THE 67TH ANNUAL SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL, JUNE 23 – AUGUST 8
Katonah, NY ~ June 6, 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contact: Lois Cohn Associates
2012 CARAMOOR INTERNATIONAL MUSIC FESTIVAL
THE 67TH ANNUAL SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL, JUNE 23 – AUGUST 8
JUNE 23 OPENING NIGHT
• Conductor ROBERTO ABBADO leads the ORCHESTRA OF ST. LUKE’S in selections from Mendelssohn’sA MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM with special guest BEBE NEUWIRTH reading excerpts of Shakespeare’s play to contextualize the symphonic piece
• Violinist GIL SHAHAM performs Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64
16TH ANNUAL BEL CANTO AT CARAMOOR SERIES DIRECTED BY WILL CRUTCHFIELD
• Caramoor presents the American premiere of Rossini’s CIRO IN BABILONIA in collaboration with the renowned Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro, Italy featuring EWA PODLEÅš, MICHAEL SPYRES and the U.S. debut of soprano JESSICA PRATT | July 7
• EGLISE GUTIÉRREZ, KATE ALDRICH, LEONARDO CAPALBO and BURAK BILIGILI take the stage in Bellini’s I CAPULETI ED I MONTECCHI | July 21
AMERICAN ROOTS MUSIC FESTIVAL, GOING GLOBAL, AND GOSPEL
• DAVID BROMBERG QUARTET, SPUTYEN DUYVIL, HOT TUNA ACOUSTIC and more participate in the second annual American Roots Music Festival | June 30
• BÉLA FLECK and the MARCUS ROBERTS TRIO | August 4
• Folk-rock guitarist and singer/songwriter RICHARD THOMPSON performs a solo acoustic show | July 14
• PAQUITO D’RIVERA and friends perform an all-Cuban celebration of melody and rhythm | July 6
• Caramoor introduces ‘Gospel Sunday’ with THE HARLEM GOSPEL CHOIR and THE LEE BOYS |
August 5
A 4TH OF JULY CELEBRATION
• MICHAEL BARRETT takes the podium for the spectacular all-Gershwin Pops, Patriots & Fireworksconcert including Rhapsody in Blue, performed by JOHN MUSTO | July 4
ORCHESTRA OF ST. LUKE’S
• Pianist EMANUEL AX joins the ORCHESTRA OF ST. LUKE’S and newly appointed Principal ConductorPABLO HERAS-CASADO |July 15
RECITAL AND CHAMBER MUSIC HIGHLIGHTS
• The PACIFICA QUARTET teams up with ANTHONY MCGILL for concert of Mozart, Smetana and
Janácek | July 27
• Genre-defying string quartet BROOKLYN RIDER make’s its Caramoor debut | July 20
• The LINDEN STRING QUARTET, the 2011-2012 Ernst Stiefel String Quartet-in-Residence, will close out its Caramoor residency with special guest, GABRIEL KAHANE featuring a WORLD PREMIERE by Mr. Kahane| July 13
• The BRENTANO STRING QUARTET celebrates its 20th anniversary with a Caramoor co-commission written by six living composers related to fragmentary works by past masters called ‘Fragments: Connecting Past and
Present’| July 8
19TH ANNUAL JAZZ FESTIVAL
• Performances by PAT METHENY UNITY BAND, ROY HAYNES’S FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH BAND, DEE DEE BRIDGEWATER, KENNY BARRON and more | July 28 & 29
KATONAH, NY – Michael Barrett, Chief Executive and General Director of Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts, presents the 2012 Caramoor International Music Festival, which opens on June 23 and offers enormous appeal to all audiences with a rich array of artists and repertoire from the worlds of classical, jazz, Latin and American Roots music. The 67th season of this iconic summer festival – which is held annually at the Center’s distinguished 90-acre garden estate in Katonah, New York – will run from June 23 to August 8.
“The 2012 Caramoor season is a beautiful example of our continuing work presenting classical masterpieces, and our ongoing program expansion,” says Barrett. “I am very happy with our collaboration with the Rossini Festival in Pesaro, Italy on Ciro in Babilonia, and I look forward to another performance by Ewa PodleÅ› at Caramoor. Pablo Heras-Casado will have his first outing as the new Principal Conductor of the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, and I think everyone will see why he was the choice for this orchestra. We’ve expanded our American Roots Festival in scope and ambition, and it is a pleasure to see our third year of this endeavor flourish. Gabe Kahane will collaborate and premiere a new work with our 2011-12 Ernst Stiefel String Quartet-in-Residence, the Linden String Quartet. In my final year as Chief Executive at Caramoor, I look forward, with great anticipation, to the upcoming season, and I think our audiences will not find anything less than wonderful.”
OPENING NIGHT ON JUNE 23 AND THE ORCHESTRA OF ST. LUKE’S
Caramoor and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, conducted by Roberto Abbado, open the summer festival with selections from Mendelssohn’s masterful incidental music to A Midsummer Night’s Dream and his Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64. Violinist Gil Shaham appears in Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto. Broadway luminary Bebe Neuwirth will read excerpts of Shakespeare’s play to contextualize the symphonic piece (June 23).
As resident orchestra at Caramoor since its formation in 1979, the Orchestra of St. Luke’s concerts glitter with luminous soloists, classic repertoire, and a fresh approach to symphonic music. The orchestra and newly appointed Principal Conductor of the Orchestra, Pablo Heras-Casado, will be joined by pianist Emanuel Ax for a program of Beethoven and Ravel (July 15).
BEL CANTO AT CARAMOOR
Ciro in Babilonia:
Continuing the extraordinary success of previous seasons, Caramoor’s Director of Opera Will Crutchfieldcelebrates the 16th season of Bel Canto at Caramoor with an exciting partnership. This season, Caramoor presents the American premiere of Rossini’s Ciro in Babilonia in collaboration with the renowned Rossini Opera Festival based in Pesaro, Italy. Celebrated contralto Ewa PodleÅ› returns to the Venetian Theater in the role of Ciro in a production semi-staged by Davide Livermore featuring tenor Michael Spyres and soprano Jessica Pratt in her American debut. Following the premiere, conductor Will Crutchfield and members of the cast will perform in Pesaro on August 10, 13, 16, 19 and 22 (July 7).
I Capuleti ed i Montecchi:
Soprano Eglise Gutiérrez and mezzo-soprano Kate Aldrich will take the stage for a performance of Bellini’s I Capuleti e i Montecchi featuring tenor Leonardo Capalbo and bass-baritone Burak Biligili. The opera is based on an Italian play drawing from the same sources that Shakespeare used as inspiration for Romeo and Juliet. Later conducted by Richard Wagner, he cited it as a huge influence on his Tristan und Isolde. This will be the subject of one of the pre-opera lectures (July 21).
The Bel Canto operas will feature the Orchestra of St. Luke’s under the direction of Maestro Will Crutchfield.
CHAMBER MUSIC
The summer festival programs continue to provide a wide range of chamber music offerings.
• The Grammy® Award-winning Pacifica Quartet, Caramoor’s 2001-02 Ernst Stiefel String Quartet-in-Residence, teams up with Anthony McGill for a chamber music concert of Mozart, Smetana and Janácek (July 27).
• This summer, the Linden String Quartet, the 2011-2012 Ernst Stiefel String Quartet-in-Residence, will complete its residency at Caramoor. Joining the quartet for the performance is singer-songwriter and polymath Gabriel Kahane. The program features the world premiere of Mr. Kahane’s Come on All You Ghosts for string quartet and voice (part of Volume XIII of Caramoor’s commissioning project: A String Quartet Library for the 21st Century) and works by John Corigliano and Beethoven (July 13).
• Known for their eclectic repertoire and electrifying performances, the genre-defying string quartetBrooklyn Rider will make its Caramoor debut with a program of Beethoven, Ljova and a group composition on (July 20).
• The Brentano String Quartet celebrates its 20th anniversary as a quartet with a Caramoor co-commission of pieces written by six living composers related to fragmentary works by past masters called ‘Fragments: Connecting Past and Present’ (July 8).
• The Art of the Duo features five different duos performing five of Beethoven’s sonatas for violin and piano (July 1).
• Chamber Music Goes Late-Night when the Caramoor Virtuosi perform a nighttime program of chamber music literature pairing masterpieces with lesser-known and more recent compositions including Mozart, Mendelssohn and Frank Bridge (June 29).
• Closing out the chamber music performances is Trio Cavatina, the winner of the 2009 Namburg International Chamber Music Competition (August 3).
4TH OF JULY
• Michael Barrett takes the podium for the spectacular Pops, Patriots & Fireworks concert. The all-Gershwin program features some of the composer’s greatest works, including Rhapsody in Blue, performed by John Musto. Gershwin songs will be performed by Darius DeHaas and Carla Jablonski. The patriotic evening will be followed by a festive fireworks display, creating a perfect holiday event for the whole family (July 4).
AMERICAN ROOTS MUSIC, GOING GLOBAL, AND GOSPEL
The American Roots Festival is back with a day-long celebration of folk, gospel, bluegrass, blues, country and more. Sonidos Latinos enters its sixth year, Guitar in the Garden returns and Caramoor introduces Gospel Sunday.
• On June 30, families are invited to picnic and stroll the gardens and Caramoor grounds throughout the afternoon as they enjoy alternative/traditional string band Sputyen Duyvil, the swinging rhythms of Eilen Jewell and her band, Red Molly’s folk, gospel and bluegrass inspired three part harmonies, the southern style ‘steamboat soul’ of Roosevelt Dime, and banjo songster Old Man Luedecke.
• The evening performances take place in the Venetian Theater with a concert featuring the David Bromberg Quartet led by acoustic guitarist David Bromberg and Hot Tuna Acoustic with the legendary Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady and Barry Mitterhoff (June 30).
• The genre-busting Béla Fleck brings his latest project to Caramoor in a collaboration with the Marcus Roberts Trio, led by Roberts on piano, with Jason Marsalis on drums and Rodney Jordan on bass (August 4).
• Heralded by Rolling Stone Magazine as “a perennial dark-horse contender for the title of greatest living rock guitarist”, legendary folk-rock guitarist and singer/songwriter Richard Thompson will perform a solo acoustic show (July 14).
• For this year’s Sonidos Latinos program, Grammy® Award-winning musician Paquito D’Rivera performs the vibrant music of Latin America with his favorite colleagues in an all-Cuban celebration of melody and rhythm (July 6).
• Concertgoers can also enjoy peaceful music while surrounded by Caramoor’s beautiful lush gardens asJason Vieaux plays for an afternoon of Guitar in the Garden (June 24).
• New to Caramoor this year is Gospel Sunday. The Harlem Gospel Choir and The Lee Boys will close the 2012 festival season with music of praise and worship (August 5).
JAZZ
The last weekend in July echoes with the sound of jazz. The annual Jazz Festival welcomes the industry’s brightest new talents and celebrated chart-toppers, demonstrating the breadth and diversity of the state of jazz.
• The Cookers open the first day of the jazz fest which includes an afternoon of sets by; jazz pianistKenny Barron, and Grammy® nominee Gretchen Parlato (July 28).
• Later in the evening, three-time Grammy® Award-winner Dee Dee Bridgewater will entertain the audience with a concert highlighting the different trends in jazz singing. Grammy® Lifetime Achievement Award-winner Roy Haynes with his newly formed Grammy® nominated Fountain of Youth Bandfeaturing some of today’s most dynamic and virtuosic musicians (July 28).
• The following afternoon, July 29, 18 time-Grammy® Award-winner Pat Metheny takes the stage with thePat Metheny Unity Band featuring Monk Competition winner, bassist Ben Williams, Grammy® nominated saxophonist Chris Potter, and longtime collaborator and drummer Antonio Sanchez to round out the festival.
FAMILY FUN
• Family-friendly offerings this summer include Dancing at Dusk, a series that offers families an opportunity to learn traditional tunes and dances of Indonesia (June 27), Spain (July 11), India and Pakistan (July 25) and Brazil (August 8).
• Family Program Designer Kate Kresek and the young group Kaleidoscope will take your family to Italy and England for “A Day in the Renaissance”, an interactive program during which families will experience the sixteenth century complete with songs and dances, street theater, music, falcons, masks and banners and a few words from Will Shakespeare (July 22).
TICKETS
Tickets for the 2012 Caramoor International Music Festival are on sale now. Order by calling the Box Office at 914.232.1252 or online at www.caramoor.org. Groups of 16 or more may purchase discounted tickets by contacting Matthew Scarella at 914.232.5035 ext. 252 or matthew@caramoor.org.
PRESS TICKETS
For press tickets, artist bios and/or images, please contact Brittnee Walker: 917.339.7183, bwalker@lcohnpr.com.
ABOUT CARAMOOR
Caramoor is the legacy of Walter and Lucie Rosen, who built their summer home – now known as the historic Rosen House at Caramoor – and filled it with their treasures. Walter Rosen was the master planner for the Caramoor estate, bringing to reality his dream of creating a place to entertain friends from around the world. Their musical evenings planted the seeds for today’s Caramoor International Music Festival. Realizing the pleasure their friends took in the beauty of Caramoor – the house with its art collection, the gardens, and the musical programs on summer evenings – in 1946 the Rosens established a public trust to open Caramoor to the community. Lucie Rosen survived her husband by seventeen years. During those years, she expanded the Music Festival. The Spanish Courtyard was used as a setting for musical events, as it is today, and, under her direction, the great stage of the Venetian Theater was built.
Caramoor is a performing arts center located on a unique 90-acre setting of Italianate architecture and gardens in Westchester County, NY. It enriches the lives of its audiences through innovative and diverse musical performances of the highest quality. Its mission also includes mentoring young professional musicians and providing educational programs for young children centered on music. It is often described as “a Garden of Great Music,” where audiences are invited to come early, explore the beautiful grounds, enjoy a pre-concert picnic, and discover beautiful music in the relaxed settings of the Venetian Theater, Spanish Courtyard, Music Room of the Rosen House, and the magnificent gardens.
With its unique heritage, Caramoor remains a place where magical summer days and nights are shared and enjoyed by thousands. “Caramoor is the loveliest Festival of them all.” – The New York Times
Concert Venues and Gardens
Concerts take place in two outdoor theaters: the 1714-seat, acoustically superb Venetian Theater and the more intimate, romantic 558-seat Spanish Courtyard. Caramoor’s gardens are also well worth the visit and include nine unique perennial gardens. Among them are a Sense Circle for the visually handicapped, a Butterfly Garden, Tapestry Hedge, and Iris and Peony Garden.
GETTING TO CARAMOOR
By car from the West Side of Manhattan and New Jersey, take the Saw Mill River Parkway north to Katonah. Exit at Route 35/Cross River. Turn right and, at the first traffic light, make a right turn onto Route 22 south. Travel 1.9 miles to the junction of Girdle Ridge Road. Follow the signs to Caramoor. (For detailed directions call 914.232.5035 and press 2, or online at www.caramoor.org). Parking at Caramoor is free.
By train, take the Harlem Division of the Metro-North Railroad to Katonah, New York. Taxi service from the station to Caramoor (5 minutes away) is available.
From Manhattan, take the Caramoor Caravan to Bel Canto at Caramoor opera performances on July 7 and July 21, and ride comfortably in a luxurious, air-conditioned coach. For information and reservations, call the Caramoor Box Office at 914.232.1252.
PICNICKING AT CARAMOOR
Extend the Caramoor experience by arriving early and enjoying a picnic amidst the beautiful gardens. Concertgoers can bring their own picnic, or order one for pick-up at Caramoor by calling Great Performances® at 212-337-6055 or online at www.greatperformances.com/caramoorpicnics.
CLICK THE FOLLOWING LINK FOR A FULL FESTIVAL CHRONOLOGY:
https://caramoor.org/pdf/Festival_Listings.pdf
Performances are made possible, in part, by ArtsWestchester with funds from Westchester County Government.
Performances are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of
Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.
The 2012 International Music Festival is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts
CARAMOOR CENTER FOR MUSIC AND THE ARTS IS LOCATED AT
149 GIRDLE RIDGE ROAD, KATONAH, NEW YORK.
ALL PROGRAMS AND ARTISTS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE
# # #