Caramoor Celebrates the Holiday Season & New Year - Christmas with Cantus Concerts, Holiday Tea Musicales, Holiday Rosen House Tours, and Much More

Sep 18

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Caramoor Celebrates the Holiday Season & New Year

November 19: Juilliard Extension Class – Sacred Songs, Folk Roots: The Making of the Christmas Carol

December 3: Rosen House Studio Nights – Winter Wreath-Making
December 5: Kids Crafts at Caramoor – Winter Wreath-Making
December 6: Christmas with Cantus Concerts
December 9 to 20: Holiday Rosen House Tours
December 9 to 20: Holiday Tea Musicales
December 19: Gingerbread House Decorating for Families
January 5 to 26: Yoga in the Music Room Series

Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts | Rosen House
149 Girdle Ridge Road | Katonah, NY
Tickets & 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, celebrates the season and welcomes the New Year with holiday-themed performances, classes, workshops, house tours, and teas from November through January. Highlights include Christmas with Cantus as part of the Rosen House Concert Series on Sunday, December 6, 2026 at 2:00pm and 4:00pm; plus Holiday Rosen House Tours, showing off the house decked for the holidays, running from December 9 to 20, 2026 at 12:30pm and 1:00pm (by advance ticket purchase only); Holiday Tea Musicales from December 9 to 20, 2026; and two Winter Wreath-Making workshops, one for adults on December 3 and one for children on December 5, 2026. Caramoor will also offer a Gingerbread House Decorating event for families, in collaboration with local bakery BreadsNBakes, on December 19, 2026 at 10:00am. New this year, through its inaugural lifelong-learning collaboration with Juilliard Extension Caramoor offers the class Sacred Songs, Folk Roots: The Making of the Christmas Carol on November 19, 2026. Additionally, from December 9 to 20, 2026 Caramoor’s Summer Dining Room is transformed into a Holiday Gift Shop, which includes locally made artisan goods. In January, Caramoor invites guests to reset for the New Year with Yoga in the Music Room, on Tuesday evenings throughout the month. Once the estate of music and art lovers Walter and Lucie Rosen, Caramoor is one of the region’s most distinctive destinations for live performance, cultural engagement, and exploration. The estate’s gardens and grounds are also open year round to visitors, free of charge, for picnicking and walking daily from 10am to 4pm.

Caramoor’s Rosen House Concert Series runs from October through May, held in the exquisite Music Room of the historic home – a Mediterranean-style villa from 1939 filled with treasures from around the world. Audiences enjoy performances by some of today’s most in-demand artists in the same living room salon setting where the Rosens once entertained their many friends. As part of this Series, Caramoor rings in the season with Christmas with Cantus in two performances Sunday, December 6, 2026 at 2:00pm and 4:00pm. Now in its 32nd season, the widely acclaimed low-voice ensemble Cantus is known for its trademark warmth, blend, and innovative programming. Lessons and Carols for Our Time invites audiences to a rich, contemplative holiday experience that merges tradition with timely resonance. Cantus reimagines the beloved format of Lessons and Carols, exploring themes of hope, peace, and unity through classic carols, music from around the world, and a captivating blend of poetry curated by award-winning author Michael Kleber-Diggs. Celebrate the season with the timeless beauty of carols such as “Silent Night” and “I Saw Three Ships,” alongside recent works from bold, fresh compositional voices like Zanaida Robles, Kim Andre Arnesen, and Sarah Quartel. The program unfolds with a dynamic range of emotions and textures, featuring pieces by Eric Whitacre and Taku Izumi that spark reflections on faith and humanity. At once classic and modern, Lessons and Carols for Our Time is a heartfelt program that evokes the spirit of celebration and reflection.

Watch Cantus at Westminster Presbyterian Church

Prior to Christmas with Cantus, audiences have the opportunity to learn more about the caroling tradition on Thursday, November 19, 2026 from 6:00 to 8:00pm with Sacred Songs, Folk Roots: The Making of the Christmas Carol, one of the six classes that Caramoor is offering this season through a new collaboration with Juilliard Extension. Participants will learn from acclaimed professors and lecturers and engage in thoughtful discussion with fellow music lovers. Long before becoming synonymous with Christmas, carols originated in medieval Europe as lively folk dances, before eventually giving rise to some of the world's most cherished anthems. This lecture explores that rich evolution through the surprising backstories of several iconic carols, including Veni Emmanuel, O Tannenbaum, and Stille Nacht. Together, these vignettes reveal how local folk customs and monastic devotion intersected to forge a global holiday tradition. Taught by Juilliard Extension Music Theory and Analysis Chair Patrick Kreeger, who serves as associate organist at New York City’s historic Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church where he works with a 20-voice professional choir, this class is a great primer for Christmas with Cantus.

From December 9 to 20, 2026, Caramoor invites guests to step into a holiday wonderland on special Holiday Rosen House Tours at 12:30pm and 1:00pm daily (by advance ticket purchase only). The art-filled Rosen House is decked out for the holidays with enchanting decorations inspired by the cherished Rosen family archive. Beloved favorites like the towering Music Room tree will return, but there are new decorations as well, so returning visitors and first-time guests will be beguiled. The House offers a number of treasures, including complete 18th-century rooms, originally from private villas and chateaux in Italy, France, and England. The Burgundian Library is a French 17th-century, paneled room with a brilliant blue groin-vaulted ceiling. An exquisite 16th-century painted Spanish ceiling resides in an alcove off the Music Room. The Formal Dining Room features doors thought to have been designed by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (1695-1770), made for a Venetian palace, along with turquoise Chinese export wallpaper featuring birds perched in flowering trees. The Music Room includes Renaissance furniture and architectural elements such as the intricately carved coffered ceiling from a house in Lecce, Italy; a pair of pink marble twisted columns from Verona, once in the collection of William Randolph Hearst; and a magnificent Franco-Flemish tapestry titled “The Holy Family.” With the holiday decor enhancing these extraordinary rooms, Caramoor’s Holiday Rosen House Tours offer a unique seasonal experience steeped in art, history, and beauty.

From December 9 to 20, 2026 at 2:00pm, Caramoor also offers Holiday Tea Musicales (by reservation only), featuring tea service in the Music Room and seasonal performances by vocalist Kimberley Hawkey with pianist Peter Yarin on December 9, 10, and 11; plus alumni of Caramoor’s Schwab Vocal Rising Stars program including mezzo-soprano Kate Morton with pianist Michele Wong on December 12, 13, and 15; tenor Nathan Romportl on December 16 and 17; and soprano Sophia Baete with pianist Francesco Barfoed on December 18, 19, and 20. Following the spirited performances, the tea service includes an assortment of finger sandwiches, scrumptious holiday treats, a variety of teas, and hot chocolate with marshmallows for children.

On Thursday, December 3, 2026 from 6:30 to 8:00pm, Caramoor hosts Rosen House Studio Nights: Winter Wreath-Making. In this seasonal hands-on art workshop, floral designer Abby Blatte guides participants in creating their very own holiday wreath using fresh flowers and fragrant greens. Taking inspiration from the Rosen House’s beautiful holiday décor, the event will start with a self-guided tour of the West Corridor of the Rosen House. Participants will craft a stunning, personalized wreath that reflects their unique style, creating the perfect festive centerpiece to take home and enjoy all season long. All premium materials will be provided. On Saturday, December 5, 2026 from 10:00 to 11:30am, children can enjoy their own wreath making workshop with Kids Crafts at Caramoor: Winter Wreath-Making, also led by Abby Blatte. Parents or guardians must stay for the duration of the class.

On Saturday, December 19, 2026 at 10:00am, Caramoor invites families to celebrate the season with a festive Gingerbread House Decorating event in collaboration with BreadsNBakes. Perfect for children ages 4 and up (accompanied by an adult), this cozy, hands-on class offers a creative morning of holiday magic as participants bring their own candy cottages to life while sipping warm hot chocolate. Before the class begins, families can stroll through the Rosen House to gather inspiration from its holiday decor. Each child will take home their own decorated gingerbread house and gingerbread friend, wrapped and ready to display (or eat!). All materials are included: pre-baked gingerbread house pieces, icing bags, candies, and packaging.

Following the holidays, Caramoor begins the New Year with a special yoga series on Tuesdays at 5:30pm throughout the month of January. Yoga in the Music Room is 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, providing a peaceful way to end the day while experiencing Caramoor from a new perspective.

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 summer seasonal concessions Bravo Bar, and a selection of public programs such as yoga, art classes, and large-scale community 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

At-a-Glance Calendar: 2026-27 Rosen House Concert Series Performances

Friday, October 2, 2026 at 7:30pm: Nobuntu

Friday, October 16, 2026 at 7:30pm: Bandits on the Run

Sunday, October 18, 2026 at 3:00pm: Countertenor Iestyn Davies and Harpist Oliver Wass

Sunday, October 25, 2026 at 3:00pm: Pianist Jonathan Biss

Saturday, October 31 and Sunday, November 1, 2026 at 3:00pm: Evnin Rising Stars

Friday, November 6, 2026 at 7:30pm: Pianist Aaron Diehl

Sunday, November 15, 2026 at 3:00pm: Renaissance Quartet

Sunday, December 6, 2026 at 2:00pm and 4:00pm: Christmas with Cantus