Out Today: Second Single from Violinist Esther Abrami's Sony Classical Album Amour - Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet

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

Second Single "Love Theme" from Romeo and Juliet is Out Today
Listen Here

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

Celebrated violinist and social media sensation Esther Abrami will release her new album Amour on October 9, 2026 on Sony Classical. The second single, out today, is "Love Theme" from Romeo and Juliet. Abrami and mezzo-soprano Marina Viotti join forces to present a truly unique interpretation of Nino Rota’s legendary love theme. Viotti’s voice adds a captivating new dimension to the piece, engaging in a duet with Abrami’s violin using vocalizations only. The track was recorded with the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of conductor Irene Delgado-Jiménez.

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

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

PR Photo: Credit – Alex Lake (Download)

Pioneering Composer and Pianist 
Alexis Ffrench

New Single: In Flight
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, In Flight, 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, 24unveils 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 Nine on Blue 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/.

GRAMMY®-Nominated A Far Cry Announces 20th Anniversary Season – Nine Thoughtfully Curated Programs from September 2026 through June 2027

Photo by Anja Schütz available in high resolution here.

GRAMMY®-Nominated A Far Cry Announces 20th Anniversary Season

Featuring Nine Thoughtfully Curated Programs Throughout the Boston Area from September 2026 through June 2027

“This conductorless chamber orchestra is one of Boston’s most admired musical groups.” – WBUR

Complete Schedule: afarcry.org/all-concerts

Season Subscriptions Available Now
Single Tickets On Sale August 12, 2026

Boston, MA – Described as a “world-wide phenomenon” by WBUR, Boston-based, multi-GRAMMY®-nominated chamber orchestra A Far Cry (AFC) has nurtured a distinct approach to music-making since its founding in 2007. The self-conducted ensemble is a democracy in which decisions are made collectively and leadership rotates among the players (“Criers”). This structure has led to consistently thoughtful, innovative programming and impactful collaborations with celebrated performers and composers. Celebrating its 20th anniversary, A Far Cry presents nine thoughtfully curated programs throughout the Boston area including a grand finale anniversary celebration, from September 2026 through June 2027 at venues including New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall, St. John’s Episcopal Church in Jamaica Plan, Old South Church in Boston, First Church in Cambridge, and the Boston Center for the Arts Cyclorama.

A Far Cry was founded in 2007 on the belief that every voice deserves to be heard; so instead of one artistic director, the collective of musicians curate and submit program ideas inspired by individual curiosities, the greater musical community, and what is happening in the world at large. The result is a dynamic representation of music and collaborators across genres and backgrounds. The Criers believe it is this core value and sense of curiosity and mission that led The Boston Globe to write that, “even though A Far Cry has decisively established itself as a mainstay of the Boston musical community, something about it feels perpetually fresh with every performance.” In addition to its home season in Boston, the ensemble tours nationally, collaborates regularly with other world-class musicians throughout the country, and has twice been nominated for GRAMMY® Awards in the Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance category. The group’s recording of Rounds by Jessie Montgomery with pianist Awadagin Pratt on his album Stillpoint garnered Montgomery the GRAMMY® Award for Best Contemporary Classical Composition in 2024.

A Far Cry’s 20th anniversary season makes room for Baroque and brand new music, for celebration and reflection, for old friends and first-time listeners alike, with something to satisfy every musical appetite. It includes four Mainstage Concerts, four Neighborhood Chamber Music Concerts, and one special Season 20 Celebration.

AFC’s 2026-2027 Mainstage Concerts include an expansion on the ensemble’s previous collaboration with GRAMMY®-nominated pianist Simone Dinnerstein, creating a newly re-imagined version of J.S. Bach’s Goldberg Variations (September 19, Jordan Hall), to be recorded for later commercial release; Mighty Fortress (November 7, Old South Church) featuring the Boston Children's Chorus and highlighting the strength that comes from unity with music by inti figgis-vizueta, J.S. Bach, and Julius Eastman; Heart Strings: The Most Beautiful Music in the World (February 12, Jordan Hall) celebrating Valentine’s Day and embracing the emotive richness of music for strings and harp by Johann Pachelbel, Elfrida Andree, George Walker, Pēteris Vasks, Gustav Mahler, and more, alongside spoken word by Boston Poet Laureate Emmanuel Oppong-Yeboah; and Side by Side: Absolute Cinema (April 10, Jordan Hall) highlighting music’s capacity to shape stories told on screen and beyond in selections by Tōru Takemitsu, Harold Arlen, and Erich Wolfgang Korngold, plus the world premiere of a new work co-commissioned by A Far Cry and Project STEP from Quinn Mason, with students from the New England Conservatory and Project STEP.

AFC’s four 2026-2027 Neighborhood Chamber Music Concerts invite audiences into intimate musical spaces where stories, traditions, and communities come alive. Each concert highlights a different facet of connection across cultures, generations, and landscapes. Folie à deux explores the magic of musical partnerships with works by Akshaya Avril Tucker, Fabian Otten, Paul Wiancko, Caroline Shaw, Krzysztof Penderecki, and Osvaldo Golijov (October 24, St. John’s Episcopal Church in Jamaica Plain and October 25, First Church in Cambridge); Brandenburgs celebrates the holiday season and honors the timelessness of masters from the Baroque era including J.S. Bach, Antoine Dauvergne, and Arcangelo Corelli (December 19, St. John’s Episcopal Church in Jamaica Plain and December 20, First Church in Cambridge); Coming to Boston: From Haiti (January 9, St. John’s Episcopal Church in Jamaica Plain and January 10, First Church in Cambridge) shines a light on figures integral to Boston’s history, as well as the beautiful culture and steadfast resolve of the Haitian community with music by Werner Jaegerhuber, Robert Durand, Jean “Rudy” Perrault, and Daniel Bernard Roumain, presented in collaboration with Haitian poet, educator, visual artist, and cultural activist Charlot Lucien; The Greatest (March 13, St. John’s Episcopal Church in Jamaica Plain and March 14, First Church in Cambridge) uses music to consider the idea of greatness through a lens other than that of achievement, and features selections by Joseph Haydn, Valerie Coleman, Rebecca Clarke, and Osvaldo Golijov.

For its 20th anniversary grand finale on June 5, AFC presents Mix Tape for Boston: Costumes Change, Pulse Remains, transforming the Boston Center for the Arts’ Cyclorama into a spectacular space filled with live music, revelry, food, and drink. Inspired by the long tradition of the masked ball, and the irresistible pull of a great party, this spectacular event will blur the boundaries between concert and celebration.

Beyond the concert stage, A Far Cry continues its commitment to making music accessible and participatory through free community programs for listeners of all ages. Little Criers introduces young children and their caregivers to live chamber music through interactive performances, creative activities, and hands-on musical play. Listening Lab invites audiences to explore the art of listening through immersive performances with guided conversation, transforming them from passive listeners into active participants in the music-making process. Dates and details for the 2026–27 season will be announced soon.

Audiences beyond Boston can also experience Season 20 through A Far Cry's Virtual Passport, developed in partnership with Immersive Music Project. These cinematic livestreams and on-demand recordings place viewers within the ensemble, offering an intimate perspective to the concert experience. The Virtual Passport includes livestream and video-on-demand access to all four mainstage concerts, audio from all four neighborhood chamber performances, and additional subscriber benefits.

About A Far Cry

A Far Cry was founded in 2007 on the belief that every voice deserves to be heard; so instead of one artistic director, the collective of musicians (“Criers”) curate and submit program ideas inspired by individual curiosities, and what is happening in the world at large. The result is ensemble-playing at its most intimate, representing a diverse mix of music and collaborators.

A Far Cry has risen to the top of Billboard’s Traditional Classical Chart and has twice been nominated for GRAMMY® Awards in the Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance category. The group’s recording of Rounds by Jessie Montgomery with pianist Awadagin Pratt on his album Stillpoint garnered Montgomery the GRAMMY® Award for Best Contemporary Classical Composition in 2024. A Far Cry’s albums The Blue Hour (New Amsterdam and Nonesuch Records) and A Gentleman of Istanbul (Crier Records) were also GRAMMY® nominees that year in the Best Engineered Album, Classical category. A Far Cry’s Crier Records launched auspiciously in 2014 with the GRAMMY®-nominated album Dreams and Prayers. The label’s second release, Law of Mosaics, was included on many top 10 lists, notably from The New Yorker’s Alex Ross and WQXR, which named A Far Cry as one of the "Imagination-Grabbing, Trailblazing Artists of 2014.” The 2018 release Visions and Variations, received two GRAMMY nominations, including one for Best Chamber Music Performance.

A Far Cry’s omnivorous approach has led to collaborations with artists such as Yo-Yo Ma, Simone Dinnerstein, Dinuk Wijeratne, Davóne Tines, Roomful of Teeth, the Silk Road Ensemble, Vijay Iyer, and David Krakauer, to name a few. Highlights include new commissioning projects: Philip Glass’ third piano concerto with soloist Simone Dinnerstein, and The Blue Hour, “a gorgeous and remarkably unified work” (Washington Post) written by a collaborative of five leading female composers – Rachel Grimes, Angélica Negrón, Shara Nova, Caroline Shaw, and Sarah Kirkland Snider. The Blue Hour was released in partnership with New Amsterdam and Nonesuch Records, and was named a Top 10 Album of the year by NPR. In 2023, the group recorded and toured pianist Awadagin Pratt’s Stillpoint project, which features music by Alvin Singleton, Jessie Montgomery, Judd Greenstein, Paola Prestini, Pēteris Vasks, and Tyshawn Sorey. The album, out on New Amsterdam, was called “perhaps the finest of his [Pratt’s] career” by NPR. In 2023, Crier Records also released Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol's A Gentleman of Istanbul, which the group commissioned in 2017. San Francisco Classical Voice called the work a “dazzling multicultural symphony.”

In addition to presenting its annual home series of nine programs at New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall and other locations throughout Boston, A Far Cry tours nationally and has performed at leading venues including The Kennedy Center, National Gallery of Art, Kaufman Music Center, the Naumburg Bandshell in Central Park, at Caramoor, the Ravinia Festival, Rockport Chamber Music Festival-Shalin Liu, Groton Hill Music Center, Newport Classical Music Festival, and many more.The Criers are proud to call Boston home, and maintain strong roots in the city. The group recently celebrated the conclusion of a 10-year residency at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Collaborating with local students through educational partnerships with the New England Conservatory and Project STEP, A Far Cry aims to pass on the spirit of collaboratively-empowered music to the next generation.

A Far Cry Season 20 — Concert Schedule

Mainstage Concert: Goldberg Variations with Pianist Simone Dinnerstein
Curated by Alex Fortes & Sarah Darling
Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026 at 7:30pm | New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall (30 Gainsborough St., Boston)

A Far Cry and Simone Dinnerstein present a modern reimagining of J.S. Bach’s Goldberg Variations, expanding Bach’s iconic keyboard masterpiece in revelatory and unexpected ways into a living dialogue for piano and string orchestra. Created by Criers Alex Fortes and Sarah Darling with Dinnerstein, this arrangement draws out the hidden possibilities within each variation: a hint of trio sonata here, a French overture there, even a jazz-inflected bass line or a playful quodlibet. Solo piano and strings continually trade, mirror, and transform one another, revealing new colors, textures, and moments of surprise while remaining rooted in the brilliance of Bach’s original.

Johannes Sebastian Bach: Goldberg Variations, BWV 988 arr. by Simone Dinnerstein, Alex Fortes and Sarah Darling

Neighborhood Chamber Music Concert: Folie à deux
Curated by Rafael Popper-Keizer
Saturday, October 24, 2026 at 3pm | St. John’s Episcopal Church (1 Roanoke Ave., Jamaica Plain)
Sunday, October 25, 2026 at 3pm | First Church Cambridge (11 Garden St., Cambridge)

French for the “madness of two,” Folie à deux explores the possibilities of musical partnership through six striking duos for violin, viola, cello, and marimba. Moving through every possible pairing of the ensemble’s four instruments, this program reveals how intimacy, tension, vulnerability, and joy can emerge when two voices come together. These vibrant works by contemporary composers range from the shimmering stillness of Akshaya Avril Tucker’s Breathing Sunlight to the mournful echoes of Osvaldo Golijov’ Mariel;, from the playful textures of Caroline Shaw’s Limestone and Felt to the profound gravity of Penderecki’s Ciaccona. Together, they form a kaleidoscopic meditation on connection, memory, identity, and shared experience. By turns playful, sincere, grief-stricken, and ecstatic, Folie à deux celebrates the power—and necessity—of not going it alone.

Akshaya Avril Tucker: Breathing Sunlight
Fabian Otten: L’Assillo
Paul Wiancko: American Haiku
Caroline Shaw: Limestone and Felt
Krzysztof Penderecki: Ciaccona
Osvaldo Golijov: Mariel

Mainstage Concert: Mighty Fortress featuring Boston Children's Chorus
With Ariadne Greif, soprano; Clare McNamara, alto; Brian Giebler, tenor; and Max Tipton, bass
Curated by Alex Fortes
Saturday, November 7, 2026 at 7:30pm | Old South Church (645 Boylston St., Boston)

A Far Cry gathers musicians and audiences inside the soaring sanctuary of Old South Church for an evening centered on themes of human resilience. The program connects three visionary works across centuries: inti figgis-vizueta’s Talamh (land), Johann Sebastian Bach triumphant Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott (“A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”), and Julius Eastman’s monumental Gay Guerrilla, which transforms the famous hymn into a bold, ecstatic meditation on endurance and liberation. Performed by the combined forces of orchestra, chorus, soloists, and organ, Mighty Fortress celebrates the strength we discover when we listen, sing, and stand together.

inti figgis-vizueta: Talamh (land)
Johann Sebastian Bach: Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott (A Mighty Fortress Is Our God), BWV 80
Julius Eastman: Gay Guerrilla

Neighborhood Chamber Music Concert: Brandenburgs
Curated by Jae Cosmos Lee
Saturday, December 19, 2026 at 3pm | St. John’s Episcopal Church (1 Roanoke Ave., Jamaica Plain)
Sunday, December 20, 2026 at 3pm | First Church in Cambridge (11 Garden St., Cambridge)

Ring in the holiday season with an afternoon of radiant baroque music. Centered around two of Bach’s beloved Brandenburg Concertos, this luminous program invites listeners to slow down, gather with loved ones, and experience the warmth and brilliance of music made in community. Alongside Bach’s exuberant concerti, Antoine Dauvergne’s sparkling Concert de Simphonies brings elegance and charm, while Corelli’s admired Christmas Concerto captures the wonder and anticipation of Christmas morning. Festive, vibrant, and full of heart, this seasonal tradition offers a moment of joy, reflection, and togetherness on the brink of the winter solstice.

J.S. Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G major, BWV 1048
Antoine Dauvergne: Concert de Simphonies No. 4 in A major, Op. 4/2
J.S. Bach: Brandenburg Concert No. 6 in B-flat major, BWV 1051
Arcangelo Corelli: Concerto Grosso in G minor, Op. 6, No. 8 (“Christmas Concerto”)

Neighborhood Chamber Music Concert: Coming to Boston: From Haiti
Curated by Francesca McNeeley in Collaboration with Charlot Lucien
Saturday, January 9, 2027 at 3pm | St. John’s Episcopal Church (1 Roanoke Ave., Jamaica Plain)
Sunday, January 10, 2027 at 3pm | First Church in Cambridge (11 Garden St., Cambridge)

Coming to Boston spotlights the stories of those who have shaped—and been shaped by—this city. In From Haiti, music, history, and cultural identity converge in a powerful program celebrating Haitian artistry, resilience, and diasporic connection. Werner Jaegerhuber’s Plainte nocturne draws from Haitian folk melodies and nocturnal songs of lament, while Robert Durand’s String Quartet No. 1 blends echoes of Dvořák and Smetana with the rhythms and spirit of Haitian méringue. Haitian American composer Daniel Bernard Roumain’s electrifying String Quartet No. 1, “X” channels the urgency, anger, and transformational power inspired by Malcolm X, while Jean “Rudy” Perrault’s music explores the cultural origins and deeper meaning behind the Haitian zonbi tradition. This program will be presented in collaboration with Charlot Lucien—Haitian poet, educator, visual artist, and cultural activist—helping weave together music, storytelling, and reflection into an afternoon centered on cultural exchange, memory, and community.

Werner Jaegerhuber: Plainte nocturne #1
Robert Durand: String Quartet No. 1
Jean “Rudy” Perrault: Movements from String Quartet No. 2 Z.O.E. (“Zombie Origin and Evolution”)
Daniel Bernard Roumain: String Quartet No. 1 “X”
With additional music by Ludovic Lamothe and Dickens Princivil

Mainstage Concert: Heart Strings: The Most Beautiful Music in the World
Featuring spoken word performances by Boston Poet Laureate Emmanuel Oppong-Yeboah
Curated by Rafael Popper-Keizer
Friday, February 12, 2027 at 7:30pm | New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall (30 Gainsborough St., Boston)

For this year’s annual Heart Strings program, A Far Cry’s most thoughtful and sentimental curator, Rafael Popper-Keizer, invites audiences into an evening of unabashedly gorgeous music for strings and harp: music of tenderness, longing, melancholy, devotion, and transcendent beauty. From the familiar warmth of Pachelbel’s Canon in D to the aching serenity of Mahler’s Adagietto, the program gathers luminous works that tug unapologetically at the heartstrings. Along the way, George Walker’s deeply moving Lyric for Strings mourns and remembers; Pēteris Vasks’ Lonely Angel offers balm for an aching world; and Schoenberg’s lush Notturno shimmers with late-night romance and dreamlike intimacy. Music by Elfrida Andrée, Gerald Finzi, and Fikret Amirov rounds out a program that moves fluidly between ardor, nostalgia, vulnerability, and wonder. Interwoven throughout the evening will be live, spoken word performances by Boston Poet Laureate Emmanuel Oppong-Yeboah, whose poetry responds to the music in real time, creating a dialogue between sound, love, and human connection. Following the performance, audiences are invited to continue the evening over champagne, sweets, and conversation—because perhaps the most beautiful part of a concert is discovering we are not alone.

Johann Pachelbel: Canon in D Major
Elfrida Andree: Andante quasi recitativo
George Walker: Lyric for Strings
Fikret Amirov: Symphony for String Orchestra, mvt. 1
Schoenberg: Notturno for string orchestra and harp
Finzi: Prelude for String Orchestra in F minor Op. 25
Pēteris Vasks: Vientulais Enģelis for solo violin and string orchestra
Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 5 in C-sharp minor; mvt. 4 Adagietto

Neighborhood Chamber Music Concert: The Greatest
Curated by Megumi Stohs Lewis
Saturday, March 13, 2027 at 3pm | St. John’s Episcopal Church (1 Roanoke Ave., Jamaica Plain)
Sunday, March 14, 2027 at 3pm | First Church in Cambridge (11 Garden St., Cambridge)

What makes someone—or something—great? Inspired in part by Valerie Coleman’s Shotgun Houses, a musical tribute to Muhammad Ali, this chamber program explores greatness not simply as triumph or fame, but as attention, vitality, generosity, and love. Haydn’s “Quinten” Quartet transforms the most elemental building blocks of music into something endlessly inventive and alive. Rebecca Clarke’s luminous Pastorale offers a moment of intimacy and reflection, while Coleman’s exhilarating portrait of Ali celebrates the power of community and living with conviction. The program closes with Osvaldo Golijov’s Ever Yours, inspired by Vincent van Gogh’s letters to his brother Theo and dedicated to enduring friendship and artistic devotion. Together, these works ask us to consider another kind of greatness: not greatness that stands above others, but greatness that notices, connects, and leaves the world more vibrant than it found it.

Joseph Haydn: String Quartet in D minor Op.76, No.2, “Quinten”
Valerie Coleman: Shotgun Houses for Clarinet & String Quartet
Rebecca Clarke: Pastorale for Clarinet & Viola
Osvaldo Golijov: Ever Yours

Mainstage Concert: Side by Side: Absolute Cinema
Featuring Students from New England Conservatory and Project STEP
Curated by Hannah Collins
Saturday, April 10, 2027 at 5pm | New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall (30 Gainsborough St., Boston)

In A Far Cry’s annual Side by Side, the Criers partner with students from Project STEP and New England Conservatory for a joyous performance celebrating the next generation of artists—and the mentors, teachers, families, and friends who help them grow. This year’s program, Absolute Cinema, explores another influential force that shapes us: music’s pivotal role in the stories we tell on screen and beyond. From Tōru Takemitsu’s atmospheric Three Film Scores to Harold Arlen’s iconic Somewhere Over the Rainbow, this program draws focus on music’s ability to transport us, define moments, and stay with us for a lifetime. The concert also features the world premiere of a new work by composer Quinn Mason co-commissioned by A Far Cry and Project STEP, alongside Korngold’s lush and cinematic Symphonic Serenade.

With a special 5:00pm start time, Absolute Cinema invites audiences of all ages to make an evening of it—bringing families, students, teachers, and music lovers together to celebrate the next generation of artists and the stories that connect us all.

Tōru Takemitsu: Three Film Scores
Quinn Mason: New commission by A Far Cry; World premiere with ProjectSTEP
Harold Arlen: Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Erich Wolfgang Korngold: Symphonic Serenade in B-flat major, Op. 39

Season 20 Celebration: Mix Tape for Boston: Costumes Change, Pulse Remains
Curated by Clara Lyon
Saturday, June 5, 2027 at 7:30pm | The Boston Center for the Arts Cyclorama (539 Tremont St., Boston)

For A Far Cry’s milestone Season 20 gala, the orchestra transforms the BCA Cyclorama into a spectacular evening of live music, revelry, food, drink, and delightful abandon. Inspired by the long tradition of the masked ball—and the irresistible pull of a great party—Costumes Change, Pulse Remains blurs the boundaries between concert and celebration. Spanning centuries of dance music, this genre-bending mixtape reveals unexpected connections between Baroque splendor, Romantic drama, and disco ecstasy. From chandeliers to mirror balls, from gavottes to groove, the pulse remains the same: music that brings people together, moves bodies, and invites transformation. Expect costumes. Expect surprises. Expect to dance. Repertoire and special guests will be announced closer to the event, but audiences can look forward to A Far Cry’s signature approach to programming—bringing the same energy, artistry, and curiosity to Mozart and Chic, Berlioz and the Bee Gees.

A Far Cry’s full performance calendar: afarcry.org/all-concerts

For more information about A Far Cry: afarcry.org/group-bio

Oct. 2: ensemble132 Announces Masques and Marionettes Steinway & Sons Debut Album – Featuring New Arrangements of Stravinsky's Petrushka and Robert Schumann’s Carnaval

ensemble132 Announces Masques and Marionettes
Steinway & Sons Debut Album Out October 2, 2026

Featuring New Chamber Arrangements of
Igor Stravinsky’s Petrushka and Robert Schumann’s Carnaval

Worldwide Release Date: October 2, 2026

ensemble132 | Steinway & Sons

Internationally acclaimed chamber music collective ensemble132 (Sahun Sam Hong, Co-Artistic Director, arranger, piano; Zachary Mowitz, Co-Artistic Director, cello; Abi Fayette, violin; Maria Ioudenitch, violin; and Luther Warren, viola) announces its new album and Steinway & Sons recording debut, Masques and Marionettes. The album is scheduled for release on October 2, 2026.

A convergence of world-class artists from around the globe, ensemble132 unites with a shared mission to reimagine the chamber music landscape. The only group of its kind to continually create and premiere new standards in the chamber music repertoire with its artist-crafted arrangements, ensemble132 excites the imagination of audiences with its uniquely genre-defying programs and programming.

This artistic vision is on full display with Masques and Marionettes, as Sahun Sam Hong, Co-Artistic Director of ensemble132, pianist, and arranger for the album, embraces intricate and adventurous energy in new imaginings of Igor Stravinsky’s Petrushka for piano quintet, Robert Schumann’s Carnaval, Op. 9 for piano quartet; as well as Stravinsky’s Two Poems of Konstantin Balmont and Clara Schumann’s Three Romances for Violin and Piano, Op. 22, each performed by different ensemble members.

“The music featured on Masques and Marionettes is a truly collaborative creation through and through,” writes Hong in the album’s liner notes. “By design, ensemble132 is a fluid collective; every rehearsal and performance is a fresh inquiry into a composer’s intent, our own evolving sonic landscape, and the nature of musical inevitability.”

In the time leading up to the creation of this album, Hong writes that a single principle steered and shaped how he approached his work writing arrangements for the ensemble: “Great music transcends the confines of instrumentation.” He and the rest of ensemble132 would come to know the depth of what “confines” could mean during the early days of the pandemic in spring 2020, which descended not long after ensemble132’s founding in fall 2019. However, the disruption and instability brought on by the pandemic itself ended up providing a sense of clarity for the ensemble and a sense of purpose to fuel their musical collaboration, strengthening their bond as an evolving group.

“During those unpredictable early days of the pandemic,” Hong says, “our close-knit musical family, then based in Boston, used our music-making as a means of connecting with one another, channeling our collective emotions and anxieties of a world in flux.”

Much the way the world turned to creativity and imagination to find reprieve from the fixed realities of social separation, on Masques and Marionettes, ensemble132 dives into the fantastical, the visionary, the intangible, and the boundless, through the poetry of Balmont, and the music of Robert Schumann, Clara Schumann, and Igor Stravinsky.

“Konstantin Balmont’s poetry is steeped in the sensory, the fleeting, and the ethereal,” writes Hong, who explains that Balmont’s poems were included as part of the album “for their distinctive storytelling qualities, reflecting Stravinsky’s vision of storytelling.”

Stravinsky’s Petrushka meanwhile, explores the vast plains of imagination through the story of a puppet empowered by magic and sorcery. Mirroring the iconic harmonic clash of the “Petrushka chord,” the music is filled with wonderful contrasts – its complex rhythms, beautifully simple folk tunes, enchanting textures, jarring distortions make the piece uniquely evocative.

Robert Schumann chose to explore creative possibilities while looking inward. He juxtaposed his musical ideas with figures of his real life relationships with his closest friends and colleagues. Schumann then concludes his Carnaval with another fanciful scenario, driven by an imaginary music society called des Davidsbündler (the League of David), who triumph over the Philistines – a symbol for the music critics of Schumann’s time. Clara Schumann’s Romances take a much more intensely introspective dive into the open and abstract nature of human emotions, brought forth through the unique lens of each pair of ensemble132 artists.

Throughout each of these works, ensemble132 comes together to find new ways to embody the characters, places, feelings, motives, and stories reflected in the music – a goal with the potential to ever evolve, alongside the group’s own dynamics and shifting perspectives with the passage of time. “My hope,” writes Hong, “is that these virtuosic arrangements not only expand the chamber repertoire but push both the players and the listener to rethink the relationship between the artist and their instrument.”

Ensemble132’s debut album fits seamlessly with its mission. Chamber ballets, transcriptions of symphonies and jazz standards, and orchestrations of solo works comprise just a few of ensemble132’s programming highlights. Each member of ensemble132’s dynamic roster brings their unique blend of uncompromising individuality and collaborative spirit to traditional masterworks as well as unearthed gems. The artists of ensemble132 have collaborated closely at music festivals such as Marlboro, Ravinia, Music@Menlo, Verbier, and Taos, and appear regularly with ensembles such as the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Catalyst Quartet, Borromeo Quartet, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. They are prizewinners at major competitions such as the Paganini, Joseph Joachim, Tibor Varga, Sibelius, Primrose, Beethoven Vienna, Vendome Prize, and American Pianists Awards. In 2025, ensemble132 became a Steinway Ensemble and was awarded an Artistic Projects Award from Chamber Music America.

ensemble132
Masques and Marionnettes
Release Date: October 2, 2026 | Steinway & Sons

Tracklist:

Igor Stravinsky: Two Poems of Konstantin Balmont (arr. Sahun Hong)

[1] Forget-me-nots (Nyezabudochka-tsvyetochek) [1:27]
[2] The Dove (Golub) [2:01]

Igor Stravinsky: Petrushka for piano quintet (arr. Sahun Hong)

[3] Petrushka, Scene I: The Shrovetide Fair [5:20]
[4] Petrushka, Scene I (The Magic Trick) [2:05]
[5] Petrushka, Scene I (Russian Dance) [2:49]
[6] Petrushka, Scene II: Petrushka's Room [4:21]
[7] Petrushka, Scene III: The Moor's Room [2:44]
[8] Petrushka, Scene III (Dance of the Ballerina) [0:45]
[9] Petrushka, Scene III (Waltz) [3:02]
[10] Petrushka, Scene IV: The Fair Towards Evening [1:12]
[11] Petrushka, Scene IV (Wet-Nurses' Dance) [2:24]
[12] Petrushka, Scene IV (Peasant with Bear) [1:42]
[13] Petrushka, Scene IV (Gypsies) [0:55]
[14] Petrushka, Scene IV (Dance of the Coachmen) [2:08]
[15] Petrushka, Scene IV (Masqueraders) [2:04]

Clara Schumann: Three Romances for Violin and Piano, Op. 22

[16] Andante molto [3:08]
[17] Allegretto [3:10]
[18] Leidenschaftlich schnell [3:55]

Robert Schumann: Carnaval, Op. 9 for piano quartet (arr. Sahun Hong)

[19] Préambule [2:16]
[20] Pierrot [1:54]
[21] Arlequin [1:05]
[22] Valse noble [2:09]
[23] Eusebius [1:59]
[24] Florestan [1:02]
[25] Coquette [1:53]
[26] Réplique [0:50]
[27] Sphinxes [0:39]
[28] Papillons [0:46]
[29] A.S.C.H. - S.C.H.A. (Lettres dansantes) [0:51]
[30] Chiarina [1:27]
[31] Chopin [1:05]
[32] Estrella [0:34]
[33] Reconnaissance [1:43]
[34] Pantalon et Colombine [0:58]
[35] Valse allemande [0:56]
[36] Paganini – Tempo I ma più vivo [1:23]
[37] Aveu [1:16]
[38] Promenade [2:19]
[39] Pause [0:18]
[40] Marche des Davidsbündler contre les Philistins [3:47]

Total Time: 1:16:46

Sahun Sam Hong, Co-Artistic Director, arranger, piano
Zachary Mowitz, Co-Artistic Director, cello
Abi Fayette, violin
Maria Ioudenitch, violin
Luther Warren, viola

Executive Producers: Eric Feidner, Jon Feidner, Vivian Chiu
Producer: Jesse Lewis
Recording Engineer: Christopher Moretti
Mixing: Christopher Moretti
Mastering: Jesse Lewis
Piano Technician: Paul Rattigan
Art Direction: Jackie Fugere
Cover Design: Timea Kolozsvary
Booklet Design, Cover to Cover Design, Anilda Carrasquillo
Project Coordinator: Renée Oakford
Recorded August 14-17, 2025 at Futura Productions, Roslindale, Massachusetts

ensemble132 is a recipient of a 2025 grant from Chamber Music America’s Artistic Projects
program, funded through the generosity of The Howard Gilman Foundation, for the Recording.

GRAMMY-Winning Experiential Orchestra Announces 2026-2027 NYC Season - Beauty in the Face of Adversity

GRAMMY®️-Winning Experiential Orchestra (EXO) Announces 2026-2027 Season Beauty in the Face of Adversity

James Blachly, Music Director

An Embrace of Sound: The Music of Anna Clyne
Featuring Cellist Inbal Segev in the New York City Premiere of Dance
Friday, October 23, 2026 at 8pm
The DiMenna Center for Classical Music | 450 W. 37th St., New York, NY

Music in a Time of War
Featuring Violist Paul Neubauer, Pianist Stewart Goodyear, and Violinist Michelle Barzel Ross
Music by Herbert Howells, Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson, Samuel Barber, and Ralph Vaughan-Williams
Saturday, February 20, 2027 at 7:30pm
Roulette Intermedium | 509 Atlantic Ave., Brooklyn, NY

Strength Through Song: Choral Music of Arvo Pärt
Saturday, May 22, 2027 at 7:30pm
The New York Society for Ethical Culture | 2 W 64th St., New York, NY

Brad Balliet’s A Field Guide to Imaginary Birds
Spring 2027 Outdoors at Inwood Hill Park | Payson Ave. &, Seaman Ave., New York, NY
Details TBA

www.experientialorchestra.org

New York, NY – The GRAMMY®️-winning Experiential Orchestra (EXO) announces its 2026-2027 season, Beauty in the Face of Adversity, running from October 2026 through June 2027. Led by founding Music Director James Blachly, EXO presents four immersive programs, each reflecting the mission of the orchestra – to curate programs that embrace the unique acoustics and characters of each venue, creating a one-of-a-kind listening environment and a new experience of sound. Subscription sales begin July 21, 2026 and individual tickets will be available starting August 25, 2026.

Clockwise L-R: Stewart Goodyear by Anita Zvonar, James Blachly by Allison Stock, Inbal Segev by Bri Elledge, Paul Neubauer by Rosalie O’Connor, Michelle Barzel Ross by Samira Bouaou. Press photos available in high resolution here.

The season opens on October 23, 2026 with An Embrace of Sound, a celebration of the music of composer Anna Clyne, including the New York City premiere of her Dancefor Cello and Orchestra, featuring cellist Inbal Segev (who commissioned and recorded the work), as well as Clyne’s This Midnight Hour and Within Her Arms, at the DiMenna Center for Classical Music (450 W. 37th St., New York, NY). On February 20, 2027 at Roulette Intermedium (509 Atlantic Ave., Brooklyn, NY), EXO presents Music in a Time of War, a concert featuring three acclaimed soloists: Paul Neubauer, Stewart Goodyear, and Michelle Barzel Ross. On May 22, 2027 at the New York Society for Ethical Culture (2 W 64th St., New York, NY), EXO performs the choral music of Arvo Pärt, expanding the orchestra’s ongoing relationship with the Estonian composer. The final event of the season is a reprise of EXO’s celebrated collaboration with composer Brad Balliett in his A Field Guide to Imaginary Birds, to be held outdoors at Inwood Hill Park in Spring2027 (details TBA).

Experiential Orchestra Music Director James Blachly says, “This season brings together extraordinary composers, internationally acclaimed soloists, and beautiful venues to create concerts that we hope will speak directly to our audience from a place of strength and comfort. In October, we embrace the way that Anna Clyne's music is uniquely attuned to the way we can turn to music and poetry in life's hardest moments. In February, we turn to several of the most celebrated 20th century composers and their personal responses to the cost of war. And in May, we see how the choral music of Arvo Pärt fits within the context of the Estonian Singing Revolution – when an entire nation rose together through the power of song.”

EXO’s season opening concert on October 23, 2026, An Embrace of Sound, is a celebration of the music of Anna Clyne. It features the New York City premiere of Clyne’s Dance for Cello and Orchestra, performed with Inbal Segev, for whom it was written. The program also includes Clyne’s This Midnight Hour, an evocative tour de force for orchestra, which was written in part as a response to the poetry of Charles Baudelaire and Juan Ramón Jiménez. Clyne’s Within Her Arms, written in the wake of the death of her mother, opens the program, with the EXO strings surrounding the audience at the DiMenna Center for Classical Music in a sound embrace. 

Music in a Time of War on February 20, 2027 at Roulette Intermedium presents four powerful works that reflect on the cost of war. Internationally acclaimed violist Paul Neubauer performs Herbert Howells’s gorgeous and rarely performed Elegy for viola, string quartet and string orchestra; GRAMMY-nominated pianist Stewart Goodyear performs Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson’s 1973 composition Grass, a reflection on the Korean War; and violinist Michelle Barzel Ross performs Vaughan Williams’s The Lark Ascending, orchestrated in the direct aftermath of the First World War, during which Williams served as a stretcher carrier (inspired by his love of the poetry of Walt Whitman). Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings, composed in 1938 as the world marched towards global conflict, completes the program.

EXO has established a deep relationship with the music of Arvo Pärt through previous concerts at The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. On May 22, 2027 at the New York Society for Ethical Culture, EXO presents Strength Through Song: Choral Music of Arvo Pärt,a program that pairs the Estonian composer’s profound sacred choral works and works for string quartet, including Estonian folk songs that formed a part of the Estonian Singing Revolution, a movement that helped the small Baltic country face the adversity of occupation by the USSR. The concert will include Pärt’s works Drei Hirtenkinder, Silouan’s Song (for SATB Chorus), Nunc Dimittis, Psalom for String Quartet,Sieben Magnificat-Antiphonen, Most Holy Mother of God, Estonian Lullaby, Fratres for String Quartet, “Prayer after the Kanon” from Kanon Pokajanen, and Da Pacem.

Finally, in Spring 2027 (details TBA), EXO will again present Brad Balliet’s A Field Guide to Imaginary Birds outdoors in Inwood Hill Park. This is an immersive, experiential program designed with families and bird-lovers in mind, in which participants will discover the songs of seven remarkable imaginary birds.

About Experiential Orchestra:

The GRAMMY®️-winning Experiential Orchestra(EXO) brings audiences close to the music by engaging listeners through imaginative, immersive, and interactive concert experiences. Founded by Music Director James Blachly in 2009, EXO’s performances and recordings have been described as “strikingly persuasive” by the San Francisco Chronicle and “immaculate” by Musical America, and have been praised for having “luscious tone and poise” by Classics Today.

EXO was founded to forge transformative concerts in community, where each curated performance is imbued with a generous spirit of celebration, facilitating the exploration of what Blachly calls, “a new experience of sound” by audiences. The orchestra’s performances take place in and outside the concert hall with audiences invited to participate in unorthodox ways. EXO has performed the music of Arvo Pärt in the Temple of Dendur at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, invited audiences to dance during Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring and Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker at National Sawdust, enveloped the audience in concerts at Lincoln Center with audience and orchestra members sitting together, and presented  Symphonie fantastique and Petrushka with circus choreography at The Muse in Brooklyn.  

Recent highlights have included a concert at The Library of Congress in Washington, DC; an immersive performance of Strauss’s Four Last Songs with cellist Andrew Yee and soprano Sarah Brailey; and an ongoing close relationship with the Arvo Pärt Centre, Michael Pärt, and the Estonian Embassy in yearly presentations of the music of Arvo Pärt. In January 2024, EXO performed Pärt’s masterwork Passio at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, offering audiences the opportunity to experience the concert while reclining on yoga mats. In March 2024, the orchestra co-presented a four-day Julia Perry Centenary Celebration and Festival in New York, coinciding with Perry’s 100th birthday that month. 

EXO is known for imaginative and groundbreaking programming that frequently advocates for under-celebrated masterpieces and composers. The orchestra’s world premiere recording of Dame Ethel Smyth’s The Prison (1930) was released on Chandos Records in 2020 to international critical acclaim in The New York Times, Gramophone, The New Yorker, The Guardian, and many other publications. The album won the GRAMMY for Best Classical Solo Vocal Album in 2021 – the first GRAMMY ever awarded for Smyth’s music. EXO’s world premiere recording of Julia Perry’s Violin Concerto, with soloist Curtis Stewart, was released on the Bright Shiny Things label in March 2024 and earned two GRAMMY nominations.

EXO is led by Founder and Music Director James Blachly, General Manager Sandy Choi, Concertmasters Alex Fortes and Henry Wang, Personnel Manager Arthur Sato, and Artistic Advisor Patrick Castillo.

About Founding Music Director James Blachly:

James Blachly is a GRAMMY®-winning conductor dedicated to enriching the concert experience by connecting with audiences in memorable and meaningful ways. James Blachly serves as Music Director of Experiential Orchestra and Johnstown Symphony Orchestra. He is a versatile guest conductor in diverse repertoire for orchestras including New York Philharmonic, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and WDR Funkhausorchester. A strong supporter of composers of our time, Blachly has commissioned and premiered more than 40 works by composers including Jessie Montgomery, Courtney Bryan, Viet Cuong, Michi Wiancko, Kate Copeland Ettinger, Tommy Daugherty, Patrick Castillo, Brad and Doug Balliett, and many others. In recent seasons, he has collaborated with soloists Daniel Hope, Paul Jacobs, Julia Bullock, Dashon Burton, Michelle Cann, Andrew Yee, Curtis Stewart, Simone Porter, and more. In addition to his work with Experiential Orchestra, with the Johnstown Symphony, Blachly has conducted the orchestra at the Flight 93 Memorial for the 20th Anniversary of 9/11, in a former steel mill in a concert that was featured on Katie Couric’s America Inside Out, at the First Summit Arena at the War Memorial, and in eight seasons the orchestra has increased season ticket sales and annual giving each by more than 50%. In 2021, he received a commendation by the City of Johnstown and the Johnstown chapter of the NAACP. In recent seasons, Blachly has introduced an annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Juneteenth, and youth concert. For more information, visit www.jamesblachly.com.

OUT NOW: 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

Out Now - Listen Here

Album Release Dates:
Digital / CD / DVD and Blue-Ray: Out Now

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 – released by Sony Classical on CD, DVD, Blu-ray and digitally – 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.

Sept. 11: Pianist Lucas Debargue Releases Gershwin Variations New Album on Sony Classical – New Singles Out Today

Pianist Lucas Debargue Releases New Album on Sony Classical Gershwin Variations

New Singles Out Today:
Rhapsody in Blue – Molto moderato
But Not For Me, in F – Prelude
Listen Here

Worldwide Album Release Date: September 11, 2026
Pre-Order Available Now

In Concert at Ladies Morning Musical Club in Montreal on October 25, 2026
In Concert at Lincoln Center in New York City on October 29, 2026

Lucas Debargue presents Gershwin Variations, an ambitious tribute to George Gershwin in two parts: One recorded with the Orchestre de Paris conducted by Elim Chan, the other devoted to the pianist's original creations inspired by Gershwin's songs.

Internationally acclaimed pianist Lucas Debargue's Gershwin Variations stand as an ambitious and unprecedented project, born from the desire to explore a radically different universe after recording Scarlatti sonatas and the complete solo piano works of Fauré. This double album – to be released September 11, 2026 on Sony Classical and for which pre-order is available now – is an ode to George Gershwin, an unclassifiable composer standing at the crossroads of classical music and jazz, whose singularity inspired Lucas to create a work equally impossible to categorize.

The album is divided into two parts, both equally grandiose and virtuosic… yet each with its own distinct identity.

The first part, recorded at the Philharmonie de Paris on Stephen Paulello’s unique SP/287 piano, features some of Gershwin’s most iconic works, including the Concerto in F with the Orchestre de Paris conducted by Elim Chan, the Three Preludes for Piano, and a highly personal version of Rhapsody in Blue, enriched with the pianist’s own cadenzas.

The second part, recorded at the Paulello Studio, is entirely devoted to twelve virtuosic études composed by Lucas from Gershwin’s most popular songs, spanning all chromatic keys. This cycle represents the most ambitious creation of his career as a pianist to date, affirming a deep commitment to freedom and invention, while placing itself in the tradition of the great composers who wrote their own études.

The Gershwin Variations is neither a classical album nor a jazz album, but a hybrid work reflecting the anticonformist spirit and the American dream embodied by Gershwin. Lucas offers a bold and poetic reinterpretation in which counterpoint, shifting harmonies, and unconventional rhythms reveal the richness of Gershwin’s melodies. He invites listeners to rediscover a repertoire where popularity is never synonymous with triviality, and where music becomes a space for freedom, daring, and vitality.

Lucas Debargue says: “I wanted to create an album that captures the spirit of constant transformation that breathes life into music in general—and into Gershwin’s music in particular. It features moments of spontaneous improvisation, original compositions, and interpretive choices that leave no trace in the original scores. That is why I decided to title it Gershwin Variations.”

TRACKLIST

CD 1

Rhapsody in Blue, 3 Preludes, Concerto in F
Lucas Debargue – piano
Orchestre de Paris, Orchestra
Elim Chan – conductor

George Gershwin (1898-1937)

1. Prelude I - Allegro ben ritmato e deciso
2. Piano Concerto in F - I. Allegro
3. Piano Concerto in F - II. Adagio – Andante con moto
4. Piano Concerto in F - III. Allegro agitato
5. Prelude II - Allegro ben ritmato e deciso
6. Rhapsody in blue - Molto moderato (Cadenzas: Lucas Debargue)
7. Rhapsody in blue - Meno mosso e poco scherzando (Cadenzas: Lucas Debargue)
8. Rhapsody in blue - Andantino moderato (Cadenzas: Lucas Debargue)
9. Rhapsody in blue -- Agitato e misterioso (Cadenzas: Lucas Debargue)
10. Prelude III - Allegro ben ritmato e deciso

[Total Time: 55:02]

CD 2

12 Virtuoso Etudes on Gershwin Songs
Lucas Debargue, piano

Lucas Debargue
1. Embraceable You - Rumba, in E
2. Fascinating Rhythm - Valse, in A
3. Someone To Watch Over Me, in D - Pavane
4. Someone To Watch Over Me, in D - Gaillarde
5. It Ain’t Necessarily So, in G - Fantaisie
6. It Ain’t Necessarily So, in G - Chaconne
7. It Ain’t Necessarily So, in G - Fugue
8. Liza - Gavotte § Double, in C
9. But Not For Me, in F – Prelude
10. But Not For Me, in F – Perpetuum Mobile ****
11. I Want To Stay Here (I love you Porgy) Adagio Dekadent, in B-flat
12. The Man I Love - Mirage, in E-flat
13. They Can’t Take That Away From Me - Romance, in A-flat
14. I Got Rhythm (I Really Got Rhythm !) - Boom Bap, in D-flat - Part I
15. I Got Rhythm (I Really Got Rhythm !) - Boom Bap, in D-flat - Part II
16. I Got Rhythm (I Really Got Rhythm !) - Boom Bap, in D-flat - Part III
17. Lady Be Good - Berceuse, in F-sharp

Summertime - 20 Concert Variations & Finale, on a Theme of George Gershwin, in B
18. Summertime - Introduction
19. Summertime - Thème
20. Summertime - Variation 1: Tempestoso
21. Summertime - Variation 2: Tango
22. Summertime - Variation 3: Scherzino
23. Summertime - Variation 4: Polonaise
24. Summertime - Variation 5: Féroce
25. Summertime - Variation 6: Scintillante
26. Summertime - Variation 7: Nocturne
27. Summertime - Variation 8: Marcia Funèbre
28. Summertime - Variation 9: Sicilienne
29. Summertime - Variation 10: Intermezzo
30. Summertime - Variation 11: Reggae
31. Summertime - Variation 12: Con Fuoco
32. Summertime - Variation 13: Caccia
33. Summertime - Variation 14: Choral
34. Summertime - Variation 15: Toccatina
35. Summertime - Variation 16: Bossa Nova
36. Summertime - Variation 17: Largo Recitativo
37. Summertime - Variation 18: Teneramente
38. Summertime - Variation 19: Fugue
39. Summertime - Variation 20: Tarentelle
40. Summertime – Finale: Alla Marcia

[Total Time: 55:29]

ABOUT LUCAS DEBARGUE

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OUT TODAY: Composer Robert Sirota's 212: Symphony No. 1 Released on CD – World Premiere Recording and Azica Debut

Composer Robert Sirota's 212: Symphony No. 1 
Out Today on CD via Azica Records

World Premiere Recording of Sirota’s Symphonic Work
Performed by Manhattan School of Music Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by George Manahan

Downloads and CDs available to press on request

“[Robert] Sirota’s compositional voice has a distinctive tartness and rhythmic bite.”
– Anthony Tomassini, The New York Times

Robert Sirota | Manhattan School of Music |Azica Records

Today, July 17, 2026, the world premiere recording of composer Robert Sirota’s 212: Symphony No. 1 is available on CD. The tenth album featuring Sirota’s music, and his first for Azica Records, 212: Symphony No. 1 is performed by Manhattan School of Music’s Symphony Orchestra led by celebrated conductor George Manahan. Over five decades, Robert Sirota has developed a distinctive voice, clearly discernible in all of his work – whether symphonic, choral, stage, or chamber music. Writing in the Portland Press Herald, Allan Kozinn asserts: “Sirota’s musical language is personal and undogmatic, in the sense that instead of aligning himself with any of the competing contemporary styles, he follows his own internal musical compass.”

Robert Sirota composed 212: Symphony No. 1 in 2007. Of the work’s world premiere, Anthony Tomassini wrote in TheNew York Times, “Although the overall musical language of this score recalls the American neo-classicists, Mr. Sirota’s compositional voice has a distinctive tartness and rhythmic bite. Thick, astringent chromatic harmonies come in tightly bound chords to create nervous sonorities. Yet the textures are always lucid; details come through.”

Named after the iconic area code, the work is lovingly dedicated to the memory of Sirota’s father, Harry Sirota, whom Robert describes as, “a truly great New Yorker.”

When starting work on the piece, Sirota came to the realization that writing music inspired by the borough of Manhattan required an extended, multi-movement work as the chosen musical form. He states in his program note that “nothing less” would suffice, going on to write, “In framing the four movements of this 25-minute work, I have tried to portray Manhattan as I have experienced it: a place of incomparable majesty, vitality, tragedy, and hope.”

Over the work’s four movements, Sirota takes listeners on a journey through the borough – the approach to Manhattan’s iconic skyline (“Approaches”); the sound and unique energy of the subway (“Do Not Hold Doors”); grief for the tragedy of September 11 (“Lamentation”); and finally, concluding with a hopeful hymn for the city (“O Manhattan”).

Robert Sirota’s works have been performed by orchestras across the US and Europe; ensembles such as Alarm Will Sound, Sequitur, yMusic, Chameleon Arts, and Dinosaur Annex; the Chiara, American, Telegraph, and Blair String Quartets; the Neave, Peabody, Concord, and Webster Trios; and at festivals including Tanglewood, Aspen, Yellow Barn, and Cooperstown music festivals; Bowdoin Gamper and Bowdoin International Music Festival; and Mizzou International Composers Festival. Commissions for Sirota@70 in honor of his 70th birthday included works for Thomas Pellaton, Carol Wincenc, Linda Chesis & the Cooperstown Summer Music Festival, and Sierra Chamber Society.

Additional recent commissions include the music for Rising, an evening-length dance collaboration with choreographer Gabrielle Lamb, Pigeonwing Dance, and the Neave Trio; A Migrant’s Dream, a choral work commissioned by Judith Clurman for Essential Voices USA; Sirota’s third string quartet, Wave Upon Wave for the Naumburg Foundation; his fourth string quartet Contrapassos for the Sierra Chamber Society, Immigrant Songs for the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine; Luminous Bodies performed by Jeffrey Kahane and yMusic at the Sarasota Music Festival; Hafez Songs for Palladium Musicum; O Blessed Holy Trinity for choir and organ, for Trinity Episcopal Church, Indianapolis; and his Cello Sonata No. 2, for Benjamin Larsen and Hyungjin Choi. Sirota’s arrangements of songs for Paul Simon and yMusic were performed on Simon’s farewell tour, including an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

Sirota is a recipient of grants from the Guggenheim and Watson Foundations, United States Information Agency, National Endowment for the Arts, Meet the Composer, and the American Music Center. His works are recorded on Navona Records, Legacy Recordings, National Sawdust Tracks, and the Capstone, Albany, New Voice, Gasparo and Crystal labels. His music is published by Muzzy Ridge Music, Hal Leonard, MorningStar, Theodore Presser, and To the Fore.

Before becoming Director of the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University in 1995, Sirota served as Chairman of the Department of Music and Performing Arts Professions at New York University and Director of Boston University's School of Music. From 2005-2012, he was the President of Manhattan School of Music, where he was also a member of the School’s composition faculty.

A native New Yorker, Sirota studied at Juilliard, Oberlin, and Harvard and divides his time between New York and Searsmont, Maine with his wife, Episcopal priest and organist Victoria Sirota. They frequently collaborate on new works, with Victoria as librettist and performer, at times also working with their children, Jonah and Nadia, both world-class violists.

George Manahan has had an esteemed career embracing everything from opera to the concert stage, the traditional to the contemporary. In the 2025-26 season Manahan made his debut with the Sacramento Philharmonic. In the previous season he debuted at New Orleans Opera for Tosca and Opera Colorado for La Bohème and returned to Opera Theatre of Saint Louis for Die Fledermaus.

Manahan continues his commitment to working with young musicians as Director of Orchestral Activities at the Manhattan School of Music. He is the 2012 winner of the Ditson Conductor’s Award, established in 1945 by the Alice M. Ditson Fund of Columbia University. It is the oldest award honoring conductors for their support of American music. Previous recipients include James Levine, Christopher Keene, Leopold Stowkowsky, Leonard Bernstein, Eugene Ormandy, and Alan Gilbert. He has also served as Music Director of New York City Opera, Portland Opera, and American Composers’ Orchestra.

His many appearances on television include productions of La Bohème, Lizzie Borden, and Tosca on PBS. Live from Lincoln Center’s telecast of New York City Opera’s production of Madame Butterfly under his direction won a 2007 Emmy Award. George’s wide-ranging recording activities include the premiere recording of Steve Reich’s Tehillim for ECM; recordings of Edward Thomas’s Desire Under the Elms, which was nominated for a Grammy; Joe Jackson’s Will Power; and Tobias Picker’s Emmeline. His enthusiasm for contemporary music continues today; he has conducted numerous world premieres, including Tobias Picker’s Dolores Claiborne, Charles Wuorinen’s Haroun and the Sea of Stories, David Lang’s Modern Painters, Hans Werner Henze’s The English Cat, and Terence Blanchard’s Champion. As Music Director of the Richmond Symphony (VA) for twelve years, he was honored four times by the American Society of Composers and Publishers (ASCAP) for his commitment to new music.

He received his formal musical training at the Manhattan School of Music, studying conducting with Anton Coppola and George Schick, and was appointed to the faculty of the school upon his graduation, at which time The Juilliard School awarded him a fellowship as Assistant Conductor with the American Opera Center. Manahan was chosen as the Exxon Arts Endowment Conductor of the New Jersey Symphony and he made his opera debut with the Santa Fe Opera, conducting the American premiere of Arnold Schoenberg’s Von Heute Auf Morgen.

212: Symphony No. 1 by Robert Sirota| Azica
George Manahan, Conductor | Manhattan School of Music Symphony Orchestra
Release Date: April 17, 2026 (Worldwide)

212: Symphony No. 1

1. I: Approaches [6:25]
2. II: Do Not Hold Doors [3:31]
3. III: Lamentation [8:19]
4. IV: O Manhattan [7:28]

Total time [​​25:44]

Recorded live on October 17–18, 2024 at Neidorff – Karpati Hall, Manhattan School of Music
Produced by: Robert Sirota and Manhattan School of Music
Engineered and edited by: Dan Rorke, MSM Chief Recording Engineer, the Orto Center for Distance Learning and Recording Arts
Assistant Engineering by: Bryant Blackburn
Mastered by: Alan Bise
Graphic Design by: Monica Mussulin

California Symphony's 40th Anniversary Season Led by Artistic & Music Director Donato Cabrera - Tickets Now Available

Photo by Kristen Loken. Hi res photos available here.

CALIFORNIA SYMPHONY 40TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON
Donato Cabrera, Artistic & Music Director

Celebrating Four Decades of Innovative Programming and Community

Single Tickets Now Available

40th Anniversary Season Opening Celebration Dinner on September 27, 2026

“Under the leadership of the irrepressible Mexican-American maestro Donato Cabrera since 2013, California Symphony takes its music seriously . . . But the educational agenda is no excuse for discounting the pleasure principle. Want to take selfies? Bring drinks to your seats? Clap when the spirit moves you? Please do! And prick up your ears for exciting new sounds! . . . Regional press is glowing” – Air Mail

Single Tickets Now Available: CaliforniaSymphony.org

WALNUT CREEK, CA (July 15, 2026) – California Symphony, led by Artistic and Music Director Donato Cabrera and Executive Director Lisa Dell celebrates 40 years of bringing vibrant orchestral music to the Bay Area – in five compelling programs over ten performances at Hoffman Theatre at the Lesher Center for the Performing Arts from September 2026 to May 2027, plus the return of California Symphony’s Holiday Traditions concerts in December 2026. This season, California Symphony also welcomes its next Composer-in-Residence, Paul Novak, who will write three new works for the orchestra over the course of his three-season residency. On September 27, 2026, California Symphony will celebrate this milestone season with a special 40th Anniversary Season Opening Celebration Dinner at Prime Steakhouse and Martini Garden in Walnut Creek, raising funds for the organization’s music and education programs.

California Symphony's signature programming approaches orchestral music as storytelling, and this season explores American connections across continents and generations; musical contemporaries from Russia and America; the grandeur of the Enlightenment era in Paris; California innovators alongside Beethoven's bold optimism; and evocative orchestral landscapes from Spain, Mexico, and Italy. World-class soloists join the orchestra in riveting concertos, including cellist Julian Schwarz in Jennifer Higdon's Cello Concerto, clarinetist Cory Tiffin in Aaron Copland's Clarinet Concerto, violinist Helen Kim in John Adams' Violin Concerto, and pianist Tanya Gabrielian in Manuel de Falla's Nights in the Gardens of Spain. 

Donato Cabrera says, “This season reflects on the artistic connections that have shaped orchestral music across time and place. From Sibelius's ocean-inspired journey to America, to the musical dialogue between Haydn and Mozart in Enlightenment Paris, to California's own pioneering composers like Cowell and Adams, these programs trace how music can capture and interpret the world around us, turning landscape, memory, and cultural identity into sound. I'm thrilled to welcome Paul Novak as our new Composer-in-Residence and to share these extraordinary works with our incredible soloists and this world-class orchestra.” 

Founded in 1986, California Symphony has been led by Donato Cabrera since 2013. Its concert season at the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek, California, serves a growing number of music lovers from across the Bay Area. California Symphony believes that the concert experience should be fun and inviting, and its mission is to create a welcoming, engaging, and inclusive environment for the entire community. Through this commitment to community, imaginative programming, and its support of emerging composers, California Symphony is a leader among orchestras in California and a model for regional orchestras everywhere. 

During the 2026-2027 season, California Symphony will continue to serve its community beyond the stage through its nationally recognized educational initiative Sound Minds (September 2026 through May 2027) and will expand its innovative lifelong learning program Fresh Look: The Symphony Exposed to two communities in Lafayette and San Ramon (July 2026). It will also continue and expand its community partnerships with the Amateur Music Network and the Trinity Center Walnut Creek.

California Symphony Names Paul Novak 2026-2029 Composer-in-Residence

California Symphony will welcome Paul Novak as its next Composer-in-Residence, from fall 2026 through spring 2029. California Symphony’s Composer-in-Residence Program is unusual in that it gives early-career professional composers or graduate students in composition the opportunity to work with a professional orchestra over an extended period, composing a new orchestral work each season for three seasons and visiting the orchestra and community multiple times in order to build experience and relationships. Unique to this residency, Cabrera and the full orchestra offer three 30-minute workshops, providing an opportunity for the composer to experiment with sound and ideas in real time. The program has become one of the most sought-after in the country, with past participants going on to win major honors and awards, including GRAMMY Awards, the Rome Prize, the Barlow Prize, Guggenheim Fellowships, and more.

Paul Novak’s "spellbinding" (Washington Post) music immerses listeners in shimmering and subtly crafted musical worlds full of color, motion, light, and magic. His recent projects engage with dreams and memory, queer identity, climate change and the natural world, and psychosomatic illness. He has been commissioned by and collaborated with orchestras, chamber ensembles, and musicians around the world, and he has received awards from the Fromm Foundation, Barlow Endowment, ASCAP, BMI, American Academy of Arts and Letters, and more. Novak is the co-artistic director and flutist of Chicago-based ensemble Mycelium New Music and a PhD candidate at the University of Chicago.

“I'm so honored to be the next Composer-in-Residence of the California Symphony,” Novak says. “I look forward to collaborating with this fantastic and forward-thinking orchestra, which has a legacy of championing contemporary music, and following in the footsteps of some of my favorite composers. As a composer, I strongly believe in the power of music to build community, and I can't wait to connect with audiences in Walnut Creek and share my music with them.”

Composer Pierre Jalbert, who was California Symphony’s Composer-in-Residence from 1999 to 2002, says, “I was elated to learn that Paul Novak will be the next California Symphony Composer-in-Residence. Paul is an extremely talented composer and his music is full of energy, color, and drama. Many years ago, the residency had a huge impact on me as a composer and I know that Paul will gain so much from it as well. It was through this residency with the California Symphony and Barry Jekowsky that my music eventually traveled to the Boston Symphony, London Symphony, Hong Kong Philharmonic, and around the world. Having an orchestra read and try out different ideas is a composer's dream, and the practical as well as sonic lessons are lifelong. Congratulations to Paul and I look forward to hearing his new works!” 

California Symphony 2026-2027 Concert Schedule: 

SIBELIUS, HIGDON, AND BARTÓK – American Connections
Saturday, September 26, 2026 at 7:30pm
Sunday, September 27, 2026 at 4pm 

Jean Sibelius: The Oceanides (1914)
Jennifer Higdon: Cello Concerto (Northern California Premiere)
Julian Schwarz, cello
Béla Bartók: Concerto for Orchestra (1943)

California Symphony opens its 40th anniversary season with a program celebrating American connections. All three works on the program share a common thread: they were premiered in the United States, a fitting nod as the nation marks its 250th anniversary and reflects on artistic ties across continents and generations. Finnish composer Jean Sibelius composed The Oceanides in 1914 for his only trip to America, creating a vivid representation that was hailed at its U.S. premiere as "the finest evocation of the sea." GRAMMY Award-winning American composer Jennifer Higdon's Cello Concerto receives its Northern California premiere, performed by the cellist for whom it was written, Julian Schwarz. The concerto showcases Higdon's distinctive voice—lyrical, rhythmically vibrant, and deeply expressive. Hungarian composer Béla Bartók fled to America during World War II, and while living in New York in 1943, composed his Concerto for Orchestra, commissioned by conductor Serge Koussevitzky for the Boston Symphony Orchestra. A true showpiece, the work turns every instrument in the orchestra into a soloist, offering dazzling displays across all five movements. From the serenity of Sibelius's ocean to Higdon's fresh contemporary voice and Bartók's exhilarating finale, this program offers a vivid musical arc. 

FROM TCHAIKOVSKY TO COPLAND – Classical Contemporaries
Saturday, November 7, 2026 at 7:30pm
Sunday, November 8, 2026 at 4pm 

Anton Arensky: Variations on a Theme by Tchaikovsky (1894)
Aaron Copland: Clarinet Concerto (1948)
Cory Tiffin, clarinet
Samuel Barber: Adagio for Strings (1936)
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Serenade for Strings (1880)

California Symphony's November concerts explore the relationships between musical contemporaries across Russia and America. Russian composer Anton Arensky's Variations on a Theme by Tchaikovsky from 1894 honors his teacher Tchaikovsky, creating a direct musical and historical connection. The variations are based on a theme from Tchaikovsky's song Legend, transforming it into a work of lyrical beauty and emotional depth. Tchaikovsky's own Serenade for Strings from 1880 remains one of his most enduring and personal works, praised by the composer himself as "a piece from the heart." American composer Aaron Copland's Clarinet Concerto from 1948 was commissioned and premiered by jazz legend Benny Goodman, and fuses a lyrical and expressive first movement with a second movement influenced by popular music from North and South America, connected by a spectacular cadenza for the soloist. California Symphony's new principal clarinet, Cory Tiffin, takes center stage in this virtuosic showcase. Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings from 1936, with its hauntingly beautiful melody, is one of the most recognizable pieces in American music, heard in concerts, films, and national moments of reflection. The program highlights how musical contemporaries influenced one another: Arensky paid tribute to his mentor while shaping his own lyrical Russian style, while Barber and Copland—born the same year—explored complementary visions of American music, from Barber's expressive lyricism to Copland's folk-inspired "Americana." 

HOLIDAY TRADITIONS
Friday, December 18, 2026 at 7:30pm
Saturday, December 19, 2026 at 2pm
Performances at the Walnut Creek Presbyterian Church

California Symphony’s holiday concerts are back by popular demand! Brass, percussion, and organ bring the season’s music into sharp focus, moving from quiet reflection to rhythmic celebration. Familiar carols such as Hark! the Herald Angels Sing and Carol of the Bells sit alongside selections from Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, creating a program that spans centuries of holiday tradition. Sacred and folk influences come together in clear, resonant arrangements that highlight both the power and the intimacy of these seasonal works, offering a direct and uplifting way to experience the music of the season. 

MOZART AND HAYDN IN PARIS – Music of the Enlightenment
Saturday, January 23, 2027 at 7:30pm
Sunday, January 24, 2027 at 4pm 

François Joseph Gossec: Symphony No. 2 in G Major (published 1769)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Symphony. No. 31 in D Major (1778)
Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges: Symphony No. 1 in G Major (published 1779)
Franz Joseph Haydn: Symphony No. 85 in B-flat Major (1785)

California Symphony's first concerts in 2027 transport audiences to the vital musical world of late 18th-century Paris, where these four composers moved in overlapping artistic circles. Belgian-born composer François Joseph Gossec helped shape the early symphonic tradition in France, where opera had long dominated, and his Symphony No. 2 , published in 1769, demonstrates his skill in crafting elegant and balanced instrumental works. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Symphony No. 31, the “Paris” Symphony from 1778, was written for a public concert series and showcases his flair for vibrant, energetic orchestration and dramatic contrasts. Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, was a virtuoso violinist and composer from the Caribbean island of Guadalupe whose music is being revived after centuries of neglect. He not only performed under Gossec's baton but also led his own orchestra. Around 1786, he commissioned and conducted the premiere of Franz Joseph Haydn's Symphony No. 85 in Paris. Known as “La Reine” (“The Queen”) because Queen Marie Antoinette particularly admired it, Haydn's symphony reveals his gift for wit, surprise, and inventive musical conversation. These composers contributed to a thriving cultural landscape where ideas, styles, and innovations traveled quickly among performers and audiences, making Paris a true center of the musical Enlightenment.

BEETHOVEN’S SECOND – Cowell, Adams, & Beethoven: Masterful Mavericks
Saturday, March 13, 2027 at 7:30pm
Sunday, March 14, 2027 at 4pm

Henry Cowell: Hymn and Fuguing Tune No. 10 (1955)
John Adams: Violin Concerto (1993)
Helen Kim, violin
Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 2 in D Major (1802)

California Symphony's March concerts celebrate bold innovators across three centuries. San Francisco-born composer Henry Cowell was a pioneering American modernist whose Hymn and Fuguing Tune No. 10 from 1955 blends mid-18th-century fuguing techniques—a distinctly American tradition—with modern rhythms and expressive harmonies. The result is music that feels both rooted in history and thoroughly contemporary. Fellow Californian John Adams' Violin Concerto from 1993 pulses with minimalist energy, contrasting soaring lyricism with dazzling virtuosity as the solo violin interacts with colorful orchestral textures. The second movement's chaconne is inspired by Pachelbel's famous canon, while the finale erupts in rhythmic drive and electric energy. Violinist Helen Kim, praised as "astoundingly gifted" (San Francisco Chronicle), brings technical brilliance and expressive depth to this demanding concerto. Ludwig van Beethoven composed his Symphony No. 2 in 1802 during a personal crisis—he was coming to terms with his hearing loss—yet the work radiates optimism, wit, and energy. The symphony represents Beethoven at a turning point, with the first hints of the heroic style that would define his later works. The musical connections resonate throughout: Cowell and Adams both draw on historical structures while Beethoven's Symphony No. 2 shares the bright, uplifting key of D major, subtly echoing this shared tonal center.

PINES OF ROME – Orchestral Landscapes
Saturday, May 8, 2027 at 7:30pm
Sunday, May 9, 2027 at 4pm 

Paul Novak: World Premiere
Composer-in-Residence
Manuel de Falla: Nights in the Gardens of Spain (1909-15)
Tanya Gabrielian, piano
Manuel Ponce: Chapultepec (1929, rev. 1934)
Ottorino Respighi: Pines of Rome (1924)

California Symphony's season finale concerts feature landscapes from Spain, Mexico, and Italy, showcasing composers' abilities to transform place and memory into sweeping orchestral narratives. The program opens with the world premiere of a new work by Composer-in-Residence Paul Novak, whose shimmering, colorful music creates immersive sonic worlds. Spanish composer Manuel de Falla's Nights in the Gardens of Spain blends impressionistic textures with flamenco-inspired rhythms, creating evocative, luminous soundscapes that capture the mystery and romance of Andalusian gardens at night. Bay Area native Tanya Gabrielian brings expressive lyricism and technical brilliance to this concerto-like work for piano and orchestra. Mexican composer Manuel Ponce's Chapultepec celebrates the iconic park in Mexico City, blending folk influences with classical elegance in a work that evokes Mexico's rich cultural heritage. Italian composer Ottorino Respighi's Pines of Rome from 1924 uses the full orchestra to conjure vivid imagery, from dawn in the park to nocturnal city streets to the ancient Appian Way, showcasing Respighi's coloristic mastery. Across three countries, this program highlights music's power to evoke place, atmosphere, and memory.

Concert Details:

Locations: All concerts except for Holiday Traditions are held at Hofmann Theatre at the Lesher Center for the Arts; 1601 Civic Drive; Walnut Creek, CA. Holiday Traditions concerts are held at the Walnut Creek Presbyterian Church; 1801 Lacassie Ave.; Walnut Creek, CA.

Ticket Information: 5-Concert Subscriptions concerts start at $200 and are available now. 3- and 4-Concert subscriptions go on sale in late May, and single tickets ($50-110) and student tickets ($25 for students 25 and under with valid Student ID) on sale in July. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit CaliforniaSymphony.org or call (925) 280-2490.

About the California Symphony:

Founded in 1986, California Symphony has been led by Artistic and Music Director Donato Cabrera since 2013. It is distinguished by its vibrant concert programs that span the breadth of orchestral repertoire, including works by American composers and by living composers. Its concert season at the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek, California serves a growing number of music lovers from across the Bay Area.

California Symphony believes that the concert experience should be fun and inviting, and its mission is to create a welcoming, engaging, and inclusive environment for the entire community. Through this commitment to community, imaginative programming, and its support of emerging composers, California Symphony is a leader among orchestras in California and a model for regional orchestras everywhere.

Since 1991, California Symphony's three-year Young American Composer-in-Residence program has provided a composer with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to collaborate with the orchestra over three consecutive years to create, rehearse, premiere, and record three major orchestra compositions, one each season. Every Composer-in-Residence has gone on to win top honors and accolades in the field, including the Rome Prize, Pulitzer Prize, Grammy Awards, and more.

The orchestra's nationally recognized educational initiative Sound Minds impacts students' trajectories by providing instruction for violin or cello and musicianship skills. Sound Minds has proven to contribute directly to improved reading and math proficiencies and character development, as students set and achieve goals, learn communication and problem-solving skills, and gain self-confidence. Inspired by the El Sistema program of Venezuela, the program is offered completely free of charge to the students and families of Downer Elementary School in San Pablo, California.

Through its innovative adult education program Fresh Look: The Symphony Exposed, California Symphony provides lifelong learners a fun-filled introduction to the orchestra and classical music. Led by celebrated educator and California Symphony program annotator Scott Foglesong, these live classes are held over four weeks in the summer annually.

In 2017, California Symphony became the first orchestra with a public statement of a commitment to diversity. Its website is available in both Spanish and English.

Reaching far beyond the performance hall, since 2020 the orchestra's concerts have been broadcast nationally on multiple radio series through Classical California (KUSC/KDFC) and the WFMT Radio Network, reaching over 1.5 million listeners across the country.

For more information, visit CaliforniaSymphony.org.

California Symphony’s 2026-27 season is sponsored by the Lesher Foundation.

Caramoor Announces Rosen House Concert Series - 21 Classical, Jazz, Folk, and Global Music Concerts - October 2026 to May 2027

Press photos available here.

Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts Announces 2026-2027 Rosen House Concert Series

Featuring 21 Classical, Jazz, Folk, and Global Music Concerts from October 2026 through May 2027 in the Music Room of the Historic Rosen House

Plus Expanded Public Programming and a New Collaboration with Juilliard Extension

“a year-round powerhouse of cultural activity” – BBC Music Magazine

Information & Tickets: caramoor.org

Tickets on Sale July 21 at 10:00am
(Member Pre-Sale Runs from July 14 to 20) 

Getting to Caramoor from NYC: Caramoor is an approximately one-hour ride on Metro-North from Grand Central to Katonah, NY.

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, announces the 2026-2027 season of its intimate Rosen House Concert Series, which includes twenty-one performances featuring classical, jazz, folk, and global music held from October 2026 through May 2027. Caramoor also continues its commitment to mentoring the next generation of classical musicians with its annual Evnin Rising Stars and Schwab Vocal Rising Stars programs, as well as the Ernst Stiefel String Quartet-in-Residence, held this season by the Renaissance String Quartet. In addition, Caramoor will offer expanded public programs, going Beyond the Music with Yoga, Teas, Talks and More and giving the community more opportunities to engage with this special location. These include a new collaboration with Juilliard Extension, Juilliard’s flagship program for nonmatriculated students, presenting the inaugural set of six faculty-led lectures complementing the Rosen House Concert Series. 

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. Caramoor’s Rosen House Concert Series is 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. The estate’s gardens and grounds are also open year round to visitors, free of charge, for picnicking and walking daily from 10:00am to 4:00pm.

2026-2027 Rosen House Concerts Series 

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

Nobuntu, the internationally acclaimed female a cappella quartet from Zimbabwe, brings its vibrant artistry to Caramoor for the first time. Nobuntu’s inventive performances range from traditional Zimbabwean songs to Afro-Jazz and Gospel, utilizing pure voices along with traditional dance and percussion. Named for an African concept valuing humility, love, and unity, the award-winning ensemble preserves its cultural heritage while championing music's power to transcend social and economic boundaries. Beyond the group’s extensive international tours and three studio recordings, Nobuntu leads vital community initiatives at home, empowering a new generation of young women in the arts. 

Bandits on the Run
Friday, October 16, 2026 at 7:30pm
Presented in collaboration with City Winery

Bandits on the Run is an indie-folk-pop-Americana outfit consisting of three lead singers who also play guitar, cello, suitcase drum, accordion, and various toy instruments. They hail from Brooklyn and are known for their vivacious performance style, genre-defying sound, soaring harmonies, and ability to make music-magic happen everywhere from subway platforms to concert halls. Their three-part harmonies have been heard filling iconic venues while opening for The Wood Brothers’ 2025 East Coast tour, on the main stages at Colorado’s Rocky Mount Folks Fest and Michigan’s Blissfest, and in a sold-out residency at Manhattan’s Bowery Electric. 

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

Celebrated British countertenor Iestyn Davies is known for his vocal beauty and technical dexterity. An esteemed Handelian, he is a GRAMMY-winner and recipient of multiple Gramophone awards, with appearances at The Metropolitan Opera, La Scala, and Carnegie Hall. He earned an Olivier Award nomination for his performance in the play Farinelli and the King in London and New York. In 2022, Davies appeared with lutenist Thomas Dunford in the Music Room, and now he returns with Oliver Wass, the first harpist ever to win the prestigious Guildhall Gold Medal, for a recital of works by Dowland, Purcell, Handel, Gluck, Monteverdi and more. 

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

Pianist Jonathan Biss is recognized globally for his impeccable taste and formidable technique. He has appeared as a soloist with the foremost ensembles of the world, including the Los Angeles and New York Philharmonics, the Boston Symphony, and the Royal Concertgebouw. Biss is particularly renowned for his deep engagement with the music of Beethoven. He has recorded the complete piano sonatas of the composer, created a widely viewed Coursera lecture series, spearheaded the Beethoven/5 commissioning project, and is the author of the acclaimed book Unquiet: My Life with Beethoven. Beyond his extensive touring and advocacy for newly commissioned works, Biss serves as the Co-Artistic Director of the Marlboro Music School and Festival. He is a frequent contributor to The New York Times and the recipient of numerous prestigious honors, including the Leonard Bernstein Award, an Avery Fisher Career Grant, and a Gilmore Young Artist Award. At Caramoor, he will present his program Words Fail! featuring selections from Mendelssohn’s Songs Without Words, Janáček’s “Words Fail!” from On the Overgrown Path, Kurtág’s “Quiet talk with the Devil” and “Silence” from Játékok, Amy Beth Kirsten’s (speak to me), and Schumann’s Variations on an Original Theme and Fantasy in C Major, Op. 17.

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

These two performances feature participants in Caramoor’s Evnin Rising Stars mentoring program, which has nurtured emerging talent since 1992. Each year, the program’s Artistic Director Marcy Rosen identifies some of the most promising musicians at the cusp of their careers, bringing them to Caramoor for a weeklong chamber music residency with distinguished artist mentors. In addition to Rosen, this year’s mentors are violinist Soovin Kim and violist Dmitri Murrath, both alumni of the Evnin Rising Stars program. The 2026 Evnin Rising Stars are Isabelle Ai Durrenberger, violin; Stephen Kim, violin; Julian Rhee, violin; Laura Liu, viola; Emad Zolfaghari, viola; Andrew Byun, cello; Annie Jacobs-Perkins, cello; and Albert Cano Smit, piano. The Evnin Rising Stars and the artist mentors will perform chamber music by Mozart, Janáček, and Franck on October 31 and music by Beethoven, Bartók, and Brahms on November 1. Tickets are free for audience members ages 18 and under.

Pianist Aaron Diehl
Friday, November 6, 2026, 7:30pm
Presented in collaboration with Jazz at Lincoln Center

Pianist Aaron Diehl has quietly re-defined the lines between jazz and classical, and built a global career around his nuanced, understated approach to music-making. He has collaborated with musical giants such as Wynton Marsalis, Cécile McLorin Salvant, and Philip Glass. Diehl serves as the Artistic Director of the Jazz in July Festival at 92NY and frequently performs as a soloist with the New York Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Cleveland Orchestra. A familiar presence at Caramoor, Diehl recorded his debut solo album, Live at Caramoor, at the venue in 2008 and most recently returned for a performance with The Knights of Mary Lou Williams’ Zodiac Suite, following his landmark recording of the work in 2023.

Renaissance String Quartet
Sunday, November 15, 2026 at 3:00pm
2026-2027 Ernst Stiefel String Quartet-in-Residence

The Renaissance String Quartet makes the first of three appearances at Caramoor as part of Caramoor’s  yearlong mentorship program dedicated to supporting rising ensembles. Founded in 2021 by violinists Randall Goosby and Jeremiah Blacklow, violist Jameel Martin, and cellist Daniel Hass, the quartet was built on over a decade of friendship formed at The Perlman Music Program and The Juilliard School. Driven by a desire to reimagine the capacity of the string quartet, the ensemble commands a diverse repertoire of classic, underrepresented, and new works to champion an inclusive vision for the future of classical music. As recipients of a 2024 Salon de Virtuosi career grant, the quartet has performed extensively across the globe, featuring recent international debuts at Queen Elizabeth Hall in London and Muziekhaven in Amsterdam alongside dynamic collaborations and educational residencies spanning from Princeton University to Kingston, Jamaica. At Caramoor, the Renaissance Quartet will perform W.A. Mozart’s Adagio and Fugue in C minor, K. 546; Florence Price’s String Quartet No. 2 in A minor; and Béla Bartók’s String Quartet No. 1. Tickets are free for audience members ages 18 and under.

Guitarist Julian Lage – Benefit Concert
Saturday, December 5, 2026 at 8:00pm

Hailed as one of the most prodigious guitarists of his generation and “highest category of improvising musicians” (The New Yorker), Julian Lage is known for blending jazz traditions with American roots music through virtuosic technique and improvisation. A former child prodigy who performed at the 2000 GRAMMYs, he has released acclaimed albums from his GRAMMY-nominated debut Sounding Point to his 2026 Blue Note release Scenes from Above. 

A pre-concert Benefit Dinner in the Formal Dining Room offers a way to support Caramoor in a meaningful way. Attendees will enjoy a three-course meal, fine wine, and conversation with Caramoor's most ardent supporters. Select concert tickets also include a post-concert reception with Julian Lage. 

Christmas with Cantus
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 and Marian L. Harrison. The program unfolds with a dynamic range of emotions and textures, featuring pieces by Rachmaninoff, Ariel Ramirez, and Eric Whitacre 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.

Schwab Vocal Rising Stars
Sunday, March 7, 2027 at 3:00pm

The spring Rosen House Concert Series opens with the Schwab Vocal Rising Stars’ culminating performance. Every year, Schwab Vocal Rising Stars’s Artistic Director Steven Blier selects four promising singers and a pianist for a week-long Caramoor residency with Blier and Associate Artistic Director Bénédicte Jourdois that includes daily coaching, rehearsals, and workshops, culminating in this concert in the Music Room. Together they will present Guilty Pleasures, a program of secrets, admonitions, parables, guilt, and delights from many cultures and centuries. This bracing dive into the Seven Deadly Sins (with a side tour to some sweeter peccadillos) includes songs by Strauss, Britten, John Jacob Niles, Brahms, and Irving Berlin. Tickets are free for audience members ages 18 and under.

Viano Quartet
Sunday, April 4, 2027 at 3:00pm

The Viano Quartet has quickly soared to international acclaim as a dynamic and in demand string ensemble. Formed in 2015 at the Colburn Conservatory of Music, the group achieved major recognition after winning First Prize at the Banff International String Quartet Competition. The quartet was awarded the Avery Fisher Career Grant in 2025. Equally committed to classical masterworks and contemporary repertoire, the ensemble actively collaborates with leading modern composers. The discography of the quartet highlights a diverse range across traditional and modern eras, featuring the 2023 debut EP Portraits and the 2025 full-length album Voyager. The quartet also shares a deep passion for chamber music education by working with young artists at leading music institutions around the world. At Caramoor, the Viano Quartet will give the New York premiere of String Quartet No. 2: Dhara by celebrated composer Reena Esmail, whose music weaves together the traditions of Hindustani and Western classical music, alongside Haydn’s String Quartet in C Major, selections from Dvořák’s Cypresses, and Mendelssohn’s String Quartet No. 4 in E Minor.

The Summer Camargo Quintet
Friday, April 9, 2027 at 7:30pm
Presented in collaboration with Jazz at Lincoln Center

Twenty-four-year-old jazz trumpeter Summer Camargo is a composer and bandleader recently named a "25 for the Future" rising jazz star by DownBeat magazine. In 2022 she became the newest and youngest member of the Saturday Night Live house band, and is also enjoying her most recent role as a band member in Broadway’s new musical, Just in Time. She is a regular performer at notable New York City jazz clubs like Dizzy’s and Birdland, as well as a member of the Mingus Big Band. Camargo has toured with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra on the Big Band Holidays tour, performed with Jon Batiste at the Newport Jazz Festival, was a guest artist at Wynton at 60, and performed her original composition “Alalazoo” at the 2022 Jazz at Lincoln Center Gala.

ACRONYM
Reginald Mobley, countertenor
Sunday, April 11, 2027 at 3:00pm

GRAMMY-nominated American countertenor Reginald Mobley and the acclaimed Baroque band ACRONYM join forces for Lasciatemi Morire: Songs of Love, Death and Devotion. Globally renowned for his purity of tone and deft interpretations of early music, Mobley regularly performs with top orchestras across the globe and serves as a leading advocate for diversity in classical programming. He shares the stage with ACRONYM, an early music string ensemble dedicated to premiering forgotten instrumental works of the seventeenth century. Since forming in 2012, the ensemble has released numerous critically acclaimed albums and captivated audiences with their consummate style. Together, they present a historically rich program featuring vocal and instrumental compositions by Claudio Monteverdi, Barbara Strozzi, Antonio Vivaldi, Isabella Leonarda, and other notable figures of the Baroque era.

The Other Mozart
Sylvia Milo, creator & actress
Nathan Davis, composer & sound designer
Phyllis Chen, composer
Saturday, April 17, 2027 at 7:30pm
Sunday, April 18, 2027 at 3:00pm 

The Other Mozart is an award-winning play telling the true, forgotten story of Nannerl Mozart, the sister of Amadeus – a prodigy, keyboard virtuoso and composer, who performed throughout Europe with her brother to equal acclaim, but her work and her story faded away, lost to history. Created, written and performed by Sylvia Milo, The Other Mozart had a critically acclaimed Off-Broadway run in New York City at HERE Arts Center, earning Drama Desk and Off Broadway Alliance nominations. It also had eight New York Innovative Theatre (NYIT) nominations, winning Outstanding Solo Performance and Original Music. It has had over 350 performances worldwide to date. The New York Times describes the play as “strikingly beautiful,” while The Los Angeles Times raves, “With an emotional precision that captures and rewards attention throughout, Sylvia Milo rescues Nannerl’s genius."

Pianist Inon Barnatan
Sunday, April 25, 2027 at 3:00pm

Recognized as a highly admired pianist of his generation, Inon Barnatan has established a uniquely varied career as a soloist, curator, and collaborator. He performs regularly with leading orchestras worldwide and served as the inaugural Artist in Association of the New York Philharmonic. The versatile musician has appeared with prominent ensembles including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony, and the Leipzig Gewandhaus. As a curator, he serves as the Music Director for the SummerFest of the La Jolla Music Society. He maintains close partnerships in chamber music, frequently performing alongside cellist Alisa Weilerstein and soprano Renée Fleming. At Caramoor, Barnatan presents a program framed by Chopin's Four Ballades, which creates a dialogue across time between Chopin, his influences, and his successors. It includes music by the originator of the nocturne as a solo piano piece, Irish composer John Field; Samuel Barber (whose Nocturne, Op. 33 is an homage to Field); along with mazurkas by Karol Szymanowski and Thomas Ades, revealing how Chopin’s incorporation of Polish idioms continued to inspire composers in the 20th and 21st centuries. 

Renaissance String Quartet
Sunday, May 2 , 2027 at 3:00pm
2026-27 Ernst Stiefel String Quartet-in-Residence

For its second of three performances as the 2026-27 Ernst Stiefel String Quartet-in-Residence, the Renaissance String Quartet presents a program that places Mozart and Ravel in dialogue with a bold new work by founding cellist Daniel Hass, reflecting the ensemble’s commitment to both classical mastery and contemporary creation. The program features the world premiere of Suite for String Quartet by Hass, paired with Mozart’s String Quartet No. 22 in B-flat Major, K. 589 and Ravel’s String Quartet in F Major. Tickets are free for audience members ages 18 and under. 

Sister Sadie
Friday, May 7, 2027 at 7:30pm
Presented in collaboration with City Winery 

Sister Sadie is a GRAMMY-nominated all female bluegrass supergroup renowned for its hard driving acoustic sound and breathtaking vocal harmonies. Formed after a spontaneous jam session at the legendary Station Inn in Nashville, the acclaimed ensemble quickly made history as the first all female band to win the prestigious Entertainer of the Year award from the International Bluegrass Music Association in 2020. Having also secured multiple Vocal Group of the Year titles from the organization, the band bridges the gap between traditional mountain music and a vibrant contemporary edge. Delivering fiery and high energy performances with exceptional instrumental prowess, Sister Sadie continues to tour extensively and captivate audiences at major music festivals and historic concert venues across the nation.

Vocalist Mandy Gonzalez
Friday, May 14, 2027 at 7:30pm
Cabaret in the Music Room

Mandy Gonzalez is an accomplished film, television, and stage actor celebrated for her starring roles on Broadway. She is widely known for her portrayal of Nina Rosario in the original cast of In the Heights, as well as her acclaimed performances as Angelica Schuyler in Hamilton and Elphaba in Wicked. Beyond her extensive theatrical credits, Gonzalez is a familiar presence on television with recurring roles in programs such as Madam Secretary and Quantico. As a versatile recording artist and concert performer, she released her debut solo album Fearless, which features a title track written by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Her captivating cabaret performances showcase a dynamic vocal range and a deeply personal storytelling style. Gonzalez is also the founder of the Fearless Squad, a community focused on inclusivity and positivity, and she brings this inspiring energy to audiences worldwide.

Beyond the Music: Yoga, Teas, Talks, & More 

Caramoor has expanded its slate of community and family programming, giving visitors more ways to experience this unique setting in addition to its world-class concerts. Highlights for the 2026-2027 season include the continuation through September 5 of Caramoor’s 2026 Rosen House Focus Tour: Inside Lucie's Wardrobe on Fridays and Saturdays, inviting visitors to discover Lucie Rosen's fashions through a docent-led experience. For the first time in over thirty years, Lucie’s unique fashions are displayed in the Rosen House, enlivened by photos and new research. In related programming, on Thursday, September 3, 2026 at 7:00pm in the Music Room at the Rosen House, Caramoor presents Conversations at Caramoor: Spotlight on Lucie’s Jewelry. 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.

After September 5, 2026 Caramoor offers Rosen House Signature Tours on Fridays and Saturdays, inviting visitors to explore the historic Rosen House through a docent-led experience which shares the stories behind the House’s carefully assembled treasures, including Asian and Renaissance art, period rooms imported from European villas and châteaux, and architectural details that reveal the Rosens’ global tastes and vision for a home that celebrates beauty and culture.

Caramoor will also continue its popular Afternoon Teas, offering a variety of tea sandwiches, scones with crème fraîche and preserves, delicious desserts, and a selection of fragrant teas. Afternoon Tea was one of the English traditions Lucie Rosen 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 to relax with friends and family in a breathtaking historic setting.

In addition, Caramoor invites the community to unwind and restore in a serene setting with Yoga in the Sunken Garden in September and Yoga in the Music Room in January. This special yoga series 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. Whether you are new to yoga or returning to your mat, these sessions provide a peaceful way to end your day while experiencing Caramoor from a new perspective.

Caramoor also offers family activities in all seasons including making Halloween treats and winter wreaths during Halloween Dessert Decorating Kids Cooking Class and Winter Wreath-Making for Families. In 2027, Young Artists at Caramoor workshops return to let kids explore new media and the forms it can take. Caramoor also offers Rosen House Studio Nights: Art and Aperitifs for adults on select Wednesday evenings, with themes including ceramic tile painting, stained glass mosaics, and jewelry design.

Check the Caramoor website for the schedule of Beyond the Music programs, which is announced on a rolling basis: caramoor.org/events/beyond-the-music

New Collaboration with Juilliard Extension: Six Faculty-Led Lectures at Caramoor

New this season, Caramoor is teaming up with Juilliard to offer a series of six Extension courses, open to all, offering audiences the opportunity to dive deeper into the themes presented on stage throughout the Rosen House Concert Series. Participants will learn from some of the most acclaimed professors and lecturers and engage in thoughtful discussion with fellow music lovers. Classes can be taken individually or as an entire series. Topics include Beethoven to Bartók: The Expanding World of Chamber Music; The String Quartet Across Three Centuries; Music, Faith, and Power in the Baroque World; and more. Details will be announced soon.

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.

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, 7:30pm: Aaron Diehl
Sunday, November 15, 2026 at 3:00pm: Renaissance Quartet
Saturday, December 5, 2026 at 8:00pm: Guitarist Julian Lage - Benefit Concert
Sunday, December 6, 2026 at 2:00pm and 4:00pm: Christmas with Cantus
Sunday, March 7, 2027 at 3:00pm: Schwab Vocal Rising Stars
Sunday, April 4, 2027 at 3:00pm: Viano Quartet
Friday, April 9, 2027 at 7:30pm: The Summer Camargo Quintet
Sunday, April 11, 2027 at 3:00pm: ACRONYM and Countertenor Reginald Mobley
Saturday April 17, 2027 at 7:30pm and Sunday, April 18, 2027 at 3:00pm: The Other Mozart with Creator & Actress Sylvia Milo
Sunday, April 25, 2027 at 3:00pm: Pianist Inon Barnatan
Sunday, May 2, 2027 at 3:00pm: Renaissance Quartet
Friday, May 7, 2027 at 7:30pm: Sister Sadie
Friday, May 14, 2027 at 7:30pm: Cabaret in the Music Room with Vocalist Mandy Gonzalez

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

Caramoor’s Rosen House Concert Series runs from October through May, held in the exquisite Music Room of the Rosens’ historic home – a Mediterranean-style villa from 1939 filled with treasures from around the world. Photo by Gabe Palacio available in high resolution here.

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