The Sembrich in Bolton Landing announced the 2023 Summer Festival Trailblazers, celebrating the singular achievements of outstanding individuals in arts and culture, beginning on June 11 and running through Aug. 30.
Those who attend The Sembrich can experience music, history, and nature all at once, with museum exhibitions and an annual summer festival. It was once the teaching studio of Polish soprano Marcella Sembrich, one of the most famous musicians at the turn of the 20th century. Visitors can discover her legacy, which includes over 400 performances at the Metropolitan Opera and faculty positions at both the Juilliard Graduate School and the Curtis Institute of Music. The summer festival includes an exciting mix of world-class musicians, noted musical scholars, and a free film series.
Recently, The Sembrich received a total of $120,400 in grant funding from New York State to support new and ongoing initiatives, awarded through two agencies, the NYS Council on the Arts (NYSCA) and I LOVE NY/New York State’s Division of Tourism. Director of Institutional Advancement Caleb Eick said “these funds will allow us to continue to grow and expand our programs and presence in our community. We are excited to undertake new initiatives and further solidify The Sembrich and our region as a world-class cultural destination.”
The 2023 Summer Festival Trailblazers showcases singular achievements of outstanding individuals in arts and culture, from David Smith to Marin Alsop and Alma Mahler to Philip Glass, there will be 23 individual events throughout the summer months beginning on June 11 and running through Aug. 30. The Sembrich’s Artistic Director Richard Wargo spoke on the itinerary for the festival, showcasing an exciting series of programming.
The art world has always had trailblazers, those unique individuals who forged a route through the wilderness for others to follow. Our festival this summer is built around a number of these innovators…modernist sculptor David Smith, conductor Marin Alsop, musicians Grigor Piatigorsky and Alma Mahler, composers Franz Liszt, Philip Glass and Lin-Manuel Miranda, to name just a few. A number of our featured performers can be said to be “trailblazers” in their own right: guitar and cello duo Boyd Meets Girl, the all-female horn quartet Genghis Barbie and Hub New Music, whom the Boston Globe praised as ‘contemporary chamber trailblazers.’
The Sembrich’s Artistic Director Richard Wargo
The highlights of the festival begin with “In the Footsteps of Piatigorsky,” a studio talk and performance by cellist Evan Drachman, dedicated to his celebrated grandfather, Gregor Piatigorsky, one of the pre-eminent string players of the twentieth century. The music featured includes Rachmaninoff, Tchaikovsky, and Rubinstein, happening June 17 at 2 p.m. The Sembrich’s lakeside subscription Promenade Series enters its second season with an exciting lineup of groups including the Adirondack Jazz Repertory Ensemble, guitar and cello duo Boyd Meets Girl, and the leading post-feminist all-female horn group Genghis Barbie.
A staple in The Sembrich’s Summer Festival, World Music Wednesdays brings cultural traditions from across the globe to the shores of Lake George. Featured this year includes tango traditions with the Latin-Grammy artist Pedro Giraudo and his Tango Quartet, Celtic dances with Poor Man’s Gambit, and Georgian polyphonic singing with acclaimed choral group Iberi. The Sembrich’s Film Series this year features CODA (2021), Koyaanisqatsi (1982), The Conductor (2021), tick…tick…BOOM! (2021), and Elvis (2022).
The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing on July 15 is a presentation with vintage photos by Betty Spinell about forbidden love, jealousy, and mental instability that resulted in a shocking, cold-blooded murder. The ensuing “trial of the century” mesmerized the public and helped close the curtains on America’s Gilded Age. Discover the life and inspirations of turn-of-the-century muse and femme fatale, Alma Mahler on July 19 at 2 p.m. featuring quotes from her diary and music by Mahler, Strauss, and Schoenberg performed by Robert Osborne, bass-baritone and Tammy Hensrud, mezzo-soprano.
Featuring some of the finest concert artists in the classical music scene, the Alfred Z. Solomon Masterwork Series celebrates monumental figures in arts and culture including sculptor David Smith, Jean Francaix, Franz Liszt, and more. Artists performing include 25-year-old virtuoso pianist Llewellyn Sanchez-Werner, the trailblazing quartet HUB New Music, and members of The Philadelphia Orchestra.
On Aug. 16 at 2 p.m. The Sembrich brings “Hamilton: The Man, The Musical, The Cultural Phenomenon,” to the venue, featuring musical theater historian John Kenrick and a lively studio talk that explores New York native Lin-Manuel Miranda’s trailblazing blend of hip-hop and Broadway styles in the revolutionary musical Hamilton. Finally on Aug. 26 at 6 p.m., there will be an elegant cantina-style gala performance on the lakeshore featuring rising operatic star, tenor Leonardo Sánchez, titled “Mi México Querido” (“My Beloved Mexico”). The performance includes the color, tradition, and passion of his beloved Mexico, featuring instruments like the guitar, guitarrón, vihuela, and accordion – pillars of traditional Mexican music.
For a full listing of events, or to purchase tickets visit here.
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