Caramoor’s 32 nights of Genre-defying Music

Posted OnApril 25, 2019

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Caramoor’s 32 nights of Genre-defying Music: Thirty-two days and nights of Broadway stars, opera divas, jazz greats, Americana festival darlings, and perhaps the world’s greatest pianists, mandolinists, banjo and balalaika players.

Opening Night: Alyssa Weilerstein & OSL, Caramoor’s Venetian Theatre, Sat, 6/15: 8:30pm: World-renowned cellist Alisa Weilerstein, a MacArthur Fellow and Caramoor Evnin Rising Stars alum, returns to Caramoor for Dvorak’s Cello Concerto (called one of the greatest of all cello concertos) with Caramoor’s resident Orchestra of St Luke’s conducted by former Caramoor Artistic Director Peter Oundjian. The season opener also features Stravinsky’s breathtaking Firebird. (149 Girlde Ridge Rd., Katonah; www.caramoor.org)

Hot Jazz Age Frolic, Caramoor’s Friend’s Field Tent, Sun, 6/16: 2:30pm: Produced in collboration with The New York Hot Jazz Festival, Caramoor’s Hot Jazz Age Frolic is an afternoon/evening celebration of swinging jazz of the 1920s & 30s with Bria Skonberg’s Hot Five, Kate Edomonson (vocals) and Vince Giordano & The Nighthawks. Giordano’s repertoire ranges from New Orleans stomp to Cole Porter. There’s tap dancing, dance lessons and a gramophone dj between shows. (149 Girdle Ridge Rd., Katonah; www.caramoor.org)

Family! Dancing at Dusk, Cady Finalayson & Vita Tanga, Caramoor’s Friend’s Field, Wed, 6/19: 5pm: Cady Finlayson & Vita Tanga blend traditional Celtic fiddle tunes with American folk and world music influences. Jigs, reels, and much more will make for a spirited evening of fun for the whole family! (149 Girdle Ridge Rd., Katonah; www.caramoor.org)

New Music, Timo Andres (piano), Caramoor’s Spanish Courtyard, Thurs, 6/20: 7pm: Weaving selections from Janáček’s On the Overgrown Path among compositions by his fellow contemporary composers, pianist Timo Andres presents a seamless listening experience from old to new, highlighting similar threads throughout the works. (149 Girdle Ridge Rd., Katonah; www.caramoor.org)

World Music, Tribu Baharu, Caramoor’s Spanish Courtyard, Fri, 6/21: 8pm: Tribu Baharú’s exuberant performances of champeta music — a fusion of Colombian, African, and Afro-Caribbean styles — are driven by lively vocals, sparkling Congolese guitar, and high-energy bass and drums. A Tribu Baharú performance recreates the joyous, impromptu spirit of the verbena dances that are popular in Colombian neighborhoods during festivals. With traces of soukous, zouk, calypso, soca, rap, and more. (149 Girdle Ridge Rd., Katonah; www.caramoor.org)

American Roots Music Festival, ft. Milk Carton Kids, Caramoor’s Multiple Venues, Sat, 6/22: All Day: Americana festival darlings, The Milk Carton Kids headline Caramoor’s 9th annual American Roots Music Festival. Multi-instrumentalist Amythyst Kiah, a rising star with a old-time sound steeped in African-American roots opens for them at the Venetian Theatre in the evening. Beginning at noon, folk, country, bluegrass, gospel, blues & folk fusion acts perform on the Caramoor grounds. (149 Girdle Ridge Rd., Katonah; www.caramoor.org)

Opera, Versailles: Portrait of a Royal Domain, Caramoor’s Venetian Theatre, Sun, 6/23: 4pm: Produced in collaboration with the Boston Early Music Festival, this performance features two chamber operas exalting the majesty of King Loius XIV’s Versailles and its gardens. This refined drama is brought to life by the all-star BEMF Vocal and Chamber Ensembles in a production featuring gorgeous costumes, Baroque dance, and sumptuous staging. (149 Girdle Ridge Rd., Katonah; www.caramoor.org)

New Music, Roomful of Teeth, Caramoor’s Spanish Courtyard, Fri, 6/28: 8pm: This Grammy-winning vocal project explores the possibilities of the human voice by studying with masters of singing technique around the world, from Tuvan throat singing to yodeling to Hindustani music to Broadway belting. The program includes Caroline Shaw’s Partita for 8 Voices, the work which made her the youngest-ever recipient of the Pulitzer Prize in Music and brought her to international prominence. (149 Girdle Ridge Rd., Katonah; www.caramoor.org)

Family concert, Decoda, Trapeze, Caramoor’s Spanish Courtyard, Sat, 6/29: 1pm: Tickets are just $8 for kids and $16 for adults for this special family performance with Decoda — a collective of dynamic young classical musicians — as they put on an interactive performance based on the music from a lost ballet about the highs and lows of the circus. Explore thematic elements and listen for Prokofiev’s subtle humor and insistent rhythms. (149 Girdle Ridge Rd., Katonah; www.caramoor.org)

World Music, Buika, Caramoor’s Venetian Theatre, Sat, 6/30: 8pm: Grammy-nominated for Best World Music Album in 2018, and named one of the world’s “50 Great Voices” by NPR, Spanish singer BUIKA has been compared to Billy Holiday, Nina Simone and Edith Piaf. Her genre-transcending music is heavily influenced by flamenco, imbuing her singing with a raw and powerfully emotive sound. (149 Girdle Ridge Rd., Katonah; www.caramoor.org)

Opera, New York Baroque Incorporated, Viveca Genaux (mezzo-soprano), Caramoor’s Venetian Theatre, Sun, 6/31:4pm: American mezzo-soprano Vivica Genaux first came to the attention of NY critics with her performance in Rossini’s La Cenerentola at Caramoor in 1996. Now, for the first time since 2009, she is back with the conductorless period-instrument orchestra, New York Baroque Incorporated to sing arias by Handel, Vivaldi, and Hasse. (149 Girdle Ridge Rd., Katonah; www.caramoor.org)

Family! Pops, Patriots & Fireworks, Caramoor Venetian Theatre, Thurs, 7/4: 8pm: The Westchester Symphonic Winds perform a selection of works that pay tribute to America’s independence; Caramoor Schwab Vocal Rising Star alums Madison Leonard and Shea Owens perform a medley of Rodgers and Hammerstein songs and the concert concludes with a rousing rendition of Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture. Then the best fireworks display around! (149 Girdle Ridge Rd., Katonah; www.caramoor.org)

Tukacs Quartet, Caramoor Spanish Courtyard, Fri, 7/5: 8pm: Now in its 44th season, the Takács Quartet is renowned for their performances, their dozens of recordings and the awards they have garnered. Including three Gramophone Awards, a Grammy Award, three Japanese Record Academy Awards, Disc of the Year at the inaugural BBC Music Magazine Awards, and Ensemble Album of the Year at the Classical Brits. Here they perform a program of Haydn, Bartok and Beethoven. (149 Girdle Ridge Rd., Katonah; www.caramoor.org)

American Songbook! Laura Bennanti, Caramoor’s Venetian Theatre, Sat, 7/6: 8pm: Tony Award-winner Laura Benanti brings a sparkling evening of song to the Venetian Theater stage. A highly celebrated singer, dancer, and actress who took Broadway by storm at the age of 18, Benanti’s talents have led her to numerous roles on stage and screen, including recent revivals of She Loves Me and My Fair Lady on Broadway. (149 Girdle Ridge Rd., Katonah; www.caramoor.org)

Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Grant Llewellyn (conductor) Jonathan Biss (piano) Caramoor’s Venetian Theatre, Sun, 7/7: 3pm: Jonathan Biss is in the fourth year of his Beethoven/5 commissioning project: the five Beethoven piano concertos each presented with a contemporary composer’s response. Including, Caroline Shaw’s Watermark, a response to Beethoven’s 3rd Piano Concerto and a Caramoor co-commission. (149 Girdle Ridge Rd., Katonah; www.caramoor.org)

The Greek Blues, Dancing at Dusk, Kostas Psarros & Friends, Caramoor’s Friends Field, Wed, 7/10: 5pm: Bouzouki player Kostas Psarros presents Rebetika (The Greek Blues), music from the ’60s and ’70s and traditional Greek folk music. Featuring extraordinary rhythms, a line-up of fascinating instruments with vibrant vocalists, and a dance instructor leading traditional group dances for young and not so young. (149 Girdle Ridge Rd., Katonah; www.caramoor.org)

World Music, Russian Renaissance, Caramoor’s Spanish Courtyard, Thurs, 7/11: 7pm: World music with a Russian soul! Winners of the prestigious M-Prize in 2017, Russian Renaissance, a genre-defying quartet, takes performance on traditional folk instruments to the next level, creating modern interpretations of traditional Russian music abalalnd interpretations of works by Piazzolla, Béla Fleck, Abreu and more. (149 Girdle Ridge Rd., Katonah; www.caramoor.org)

Dover Quartet, Davóne Tines (bass-baritone) Caramoor’s Spanish Courtyard, Fri, 7/12: 8pm: Since their 2013 – 14 Ernst Stiefel String Quartet Residency at Caramoor, the Dover Quartet have graduated into one of the most sought-after ensembles. Winners of the Cleveland Quartet Award and recipients of the Avery Fisher Career Grant, they have been lauded for their “expert musicianship.” (Chicago Tribune). “Charismatic, full-voiced” (The New York Times) bass-baritone Davóne Tines joins the Quartet for Barber’s Dover Beach and Caroline Shaw’s By and By. (149 Girdle Ridge Rd., Katonah; www.caramoor.org)

Hot Baroque Ticket Alert! Venice Baroque Orchestra, Avi Avital (mandolin) Caramoor’s Venetian Theatre, Sat, 7/13: 8pm: The Venice Baroque Orchestra, recognized as one of the premier period instrument ensembles, and Israeli mandolin virtuoso Avi Avital bring the Baroque to life with this Mostly Vivaldi dazzling program. The New York Times has said of their collaboration “the chemistry between the ensemble and Mr. Avital was palpable.” Their recording, Vivaldi, won a 2015 ECHO Klassik Award. (149 Girdle Ridge Rd., Katonah; www.caramoor.org)

Celebrating Birdsong, Pierre-Laurent Aimard performs Messianen’s Catalogue d”Oiseaux, Sat-Sun, 7/13-14: Check times: Built around Pierre-Laurent Aimard’s performance of Messiaen’s complete Catalogue d’Oiseaux, the weekend includes bird walks, a panel discussion, and family activities celebrating our feathered friends. Interspecies musician David Rothenberg invites you to appreciate the various aesthetics of bird songs by playing to and with them, and Sandbox Percussion performs songbirdsongs by John Luther Adams. (149 Girdle Ridge Rd., Katonah; www.caramoor.org)

Dancing at Dusk, Lei Pacifika, Caramoor’s Friends Field, Wed, 7/17: 5pm: Take the kids on a trip to the South Pacific through demonstrations of traditional dances in colorful costumes from Tahiti and Hawaii. Come celebrate ancient and modern hulas with Tabu’s exuberant music of the ukulele, Tahitian auhuroa, apartima, and fast-paced drums of the Otea. (149 Girdle Ridge Rd., Katonah; www.caramoor.org)

Milos, Guitar in the Garden, Caramoor’s Sunken Garden, Thurs, 7/18: 7pm: BBC Music Magazine named Miloš one of the “champions of the classical guitar who have shaped its sound in the last century.” Although he has appeared at almost all major concert halls and festivals around the globe, this will be Miloš’ debut at Caramoor — in the exquisite beauty of the Sunken Garden no less. Program to include works by J.S. Bach, Villa-Lobos, Granados, Duplessy, Lennon & McCartney, and others. (149 Girdle Ridge Rd., Katonah; www.caramoor.org)

Chamber, A Far Cry, Caramoor’s Venetian Theatre, Fri, 7/19: 8pm: This innovative 18 member chamber ensemble performs a program that spans the globe and generations. Including works from contemporary America composer Caroline Shaw and Tchaikovsky’s Serenade in C Major and Gabriela Lena Frank’s Excerpts from Leyendas: An Andean Walkabout. Nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music in 2015 and 2018, the group has earned “a reputation for top-drawer playing [and] engrossing programming” (Boston Musical Intelligencer). (149 Girdle Ridge Rd., Katonah; www.caramoor.org)

Hot ticket alert! Jazz Festival, ft. Eddie Palmieri Salsa Orchestra, Caramoor mulitple venues, Sat, 7/20: all day: Celebrating its 5th year in collaboration with Jazz at Lincoln Center, Caramoor’s Jazz Festival presents jazz performed by phenomenal talent amid lush gardens and distinctive venues on their 90 acres of grounds. Treat yourself and stay for a whole day of music leading up to the evening headliner — ten-time Grammy Award winner Eddie Palmieri, one of the finest pianists of the past 60 years. (149 Girdle Ridge Rd., Katonah; www.caramoor.org)

3rd Annual Chamber Feast, Caramoor’s Venetian Theatre, Sun, 7/21: 4pm: Caramoor’s Chamber Feast, features a host of alumni from their mentoring programs. This year Caramoor welcomes back pianist Andrew Tyson and violist Dimitri Murrath, both Evnin Rising Star alumni, and their 2015-16 Ernst Stiefel String Quartet-in-Residence the Aizuri Quartet. The program features works by Brahms and Mozart, and Caroline Shaw’s Blueprint, featured on the Aizuri’s 2018 Grammy-nominated album, Blueprinting. (149 Girdle Ridge Rd., Katonah; www.caramoor.org)

Dancing at Dusk, Hector Del Curto Tango Trio, Caramoor Friends Field, Wed, 7/24: 5pm: Take a journey of music and movement to Argentina! Explore the century-old history of tango, led by Grammy-winning Argentine bandoneon virtuoso Héctor Del Curto with a performance by his trio, special guest, 11-year-old clarinet whiz Santiago Del Curto, and Argentine tango dancers. (149 Girdle Ridge Rd., Katonah; www.caramoor.org)

American Modern Opera Company, Caramoor’s Spanish Courtyard, Thurs, 7/25: 7pm: The American Modern Opera Company, amed one of “19 for 19 Artists to Watch” by WQXR debuts its Veils for Desire. Built around Benjamin Britten’s dramatic canticle Abraham and Isaac, the program features songs composed specifically for each of these extraordinary singers, including a world premiere by Harold Meltzer and music by AMOC Co-Artistic Director and 2018 MacArthur Fellow Matthew Aucoin. (149 Girdle Ridge Rd., Katonah; www.caramoor.org)

Hot Russian Pianist Alert! Daniel Trifanov (piano) Caramoor’s Venetian Theatre, Fri, 7/26: 8pm: Russian piano phenomenon Daniil Trifonov — “without question the most astounding pianist of our age” (The Times, London) — returns to Caramoor with a solo recital of Beethoven, Schumann, and Prokofiev..Trifonov recently won Gramophone’s Artist of the Year award in 2016 and and the 2018 Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Solo Album for Transcendental — a double album of Liszt’s works. In 2019 he released a new album, Destination Rachmaninov: Departure. (149 Girdle Ridge Rd., Katonah; www.caramoor.org)

Hot ticket alert! Bela Flek & Abigail Washburn, Caramoor’s Venetian Theatre, Sat, 7/27: 8pm: Crowned “the king and queen of the banjo” by Paste Magazine, the husband-and-wife duo of Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn build upon the folk tradition to create a distinct style pulling inspiration from Chinese atonal music, the banjo’s rich American heritage, and more to stretch “their sound beyond bluegrass, across continents, and into everything from prog-rock to Eastern instrumentation” (NPR). PS Bela has won 16 Grammy Awards! (149 Girdle Ridge Rd., Katonah; www.caramoor.org)

Season Finale, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Venetian Theatre, Sun, 7/28: 4pm: Caramoor’s summer season comes to a close with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s led by their Principal Conductor Bernard Labadie and violinist Christian Tetzlaff. The program includes one of the most popular violin concertos in the repertoire, Mendelssohn’s E Minor, alongside his Hebrides concert overture and Beethoven’s First Symphony. Christian Tetzlaff is an “exceptional soloist … with soaring tone making every note sound with absolute clarity.” — Boston Classical Review (149 Girdle Ridge Rd., Katonah; www.caramoor.org)