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.
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