliet: Love Theme (Nino Rota) – feat. Marina Viotti
12. All by Myself (Céline Dion)
13. Carmen: L’amour est un oiseau rebelle (Bizet)
14. Moods, Impressions and Souvenirs, Op. 41: Lento (Fibich)
15. Les chemins de l’amour (Poulenc)
16. Orpheo and Euridice: Dance of the Blessed Spirits (Gluck)
17. Chaconne in G minor (Vitali)

* City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, Irene Delgado-Jiménez

Caramoor Presents Mark Morris Dance Group on July 30 as Part of 2026 Summer Season

Photo of Mark Morris Dance Group available in hi-resolution here

Caramoor Presents Mark Morris Dance Group on July 30

Part of Caramoor’s 2026 Summer Season
More than 30 Concerts from June 20-August 2

Thursday, July 30, 2026 at 7:30pm
Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts | Venetian Theater
149 Girdle Ridge Road | Katonah, NY
Tickets & Information

Getting to Caramoor from NYC: Caramoor is an approximately one-hour ride on Metro-North from Grand Central to Katonah, NY. From the Katonah station, Caramoor runs a free shuttle every 20 minutes for 2 1/2 hours before and 30 minutes following afternoon and evening concerts during the Summer Season.

For press tickets, please contact Christina Jensen, christina@jensenartists.com.

KATONAH, NY – Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts – a vibrant cultural destination nestled on 81 acres of historic gardens and woodlands in Katonah, NY – presents Mark Morris Dance Group (MMDG) on Thursday, July 30, 2026 at 7:30pm in the iconic Venetian Theater, as part of Caramoor’s 2026 Summer Season of over thirty performances between June 20 and August 2, 2026. Caramoor, once the estate of music and art lovers Walter and Lucie Rosen, is one of the region’s most distinctive destinations for live performance, cultural engagement, and exploration. The Summer Season immerses the entire estate in music, with concerts happening in five distinct settings – the Venetian Theater, Spanish Courtyard, Friends Field, Sunken Garden, and the Music Room.

Mark Morris Dance Group last performed at Caramoor in 2024, and returns with a program showcasing its signature blend of wit, grace, and profound musicality. MMDG has been hailed as "the preeminent modern dance organization of our time" by none other than Yo-Yo Ma. Morris, celebrated as the most musical of living choreographers, treats audiences to a feast for eyes and ears. This performance of thought-provoking repertory works set to American music by acclaimed composers of the 20th and 21st centuries captures the sheer joy and human authenticity that make this company an enduring treasure, and includes Three Preludes (1992, music by George Gershwin), Northwest  (2025, music by John Luther Adams), Jenn and Spencer (2013, music by Henry Cowell), and Dancing Honeymoon (1998, music by Ethan Iverson) – all performed live by the Mark Morris Dance Group Music Ensemble.

Watch an Excerpt from Jenn and Spencer by Mark Morris Dance Group

Related Events

Dance for PD: A Free Movement Class
Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at 12:00pm
Diane Moss Education Center at Caramoor

Come explore movement and music in ways that are enjoyable, stimulating and creative. Based on the award-winning Dance for PD method, this interactive, research-backed class is appropriate for anyone with PD, at all levels of ability and mobility. No dance experience is required. You’ll explore elements of modern dance, ballet, creative movement, jazz, and social dancing in a non-pressured, social environment in which music energizes, enriches and empowers. Classes modeled after Dance for PD are available in more than 500 communities in 30 countries around the world. This class is open to anyone living with Parkinson’s and their families, friends and care partners. The workshop will be led by David Leventhal, Program Director and Founding Teacher of Dance for PD. This program is presented in collaboration with Mark Morris Dance Group. Tickets are free, but advance registration is required.

About Mark Morris Dance Group

Celebrating 45 years of groundbreaking artistry, the Mark Morris Dance Group (MMDG) continues to inspire, innovate, and connect through the power of dance. Founded in 1980, the company made its debut in New York City and quickly rose to prominence with a touring schedule that expanded across the U.S. and around the globe. In 1986, MMDG captivated national audiences with its first television appearance on PBS’s Dance in America, and just two years later, it was named the national dance company of Belgium, enjoying a prestigious three-year residency at Brussels’ Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie. Returning to the U.S. in 1991, MMDG solidified its reputation as one of the world’s leading dance companies.

MMDG has a long and celebrated history of performing at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM). Since 1984, the company has performed at BAM for 37 seasons and continues to appear regularly. MMDG also has a 20-year legacy of performing at Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart and White Light Festivals and will soon be presenting its 3rd annual summer season at The Joyce. The company also maintains deep-rooted partnerships with major cultural institutions, including its West Coast home, Cal Performances in Berkeley, and its Midwest home at the Krannert Center at the University of Illinois.

MMDG’s international acclaim includes two Laurence Olivier Awards and a Critics’ Circle Dance Award for Best Foreign Dance Company, earned during its celebrated London seasons. True to founder Mark Morris’s vision, the company has performed with live music at every show since the creation of the MMDG Music Ensemble in 1996. Collaborations with world-renowned artists such as Yo-Yo Ma, Emanuel Ax, Stephanie Blythe, and Ethan Iverson, as well as leading orchestras have become hallmarks of the company’s performances.

MMDG also boasts a rich history of interdisciplinary collaborations with visual artists and designers including Robert Bordo, Howard Hodgkin, Adrianne Lobel, Allen Moyer, Isaac Mizrahi, and Martin Pakledinaz. Its film and television work includes Dido and Aeneas, Falling Down Stairs, and PBS’s Great Performances broadcast of The Hard Nut, Mozart Dances and L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato. 

Beyond the stage, MMDG is deeply committed to community engagement, offering inclusive arts and humanities programs at home and on tour. In 2001, the Mark Morris Dance Center opened in Brooklyn, NY to provide a home for the Dance Group and its Dance for PD program, subsidized rental space for local artists, and dance classes for students of all ages and abilities.

Dining at Caramoor

Caramoor’s on-site dining options include Pre-Ordered Gourmet Picnics available for pick-up two hours prior to each mainstage concert, which can be pre-ordered until the Tuesday before the performance. The menu is prepared by local coffee and sandwich purveyor G.E. Brown with curated artisanal cheese boards from Second Mouse Cheese Shop. In addition, the Bravo Bar is open two hours before each performance, offering snacks and lemonade, iced tea, wine, cocktails, and buzz-free beverages as well as a rotating selection of offerings from local food creators including It Must Have Been the Bake, Bark and Brine BBQ, G.E. Brown, Pizza Girls, Walter’s Hot Dogs,Second Mouse Cheese Shop, LMNOP, and Miss Mona Makes Ice Cream. Specific offerings are noted for each performance on Caramoor’s website. For more information on Dining at Caramoor and to pre-order picnics, visit caramoor.org/visit-us/amenities.

About Caramoor

Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts is a vibrant cultural destination nestled on 81 acres of historic gardens and woodlands in Katonah, NY. Once the home of music and art lovers Walter and Lucie Rosen, Caramoor has evolved into one of the region’s most distinctive destinations for live performances, cultural engagement, and exploration – a sanctuary for music, art, and nature.

Each year, Caramoor presents an exciting array of concerts across genres – from classical, opera, and chamber music to jazz, American roots, global sounds, and the American songbook. Caramoor’s acclaimed Summer Season brings audiences together for unforgettable outdoor performances from June into August infive distinct settings (the Venetian Theater, Friends Field, Spanish Courtyard, Sunken Garden, and the Music Room), while the intimate Rosen House Concert Series runs from October through May in the historic Rosen House, a Mediterranean-style villa listed on the National Register of Historic Places and filled with treasures from around the world. With a mission to engage audiences of all ages, Caramoor also offers a selection of concerts and programs for families and our youngest listeners.

Caramoor is a place where music, history, and nature come together to create moments of beauty and connection for all who visit. In addition to hearing concerts, visitors to Caramoor can tour the spectacular Rosen House, explore its intriguing collections, enjoy a picnic, and experience the lush gardens and grounds – including Caramoor’s unique collection of site-specific Sound Art, permanently installed sound sculptures that draw inspiration from their environment. Caramoor also offers a formal afternoon tea service year-round in the Music Room (by reservation), the seasonal Bravo Bar concessions stand, and a selection of public programs such as yoga, art classes, and large-scale community events.

For Caramoor’s complete schedule: caramoor.org/events

Ticketing Information

Concert tickets are available for purchase online at caramoor.org; by phone at 914.232.1252 Tuesdays through Fridays from 10am-4pm; and on site from the Box Office two hours before each performance.

Caramoor is located at 149 Girdle Ridge Road in Katonah, NY.

How to get to Caramoor: caramoor.org/visit-us/amenities

More information about visiting Caramoor: caramoor.org/visit

July 23: Caramoor Presents Electrifying Pianist Yuja Wang and Latin Music Supergroup People of Earth in First Public Performance Together

L-R Yuja Wang, People of Earth, Ahmed Alom, courtesy of the artists. Available in high resolution here.

Caramoor Presents GRAMMY®-Winning Pianist Yuja Wang and Latin Music Supergroup People of Earth in First Public Performance Together

Part of Caramoor’s 2026 Summer Season
More than 30 Concerts from June 20-August 2

Thursday, July 23, 2026 at 7:30pm
Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts | Venetian Theater
149 Girdle Ridge Road | Katonah, NY
Tickets & Information

Getting to Caramoor from NYC: Caramoor is an approximately one-hour ride on Metro-North from Grand Central to Katonah, NY. From the Katonah station, Caramoor runs a free shuttle every 20 minutes for 2 1/2 hours before and 30 minutes following afternoon and evening concerts during the Summer Season.

For press tickets, please contact Christina Jensen, christina@jensenartists.com.

KATONAH, NY – Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts – a vibrant cultural destination nestled on 81 acres of historic gardens and woodlands in Katonah, NY – presents GRAMMY®-winning pianist Yuja Wang in her Caramoor debut, performing with Latin music supergroup People of Earth (PoE) on Thursday, July 23, 2026 at 7:30pm in Caramoor’s iconic Venetian Theater. The concert, which is Wang and PoE’s first public performance together and only concert on the East Coast this summer, will take listeners on a vibrant journey through the sounds of Latin America, composed and music directed by Cuban piano phenom Ahmed Alom. It is one of the many highlights of Caramoor’s 2026 Summer Season of over thirty performances between June 20 and August 2. Caramoor, once the estate of music and art lovers Walter and Lucie Rosen, is one of the region’s most distinctive destinations for live performance, cultural engagement, and exploration. The Summer Season immerses the entire estate in music, with concerts happening in five distinct settings – the Venetian Theater, Spanish Courtyard, Friends Field, Sunken Garden, and the Music Room.

Music Director Ahmed Alom says of this collaboration, “The concept is rooted in this supergroup of musicians who come from different parts of the world: Cuba, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, among others. When curating this program, the guiding ideas were creativity, originality, connection, and unpredictability. Collaborating with Yuja, a true musical force of nature, rooted in classical music yet possessing a fascinating imagination and curiosity to expand and integrate other musical structures into her playing, the challenge is to find common ground between seemingly different musical worlds and put them together in genuine service of the music.”

Yuja Wang and PoE’s program together includes Leonard Bernstein’s “Mambo” from West Side Story; works by Cuban composers Ernesto Lecuona and Arturo Márquez; and selections by Pete Rodriguez, Camila Cabello, Nikolai Kapustin, and Dizzy Gillespie arranged for piano four-hands by Alom. The program closes with La Diáspora, a newly commissioned piano concerto written by Ahmed Alom and dedicated to Yuja Wang, which combines all of these traditions creating something unmistakably New York. Alom's compositional language bridges classical music, jazz, and Latin American tradition, with every musical element tailored to each member of People of Earth. The piece calls for electronics, violin, trumpet, percussion, and piano, and traverses a wide range of styles: Son Montuno, Bolero, Rumba, Cha-Cha-Chá, Timba, and Merengue.

GRAMMY®-winning pianist Yuja Wang is celebrated for her charismatic artistry, emotional honesty and captivating stage presence. She has performed with the world’s most venerated conductors, musicians and ensembles, and is renowned not only for her virtuosity, but her spontaneous and lively performances, famously telling The New York Times “I firmly believe every program should have its own life, and be a representation of how I feel at the moment.”

People of Earth (PoE) is a global music collective that has emerged as one of the United States' most exciting Latin and tropical bands. With an electrifying blend of music from Cuba, Puerto Rico, Brazil, and beyond, PoE delivers a high-energy experience that transcends borders. This supergroup features a dynamic lineup of world-class musicians hailing from Cuba, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Canada, Switzerland, Haiti, Greece, and more. Together, they create a sound that is as diverse as it is powerful. People of Earth includes Raul Rios, trumpet and vocals; Jesus Ricardo, trumpet and vocals; Rubén Rengel, violin and vocals; Ivan Llanes, percussion and vocals; and Gabriel Globus-Hoenich, percussion and bandleader. 

About the Artists 

Yuja Wang: askonasholt.com/artist/yuja-wang
Ahmed Alom: ahmedalom.com/bio
People of Earth: peopleofearthmusic.com

Dining at Caramoor

Caramoor’s on-site dining options include Pre-Ordered Gourmet Picnics available for pick-up two hours prior to each mainstage concert, which can be pre-ordered until the Tuesday before the performance. The menu is prepared by local coffee and sandwich purveyor G.E. Brown with curated artisanal cheese boards from Second Mouse Cheese Shop. In addition, the Bravo Bar is open two hours before each performance, offering snacks and lemonade, iced tea, wine, cocktails, and buzz-free beverages as well as a rotating selection of offerings from local food creators including It Must Have Been the Bake, Bark and Brine BBQ, G.E. Brown, Pizza Girls, Walter’s Hot Dogs,Second Mouse Cheese Shop, LMNOP, and Miss Mona Makes Ice Cream. Specific offerings are noted for each performance on Caramoor’s website. For more information on Dining at Caramoor and to pre-order picnics, visit caramoor.org/visit-us/amenities.

About Caramoor

Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts is a vibrant cultural destination nestled on 81 acres of historic gardens and woodlands in Katonah, NY. Once the home of music and art lovers Walter and Lucie Rosen, Caramoor has evolved into one of the region’s most distinctive destinations for live performances, cultural engagement, and exploration – a sanctuary for music, art, and nature.

Each year, Caramoor presents an exciting array of concerts across genres – from classical, opera, and chamber music to jazz, American roots, global sounds, and the American songbook. Caramoor’s acclaimed Summer Season brings audiences together for unforgettable outdoor performances from June into August infive distinct settings (the Venetian Theater, Friends Field, Spanish Courtyard, Sunken Garden, and the Music Room), while the intimate Rosen House Concert Series runs from October through May in the historic Rosen House, a Mediterranean-style villa listed on the National Register of Historic Places and filled with treasures from around the world. With a mission to engage audiences of all ages, Caramoor also offers a selection of concerts and programs for families and our youngest listeners.

Caramoor is a place where music, history, and nature come together to create moments of beauty and connection for all who visit. In addition to hearing concerts, visitors to Caramoor can tour the spectacular Rosen House, explore its intriguing collections, enjoy a picnic, and experience the lush gardens and grounds – including Caramoor’s unique collection of site-specific Sound Art, permanently installed sound sculptures that draw inspiration from their environment. Caramoor also offers a formal afternoon tea service year-round in the Music Room (by reservation), the seasonal Bravo Bar concessions stand, and a selection of public programs such as yoga, art classes, and large-scale community events.

For Caramoor’s complete schedule: caramoor.org/events

Ticketing Information

Concert tickets are available for purchase online at caramoor.org; by phone at 914.232.1252 Tuesdays through Fridays from 10am-4pm; and on site from the Box Office two hours before each performance.

Caramoor is located at 149 Girdle Ridge Road in Katonah, NY.

How to get to Caramoor: caramoor.org/visit-us/amenities

More information about visiting Caramoor: caramoor.org/visit

July 19 at Caramoor: Free, Immersive Outdoor Premiere by Christopher Cerrone, Sandbox Percussion & the Young People's Chorus of NYC

Center: Sandbox Percussion by Alex Lee and The Young People’s Chorus of New York City (photo courtesy YPC). Left & Right: Sandbox Percussion performs at Caramoor in the Sunken Garden in 2024, by Gabe Palacio. Available in high resolution here.

Caramoor Presents Free, Immersive Outdoor World Premiere of The Only Way is Through by GRAMMY Award-Winning Composer Christopher Cerrone on July 19

Co-Commissioned by Caramoor
Featuring Sandbox Percussion
The Young People’s Chorus of NYC – Francisco J. Núñez, Artistic Director
Mary Birnbaum, Director

Sunday, July 19, 2026 at 4:00pm | Pre-Concert Conversation at 3:00pm | FREE
Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts | 149 Girdle Ridge Road | Katonah, NY
RSVP & Information

Getting to Caramoor from NYC: Caramoor is an approximately one-hour ride on Metro-North from Grand Central to Katonah, NY. From the Katonah station, Caramoor runs a free shuttle every 20 minutes for 2 1/2 hours before and 30 minutes following afternoon and evening concerts during the Summer Season.

KATONAH, NY – Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts – a vibrant cultural destination nestled on 81 acres of historic gardens and woodlands in Katonah, NY – presents the world premiere of Christopher Cerrone’s The Only Way is Through, an immersive new piece performed by the “utterly mesmerizing” (The Guardian) Sandbox Percussion and the celebrated Young People’s Chorus of New York City, on Sunday, July 19, 2026 at 4:00pm outdoors in the Sunken Garden. The performance, which is free (RSVP recommended), is part of Caramoor’s 2026 Summer Season of over thirty performances between June 20 and August 2. Caramoor, once the estate of music and art lovers Walter and Lucie Rosen, is one of the region’s most distinctive destinations for live performance, cultural engagement, and exploration. The Summer Season immerses the entire estate in music, with concerts happening in five distinct settings – the Venetian Theater, Spanish Courtyard, Friends Field, Sunken Garden, and the Music Room.

In The Only Way is Through, GRAMMY Award-winning composerChristopher Cerrone traces how people and things change — slowly, with determination and joy. The work, which is co-commissioned by Caramoor and directed by Mary Birnbaum, begins with a processional: Sandbox Percussion and the Young People's Chorus of New York City move through the Sunken Garden, weaving among the audience before finding their places. From there, the piece unfolds as a gradual revelation — the choristers sing alongside the percussionists, at times lending their voices to guide and shape the music, as a single phrase slowly comes into focus: the only way is through. Inspired by the first year of Cerrone's son's life, the work reaches beyond autobiography toward something more universal — the experience of having come through something hard, and the recognition that this is simply how we move forward. Throughout, the audience is free to move through the Sunken Garden.

There will be a pre-concert conversation with Christopher Cerrone and Sandbox Percussion at 3:00pm. In the event of rain, the performance will take place in the Venetian Theater.

Continuing Caramoor’s tradition of free outdoor performances, The Only Way is Through joins a series of annual immersive presentations that, since 2018, has included John Luther Adams' Inuksuit and Ten Thousand Birds, Terry Riley’s In C, Ted Hearne’s Farming, and Michael Gordon’s Field of Vision.

About the Artists

Christopher Cerrone: christophercerrone.com/biography
Sandbox Percussion: sandboxpercussion.com/about
The Young People’s Chorus of New York City: ypc.org/our-story
Mary Birnbaum: marybirnbaum.com

More New Music at Caramoor

Poiesis Quartet – A Love Letter to the Queer Community
Featuring a World Premiere by Jeff Scott Commissioned by Caramoor
Thursday, July 2, 2026 at 7:30pm, Music Room

The prize-winning Poiesis Quartet gives its third and final performance as the 2025-26 Ernst Stiefel String Quartet-in-Residence at Caramoor, returning with a bold program titled A Love Letter to the Queer Community that explores queer identity and heritage through a contemporary lens. The concert (one of the group’s first with new violinist Coco Mi) features the world premiere of a new work commissioned by Caramoor for the Poiesis Quartet as the culmination of the group’s residency – GRAMMY-winning composer Jeff Scott’s Tapestry of the Beloved Beatified, which honors and celebrates the lives of activists Marsha P. Johnson, Harvey Milk, Xulhaz Mannan, and Jeanne Manford. The program will also include Max Lang’s commonplace little perils, Daniel Lasagna’s Circus of the Mind, Maya Irizarry Lambright’s forest of taldeni, and Calvin Ray Shawler’s Order – all recently commissioned by the Poiesis Quartet. This performance highlights the ensemble's commitment to social narrative and musical innovation, offering a unique window into the future of the string quartet. The Quartet’s November concert at Caramoor was chosen as one of the best classical performances of 2025 by The New York Times.

Johnny Gandelsman: This is America
Featuring a New York Premiere by Tyshawn Sorey Co-Commissioned by Caramoor
Sunday, July 5, 2026 at 1:00pm, Caramoor Grounds

Violinist, producer, and 2024 MacArthur Fellow Johnny Gandelsman caps off Caramoor’s America at 250 commemoration concerts with an extended program of solo violin works from his project This is America, featuring the New York premiere ofCapriccio for Violin – a Caramoor co-commission by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Tyshawn Sorey. This is America is Gandelsman’s 2020 collection of over 20 new works he commissioned for solo violin, written by American and US-based composers reflecting on the challenges of living through the pandemic and concurrent worldwide turmoil. Gandelsman brings these intimate musical portraits of joy, uncertainty, isolation, and love, by composers including Justin Messina, Layale Chaker, Tyshawn Sorey, Dana Lyn, Kinan Azmeh, Akshaya Tucker, Ebun Oguntola, Tomeka Reid, Christina Courtin, Olivia Davis, and Rhiannon Giddens to Caramoor. This profound, emotional journey is presented in two parts at 1pm in the Sunken Garden and 3pm in the Spanish Courtyard. In between, at 2:15pm, there will be a talk with Johnny Gandelsman, Dana Lyn, and Christina Courtin.

Conor Hanick, piano in Hans Otte’s The Book of Sounds
Thursday, July 16, 2026 at 7:30pm, Spanish Courtyard

In the 1980s, the German composer and broadcaster Hans Otte released a series of solo piano pieces called Das Buch der Klänge (The Book of Sounds). Inspired by Buddhist thought and American Minimalism, Otte created a series of works that are lyrical, alternately contemplative and energetic, and possibly a little psychedelic. It was an overlooked masterpiece until pianist Conor Hanick, praised as one of his generation’s most inquisitive interpreters of music new and old, began playing it a few years ago, to great acclaim. Otte wrote of the work, “This Book of Sounds rediscovers the listener as a partner of sound and silence, who in the quest for his world, wishes for once to be totally at one with sound.” A fierce advocate for the music of today, Conor Hanick has premiered over 200 pieces; The New York Times has raved that his “technical refinement, color, crispness and wondrous variety of articulation benefit works by any master.” He has recently performed at the Barbican Centre in London, Cal Performances in Berkeley, Da Camera in Houston, and with the BBC Philharmonic.

Dining at Caramoor

Caramoor’s on-site dining options include Pre-Ordered Gourmet Picnics available for pick-up two hours prior to each mainstage concert, which can be pre-ordered until the Tuesday before the performance. The menu is prepared by local coffee and sandwich purveyor G.E. Brown with curated artisanal cheese boards from Second Mouse Cheese Shop. In addition, the Bravo Bar is open two hours before each performance, offering snacks and lemonade, iced tea, wine, cocktails, and buzz-free beverages as well as a rotating selection of offerings from local food creators including It Must Have Been the Bake, Bark and Brine BBQ, G.E. Brown, Pizza Girls, Walter’s Hot Dogs,Second Mouse Cheese Shop, LMNOP, and Miss Mona Makes Ice Cream. Specific offerings are noted for each performance on Caramoor’s website. For more information on Dining at Caramoor and to pre-order picnics, visit caramoor.org/visit-us/amenities.

About Caramoor

Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts is a vibrant cultural destination nestled on 81 acres of historic gardens and woodlands in Katonah, NY. Once the home of music and art lovers Walter and Lucie Rosen, Caramoor has evolved into one of the region’s most distinctive destinations for live performances, cultural engagement, and exploration – a sanctuary for music, art, and nature.

Each year, Caramoor presents an exciting array of concerts across genres – from classical, opera, and chamber music to jazz, American roots, global sounds, and the American songbook. Caramoor’s acclaimed Summer Season brings audiences together for unforgettable outdoor performances from June into August infive distinct settings (the Venetian Theater, Friends Field, Spanish Courtyard, Sunken Garden, and the Music Room), while the intimate Rosen House Concert Series runs from October through May in the historic Rosen House, a Mediterranean-style villa listed on the National Register of Historic Places and filled with treasures from around the world. With a mission to engage audiences of all ages, Caramoor also offers a selection of concerts and programs for families and our youngest listeners.

Caramoor is a place where music, history, and nature come together to create moments of beauty and connection for all who visit. In addition to hearing concerts, visitors to Caramoor can tour the spectacular Rosen House, explore its intriguing collections, enjoy a picnic, and experience the lush gardens and grounds – including Caramoor’s unique collection of site-specific Sound Art, permanently installed sound sculptures that draw inspiration from their environment. Caramoor also offers a formal afternoon tea service year-round in the Music Room (by reservation), the seasonal Bravo Bar concessions stand, and a selection of public programs such as yoga, art classes, and large-scale community events.

For Caramoor’s complete schedule: caramoor.org/events

Ticketing Information

Concert tickets are available for purchase online at caramoor.org; by phone at 914.232.1252 Tuesdays through Fridays from 10am-4pm; and on site from the Box Office two hours before each performance.

Caramoor is located at 149 Girdle Ridge Road in Katonah, NY.

How to get to Caramoor: caramoor.org/visit-us/amenities

More information about visiting Caramoor: caramoor.org/visit

July 17: Sony Classical Releases 2026 Summer Night Concert with The Vienna Philharmonic and Bass-Baritone Sir Bryn Terfel – Conducted by Lorenzo Viotti

Sony Classical Releases The 2026 Summer Night Concert
with The Vienna Philharmonic, Conducted by Lorenzo Viotti
Bass-Baritone Sir Bryn Terfel

New Single
Thaïs: Méditation - Listen Here

Album Release Dates:
Digital - July 17, 2026
CD - July 17, 2026
DVD and Blu-Ray - July 17, 2026

Sony Classical and the Vienna Philharmonic are for the very first time, offering innovative music products on the occasion of the successful 2026 Summer Night Concert from the grounds of Vienna’s Schönbrunn Palace.  

The Vienna Philharmonic’s 2026 Summer Night Concert will be released by Sony Classical on July 17, 2026 on CD, DVD, Blu-ray and digital. New single, Thaïs: Méditation is out today - listen here 

The 2026 Summer Night Concert was held on June 19, 2026 before an audience of 50,000 enthusiastic fans. This open-air concert by the Vienna Philharmonic has been held annually since 2008 and, as always, the grounds of the UNESCO World Heritage Site at Schönbrunn Palace have provided a magical backdrop.

This concert was also the first occasion on which the Vienna Philharmonic and Sony Classical presented a range of innovative music products with an NFC chip as part of their joint partnership deal. These products were sold on site by Michaela Pretul and Andreas Poglitsch from the Viennese specialist music firm of Major Babies Entertainment. The products in question are valuable caps in nine different colors and a scarf embroidered with the venerable orchestra’s logo linked via an NFC chip to a digital musical experience. If a smartphone is held next to the chip, a limited-access web application will open, allowing users to stream and download concert highlights from the last few years as well as find out more about the evening’s program and test their knowledge of the Summer Night Concert by means of a quiz. As soon as the recording of the concert has been mixed, this too will be available to be streamed and downloaded. The latest information about the Vienna Philharmonic is also available on this app.

The President of Sony Classical, Per Hauber, has said in a statement: “Together with the Vienna Philharmonic we have developed a product format that allows audiences to experience classical music in the most up-to-date ways outside the formal setting of a concert hall. This combination of innovation and a living tradition is very special. It also reflects the spirit not only of the Summer Night Concert but also of the Vienna Philharmonic and Sony Classical. We are immensely grateful to the Vienna Philharmonic and to the organizers of the Summer Night Concert for their inspirational partnership and for the opportunity to develop a product like this one.”

Daniel Froschauer, the Chairman of the orchestra’s board of directors, adds: “For the Vienna Philharmonic, it is of central importance that we keep our finger on the pulse of the times and continue to present our musical tradition in new and exciting ways. Thanks to these innovative products and ideas Sony Classical is supporting us in our desire to inspire our audiences all over again.”

Held at the height of the summer in a uniquely memorable atmosphere, the 2026 Summer Night Concert was conducted for the first time in its history by Lorenzo Viotti and witnessed the Vienna Philharmonic presenting a varied program full of musical highlights that included gripping scenes from Arrigo Boito’s Mefistofele, Verdi’s Falstaff and Wagner’s Das Rheingold. The evening’s soloist was Welsh bass-baritone Sir Bryn Terfel, who added a very special note of his own with Tevye’s “If I Were A Rich Man” from Jerry Bock’s phenomenally successful musical Fiddler on the Roof. A further high point was undoubtedly the appearance of the Vienna State Ballet in the Second Suite from Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé. The Vienna Philharmonic’s Summer Night Concert is one of the world’s most important classical music events and is broadcast on the radio, on television and online. Millions of viewers from over eighty countries have been able to follow the concert online, on television and on the radio.

Oct. 2: Classical Soul Pianist Alexis Ffrench Releases New Album 24 on Sony Masterworks – New Single Nine on Blue Out Today

PR Photo: Credit – Alex Lake (Download)

Pioneering Composer and Pianist 
Alexis Ffrench

New Single: Nine on Blue
Out Today - Listen Here
Taken From Upcoming Album, 24

Worldwide Album Release Date: October 2, 2026
Pre-Save Here

New York, NY – Pioneering pianist, composer and chart-topping Classical Soul artist Alexis Ffrench has shared new single, Nine on Blue, out now from his forthcoming album 24 - listen here. The album set for release on October 2, 2026 and available for pre-save here. 

Nine On Blue finds Alexis Ffrench stepping into a late‑night jazz trio, with piano, bass and drums in close conversation. Written for the 9pm chapter of his 24‑hour album, it weaves blue‑note harmony and rhythmic nods to David Brubeck and George Gershwin into an unmistakably Alexis Ffrench sound.

Formed of 24 meticulously crafted piano pieces and intended as a musical companion to the clockwork regularity of everyday life, 24 unveils as an intimate and immersive snapshot of a singular day.

Gently guiding listeners from dawn to dusk – through the quiet of early morning into the busy heart of day and on to the evening’s golden hour – 24 is woven from daydreams, memories of human connection and the desire for authenticity amongst an ever evolving and increasingly simulated digital age. 

Made at legendary Provençal studio Miraval, owned by Brad Pitt and Damien Quintard, Ffrench recorded 24 during ten-days of near-total immersion on an array vintage of grand pianos, upright pianos and organs. Adding delicate ripples of percussion to the record’s kaleidoscopic sound, 24 also enlists a string ensemble featuring harp and upright bass.

Inspired in part by the many messages Ffrench has received from listeners throughout his career, 24 finds Ffrench reflecting on what his music means to those who find solace in it and the cherished moments it has served to soundtrack. He explains: “I wanted this album to reflect the everyday miracles in people’s lives.”  

Throughout his career, Ffrench has asked one question above all others: “what do my listeners need from me?”  Now, with 24, the answer is both simple and profound: music to live by.

2026 also marks the 20th anniversary of Ffrench’s seminal debut album Piano Diaries. With each piece evoking the pull of a series of intimate and reflective moments, the record fuses cinematic simplicity with an emotionally direct and highly accessible composition that welcomes all listeners to step directly into Ffrench’s intimate and atmospheric world.

One of the world’s most exciting artists, Alexis Ffrench has played a pivotal role in bringing instrumental music to an ever-increasing audience. His accolades speak for themselves, with well over 1 billion streams across his catalogue, multiple No.1 albums and Gold-selling status in the USA for his single “Bluebird.” 

Whether he’s performing at the King’s Coronation Concert to an audience of over 18 million, scooping an ARIA Award for his Apple Music show Classical Connections, hosting brand-new Classic FM series “Music to Live By”, performing at major festivals and selling out venues worldwide, hosting masterclasses with schools & charitable organizations or putting his own spin on contemporary pop hits for his enthusiastic social media audience, Alexis is driven by the desire to make music accessible to all. 

Refusing to be penned in by genre, time period or the expectations of the kind of musician he should be, and rather than leaning into the traditional understanding of the ‘classical’ genre, Alexis instead leans outward – with his expansive perspective drawing on a multifarious mosaic of influences that takes his listeners by the hand and leads them on a journey through a world of possibility.

With the new album acting as a timelessly enchanting musical journey through the in numerous possibilities held inside one singular day, 24 is the first studio album from Alexis Ffrench since 2024’s Classical Soul Vol. 1 – welcoming in a contemplative and captivating new dawn for the forerunner of contemporary classical music.

Alexis Ffrench - New Album 24 out October 2, 2026
Listen to Blackbird Rising and Blackbird Returning, and Pre-Save 24 here

About Alexis Ffrench

Alexis Ffrench is an artist with a special ability to create music for the soul. A pioneering superstar and trailblazer of ‘Classical Soul’, Alexis’ sound refuses to be penned in by genre, time period, or the expectations of the kind of musician he should be. Rather than leaning into the narrow, traditional understandings of ‘classical’, Alexis instead leans outward, expansive in his perspective, drawing on a multifarious mosaic of influences that takes the listener by the hand and leads them on a journey through a world of possibility.

Alexis’ accolades speak for themselves, as he has surpassed a staggering 1 billion streams across his catalogue, his record Evolution and his single ‘Bluebird’ achieved RIAA Gold status in the US.
 
A passionate advocate for music education, Alexis is the first-ever Artistic Director of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) in its 133-year history. He is also Trustee and Governing Body Member and Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music, London, and Honorary Fellow of Homerton College, Cambridge. Alexis is an Ambassador for Restore The Music, who work with state schools to provide funding to buy musical instruments and ensure every young person has access to music.

Alexis Ffrench Socials
Website | Instagram | X | TikTok | YouTube

Sony Music Masterworks comprises Masterworks, Sony Classical, Milan Records, XXIM Records, and Masterworks Broadway imprints. For email updates and information please visit www.sonymusicmasterworks.com/.

July 29: Pianist Simone Dinnerstein is Featured Soloist with the Lakeside Symphony Orchestra Conducted by Music Director Daniel Meyer

Photo by Lisa-Marie Mazzucco available in high resolution here

GRAMMY®-Nominated Pianist Simone Dinnerstein
Is Featured Soloist with the Lakeside Symphony Orchestra
in W.A. Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 18 in B-flat, K 456

Conducted by Music Director Daniel Meyer

Wednesday, July 29, 2026 at 7pm
Hoover Auditorium | 115 West 3rd Street | Lakeside, OH
Tickets and More Information

PLUS Dinnerstein and Baroklyn’s New Philip Glass Album Hourglass Out Now

Review downloads & CDs available upon request.

Simone Dinnerstein: www.simonedinnerstein.com

Lakeside, OH – GRAMMY®-nominated pianist Simone Dinnerstein, described by The New Yorker as an artist of “lean, knowing, and unpretentious elegance,” joins the Lakeside Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Music Director Daniel Meyer, as the featured soloist on Wednesday, July 29, 2026 at 7pm in Hoover Auditorium (115 West 3rd Street). She will perform W.A. Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 18 in B-flat, K 456. The concert, which is part of Lakeside’s Family Night Series, also includes Vishwas: Testament by Reena Esmail and Appalachian Spring Suite by Aaron Copland.

Before the concert, from 5:30-6:30 pm, children are invited to a hands-on instrument discovery event in the Hoover Auditorium lobby. With help from the symphony's friendly musicians, children can try out violins, trumpets, trombones and more. It's a fun, interactive way to spark a love of music. Also prior to the concert, 5:45 pm there will be a Symphony Pre-Concert Lecture in Orchestra Hall.

American pianist Simone Dinnerstein first came to wider public attention in 2007 through her recording of Bach’s Goldberg Variations, reflecting an aesthetic that was both deeply rooted in the score and profoundly personal. She has played with orchestras ranging from the New York Philharmonic and Montreal Symphony Orchestra to the London Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale Rai. She has performed in venues from Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center to the Berlin Philharmonie, the Vienna Konzerthaus, Seoul Arts Center and Sydney Opera House.

“This will be the first performance of this work for me and I am very excited about it!” says Dinnerstein. “I haven’t learned a new Mozart Piano Concerto in many years so it’s a fascinating experience for me to delve into a new Mozart work at this stage of my life. I last learned a Mozart concerto when I was in my twenties, and it is entirely different to approach his music as a mature adult.”

On June 5, 2026, Dinnerstein released Hourglass –– her first album on naïve since signing with the label earlier this year. The new recording features Philip Glass’s Suite from The Hours and his Tirol Concerto for Piano and Orchestra (Piano Concerto No. 1). The album, recorded with Dinnerstein’s own ensemble Baroklyn, is another milestone in her close artistic association with the renowned composer, who celebrates his 90th birthday in January 2027. The album is out now –– listen here. Read the album press release here.

Simone Dinnerstein’s first fourteen albums were recorded with GRAMMY Award-winning producer Adam Abeshouse, and feature repertoire ranging from Couperin to Glass. From 2020 to 2022, she released a trilogy of albums recorded at her home in Brooklyn during the pandemic. A Character of Quiet (Orange Mountain Music, 2020), featuring the music of Philip Glass and Schubert, was described by NPR as, “music that speaks to a sense of the world slowing down,” and by The New Yorker as, “a reminder that quiet can contain multitudes.” Richard Danielpour’s An American Mosaic (Supertrain Records, 2021), surpassed two million streams on Apple Music and was nominated for a 2021 Grammy Award in the category of Best Classical Instrumental Solo. The final installment in the trilogy, Undersong, was released in January 2022 on Orange Mountain Music. Dinnerstein’s latest recording, Complicité (Supertrain Records, 2025), is her first all-Bach album in over ten years and features Jennifer Johnson Cano, mezzo-soprano and Peggy Pearson, oboe d’amore along with the string ensemble Dinnerstein founded and directs, Baroklyn (a portmanteau of Baroque and Brooklyn, her home New York borough). Recorded with producer Silas Brown, the album also includes composer Philip Lasser’s continuo realizations and recomposition of Bach’s Air on the G String. Complicité reached over one million streams on Apple Music in its first two weeks after release.

In recent years, Dinnerstein has created projects that express her broad musical interests. She gave the world premiere of The Eye Is the First Circle at Montclair State University, the first multi-media production she conceived, created, and directed, which uses as source materials her father Simon Dinnerstein’s painting The Fulbright Triptych and Charles Ives’s Concord Sonata. She released her live recording of the premiere in October 2024 on Supertrain Records to coincide with Ives’s 150th birthday. The Eye is the First Circle also marked Dinnerstein’s fourteenth and final recording produced with the late Adam Abeshouse. Dinnerstein premiered Richard Danielpour’s An American Mosaic, a tribute to those affected by the pandemic, in a performance on multiple pianos throughout Brooklyn’s Green-Wood Cemetery. Following her recording Mozart in Havana, she brought the Havana Lyceum Orchestra from Cuba to the U.S. for the first time, performing eleven concerts. Philip Glass composed his Piano Concerto No. 3 for her, co-commissioned by twelve orchestras. Working with Renée Fleming and the Emerson String Quartet, she premiered André Previn and Tom Stoppard’s Penelope at the Tanglewood, Ravinia and Aspen music festivals, and performed it at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and presented by LA Opera. Dinnerstein has also created her own ensemble, Baroklyn, which she directs.

The Washington Post comments, “it is Dinnerstein’s unreserved identification with every note she plays that makes her performance so spellbinding.” In a world where music is everywhere, she hopes that it can still be transformative. For more information, please visit www.simonedinnerstein.com.

For Calendar Editors:

Description: GRAMMY-nominated® pianist Simone Dinnerstein, described by The New Yorker as an artist of “lean, knowing, and unpretentious elegance,” is the featured soloist with the Lakeside Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Music Director Daniel Meyer, in her debut performance of W.A. Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 18 in B-flat, K 456. The concert, which is part of Lakeside’s Family Night Series, also includes Vishwas: Testament by Reena Esmail and Appalachian Spring Suite by Aaron Copland. From 5:30-6:30 pm, children are invited to a hands-on instrument discovery event in the Hoover Auditorium lobby. There will also be a Symphony Pre-Concert Lecture in Orchestra Hall at 5:45pm.

Concert details:

Who: Pianist Simone Dinnerstein
Presented as the Featured Soloist with Lakeside Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Music Director Daniel Meyer
What: Music by W.A. Mozart, Reena Esmail, and Aaron Copland
When: Wednesday, July 29, 2026 at 7pm
Where: Hoover Auditorium, 115 West 3rd Street, Lakeside Marblehead,OH 43440
Tickets and More Information: https://lakesideohio.com/event/2026/07/29/family-night-in-hoover-lakeside-symphony-orchestra-with-simone-dinnerstein-piano/

Caramoor Caters to All Five Senses with Expanded Community and Family Programming this Summer

Clockwise from top left: Inside Lucie’s Wardrobe Focus Tour; Sandbox Percussion performs in the Sunken Garden; Plein Air Painting; Nature Walk; Sunset Yoga in the Sunken Garden. Photos by Gabe Palacio, available in high resolution here.

Caramoor Caters to All Five Senses
with Expanded Community and Family Programming this Summer

Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts | 149 Girdle Ridge Road | Katonah, NY
Information

KATONAH, NY – Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts – a vibrant cultural destination nestled on 81 acres of historic gardens and woodlands in Katonah, NY – is expanding its slate of community and family programming as part of its 2026 Summer Season of over thirty performances between June 20 and August 2. The augmented programming gives visitors more ways to experience Caramoor’s unique setting in addition to its world-class concerts. Caramoor, once the estate of music and art lovers Walter and Lucie Rosen, is one of the region’s most distinctive destinations for live performance, cultural engagement, and exploration. The Summer Season immerses the entire estate in music, with concerts happening in five distinct settings – the Venetian Theater, Spanish Courtyard, Friends Field, Sunken Garden, and the Music Room.

Highlights of Caramoor community and family programming this summer include Inside Lucie’s Wardrobe, a Rosen House Focus Tour offering a rare look at Lucie Rosen’s incredible fashions; the return of Dancing at Dusk, Caramoor’s concert series for young listeners; the immersive outdoor world premiere of GRAMMY-nominated composer Christopher Cerrone’s new work for Sandbox Percussion co-commissioned by Caramoor and featuring the Young People's Chorus of New York City; Dance for PD presented with Mark Morris Dance Group, an interactive, research-backed class appropriate for anyone with Parkinson’s Disease; Sunset Yoga in the Sunken Garden; Afternoon Teas; Music and Meditation in the Garden, and much more.

Caramoor President and CEO Gillian Fox says, “These programs reflect our commitment to expanding how audiences experience this remarkable destination, inviting them to engage not only through world-class performances but also through nature, history, creativity, and community.”

2026 Rosen House Focus Tour & Related Conversations at Caramoor

Rosen House Focus Tour: Inside Lucie’s Wardrobe
Every Friday and Saturday, various times; through September 5, 2026
Rosen House

Every Friday and Saturday through September 5, Caramoor offers the 2026 Rosen House Focus Tour: Inside Lucie's Wardrobe, inviting visitors to discover Lucie Rosen's fashions through a curated, docent-led experience. For the first time in over thirty years, Lucie’s unique fashions will be displayed in the Rosen House, enlivened by photos and new research. The garments Lucie treasured and saved, from the shimmering silks of the 1930s to the bold colors of the 1960s, together with her fancy dress costume based upon Sandro Botticelli’s Primavera and her joyful approach to dressing, provide the inspiration for a lively and fascinating tour. Guests will step into the Mediterranean-style villa that Walter and Lucie Rosen created as a home filled with music, art, and extraordinary collections. Docents will share the stories behind the Rosens’ carefully assembled treasures and share new discoveries about the fascinating characters that helped shape Lucie's signature style. The tour lasts approximately 45 minutes.

Related Events:

Conversations at Caramoor: Behind the Seams
Thursday, June 25, 2026 at 5:30pm
Music Room at Rosen House
Free and Open to the Public

Join Jessa Krick, Caramoor's Director of Interpretation, Collection, and Archives, for a free talk exploring nearly two years of research into Lucie Rosen's clothing and accessories. Hear how the 2026 Focus Tour came together, what intense study of the garments and archives revealed, what didn't make the cut, and the true identity of Lucie's favorite dressmaker.

Conversations at Caramoor: Flowers in Fashion and Music
Wednesday, July 29, 2026 at 6:00pm
Music Room at Rosen House

Flower historian Jill Brooke, author of The Genius of Flowers: What Life’s Most Beautiful Creations Can Teach Us, will share fascinating ways that music and fashion – both integral to Caramoor – have been used by famous designers and musicians to tell universal stories of love and family and create lasting connections. Lucie Rosen, whose unique style is on display in this summer’s Inside Lucie’s Wardrobe Focus Tour, was also inspired by nature. Particularly striking is her Flora costume, covered in flowers and inspired by Botticelli’s Primavera. Brooke will reveal some of the hidden meanings and secrets behind Botticelli’s masterpiece. The evening begins with a chance to view dresses and accessories from Inside Lucie’s Wardrobe in the West Corridor and Music Room, followed by this inspiring talk.

Conversations at Caramoor: Spotlight on Lucie’s Jewelry
Thursday, September 3, 2026 at 7:00pm
Music Room at Rosen House

From Caramoor’s archives (and from a recent sale of her ruby necklace), we know Lucie Rosen had an impressive and varied jewelry collection, as unique as her clothing choices. Beth Carver Wees, Curator Emerita of the American Wing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and co-author of Marcus & Company: Three Generations of New York Jewelers, will place Lucie’s jewelry into historic context and speak about the well-known Manhattan jewelers of the Rosens’ era.

Immersive Outdoor World Premiere

World Premiere of Christopher Cerrone’s The Only Way is Through – Sandbox Percussion and the Young People’s Chorus of NYC
Sunday, July 19, 2026 at 4:00pm
Sunken Garden
Free and Open to the Public

In this immersive outdoor premiere, co-commissioned by Caramoor, GRAMMY Award-winning composerChristopher Cerrone traces how people and things change — slowly, with determination and joy. The work begins with a processional: Sandbox Percussion and the Young People's Chorus of New York City move through the Sunken Garden, weaving among the audience before finding their places. From there, the piece unfolds as a gradual revelation — the choristers sing alongside the percussionists, at times lending their voices to guide and shape the music, as a single phrase slowly comes into focus: the only way is through. Inspired by the first year of Cerrone's son's life, the work reaches beyond autobiography toward something more universal — the experience of having come through something hard, and the recognition that this is simply how we move forward. Throughout, the audience is free to move through the Sunken Garden. There will be a pre-concert conversation with Christopher Cerrone and Sandbox Percussion at 3:00pm.

Great for Families

Dancing at Dusk
Wednesdays at 5:30pm; July 8, July 15, July 22, 2026
Friends Field

Dancing at Dusk, interactive concerts for young listeners, returns to Caramoor for three Wednesday concerts in July. Bring your own picnic, pre-order one crafted by GE Brown, or enjoy a fresh pie made on the spot by Pizza Girls. Or, start your evening with a pre-concert family-friendly cooking class and prepare your own meal inspired by the music, presented by Feeding Young Foodies (listed below).

July 8 – WindSync Plays Peter and the Wolf
WindSync brings Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf to life as a playful, participatory musical adventure. Families and young listeners are invited to experience a timeless story in Friends Field’s beautiful and spacious setting.

July 15 – Flor Bromley’s Fiesta Global
Flor Bromley lights up Dancing at Dusk with a vibrant, interactive program that weaves together Latin American rhythms, bilingual storytelling, and family-focused fun. Expect an uplifting community dance party filled with color, rhythm, and joyful energy.

July 22 – Hopalong Andrew
Hopalong Andrew brings his high-spirited “urban cowboy” music to Dancing at Dusk, turning Caramoor’s Friends Field into a joyful, family-friendly hoedown. With playful Western-themed songs, call-and-response games, and plenty of chances to move, he delights kids and grownups alike.

Kids Cooking Class: Presented by Feeding Young Foodies
Wednesdays at 4:30pm; July 8, July 15, July 22, 2026
Summer Dining Room

Come to Caramoor for a series of hands-on culinary classes designed for children, where they make dishes from scratch and enjoy what they create. Kids and their parents will create a dish themed to the evening’s Dancing at Dusk performance and get to enjoy it during the show! Feeding Young Foodies believes that it’s never too early to introduce children to a sophisticated and diverse flavor profile. They feel about food the way we do about music – it’s all about creating an experience that brings families closer together. Please Note: All Parents/Guardians must complete and submit a waiver before the class.

July 8 – Pelmeni Making and mini-cake decorating
July 15 – Mexican Cuisine
July 22 – Taco Making & Mocktails

Teddy Bear Teas
Sunday, July 19 and Friday, July 31, 2026 at 1:00pm
Music Room at Rosen House

Inspired by founder Lucie Rosen’s love of the English tea tradition, this special event invites families to experience the charm of tea service in the elegant Music Room. Enjoy an assortment of tea sandwiches, scones with créme fraiche and preserves, and an array of sweet treats, served alongside a selection of fragrant teas and hot chocolate for the little ones. Each child will also receive a Caramoor Activity Book, filled with fun and creative ways to explore the Music Room! So bring your teddy bear, doll, or favorite plush companion to share in conversation, laughter, and imagination at a memorable tea party in one of Westchester’s most special settings.

Caramoor Jazz Festival - Family Set: Musical Storytime with Kate and Jake Goldbas
Saturday, July 25, 2026 at 1:00pm (Festival runs from 12:30pm to 7:00pm)
Caramoor Grounds

Kate and Jake Goldbas explore the building blocks of music - rhythm, melody, tempo and dynamics - in this interactive performance. Through shared music making experiences families will explore how these elements help tell the story and bring Kate's debut songbook I Wish That I Could Be A Whale to Life!

Teas & More

Afternoon Tea at Caramoor
Most Fridays and Sundays at 1:00pm; June 26 to August 2, 2026
Music Room at Rosen House

Afternoon Tea was one of the English traditions Lucie Rosen, founder of Caramoor, enjoyed during her time living in England in the early 1910s. She kept up the practice of inviting friends and guests to tea for many years, using the time for conversation and for planning concerts and other social events. Tea is served in the Music Room, a unique opportunity for you to relax with friends and family in a breathtaking historic setting, featuring a large portrait of Lucie herself. The service includes a variety of tea sandwiches, scones with créme fraiche and preserves, delicious desserts, and a selection of fragrant teas. Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and dairy free menus are available. A waiting list is available for dates that have sold out.

Cheese Pairing Classes
Thursdays at 5:00pm; July 9, 23, 30, 2026
Summer Dining Room at the Rosen House

Come to Caramoor’s stunning historic Summer Dining Room at the Rosen House for an unforgettable evening of cheese, drinks, and good company. In partnership with Second Mouse Cheese Shop, passionate cheese expert Ivy Ronquillo will guide attendees through a delicious journey of artisanal cheeses and their perfect pairings with beer. Come mingle with fellow music lovers, sip, taste, and leave with a whole new appreciation for what's in your glass and on your plate. Following each cheese pairing class, stay for that evening’s concert. Tickets for the concerts must be purchased separately.

July 9 – Beer and Cheese before Ricardo Lemvo & Makina Loca
July 23 – Wine and Cheese before Yuja Wang & People of Earth
July 30 – Whiskey and Cheese before Mark Morris Dance Group

Nature & Wellness

Sunset Yoga in the Sunken Garden
Tuesdays at 6:30pm; through July 28, 2026
Sunken Garden

Unwind and restore in the serene setting of Caramoor’s Sunken Garden with a special yoga series designed to nurture both body and mind. Each session offers a gentle, mindful practice led by an experienced instructor, with an emphasis on breath, alignment, and presence. The atmosphere of the Sunken Garden offers a uniquely calming environment, inviting participants to slow down and reconnect. This series will occur throughout the summer and is open to all levels. Whether you are new to yoga or returning to your mat, these sessions provide a peaceful way to begin or end your day while experiencing Caramoor from a new perspective. Please bring a yoga mat and wear comfortable clothing. In the event of inclement weather, this series will take place in a covered or indoor space.

Plein Air Painting and Drawing
Sunday, June 28, 2026 at 9:00am
The Italian Pavilion and Butterfly Garden

Explore architectural drawing in watercolor and pen as you capture the elegant lines of the Rosen House and the dramatic Tapestry Hedge. The instructor, Kristen Lowe, will offer a mini demo on drawing buildings and structures, then circulate to assist as you work at your own pace. Recommended for ages 14 and up; teens are welcome with a parent or guardian. Watercolors and charcoal provided, or feel free to bring supplies from home if you prefer.

Music and Meditation in the Garden
Saturdays at 11:00am; July 11, July 18, and August 1, 2026
Sunken Garden

Caramoor continues its Music and Meditation in the Garden, a series of three Saturday morning gatherings for deep listening in the tranquil Sunken Garden. Each event begins with a short meditation led by Jennifer Llewellyn of Katonah’s Majestic Hudson. Fresh coffee, tea, and treats are available for purchase before or after the concert.

July 11 – Flutist Adam W. Sadberry and Bassoonist Alexander Davis
July 18 – Guitarist Kyle Sanna and Violinist Dana Lyn
August 1 – Harpist Emily Levin and Violinist Julia Choi

Butterfly Walk
Friday, July 24, 2026 at 11:00am
The Sunken Garden

The Sunken Garden teems with butterflies and other pollinators when its native plants are in peak summer bloom. Planted intentionally with local flora, the garden was designed to attract and sustain the native species that call this region home, creating a living ecosystem where butterflies, bees, and other pollinators can truly thrive.

This summer, Caramoor is proud to partner with Greenwich Audubon to bring these wings and wildflowers to life through guided walks of the garden. Guide Ryan MacLean, Senior Coordinator of Public Programs at Greenwich Audubon, brings a wealth of knowledge about local butterflies, birds, and their migration patterns and habits to every walk. A musician as well as a naturalist, Ryan has a remarkable gift for hearing and mimicking birdsong. Keep your ears perked as he leads you through the garden, and don't be surprised if he stops to point out a warbler passing through on its way north, or names a butterfly you've walked past a hundred times without ever truly seeing. This program is free for children under 12.

Dance for PD: A Free Movement Class
Tuesday, July 28, 2026 at 12:00pm
Diane Moss Education Center

Come explore movement and music in ways that are enjoyable, stimulating and creative. Based on the award-winning Dance for PD® method, this interactive, research-backed class is appropriate for anyone with PD, at all levels of ability and mobility. No dance experience is required. You’ll explore elements of modern dance, ballet, creative movement, jazz, and social dancing in a non-pressured, social environment in which music energizes, enriches and empowers. Classes modeled after Dance for PD are available in more than 500 communities in 30 countries around the world. This class is open to anyone living with Parkinson’s and their families, friends and care partners. The workshop will be led by David Leventhal, Program Director and Founding Teacher of Dance for PD. This program is presented in collaboration with Mark Morris Dance Group in advance of their performance at Caramoor on July 30. Tickets are free, but advance registration is required.

Sonic Innovations

Sonic Innovations is Caramoor’s seasonal (June through October) exhibition of sound art, which uses the historic grounds as the site for multiple works and grew out of the 2014 site-specific commissioning initiative In the Garden of Sonic Delights. Each artist has drawn inspiration from their chosen location, creating work that is mindful of the natural and human-made sounds and systems present in the environment, while engaging each site’s unique characteristics, be they acoustic, historic, architectural, or aesthetic. Sonic Innovations encourages us to hear and see Caramoor differently, bringing a listener’s awareness to the surroundings and the change of seasons.

Currently on display are Trimpin's in "C"; Lisa Renée Coons’ Five Essays on Caramoor; Liz Phillips’ Dyning in the Dovecote; Annea Lockwood and Bob Bielecki’s Wild Energy; Ranjit Bhatnagar’s Stone Song; and Taylor Deupree’s t(ch)ime. Learn more.

Dining at Caramoor

Caramoor’s on-site dining options include Pre-Ordered Gourmet Picnics available for pick-up two hours prior to each mainstage concert, which can be pre-ordered until the Tuesday before the performance. The menu is prepared by local coffee and sandwich purveyor G.E. Brown with curated artisanal cheese boards from Second Mouse Cheese Shop. In addition, the Bravo Bar is open two hours before each performance, offering snacks and lemonade, iced tea, wine, cocktails, and buzz-free beverages as well as a rotating selection of offerings from local food creators including It Must Have Been the Bake, Bark and Brine BBQ, G.E. Brown, Pizza Girls, Walter’s Hot Dogs,Second Mouse Cheese Shop, LMNOP, and Miss Mona Makes Ice Cream. Specific offerings are noted for each performance on Caramoor’s website. For more information on Dining at Caramoor and to pre-order picnics, visit caramoor.org/visit-us/amenities.

About Caramoor

Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts is a vibrant cultural destination nestled on 81 acres of historic gardens and woodlands in Katonah, NY. Once the home of music and art lovers Walter and Lucie Rosen, Caramoor has evolved into one of the region’s most distinctive destinations for live performances, cultural engagement, and exploration – a sanctuary for music, art, and nature.

Each year, Caramoor presents an exciting array of concerts across genres – from classical, opera, and chamber music to jazz, American roots, global sounds, and the American songbook. Caramoor’s acclaimed Summer Season brings audiences together for unforgettable outdoor performances from June into August infive distinct settings (the Venetian Theater, Friends Field, Spanish Courtyard, Sunken Garden, and the Music Room), while the intimate Rosen House Concert Series runs from October through May in the historic Rosen House, a Mediterranean-style villa listed on the National Register of Historic Places and filled with treasures from around the world. With a mission to engage audiences of all ages, Caramoor also offers a selection of concerts and programs for families and our youngest listeners.

Caramoor is a place where music, history, and nature come together to create moments of beauty and connection for all who visit. In addition to hearing concerts, visitors to Caramoor can tour the spectacular Rosen House, explore its intriguing collections, enjoy a picnic, and experience the lush gardens and grounds – including Caramoor’s unique collection of site-specific Sound Art, permanently installed sound sculptures that draw inspiration from their environment. Caramoor also offers a formal afternoon tea service year-round in the Music Room (by reservation), the seasonal Bravo Bar concessions stand, and a selection of public programs such as yoga, art classes, and large-scale community events.

For Caramoor’s complete schedule: caramoor.org/events

Ticketing Information

Concert tickets are available for purchase online at caramoor.org; by phone at 914.232.1252 Tuesdays through Fridays from 10am-4pm; and on site from the Box Office two hours before each performance.

Caramoor is located at 149 Girdle Ridge Road in Katonah, NY.

How to get to Caramoor: caramoor.org/visit-us/amenities

More information about visiting Caramoor: caramoor.org/visit

July 2 & 5: The Jupiter String Quartet is a Faculty Quartet-in-Residence at Taos School of Music Chamber Music Festival

Photo of the Jupiter Quartet by Todd Rosenberg available in high resolution at www.jensenartists.com/artists-profiles/jupiter-string

The Jupiter String Quartet is a Faculty Quartet-in-Residence
at Taos School of Music Chamber Music Festival
June 29-July 12, 2026

July 2: Free Faculty Quartet Seminar
July 5: Faculty Performance

“an ensemble of eloquent intensity, has matured into one of the mainstays of the American chamber-music scene.” – The New Yorker

www.jupiterquartet.com | TaosSchoolofMusic.com

Taos, NM – The renowned Jupiter String Quartet, a uniquely intimate ensemble built around family bonds and musical connection, is one of the celebrated Faculty Quartets-in-Residence at the 2026 Taos School of Music Chamber Music Festival from June 29-July 12, 2026. As part of its residency, the Quartet will give a free faculty seminar about Brahms’ String Quartet in A Minor on Thursday, July 2, 2026 at 5pm at the Rio Hondo Learning Center (5 Firehouse Road) and a performance on Sunday, July 5, 2026 at 5pm at the Taos Community Auditorium (133 Paseo Del Pueblo Norte). While in Taos, the Jupiter String Quartet will also work with the 19 violinists, violists, cellists, and pianists selected from all around the world for this year’s festival.

Based at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and giving concerts all over the country, the Jupiter String Quartet is a particularly intimate group, consisting of violinists Mélanie Clapiès and Meg Freivogel, violist Liz Freivogel (Meg’s older sister), and cellist Daniel McDonough (Meg’s husband, Liz’s brother-in-law). The Jupiter Quartet has performed in some of the world’s finest halls, including New York City’s Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, London’s Wigmore Hall, Boston’s Jordan Hall, Mexico City's Palacio de Bellas Artes, Washington, D.C.’s Kennedy Center and Library of Congress, Austria’s Esterhazy Palace, and Seoul’s Sejong Chamber Hall. In addition to the Taos School of Music Chamber Music Festival, they have also performed at festivals including the Aspen Music Festival and School, Bowdoin International Music Festival, Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival, Rockport Music Festival, Caramoor International Music Festival, Music at Menlo, Tucson Winter Chamber Music Festival, the Banff Centre, the Seoul Spring Festival, and many others.

The Taos School of Music (TSoM) stands as a beacon of excellence in the world of chamber music education. Founded in 1963 in the serene Taos Ski Valley, New Mexico, the TSoM is celebrated for its intimate, immersive approach to training early-career musicians, and has been hailed by NPR as “one of the most prestigious and intimate of summer music schools in the country.”

Meg and Liz Freivogel and Daniel McDonough all attended TSoM as students, so the Jupiter String Quartet’s returning role as a faculty ensemble is a full circle moment for them.

“We are so thrilled to return again to the Taos School of Music, which has held a special place in our hearts since we first attended as students more than 20 years ago,” says Liz Freivogel. ”The intensive chamber music experience in such a beautiful setting provides a huge boost of inspiration for us, and it is a joy to work with the amazing students that attend the school every summer.”

For the seminar on Thursday, July 2 at 5pm, the Jupiter String Quartet will highlight the expressive musicality of Johannes Brahms’s Quartet in A Minor – a work on the group’s July 5 concert program – sharing insightful discussion of the work and the Quartet’s own experiences studying and performing the music. The seminar is free to attend with reserved tickets. There is also an option to purchase tickets to an exclusive dinner at local dining establishment, 192 at The Blake, taking place after the seminar. On Sunday, July 5, at 5pm, the Quartet’s strong artistic connections and expressive musicality shine in a colorful program inspired by nature and culture featuring Franz Joseph Haydn’s String Quartet in C Major, Op. 33 No. 3 “The Bird;” Cançoes da America by Clarice Assad; and String Quartet No. 2 in A minor, Op. 51 by Johannes Brahms.

Since forming in 2001, the Jupiter String Quartet has turned their family-infused dynamic into a musical strength. The personal connections that bind them – sisters who grew up making music together, a marriage that deepened musical partnership – and the artistic connections between the group that are fortified more everyday, create an intuitive ensemble communication that audiences consistently notice. The close-knit nature of their musical relationships are seen, heard, and felt from the stage.

More About Jupiter String Quartet: The Jupiter String Quartet’s chamber music honors and awards include the grand prizes in the Banff International String Quartet Competition and the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition; the Young Concert Artists International auditions in New York City; the Cleveland Quartet Award from Chamber Music America; an Avery Fisher Career Grant; and a grant from the Fromm Foundation. From 2007-2010, they were in residence at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s Chamber Music Two.   

The Jupiter String Quartet feels a strong connection to the core string quartet repertoire; they have presented the complete Bartok and Beethoven string quartets on numerous occasions. Also deeply committed to new music, they have commissioned string quartets from Nathan Shields, Stephen Andrew Taylor, Michi Wiancko, Syd Hodkinson, Hannah Lash, Dan Visconti, and Kati Agócs; a quintet with baritone voice by Mark Adamo; and a piano quintet by Pierre Jalbert. 

On April 17, 2026, the Jupiter String Quartet released Undreamed Shores, the ensemble’s ninth studio album and first on Orchid Classics. On Undreamed Shores, the Jupiter Quartet turns to old friends with new inspiration. The album features the world premiere recordings of new string quartets written for the Jupiter by composers who are also longtime friends of the ensemble — Michi Wiancko (To Unpathed Waters, Undreamed Shores), Stephen Andrew Taylor (Chaconne/Labyrinth), and Kati Agócs (Imprimatur, String Quartet No. 2) — exploring themes including the climate crisis, the pandemic, memory, and re-imagination. This highly anticipated recording is the Jupiter’s final album with violinist Nelson Lee, who departed from the group’s lineup in September 2025, succeeded by violinist Mélanie Clapiès.

In addition to Undreamed Shores, the Jupiter’s discography includes a collaborative album with the Jasper Quartet released on Marquis Records in 2021, featuring Dan Visconti’s Eternal Breath, Felix Mendelssohn’s Octet in E-flat, Op. 20, and Osvaldo Golijov’s Last Round, which was praised by The Arts Fuse for its “smart program and fine execution.” The quartet has recorded previously for Azica Records and Deutsche Grammophon. 

The quartet chose its name because Jupiter was the most prominent planet in the night sky at the time of its formation and the astrological symbol for Jupiter resembles the number four.

About the Taos School of Music: The Taos School of Music (TSoM) stands as a beacon of excellence in the world of chamber music education. Founded in 1963 in the serene Taos Ski Valley, New Mexico, the TSoM is celebrated for its intimate, immersive approach to training early-career musicians, and has been hailed by NPR as “one of the most prestigious and intimate of summer music schools in the country.” Founding Vision and Legacy The TSoM was conceived in partnership between a group of passionate professional musicians and Taos locals, led by Chilton Anderson, a Taos rancher and the director of the Taos Ski Valley Ski School. Chilton envisioned a haven where young musicians could focus on chamber music while drawing inspiration from the breathtaking Sangre de Cristo mountains. His dedication and vision, coupled with his belief in the transformative power of music, laid the foundation for what the TSoM is today.

July 9 at The Breakers: Newport Classical Presents Regional Premiere of New Work by JUNO Award-Winning Composer Vivian Fung for Violinist Kristin Lee and Sandbox Percussion

Photo from the world premiere of Goddess/Insect taken by Carlin Ma for Emerald City Music.
Available in high resolution here.

Newport Classical Co-Commissions New Work by
JUNO Award-Winning Composer Vivian Fung

Violinist Kristin Lee and Sandbox Percussion Give
New England Premiere at Newport Classical Music Festival

Thursday, July 9, 2026, 8pm
The Breakers | 44 Ochre Point Ave. | Newport, RI
Information & Tickets: newportclassical.org/music-festival

Newport, RI – From July 2-19, 2026, the Newport Classical Music Festival will again turn this “City by the Sea” into a summer destination for music lovers, featuring 30 concerts across 11 unforgettable venues, from cliffside lawns to gilded mansions, including the stunning interiors of The Breakers, The Elms, Castle Hill Inn, Blithewold Mansion, Rosecliff Mansion, Redwood Library and Athenæum, and more. One of the many highlights of this year’s Music Festival is the New England premiere of a new work co-commissioned by Newport Classical from JUNO Award-winning composer Vivian Fung, on Thursday, July 9 at 8pm at The Breakers (44 Ochre Point Avenue).

The new piece, titled Goddess//Insect is written for violinist Kristin Lee, praised in The Strad for her “elegance” and “vivacity and electric energy,” and the “utterly amazing” (Guardian) GRAMMY®-nominated ensemble Sandbox Percussion. It is co-commissioned by a national consortium of concert presenters including Newport Classical, Emerald City Music (Lee’s own series in Seattle), Music@Menlo in California, Constellations Chamber Concerts in the Washington, DC area; and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center in New York, NY. Exploring the vibrant dialogue between violin and percussion, Lee and Sandbox Percussion bring this dynamic new work to The Breakers, along with music by two other women composers, Gabriella Smith and Joan Tower.

The co-commission of Goddess//Insect represents Newport Classical’s ongoing commitment to the future of classical music. Writing in The Newport Daily News, Newport Classical Executive Director Oliver Inteeworn says, “Classical music’s roots are deep, but it is a living legacy. Composers writing in this genre are just as active now as they were in centuries past. During the Music Festival, you can hear recently written and brand new music alongside classics by composers whose names we all know, like Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms. Each summer, Newport Classical also commissions a new piece especially for the Music Festival, ensuring that we are supporting the creation of new work by today’s composers.”

“Goddess//Insect is derived from the term 'God-Bug Syndrome' where a 'god complex' (inflated self-importance) acts as a defense against deep-seated feelings of worthlessness,” says composer Vivian Fung. “I believe our world right now is facing these conflicting emotions and so this work is ultimately a work that reflects our turbulent and chaotic times.”

Of the theatrical nature of the piece, Fung says in an interview in The Newport Daily News, “The performance commences with the majority of the performers dispersed throughout the hall, creating the ‘Arachnid Procession.’ All performers embody an otherworldly sound, as one audience member at the world premiere mentioned that it gave him goose bumps. They gradually walk towards the stage, where the work truly unfolds. The effect is a surround sound experience without the need for a sound system!”

Kristin Lee says, “This project has been in the works for several years, and I couldn’t be more excited that it has finally come to life. My admiration for Sandbox Percussion’s vast sound world and Vivian Fung’s boundless creativity grew out of two very different musical chapters in my life, and bringing them together feels like a dream come true. Beyond my own personal excitement, this piece is a celebration of an instrumentation with enormous potential – the combination of percussion quartet and violin, a pairing that remains underrepresented in the repertoire. By sharing works by Vivian and Joan, I hope this project will inspire others to expand the possibilities for this instrumentation and help bring its powerful impact to a wider audience.”

Victor Caccese of Sandbox Percussion says, “We’re thrilled to collaborate with Kristin Lee on a new work by Vivian Fung and to explore the dialogue between an instrument with a rich history like the violin and the expansive, ever-evolving sound world of a percussion quartet. Sandbox Percussion has long admired Kristin’s artistry and the singular path she has forged as a violinist, and this collaboration feels like a perfect fit. This project offers a meaningful opportunity to expand the chamber music repertoire for violin and percussion quartet. Vivian’s music is endlessly creative, drawing on long-standing musical traditions while blending them with fresh, contemporary ideas. Her work opens up a rich and expressive space for these instruments together, and we’re excited to bring a new voice into this still largely underexplored corner of the chamber music landscape.” 

About the Artists

Vivian Fung: vivianfung.ca
Kristin Lee: violinistkristinlee.com
Sandbox Percussion: sandboxpercussion.com

About Newport Classical

Newport Classical is a premier performing arts organization that welcomes people of every age, culture, and background to intimate, immersive musical experiences. The organization presents world-renowned and up-and-coming artistic talents at stunning, storied venues across Newport – an internationally sought-after cultural and recreational destination.

Originally founded in 1969 as Rhode Island Arts Foundation at Newport, Inc., Newport Classical has a rich legacy of musical curiosity having presented the American debuts of hundreds of international artists and is most well-known for hosting three weeks of concerts in the summer in the historic mansions throughout Newport and Aquidneck Island. In the 56 years since, Newport Classical has become the most active year-round presenter of live performing arts on Aquidneck Island, and an essential pillar of Rhode Island’s cultural landscape, welcoming thousands of patrons all year long.

Newport Classical invests in the future of classical music as a diverse, relevant, and ever-evolving art form through its four core programs – the one-of-a-kind Music Festival; the Chamber Series in the Newport Classical Recital Hall; the free, family-friendly Community Concerts Series; and the Music Enrichment and Engagement Initiative that inspires students in local schools and community organizations to become the arts advocates and music lovers of tomorrow. These programs illustrate the organization’s ongoing commitment to presenting “timeless music for today.”

In 2021, the organization launched a new commissioning initiative – each year, Newport Classical will commission a new work by a Black, Indigenous, person of color, or woman composer as a commitment to the future of classical music. To date, Newport Classical has commissioned and presented the world premiere of works by Stacy Garrop, Shawn Okpebholo, Curtis Stewart, Clarice Assad, and Cris Derksen.

After a year-long community-driven process, and rooted in the organization’s mission “to celebrate the living art form of classical music in intimate and iconic locations,” Newport Classical released its 2025-2028 Strategic Plan, presenting a clear roadmap to become a stronger, healthier, and more vibrant organization that enhances its programs and community engagement, promotes responsible financial growth and sustainability, and centers artistic excellence in every decision, as the organization aspires to open its doors even wider.

OUT NOW: Father-Son Duo Mark and David Kaplan Release Brahms Sonatas Album on Orchid Classics

Violinist Mark Kaplan and Pianist David Kaplan Release Father-Son Album via Orchid Classics Featuring the Brahms Sonatas

Out Now - Listen Here

Read an Interview with the Kaplans in The Strad and Watch a Featured Video 

CDs or press downloads available upon request.

davidkaplanpiano.com | markkaplanviolin.com | orchidclassics.com

Violinist Mark Kaplan and pianist David Kaplan have released their first album together: a recording of the Brahms Violin Sonatas (Nos. 1-3), via Orchid Classics – listen here. This album highlights Mark and David Kaplan’s years of shared connection as musicians, and as father and son, through their joint exploration of three violin sonatas by Brahms. 

A soloist of international distinction, violinist Mark Kaplan has performed with nearly every American, European and Australian orchestra, collaborating with many of the world's great conductors, from Ormandy to Salonen. His multi-decade career has been equally dedicated to chamber music, and he has built a discography encompassing everything from Sarasate to Beethoven to Nono, as well as two complete recordings of Bach’s solo violin works. David Kaplan is a New York-born piano soloist and chamber musician, widely acclaimed for recital programs artfully connecting new and old music. He has performed concerti at London’s Barbican, Berlin’s Philharmonie, and with the Symphony Orchestras of Baltimore, Hawaii, and San Antonio. His recording of Valerie Coleman’s Revelry was nominated for a 2025 GRAMMY, and his 2024 solo debut, New Dances of the League of David, was lauded by The Financial Times, Gramophone, Fanfare, and more.

In their own unique way, the Kaplans represent a familiar story of musical lineage, with three generations of professional and amateur musicians charting their own paths. Brothers David and Edwin followed in the footsteps of their parents (who met as teenagers studying with Dorothy DeLay) and grew into their own musical success, with David embracing the piano and his brother becoming the violist of the award-winning Tesla Quartet and Duo Kayo. Chamber music, more than most other family pastimes and bonding experiences, was interwoven into the Kaplan family's everyday life –– particularly for Mark and David who have performed together in various settings over the years.

Mark and David come together in this recording as individuals with their own artistic voices, matching the equality of the roles of violin and piano in these Sonatas. Brahms lets both instruments share the responsibility of conveying the multifaceted emotions and expressions, giving these works a deeper sense of partnership quite fitting for this familial endeavor.

David writes in the liner notes for the album, “In Mozart the violin often accompanies the piano; in Franck the piano mostly accompanies the violin; but in Brahms neither instrument accompanies for more than a few bars. He treats the violin and piano as co-equal actors, each representing diverse voices and characters, engaged in multifaceted conversations, moods, and worlds.”

While any recording in some sense represents a culmination, for David and Mark Kaplan, this recording also represents a beginning. David says, “We hope you hear these performances as if entering into the middle of a decades-long conversation.”

For more information on each of the works, read the album’s liner notes here.

About Mark Kaplan:

A soloist of international distinction, violinist Mark Kaplan has performed with nearly every American, European and Australian orchestra, and with many of the world’s great conductors, including Ormandy, Rattle, Maazel, Masur, Dutoit, Salonen, Semkov, Skrowaczewski, and Tennstedt. He has made highly acclaimed concerto and recital appearances in all the musical centers of America and Europe, as well as in Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Hong Kong, China and Singapore. Kaplan is also devoted to chamber music, appearing

with pianist Yael Weiss and cellist Peter Stumpf as the Weiss-Kaplan-Stumpf Trio, with recordings and concert tours world-wide. Prior to that he performed and recorded extensively for two decades in the Golub-Kaplan-Carr Trio with cellist Colin Carr and the late pianist David Golub. Especially known for interpretations of 20-21st century works and the great German classics, his extensive discography of over 45 commercial CDs includes concerti, solo and chamber works from Paganini, Bartok, Berg, Sarasate and Nono to Schubert, Brahms and Schumann, as well as two complete recordings of Bach’s solo violin works. Since 2005 he has been Professor of Violin at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, following a decade as Professor at UCLA. Kaplan is a graduate of The Juilliard School, where he studied with Dorothy DeLay.

About David Kaplan:

David Kaplan is a New York-born piano soloist and chamber musician, widely acclaimed for recital programs artfully connecting new and old music. He has performed concerti at London’s Barbican, Berlin’s Philharmonie, and with the Symphony Orchestras of Baltimore, Hawaii, and San Antonio. His recording of Valerie Coleman’s “Revelry” was nominated for a 2025 GRAMMY, and his 2024 solo debut, New Dances of the League of David, was lauded by Financial Times, Gramophone, Fanfare, and more. His solo recitals have brought him to the Ravinia Festival, Strathmore, Washington’s National Gallery, and New York’s Carnegie and Merkin Halls. Kaplan is a passionate advocate for contemporary American composers – he has commissioned new works from Timo Andres, Christopher Cerrone, Anthony Cheung, Donnacha Dennehy, Caroline Shaw, Augusta Read Thomas, and many others. Kaplan’s numerous collaborators include Tessa Lark, Colin Carr, and the Ariel, Attacca, Formosa, and Tesla String Quartets. He has performed at La Jolla SummerFest, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, and is a founding member of Decoda, the affiliate ensemble of Carnegie Hall. Kaplan is the Associate Professor and Inaugural Shapiro Family Chair in Piano Performance at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, where he has taught since 2016. Kaplan’s teachers included Claude Frank and Walter Ponce. Away from the keyboard, he loves cartooning and cooking, and is mildly obsessed with classic cars.

Brahms: The Violin Sonatas
Orchid Classics
Release Date (Worldwide): June 19, 2026

Mark Kaplan, Violin
David Kaplan, Piano

Track List:

Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)

Violin Sonata No. 1 in G major, Op. 78
1. I Vivace ma non troppo [10:39]
2. II Adagio [7:59]
3. III Allegro molto moderato [8:55]

Violin Sonata No. 2 in A major, Op. 100
4. I Allegro amabile [8:27]
5. II Andante tranquillo – Vivace [6:18]
6. III Allegretto grazioso (quasi andante) [5:27]

Violin Sonata No. 3 in D minor, Op. 108
7. I Allegro [7:46]
8. II Adagio [4:36]
9. III Un poco presto e con sentimento [3:03]
10. IV Presto agitato [5:47]

Total Time [69:01]

Producer, Engineer, and Editor: Eric Silberger
Mixing and Mastering: Silas Brown
Assistant engineer: Aidan McLain
Piano tuner: Sean McLaughlin
Photography: Dario Acosta
Bösendorfer 280VC kindly provided by Yamaha Artist Services
Recorded at the Evelyn and Mo Ostin Music Center, UCLA Herb Alpert School of
Music, Los Angeles, CA on June 14-16, 2024

Newport Classical Music Festival Presents Four Special Chamber Music Concerts at The Breakers and Blithewold Mansion

Clockwise from top left: Chen-Lipman-Cho Trio, Parker Quartet, Trio Karénine, Cerus Saxophone Quartet.

Press photos available here.

2026 Newport Classical Music Festival
Four Special Chamber Music Performances

July 5: Parker Quartet
July 7: Cerus Saxophone Quartet
July 8: String Trios with Chen-Lipman-Cho
July 12: Trio Karénine

Tickets & Information: www.newportclassical.org/music-festival

Newport, RI – From July 2-19, 2026, the Newport Classical Music Festival will again turn this “City by the Sea” into a summer destination for music lovers, featuring 30 concerts across 11 unforgettable venues, from cliffside lawns to gilded mansions, including the stunning interiors of The Breakers, The Elms, Castle Hill Inn, Blithewold Mansion, Rosecliff Mansion, Redwood Library and Athenæum, and more. This year, Newport Classical focuses on the intimate genre of chamber music for trios and quartets in four special performances between July 5 and July 12 – the GRAMMY® Award-winning Parker Quartet (July 5 at The Breakers); Gold Medal Fischoff Competition winners the Cerus Saxophone Quartet (July 7 at Blithewold Mansion); supergroup trio violinist Stella Chen, violist Matthew Lipman, and cellist Brannon Cho (July 8 at The Breakers); and returning Festival favorites Trio Karénine (July 12 at The Breakers).

Internationally acclaimed for their “fearless, yet probingly beautiful” performances (The Strad), the GRAMMY® Award-winning Parker Quartet returns to Newport to perform at The Breakers on Sunday, July 5 at 8pm, in a vibrant program featuring Beethoven, Paul Wiancko, and Schubert. Renowned for their fresh interpretations of canonical works, the Quartet continues to chart a dynamic artistic path rooted in both tradition and innovation, having captivated audiences on the world’s premier stages for over two decades. The Parker Quartet's name is inspired by the Parker House, a Boston historic landmark. It celebrates the Quartet's New England home, honors the food legacy of the Parker House (Boston Cream Pie, Parker House Rolls), and pays homage to the great history of artists and writers who used the Parker House as a meeting point.

On Tuesday, July 7 at 11am, spend a beautiful morning on the outdoor grounds of Blithewold Mansion with the Cerus Saxophone Quartet. Named for the mythical wild bull tamed by Persephone, Cerus brings the same spirit to the stage, blending works from the traditional classical cannon and new contemporary works with energy, precision, and playful imagination. From Grieg and Piazzolla to living composers like Karalyn Schubring and Joan Perez-Villegas, the quartet’s program spans centuries and styles, showcasing the saxophone quartet as a dynamic voice in 21st-century chamber music.

Violinist Stella Chen, violist Matthew Lipman, and cellist Brannon Cho join forces for an evening of chamber music trios on Wednesday, July 8 at 8pm. These three powerhouse musicians have each garnered international acclaim and have performed on prestigious stages worldwide with some of the world’s top orchestras. They come together to present a program pairing beloved Classical trios by Mozart and Dohnányi with a contemporary work by Andreia Pinto-Correia inspired by the individual voices of the ensemble, set against the glamorous backdrop of The Breakers.

After a sold-out Newport Classical debut in 2024, Trio Karénine returns to Newport for their first performance at The Breakers on Sunday, July 12 at 8pm. Praised by Newport Classical patrons as “one of the top performances I have seen” and for defining “what chamber music is all about,” the Paris-based trio is celebrated for its extraordinary cohesion and precision. Founded in 2009, Trio Karénine has appeared in many of the world’s most prestigious concert halls, including Wigmore Hall, the Concertgebouw, the Philharmonie de Paris, and the Frick Collection in New York. Acclaimed for their imaginative interpretations of the classical canon, the trio presents a program featuring works by Rimski-Korsakov, Saint-Saëns, and Tchaikovsky.

For 57 years, Newport Classical has showcased classical music as a living art form, presenting artists and programs that are diverse and ever-evolving in intimate and iconic venues that make every performance one of a kind. The 2026 Festival will again offer audiences the opportunity to discover new composers, revisit beloved works, and experience timeless works offered from a fresh perspective. 

Highlights of the 2026 Festival include Opening Night with chamber orchestra Delirium Musicum; a celebration of the Golden Age of Opera with Lawrence Brownlee and Erin Morley; solo piano performances by Michelle Cann and Dmitry Shishkin, as well as a two-piano recital with Pavel Kolesnikov and Samson Tsoy; a new work by Vivian Fung, co-commissioned by Newport Classical, performed by Sandbox Percussion and violinist Kristin Lee; performances by violinist Eldbjørg Hemsing, VOCES8, Apollo’s Fire, Trio Karénine, WindSync, Cerus Saxophone Quartet, Beijing Guitar Duo, Parker Quartet, and more; two evenings with Broadway star Jeremy Jordan, known for his lead role in Newsies and most recently The Great Gatsby; and Closing Night with the GRAMMY® Award-winning Harlem Quartet, joined by Newport Classical’s Resident Festival Artists. Other highlights of the 2026 Newport Classical Music Festival include the beloved Sunrise Concerts at 5:15am; a concert inspired by nature at Norman Bird Sanctuary; a free Fourth of July concert at King Park; and this year’s young professional Newport Classical Resident Festival Artists in eight performances. Now in its fifth year, Newport Classical’s Festival Artists Residency Program brings together five professional musicians at the early stages of their careers for an intense period of rehearsal and music-making during the Festival. This summer, Newport Classical welcomes Nathan Amaral (violin); Joshua Brown (violin); Joseph Skerik (viola), Leland Ko (cello), and Janice Carissa (piano).

For the full schedule, visit: www.newportclassical.org/music-festival 

About Newport Classical

Newport Classical is a premier performing arts organization that welcomes people of every age, culture, and background to intimate, immersive musical experiences. The organization presents world-renowned and up-and-coming artistic talents at stunning, storied venues across Newport – an internationally sought-after cultural and recreational destination.

Originally founded in 1969 as Rhode Island Arts Foundation at Newport, Inc., Newport Classical has a rich legacy of musical curiosity having presented the American debuts of hundreds of international artists and is most well-known for hosting three weeks of concerts in the summer in the historic mansions throughout Newport and Aquidneck Island. In the 56 years since, Newport Classical has become the most active year-round presenter of live performing arts on Aquidneck Island, and an essential pillar of Rhode Island’s cultural landscape, welcoming thousands of patrons all year long.

Newport Classical invests in the future of classical music as a diverse, relevant, and ever-evolving art form through its four core programs – the one-of-a-kind Music Festival; the Chamber Series in the Newport Classical Recital Hall; the free, family-friendly Community Concerts Series; and the Music Enrichment and Engagement Initiative that inspires students in local schools and community organizations to become the arts advocates and music lovers of tomorrow. These programs illustrate the organization’s ongoing commitment to presenting “timeless music for today.” 

In 2021, the organization launched a new commissioning initiative – each year, Newport Classical will commission a new work by a Black, Indigenous, person of color, or woman composer as a commitment to the future of classical music. To date, Newport Classical has commissioned and presented the world premiere of works by Stacy Garrop, Shawn Okpebholo, Curtis Stewart, Clarice Assad, and Cris Derksen.

After a year-long community-driven process, and rooted in the organization’s mission “to celebrate the living art form of classical music in intimate and iconic locations,” Newport Classical released its 2025-2028 Strategic Plan, presenting a clear roadmap to become a stronger, healthier, and more vibrant organization that enhances its programs and community engagement, promotes responsible financial growth and sustainability, and centers artistic excellence in every decision, as the organization aspires to open its doors even wider.

Opera at Caramoor in July - Paris's Les Arts Florissants and San Francisco's Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra - Only Tri-State Performances

Les Arts Florissants by Julien Gazeau. Photos available in high resolution, here.

Opera at Caramoor’s Historic Venetian Theater in July

Friday, July 17 at 7:00pm: Les Arts Florissants in a Charpentier Double Bill
William Christie, Music Director
Marie Lambert-Le Bilhan and Stéphane Facco, Stage Directors
Featuring Singers from Les Jardin des Voix and Choreography by Martin Chaix
Tickets & Information

Sunday, July 26 at 4:00pm: Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra in Handel’s Tolomeo
Peter Whelan, Music Director and James Darrah Black, Stage Director
Featuring Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen as Tolomeo and Lauren Snouffer as Seleuce
Tickets & Information

Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts | 149 Girdle Ridge Road | Katonah, NY
Information

KATONAH, NY – Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts – a vibrant cultural destination nestled on 81 acres of historic gardens and woodlands in Katonah, NY – will present two operas in July in its historic Venetian Theater, in both cases offering the only opportunity in the tri-state area to see these works this summer. Following the magical production of Purcell’s The Fairy Queen at Caramoor in 2024, pioneering conductor and harpsichordist William Christie returns to present the work that gave his renowned Baroque ensemble its name, Les Arts Florissants, on Friday, July 17, 2026 at 7:00pm. The Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, which has presented memorable performances of Handel’s Atalanta and Acisand Galatea at Caramoor in the past, returns on Sunday, July 26, 2026 at 4:00pm for a semi-staged production of Handel’s masterpiece, Tolomeo, re d'Egitto, led by newly appointed Music Director Peter Whelan and directed by James Darrah Black. These signature performances are part of Caramoor’s 2026 Summer Season featuring over thirty concerts throughout the grounds between June 20 and August 2, 2026. Caramoor, once the estate of music and art lovers Walter and Lucie Rosen, is one of the region’s most distinctive destinations for live performance, cultural engagement, and exploration. 

For the first time since the 1980s and to celebrate the group’s 80th anniversary, William Christie has revived the short opera by Marc-Antoine Charpentier that gave its name to the ensemble –Les Arts Florissants. Presented with another operatic work by the same composer, La Descente d’Orphée aux Enfers (Orpheus' Descent into the Underworld), this new staged production will offer the opportunity to discover the voices of the ten new laureates of Le Jardin des Voix (The Garden of Voices), Les Arts Florissants’ international academy for young singers. In this double bill, these two miniature operatic gems shimmer with expressive choruses, eloquent declamation, courtly airs, and vibrant instrumental colors, revealing the French composer’s dramatic genius. Truly a celebration of the arts, the production is directed by Marie Lambert-Le Bilhan and Stéphane Facco, with choreography by Martin Chaix for his dancers. A pre-concert talk by Julia I. Doe, Associate Professor of Music at Columbia University, starts at 6:00pm. 

Watch Excerpts from Les Arts Florissants

Celebrated Irish conductor, harpsichordist, and bassoonist Peter Whelan opens his first season as Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra’s Music Director with a semi-staged production of Handel’s Tolomeo, combining historically informed performance with theatrical elements that sharpen the drama. Stripped of power and living in exile under an assumed identity, Tolomeo must navigate betrayal, shifting loyalties, and enduring love as political order collapses around him. Countertenor Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen takes the title role, leading an exceptional cast in one of Handel’s most emotionally charged scores. Stage director James Darrah Black brings a character-driven approach known for clear storytelling and psychological depth. Sung in Italian with English supertitles and performed on period instruments, the opera reflects the sound world Handel’s first audiences would have known. The elite cast of Baroque specialists also includes soprano Lauren Snouffer as Seleuce, soprano Nicole Heaston as Elisa, countertenor Kangmin Justin Kim as Alessandro, and bass-baritone Dashon Burton as Araspe. A pre-concert talk by MIT professor emeritus and Handel scholar Ellen T. Harris starts at 3:00pm.

Dining at Caramoor

Caramoor’s on-site dining options include Pre-Ordered Gourmet Picnics available for pick-up two hours prior to each concert, which can be pre-ordered until the Tuesday before the performance. The menu is prepared by local coffee and sandwich purveyor G.E. Brown with curated artisanal cheese boards from Second Mouse Cheese Shop. In addition, the Bravo Bar is open two hours before each performance, offering snacks and lemonade, iced tea, wine, cocktails, and buzz-free beverages as well as a rotating selection of offerings from local food creators including It Must Have Been the Bake, Bark and Brine BBQ, G.E. Brown, Pizza Girls, Walter’s Hot Dogs, Second Mouse Cheese Shop, LMNOP, and Miss Mona Makes Ice Cream. Specific offerings are noted for each performance on Caramoor’s website. For more information on Dining at Caramoor and to pre-order picnics, visit caramoor.org/visit-us/amenities.

About Caramoor

Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts is a vibrant cultural destination nestled on 81 acres of historic gardens and woodlands in Katonah, NY. Once the home of music and art lovers Walter and Lucie Rosen, Caramoor has evolved into one of the region’s most distinctive destinations for live performances, cultural engagement, and exploration – a sanctuary for music, art, and nature.

Each year, Caramoor presents an exciting array of concerts across genres – from classical, opera, and chamber music to jazz, American roots, global sounds, and the American songbook. Caramoor’s acclaimed Summer Season brings audiences together for unforgettable outdoor performances from June into August in five distinct settings (the Venetian Theater, Friends Field, Spanish Courtyard, Sunken Garden, and the Music Room), while the intimate Rosen House Concert Series runs from October through May in the historic Rosen House, a Mediterranean-style villa listed on the National Register of Historic Places and filled with treasures from around the world. With a mission to engage audiences of all ages, Caramoor also offers a selection of concerts and programs for families and our youngest listeners.

Caramoor is a place where music, history, and nature come together to create moments of beauty and connection for all who visit. In addition to hearing concerts, visitors to Caramoor can tour the spectacular Rosen House, explore its intriguing collections, enjoy a picnic, and experience the lush gardens and grounds – including Caramoor’s unique collection of site-specific Sound Art, permanently installed sound sculptures that draw inspiration from their environment. Caramoor also offers a formal afternoon tea service year-round in the Music Room (by reservation), the seasonal Bravo Bar concessions stand, and a selection of public programs such as yoga, art classes, and large-scale community events.

For Caramoor’s complete schedule: caramoor.org/events

Ticketing Information

Concert tickets are available for purchase online at caramoor.org; by phone at 914.232.1252 Tuesdays through Fridays from 10am-4pm; and on site from the Box Office two hours before each performance.

Caramoor is located at 149 Girdle Ridge Road in Katonah, NY.

More information about visiting Caramoor: caramoor.org/visit

June 21-Aug. 1: American Roots, Jazz, and Global Music at Caramoor – Eleven Summer Performances and Events

Friends Field at Caramoor. Photo by Gabe Palacio, available in high resolution here.

American Roots, Jazz, and Global Music at Caramoor
Eleven Festivals and Concerts from June 21 to August 1, 2026

Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts | 149 Girdle Ridge Road | Katonah, NY
Information

KATONAH, NY – Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts – a vibrant cultural destination nestled on 81 acres of historic gardens and woodlands in Katonah, NY – embraces American Roots, Jazz, and Global Music with eleven events and concerts from June 21 to August 1, 2026. Part of Caramoor’s 2026 Summer Season of over thirty performances between June 20 and August 2, 2026, these concerts underscore the musical diversity Caramoor embraces in its programming, highlighting the creativity of artists across genres. Caramoor, once the estate of music and art lovers Walter and Lucie Rosen, is one of the region’s most distinctive destinations for live performance, cultural engagement, and exploration. The Summer Season immerses the entire estate in music, with performances happening in five distinct settings – the Venetian Theater, Spanish Courtyard, Friends Field, Sunken Garden, and the Music Room.

“I think the musical diversity on our stages is what transforms Caramoor from a standard concert venue into a vibrant cultural ecosystem where different musical traditions live side-by-side,” says VP and Artistic Director Kathy Schuman. ”And, the breadth of our multi-genre programming matches the expansive nature of the Caramoor grounds.”

Dedicated Men of Zion – Celebrating Juneteenth
Sunday, June 21, 2026 at 4:00pm, Gala Tent (Free)

With roots in gospel and their voices in harmony, the Dedicated Men of Zion bring a jubilant sacred soul tradition to Caramoor for the annual free Juneteenth celebration. Their sound carries the strength of their Eastern North Carolina church upbringing, blending praise, joy, and deep-rooted family ties. This performance offers a powerful reminder of the resilience and joy at the heart of this vital day in American history.

Isaac Mizrahi and his Jazz Band
Friday, June 26, 2026 at 7:30pm, Venetian Theater
Presented in collaboration with The LOFT LGBTQ+ Community Center

Caramoor celebrates Pride Month with a concert by entertainment and fashion legend Isaac Mizrahi and his jazz band (Mizrahi, vocals; Ben Waltzer, music director/pianist; Kellen Hanas, trumpet; Chloe Rowlands, trumpet; Neal Miner, bass; Joe Strasser, drums; and Dan Aran, percussion). Mizrahi has spent over 35 years at the intersection of entertainment, media, and fashion, earning acclaim as a performer, singer, host, writer, designer, and producer. Performing with his incredible jazz band, Mizrahi brings his signature wit and musical flair to concert stages across the country. His multi-week residency at New York City’s Café Carlyle sells out every year, and he celebrates his 10th anniversary of playing this iconic venue in 2026. Mizrahi will serenade the Caramoor audience with iconic tunes by artists from Madonna to Stephen Sondheim and everything in between, all interspersed with his signature, unfiltered storytelling. Expect a hilarious, sophisticated, and undeniably fabulous evening. Note: This performance may include mature themes and is not recommended for children.

American Roots Music Festival
Saturday, June 27, 2026 from 12:30 to 7:00pm, Caramoor Grounds
Presented in collaboration with City Winery

Caramoor’s annual American Roots Music Festival fills the stunning grounds with the sounds of Americana, folk, bluegrass, and more. Audiences can wander from stage to stage and discover their next favorite artist as an incredible lineup of bands performs at Caramoor’s picturesque venues. This year’s festival features the high-energy Memphis soul of Southern Avenue; an acoustic exploration of the Grateful Dead songbook with Deadgrass; the rich, evocative storytelling of Caleb Caudle & The Sweet Critters; the next-generation alt-country flair of Chloe Kimes; the energetic and introspective folk, bluegrass, and Americana-inspired music of Low Lily; the vintage-inspired sounds of The Moonrise Cartel; and the exceptional fingerstyle guitar performance of Henry Ferland.

Louis Armstrong Hot Five Centennial Celebration
Friday, July 3, 2026 at 7:30pm, Friends Field
Presented in collaboration with Jazz at Lincoln Center

The music Louis Armstrong created in the 1920s with his small group, the Hot Five, remains among the most influential, timeless, and joyous in the history of American music. Under the auspices of the Louis Armstrong House Museum, and on the eve of what Armstrong always claimed to be his birthday (the Fourth of July), two-time GRAMMY®-winning trumpeter Alphonso Horne will lead an all-star ensemble of today’s finest jazz musicians in celebration of the 100th anniversary of this groundbreaking group. Co-hosted byHorne and pianist Ricky Riccardi, the evening honors the recordings that transformed jazz from a collective style into a soloist’s art form, forever changing the course of popular music. While Armstrong is celebrated worldwide as the beloved entertainer behind classics like What a Wonderful World and Hello, Dolly, it was these revolutionary recordings from a century ago that reshaped the sound and future of jazz.

Ricardo Lemvo & Makina Loca – Afro-Cuban Rhythms
Thursday, July 9, 2026 at 7:30pm, Friends Field

Los Angeles-based singer Ricardo Lemvo and his band Makina Loca, which Lemvo formed in 1990, channel the rich currents of the Afro-Cuban global diaspora, blending Congolese soukous music, salsa horn blasts, and Angolan cadence into one irresistible groove. The group’s joyous, multilingual songs invite every dancer in the house to join in, making them a perfect addition to Caramoor’s festive Summer Season.

Patty Griffin
Saturday, July 11, 2026 at 7:30pm, Venetian Theater
Presented in collaboration with City Winery

Patty Griffin, one of the most consequential singer-songwriters of her generation, brings her emotive spirit and deeply personal music to share with audiences at Caramoor. Over two decades, the two-time GRAMMY® Award winner – and seven-time nominee – and Americana Music Association Lifetime Achievement award winner, has crafted a remarkable body of work that prompted TheNew York Times to hail her for “[writing] cameo-carved songs that create complete emotional portraits of specific people…[her] songs have independent lives that continue in your head when the music ends.” Griffin’s latest album, Crown of Roses, released in July 2025, is a deeply personal and introspective work that explores themes of identity, nature, family, and womanhood.

Punch Brothers
Saturday, July 18, 2026 at 7:30pm, Venetian Theater
Presented in collaboration with City Winery

Punch Brothers are a virtuosic American string band with bluegrass roots, but one whose imagination spans classical, jazz, and folk traditions, earning them acclaim from The New Yorker as “one of the most incredible bands this country has ever produced.” With impeccable acoustic musicianship and emotional depth, they have won a GRAMMY® for Best Folk Album and bring both precision and spontaneity to the stage.

Yuja Wang, piano and People of Earth
Thursday, July 23, 2026 at 7:30pm, Venetian Theater

One of today’s most electrifying pianists, Yuja Wang, makes her Caramoor debut in a new project with New York City’s most exciting Latin music supergroup, People of Earth. Their date at Caramoor is the first public performance of this brand new collaboration and the only opportunity to hear them on the East Coast this summer. Wang and People of Earth join forces for a vibrant journey through the sounds of the Caribbean, composed and music-directed by Cuban piano phenom Ahmed Alom. People of Earth includes Raul Rios, trumpet and vocals; Jesus Ricardo, trumpet and vocals; Rubén Rengel, violin and vocals; Ivan Llanes, percussion and vocals; and Gabriel Globus-Hoenich, percussion and bandleader.

Caramoor Jazz Festival
Saturday, July 25, 2026 from 12:30pm to 9:00pm, Caramoor Grounds
Presented in collaboration with Jazz at Lincoln Center

Caramoor is all about jazz with its annual all-day Jazz Festival, featuring an abundance of lively performances that invite audiences to wander, listen, and discover music unfolding across the gardens and open-air stages. Spend the day immersed in sound and shared experience with performances by Caramoor favorite Emmet Cohen Trio with special guest vocalist Lucy Yeghiazaryan; The Music of Miles Davis and John Coltrane Centennial Celebrationwith theWalter Blanding Quintet; Miguel Zenon & Luis Perdomo; Dion Parson & 21st Century Band; Sofia ReiandJorge Roeder; Georgia Heers; William Hill III Trio; Fabiano do Nascimento; Jazz at Lincoln Center Summer Jazz Academy Big Bands; Family Set: Musical Storytime with Kate and Jake Goldbas.

Ruckus: The Edinburgh Rollick
Friday, July 31, 2026 at 7:30pm, Spanish Courtyard

In The Edinburgh Rollick, Ruckus and violinist Keir GoGwilt celebrate the legacy of Niel Gow (b. Perthshire, 1727-1807), one of Scotland’s most important musicians, in this dynamic folk-Baroque feast of Scottish dance music. Weaving together these jubilant, hard-driving and nostalgic tunes into large-scale dramatic forms, Ruckus and GoGwilt bring the 18th-century tradition of blending folk and art music to the present day. Ruckus is a shapeshifting, collaborative Baroque ensemble with a visceral and playful approach to early music. Described as “the world’s only period-instrument rock band” (San Francisco Classical Voice), Ruckus’ core is a continuo group, the Baroque equivalent of a jazz rhythm section: guitars, keyboards, cello, bassoon and bass.

Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers
Saturday, August 1, 2026 at 7:30pm, Venetian Theater
Presented in collaboration with City Winery

A three-time GRAMMY® winner and one of America’s most adventurous songwriters, Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers engage in genre-defying performances that blur the lines between rock, jazz, bluegrass, and improvisational jam. Known for hits like The Way It Is as well as collaborations with the Grateful Dead, Hornsby continues to reinvent his sound while staying rooted in masterful songwriting and brilliant piano work. The band’s live shows are known for virtuosity, spontaneity, and Hornsby’s unmistakable piano touch. Their Caramoor performance will feature music from throughout Hornsby’s extensive and musically diverse career, including music from his new 2026 album, Indigo Park.

Dining at Caramoor

Caramoor’s on-site dining options include Pre-Ordered Gourmet Picnics available for pick-up two hours prior to each concert, which can be pre-ordered until the Tuesday before the performance. The menu is prepared by local coffee and sandwich purveyor G.E. Brown with curated artisanal cheese boards from Second Mouse Cheese Shop. In addition, the Bravo Bar is open two hours before each performance, offering snacks and lemonade, ice tea, wine, cocktails, and buzz-free beverages as well as a rotating selection of offerings from local food creators including It Must Have Been the Bake, Bark and Brine BBQ, G.E. Brown, Pizza Girls, Walter’s Hot Dogs,Second Mouse Cheese Shop, LMNOP, and Miss Mona Makes Ice Cream. Specific offerings are noted for each performance on Caramoor’s website. For more information on Dining at Caramoor and to pre-order picnics, visit caramoor.org/visit-us/amenities.

About Caramoor

Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts is a vibrant cultural destination nestled on 81 acres of historic gardens and woodlands in Katonah, NY. Once the home of music and art lovers Walter and Lucie Rosen, Caramoor has evolved into one of the region’s most distinctive destinations for live performances, cultural engagement, and exploration – a sanctuary for music, art, and nature.

Each year, Caramoor presents an exciting array of concerts across genres – from classical, opera, and chamber music to jazz, American roots, global sounds, and the American songbook. Caramoor’s acclaimed Summer Season brings audiences together for unforgettable outdoor performances from June into August infive distinct settings (the Venetian Theater, Friends Field, Spanish Courtyard, Sunken Garden, and the Music Room), while the intimate Rosen House Concert Series runs from October through May in the historic Rosen House, a Mediterranean-style villa listed on the National Register of Historic Places and filled with treasures from around the world. With a mission to engage audiences of all ages, Caramoor also offers a selection of concerts and programs for families and our youngest listeners.

Caramoor is a place where music, history, and nature come together to create moments of beauty and connection for all who visit. In addition to hearing concerts, visitors to Caramoor can tour the spectacular Rosen House, explore its intriguing collections, enjoy a picnic, and experience the lush gardens and grounds – including Caramoor’s unique collection of site-specific Sound Art, permanently installed sound sculptures that draw inspiration from their environment. Caramoor also offers a formal afternoon tea service year-round in the Music Room (by reservation), a seasonal concessions tent, and a selection of public programs such as yoga, art classes, and large-scale community events.

For Caramoor’s complete schedule: caramoor.org/events

Ticketing Information

Concert tickets are available for purchase online at caramoor.org; by phone at 914.232.1252 Tuesdays through Fridays from 10am-4pm; and on site from the Box Office two hours before each performance.

Caramoor is located at 149 Girdle Ridge Road in Katonah, NY.

More information about visiting Caramoor: caramoor.org/visit

Oct. 2: Classical Soul Pianist Alexis Ffrench Releases New Album 24 on Sony Masterworks – New Single Grateful Out Now

PR Photo: Credit – Alex Lake (Download)

Pioneering Composer and Pianist 
Alexis Ffrench

New Single: Grateful
Out Now - Listen Here
Taken From Upcoming Album, 24

Worldwide Album Release Date: October 2, 2026
Pre-Save Here

New York, NY – Pioneering pianist, composer and chart-topping Classical Soul artist Alexis Ffrench has shared new single, Grateful, out now from his forthcoming album 24 - listen here. The album set for release on October 2, 2026 and available for pre-save here. 

Formed of 24 meticulously crafted piano pieces and intended as a musical companion to the clockwork regularity of everyday life, 24 unveils as an intimate and immersive snapshot of a singular day.

Gently guiding listeners from dawn to dusk – through the quiet of early morning into the busy heart of day and on to the evening’s golden hour – 24 is woven from daydreams, memories of human connection and the desire for authenticity amongst an ever evolving and increasingly simulated digital age. 

Made at legendary Provençal studio Miraval, owned by Brad Pitt and Damien Quintard, Ffrench recorded 24 during ten-days of near-total immersion on an array vintage of grand pianos, upright pianos and organs. Adding delicate ripples of percussion to the record’s kaleidoscopic sound, 24 also enlists a string ensemble featuring harp and upright bass.

Inspired in part by the many messages Ffrench has received from listeners throughout his career, 24 finds Ffrench reflecting on what his music means to those who find solace in it and the cherished moments it has served to soundtrack. He explains: “I wanted this album to reflect the everyday miracles in people’s lives.”  

Throughout his career, Ffrench has asked one question above all others: “what do my listeners need from me?”  Now, with 24, the answer is both simple and profound: music to live by.

2026 also marks the 20th anniversary of Ffrench’s seminal debut album Piano Diaries. With each piece evoking the pull of a series of intimate and reflective moments, the record fuses cinematic simplicity with an emotionally direct and highly accessible composition that welcomes all listeners to step directly into Ffrench’s intimate and atmospheric world.

One of the world’s most exciting artists, Alexis Ffrench has played a pivotal role in bringing instrumental music to an ever-increasing audience. His accolades speak for themselves, with well over 1 billion streams across his catalogue, multiple No.1 albums and Gold-selling status in the USA for his single “Bluebird.” 

Whether he’s performing at the King’s Coronation Concert to an audience of over 18 million, scooping an ARIA Award for his Apple Music show Classical Connections, hosting brand-new Classic FM series “Music to Live By”, performing at major festivals and selling out venues worldwide, hosting masterclasses with schools & charitable organizations or putting his own spin on contemporary pop hits for his enthusiastic social media audience, Alexis is driven by the desire to make music accessible to all. 

Refusing to be penned in by genre, time period or the expectations of the kind of musician he should be, and rather than leaning into the traditional understanding of the ‘classical’ genre, Alexis instead leans outward – with his expansive perspective drawing on a multifarious mosaic of influences that takes his listeners by the hand and leads them on a journey through a world of possibility.

With the new album acting as a timelessly enchanting musical journey through the in numerous possibilities held inside one singular day, 24 is the first studio album from Alexis Ffrench since 2024’s Classical Soul Vol. 1 – welcoming in a contemplative and captivating new dawn for the forerunner of contemporary classical music.

Alexis Ffrench - New Album 24 out October 2, 2026
Listen to Blackbird Rising and Blackbird Returning, and Pre-Save 24 here

About Alexis Ffrench

Alexis Ffrench is an artist with a special ability to create music for the soul. A pioneering superstar and trailblazer of ‘Classical Soul’, Alexis’ sound refuses to be penned in by genre, time period, or the expectations of the kind of musician he should be. Rather than leaning into the narrow, traditional understandings of ‘classical’, Alexis instead leans outward, expansive in his perspective, drawing on a multifarious mosaic of influences that takes the listener by the hand and leads them on a journey through a world of possibility.

Alexis’ accolades speak for themselves, as he has surpassed a staggering 1 billion streams across his catalogue, his record Evolution and his single ‘Bluebird’ achieved RIAA Gold status in the US.
 
A passionate advocate for music education, Alexis is the first-ever Artistic Director of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) in its 133-year history. He is also Trustee and Governing Body Member and Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music, London, and Honorary Fellow of Homerton College, Cambridge. Alexis is an Ambassador for Restore The Music, who work with state schools to provide funding to buy musical instruments and ensure every young person has access to music.

Alexis Ffrench Socials
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Sony Music Masterworks comprises Masterworks, Sony Classical, Milan Records, XXIM Records, and Masterworks Broadway imprints. For email updates and information please visit www.sonymusicmasterworks.com/.

Newport Classical Music Festival Celebrates the Piano with Four Featured Concerts in July at The Breakers, Castle Hill Inn, and Emmanuel Church

L-R: Blake Pouliot, Henry Kramer, Trio Zimbalist. Photos available in high resolution here.

2026 Newport Classical Music Festival
Celebrates the Piano in Four Featured Concerts

July 3: Dmitry Shishkin

July 7: Michelle Cann

July 11: Janice Carissa

July 17: Pavel Kolesnikov and Samson Tsoy

Tickets & Information: www.newportclassical.org/music-festival

Newport, RI – From July 2-19, 2026, the Newport Classical Music Festival will again turn this “City by the Sea” into a summer destination for music lovers, featuring 30 concerts across 11 unforgettable venues, from cliffside lawns to gilded mansions, including the stunning interiors of The Breakers, The Elms, Castle Hill Inn, Blithewold Mansion, Rosecliff Mansion, Redwood Library and Athenæum, and more. This year, Newport Classical presents four concerts celebrating the piano, showcasing some of today’s most sought-after performers – Tchaikovsky Competition winner Dmitry Shishkin (July 3 at The Breakers), GRAMMY® Award-winner Michelle Cann (July 7 at Castle Hill Inn, sold out but a waitlist is available), Gilmore Young Artist Janice Carissa (July 11 at Emmanuel Church), and “piano magicians” (The Arts Desk) duo Pavel Kolesnikov and Samson Tsoy (July 17 at The Breakers).

On Friday, July 3 at 8pm at The Breakers, Dmitry Shishkin brings the artistry that has earned him international acclaim to Newport audiences in a program featuring Schubert, Prokofiev, and Tchaikovsky. Regarded as one of the most compelling pianists of his generation, Shishkin is a prizewinner of the International Tchaikovsky and Geneva International Music Competitions, and has been praised by Gramophone for his “imaginative pointing to his phrasing.” He has appeared on major international stages and with leading orchestras around the world, including the Tokyo Symphony, Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra, Warsaw Philharmonic, National Orchestra of Belgium, Staatskapelle Weimar, and the Russian National Orchestra, among others.

“A pianist of sterling artistry” (Gramophone), GRAMMY® Award-winning pianist Michelle Cann makes her Newport debut with a picturesque concert at Castle Hill Inn on Tuesday, July 7 at 7:30pm. A recipient of both the Sphinx Medal of Excellence and the Andrew Wolf Chamber Music Award, Cann has established herself as one of the most sought-after artists of her generation. Her program includes music by Brahms, Robert Schumann, and Clara Schumann – three composers whose lives were intertwined through friendship and love. Ticket holders can enjoy complimentary desserts and coffee during intermission, with drinks available for purchase, all set against the stunning backdrop of a Newport summer sunset over the water. This concert is sold out, but a waitlist is available.

A Gilmore Young Artist and Salon de Virtuosi recipient, Indonesian pianist Janice Carissa is celebrated for her ability to craft vivid musical narratives that transcend mere virtuosity (Chicago Classical Review). Having performed for the President of Indonesia at the Presidential Palace Indonesia and earning ovations in the United Nations, Carnegie Hall, Sydney Opera House and Louis Vuitton Foundation, she brings her impeccable talent to Newport for an afternoon recital at the historic Emmanuel Church on Saturday, July 11 at 3pm. Paired with the venue's stunning English gothic architecture, Carissa presents a program spanning Bach, Granados, Alkan, Ravel, Messiaen, and more.

Described as “piano magicians” by The Arts Desk, duo Pavel Kolesnikov and Samson Tsoy bring their synergy to Newport for a magical night of interplay between two of today’s most compelling pianists, on Friday, July 17 at 8pm. Known for their inventive site-specific performances, from car parks in London to historic theaters in Aldeburgh, they now add The Breakers mansion to their impressive list of unique venues. Their program is anchored by Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring and Ravel’s Ma Mère l’Oye,  promising an evening of “magical” (BBC Music Magazine) and playful dialogue between two pianos and four hands.

For 57 years, Newport Classical has showcased classical music as a living art form, presenting artists and programs that are diverse and ever-evolving in intimate and iconic venues that make every performance one of a kind. The 2026 Festival will again offer audiences the opportunity to discover new composers, revisit beloved works, and experience timeless works offered from a fresh perspective.

Highlights of the 2026 Festival include Opening Night with chamber orchestra Delirium Musicum; a celebration of the Golden Age of Opera with Lawrence Brownlee and Erin Morley; solo piano performances by Michelle Cann and Dmitry Shishkin, as well as a two-piano recital with Pavel Kolesnikov and Samson Tsoy; a new work by Vivian Fung, co-commissioned by Newport Classical, performed by Sandbox Percussion and violinist Kristin Lee; performances by violinist Eldbjørg Hemsing, VOCES8, Apollo’s Fire, Trio Karénine, WindSync, Cerus Saxophone Quartet, Beijing Guitar Duo, Parker Quartet, and more; two evenings with Broadway star Jeremy Jordan, known for his lead role in Newsies and most recently The Great Gatsby; and Closing Night with the GRAMMY® Award-winning Harlem Quartet, joined by Newport Classical’s Resident Festival Artists. Other highlights of the 2026 Newport Classical Music Festival include the beloved Sunrise Concerts at 5:15am; a concert inspired by nature at Norman Bird Sanctuary; a free Fourth of July concert at King Park; and this year’s young professional Newport ClassicalResidentFestival Artists in eight performances. Now in its fifth year, Newport Classical’s Festival ArtistsResidency Program brings together five professional musicians at the early stages of their careers for an intense period of rehearsal and music-making during the Festival. This summer, Newport Classical welcomes Nathan Amaral (violin); Joshua Brown (violin); Joseph Skerik (viola), Leland Ko (cello), and Janice Carissa (piano).

For the full schedule, visit: www.newportclassical.org/music-festival

About Newport Classical

Newport Classical is a premier performing arts organization that welcomes people of every age, culture, and background to intimate, immersive musical experiences. The organization presents world-renowned and up-and-coming artistic talents at stunning, storied venues across Newport – an internationally sought-after cultural and recreational destination.

Originally founded in 1969 as Rhode Island Arts Foundation at Newport, Inc., Newport Classical has a rich legacy of musical curiosity having presented the American debuts of hundreds of international artists and is most well-known for hosting three weeks of concerts in the summer in the historic mansions throughout Newport and Aquidneck Island. In the 56 years since, Newport Classical has become the most active year-round presenter of live performing arts on Aquidneck Island, and an essential pillar of Rhode Island’s cultural landscape, welcoming thousands of patrons all year long.

Newport Classical invests in the future of classical music as a diverse, relevant, and ever-evolving art form through its four core programs – the one-of-a-kind Music Festival; the Chamber Series in the Newport Classical Recital Hall; the free, family-friendly Community Concerts Series; and the Music Enrichment and Engagement Initiative that inspires students in local schools and community organizations to become the arts advocates and music lovers of tomorrow. These programs illustrate the organization’s ongoing commitment to presenting “timeless music for today.”

In 2021, the organization launched a new commissioning initiative – each year, Newport Classical will commission a new work by a Black, Indigenous, person of color, or woman composer as a commitment to the future of classical music. To date, Newport Classical has commissioned and presented the world premiere of works by Stacy Garrop, Shawn Okpebholo, Curtis Stewart, Clarice Assad, and Cris Derksen.

After a year-long community-driven process, and rooted in the organization’s mission “to celebrate the living art form of classical music in intimate and iconic locations,” Newport Classical released its 2025-2028 Strategic Plan, presenting a clear roadmap to become a stronger, healthier, and more vibrant organization that enhances its programs and community engagement, promotes responsible financial growth and sustainability, and centers artistic excellence in every decision, as the organization aspires to open its doors even wider.

July 20 & Aug. 3: Jupiter String Quartet Returns to Bowdoin International Music Festival for 2026

Photo of the Jupiter Quartet by Todd Rosenberg available in high resolution at www.jensenartists.com/artists-profiles/jupiter-string

Jupiter String Quartet Returns to Bowdoin International Music Festival Performing on July 20 and August 3

Monday, July 20 at 7:30pm: Jupiter Quartet and Ying Quartet
Free Livestream Available
More Information

Monday, August 3 at 7:30pm: Jupiter Quartet
Studzinski Recital Hall | 12 Campus Road S. | Brunswick, ME
Tickets and More Information

Free Livestream for Both Performances: www.bowdoinfestival.org/festivalive

“an ensemble of eloquent intensity, has matured into one of the mainstays of the American chamber-music scene.” – The New Yorker

www.jupiterquartet.com

Brunswick, ME – The internationally esteemed Jupiter String Quartet, a uniquely intimate ensemble built around family bonds, will present two distinctive programs at the 2026 Bowdoin International Music Festival this summer on July 20 and August 3. The first performance brings the Illinois-based ensemble together with their longtime friends and colleagues, the Ying Quartet (Robin Scott, Janet Ying, violin; Phillip Ying, viola; David Ying, cello) and the second features the bond-driven artistry of the Jupiters on their own. Both concerts take place at Studzinski Recital Hall, 12 Campus Road South, Brunswick, ME.

Based at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and giving concerts all over the country, the Jupiter String Quartet is a particularly intimate group, consisting of violinists Mélanie Clapiès and Meg Freivogel, violist Liz Freivogel (Meg’s older sister), and cellist Daniel McDonough (Meg’s husband, Liz’s brother-in-law). While the Jupiter String Quartet are beloved, frequent guests at Bowdoin, this year is particularly special, as it marks their first visit with new violinist Mélanie Clapiès.

The Jupiter String Quartet continues to be a beloved presence at the Bowdoin International Music Festival, where their collaborative spirit aligns perfectly with the Festival's mission of bringing together exceptional musicians from around the world. Their partnership with the Ying Quartet has been a part of their performances over several seasons, creating the kind of musical friendships that produce memorable performances.

July 20, 7:30pm: The Jupiter String Quartet comes together on stage with longtime friends and collaborators, the Ying Quartet (Robin Scott, Janet Ying, violin; Phillip Ying, viola; David Ying, cello), for a performance highlighting the groups’ unique group chemistries in two works that embrace dynamic and deeply expressive melodies and harmonies. The concert will include: String Sextet in B-flat Major, Op. 18 by Johannes Brahms, performed by the Jupiter String Quartet with violist Phillip Ying and cellist David Ying; and Octet in E-flat Major, Op. 20 by Felix Mendelssohn, performed by the Ying Quartet and Jupiter String Quartet. Tickets are sold out but the free livestream is available at www.bowdoinfestival.org/festivalive.

August 3, 7:30pm: The Jupiter String Quartet’s vibrant artistic connections shine in a colorful program inspired by nature and culture featuring Franz Joseph Haydn’s String Quartet in C Major, Op. 33 No. 3 “The Bird,” Cançoes da America by Clarice Assad, and String Quartet No. 2 in A minor, Op. 51 by Johannes Brahms. Tickets and information with the free livestream are available here: https://www.bowdoinfestival.org/event/jupiter-string-quartet-2026/

Since forming in 2001, the Jupiter String Quartet has turned their unique family dynamic into a musical strength. The personal connections that bind them – sisters who grew up making music together, a marriage that deepened musical partnership – create an intuitive ensemble communication that audiences consistently notice. Their performances exude an energy that feels friendly, knowledgeable, and adventurous, bringing their close-knit musical relationships to the stage.

“Bowdoin is our home away from home in the summer—an incredibly welcoming place where we can collaborate with wonderful fellow musicians, teach promising students, and enjoy hanging out with the huge chamber music family that surrounds the festival,” says the Jupiter String Quartet. “David and Phillip Ying and their fantastic staff always go out of their way to welcome our whole traveling circus of children, babysitters, relatives, etc., and we all look forward to our weeks in Maine throughout the year.”

More About Jupiter String Quartet: The Jupiter Quartet has performed in some of the world’s finest halls, including New York City’s Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, London’s Wigmore Hall, Boston’s Jordan Hall, Mexico City's Palacio de Bellas Artes, Washington, D.C.’s Kennedy Center and Library of Congress, Austria’s Esterhazy Palace, and Seoul’s Sejong Chamber Hall. Their major music festival appearances include the Aspen Music Festival and School, Bowdoin International Music Festival, Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival, Rockport Music Festival, Caramoor International Music Festival, Music at Menlo, Tucson Winter Chamber Music Festival, the Banff Centre, the Seoul Spring Festival, and many others. In addition to their performing career, they have been artists-in-residence at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign since 2012, where they maintain private studios and direct the chamber music program. 

Their chamber music honors and awards include the grand prizes in the Banff International String Quartet Competition and the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition; the Young Concert Artists International auditions in New York City; the Cleveland Quartet Award from Chamber Music America; an Avery Fisher Career Grant; and a grant from the Fromm Foundation. From 2007-2010, they were in residence at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s Chamber Music Two.   

The Jupiter String Quartet feels a strong connection to the core string quartet repertoire; they have presented the complete Bartok and Beethoven string quartets on numerous occasions. Also deeply committed to new music, they have commissioned string quartets from Nathan Shields, Stephen Andrew Taylor, Michi Wiancko, Syd Hodkinson, Hannah Lash, Dan Visconti, and Kati Agócs; a quintet with baritone voice by Mark Adamo; and a piano quintet by Pierre Jalbert. 

In addition to Undreamed Shores, the Jupiter’s discography includes a collaborative album with the Jasper Quartet released on Marquis Records in 2021, featuring Dan Visconti’s Eternal Breath, Felix Mendelssohn’s Octet in E-flat, Op. 20, and Osvaldo Golijov’s Last Round, which was praised by The Arts Fuse for its “smart program and fine execution.” The quartet has recorded previously for Azica Records and Deutsche Grammophon. 

The quartet chose its name because Jupiter was the most prominent planet in the night sky at the time of its formation and the astrological symbol for Jupiter resembles the number four.

About the Bowdoin International Music Festival: The Bowdoin International Music Festival is one of the world’s premier music institutes. The Festival engages exceptional students and enthusiastic audiences through world-class education and performances. Each summer, 275 students from across the globe attend the Festival to study with distinguished faculty and guest artists, and the Festival presents 200 events, including concerts, masterclasses, composer lectures, and community programs. Over its 62-year history, the Festival has established itself as a vital force throughout the music world. The Festival is an independent non-profit organization. Learn more at bowdoinfestival.org.

June 26: Caramoor Presents Isaac Mizrahi in Concert with his Jazz Band in Celebration of Pride Month

Photo of Isaac Mizrahi by Gregg Richards, available in high resolution here.

Caramoor Presents Isaac Mizrahi in Concert with his Jazz Band
in Celebration of Pride Month

Part of Caramoor’s 2026 Summer Season
More than 30 Concerts from June 20-August 2

Friday, June 26, 2026 at 7:30pm
Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts | Venetian Theater
149 Girdle Ridge Road | Katonah, NY
Tickets & Information

“[Isaac Mizrahi] is determined to challenge the cultural status quo and help blaze a path into a more liberated future where few subjects are off-limits…” – The New York Times

“Mizrahi is the real deal when it comes to cabaret: He’s charming, he sounds great, and he is seriously funny.” – TheaterMania

KATONAH, NY – Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts – a vibrant cultural destination nestled on 81 acres of historic gardens and woodlands in Katonah, NY – celebrates Pride Month with a concert by entertainment and fashion legend Isaac Mizrahi and his jazz band (Mizrahi, vocals; Ben Waltzer, music director/pianist; Kellen Hanas, trumpet; Chloe Rowlands, trumpet; Neal Miner, bass; Joe Strasser, drums; and Dan Aran, percussion), on Friday, June 26, 2026 at 7:30pm in Caramoor’s iconic Venetian Theater. Part of Caramoor’s 2026 Summer Season of over thirty concerts between June 20 and August 2, 2026, this is Caramoor’s third annual celebration of Pride month, presented in collaboration with The LOFT LGBTQ+ Community Center. Caramoor, once the estate of music and art lovers Walter and Lucie Rosen, is one of the region’s most distinctive destinations for live performance, cultural engagement, and exploration.

Isaac Mizrahi has spent over 35 years at the intersection of entertainment, media, and fashion, earning acclaim as a performer, singer, host, writer, designer, and producer. Performing with his incredible jazz band, Mizrahi brings his signature wit and musical flair to concert stages across the country. His multi-week residency at New York City’s Café Carlyle sells out every year, and he celebrates his 10th anniversary of playing this iconic venue in 2026.

Mizrahi will serenade the Caramoor audience with iconic tunes by artists from Madonna to Stephen Sondheim and everything in between, all interspersed with his signature, unfiltered storytelling. Expect a hilarious, sophisticated, and undeniably fabulous evening!

Please note that this performance may include mature themes and is not recommended for children.

Watch Isaac Mizrahi

More About Isaac Mizrahi

Isaac Mizrahi made his Broadway debut playing Amos Hart in the musical Chicago in 2022. The New York Times praised him as “a founding father of a genre that fuses performance art, music and stand-up comedy.”

In 2025, the cult classic documentary Unzipped – which Mizrahi co-created and stars in – celebrates its 30th anniversary at the Sundance Film Festival. He hosted the Emmy-winning Isaac Mizrahi Show for seven years, served as a judge on all seven seasons of Project Runway: All Stars, and continues to appear widely across television and film.

Mizrahi has directed productions for the Opera Theatre of St. Louis and designed for the Metropolitan Opera. He also annually narrates and directs the children’s classic, Peter and the Wolf; a production he created for the Guggenheim Museum in New York City.

Through his company IM Entertainment, Mizrahi develops original projects in television, theater, and publishing. He is currently a Consulting Producer on Hulu’s Mid Century Modern. His New York Times bestselling memoir I.M. was published in 2019.

Dining at Caramoor

Caramoor’s on site dining options include Pre-Ordered Gourmet Picnics available for pick-up two hours prior to each concert, which can be pre-ordered until the Tuesday before the performance. The menu is prepared by local coffee and sandwich purveyor G.E. Brown with curated artisanal cheese boards from Second Mouse Cheese Shop. In addition, the Bravo Bar is open two hours before each performance, offering snacks and lemonade, ice tea, wine, cocktails, and buzz-free beverages as well as a rotating selection of offerings from local food creators including It Must Have Been the Bake, Bark and Brine BBQ, G.E. Brown, Pizza Girls, Walter’s Hot Dogs, Second Mouse Cheese Shop, LMNOP, and Miss Mona Makes Ice Cream. Specific offerings are noted for each performance on Caramoor’s website. For more information on Dining at Caramoor and to pre-order picnics, visit caramoor.org/visit-us/amenities.

About Caramoor

Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts is a vibrant cultural destination nestled on 81 acres of historic gardens and woodlands in Katonah, NY. Once the home of music and art lovers Walter and Lucie Rosen, Caramoor has evolved into one of the region’s most distinctive destinations for live performances, cultural engagement, and exploration – a sanctuary for music, art, and nature.

Each year, Caramoor presents an exciting array of concerts across genres – from classical, opera, and chamber music to jazz, American roots, global sounds, and the American songbook. Caramoor’s acclaimed Summer Season brings audiences together for unforgettable outdoor performances from June into August in five distinct settings (the Venetian Theater, Friends Field, Spanish Courtyard, Sunken Garden, and the Music Room), while the intimate Rosen House Concert Series runs from October through May in the historic Rosen House, a Mediterranean-style villa listed on the National Register of Historic Places and filled with treasures from around the world. With a mission to engage audiences of all ages, Caramoor also offers a selection of concerts and programs for families and our youngest listeners.

Caramoor is a place where music, history, and nature come together to create moments of beauty and connection for all who visit. In addition to hearing concerts, visitors to Caramoor can tour the spectacular Rosen House, explore its intriguing collections, enjoy a picnic, and experience the lush gardens and grounds – including Caramoor’s unique collection of site-specific Sound Art, permanently installed sound sculptures that draw inspiration from their environment. Caramoor also offers a formal afternoon tea service year-round in the Music Room (by reservation), the seasonal concessions Bravo Bar, and a selection of public programs such as yoga, art classes, and large-scale community events.

For Caramoor’s complete schedule: caramoor.org/events

Ticketing Information

Concert tickets are available for purchase online at caramoor.org; by phone at 914.232.1252 Tuesdays through Fridays from 10am-4pm; and on site from the Box Office two hours before each performance.

Caramoor is located at 149 Girdle Ridge Road in Katonah, NY.

More information about visiting Caramoor: caramoor.org/visit