The Sembrich in Bolton Landing, NY has opened its lakeside museum and grounds for its 100th anniversary season. On top of exhibitions, tours, and information talks, the museum will host a number of musical performances throughout the Summer.
The Marcella Sembrich Memorial Association seeks to spread appreciation of opera and classical music through performance and education. The association was formed in honor of Polish soprano Marcella Sembrich (1858-1935), who conquered opera stages across Europe and the US.
As part of the Metropolitan Opera, Sembrich sang 466 performances, singing alongside legends like Enrico Caruso, and performing for Europe’s monarchs. When not performing, Sembrich lent her voice to some of the earliest commercial records for the Victor Talking Machine Company. Following her retirement, she founded the Juilliard and Curtis Institute vocal programs. The Sembrich maintains her manor and studio on the shores of Lake George, where she would hold lessons and benefit concerts in the summer.
Following Sembrich’s death in 1935, the manor was converted into a public museum of arts and music. The Spanish revival mansion and its 4.5 acre grounds are open to the public, and host an array of performances and exhibitions.
The estate hosts Sembrich’s original collection of letters, artworks, and awards from her career. On top of this, there is a summer exhibit regarding Sembrich’s role as a fashion icon. This exhibition features gilded age fashion accessories, such as Sembrich’s gloves, and custom pieces by Louis Vuitton. On top of display, there will be information regarding the trends that spawned these items, and the controversies caused by them. The museum will also hold the special exhibition “Mastering Mozart,” celebrating the Mozart operas that launched Sembrich to stardom. The centerpiece of the exhibition is Sembrich’s couture Queen of the Night costume from The Magic Flute.
The museum will also host the “Century of Sembrich” Summer festival, celebrating Sembrich’s legacy in Lake George. The Summer concert series will feature renowned concert artists and ensembles, beginning on June 5, with a performance by the Opera Saratoga in the studio museum. Performances of note include the cutting-edge wind quintet WindSync, and Polish violin virtuoso Kinga Augustyn.
On top of classical performances, the festival will also feature film screenings, and talks. Especially of note are Anthony Davis, the composer of the opera X, who will give a special Juneteenth talk. Additionally Vincent Caruso, host of Sirius XM’s Symphony Hall, will give a studio talk on June 15th. With this variety, the Summer festival offers plenty of chances for the community to get involved and educated with classical and operatic music. The schedule for the 2024 Summer Festival is listed below.
2024 Summer Festival Schedule
6/5, 7:00 PM – Festival Artists from Opera Saratoga
6/9, 2:00 PM – 2024 Young Performers Showcase
6/15, 2:00 PM – An Afternoon with Vincent Caruso (Studio Talk)
6/19, 7:00 PM – A Juneteenth Celebration with Anthony Davis (Studio Talk)
6/24, 7:30 PM – FILM: The Magic Flute (1975)
6/26, 2:00 PM – Seagle Festival Season Preview
7/6, 7:00 PM – Classical Splendor
7/8, 7:30 PM – FILM: The Opera House (2017)
7/11, 7:00 PM – A Night at the Museum
7/13, 7:00 PM – Chopin… and all that Jazz
7/17, 2:00 PM – Harmonia Ensemble
7/25, 11:00 AM – Peter and the Wolf by WindSync
7/27, 7:00 PM – WindSync Woodwind Quintet
7/28, 7:30 PM – FILM: Fitzcarraldo (1983)
8/1, 10:00 AM – Seagle Festival: Dragon’s Breath (Children’s Opera)
8/2, 7:00 PM – From Steam Launch to Stucco: The Story of The Sembrich Studio (Studio Talk)
8/4, 7:00 PM – Composers Sembrich Knew
8/7, 2:00 PM – Jomion and The Uklos
8/12, 7:30 PM – FILM: Veselka (2024)
8/17, 7:00 PM – Violinist Kinga Augustyn
8/21, 7:00 PM – ArcoStrum
8/24, 7:00 PM – At That Hour, Act One (World Premiere)
8/25, 2:00 PM – At That Hour, Act One (Encore Matinee)
8/26, 7:30 PM – FILM: Falling for Figaro (2021)
8/28, 2:00 PM – Cantrip
8/31, 6:00 PM – Chopin by Candlelight
The Sembrich museum and grounds are open daily from May 24-October 14. Tickers for the “Century of Sembrich” Summer Festival are on sale now. For more information on the Sembrich and its summer events, visit the link here.
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