SKANEATELES — Celebrating their 42nd season, the Skaneateles Festival is proud to be together again and offering an exhilarating concert lineup.
What started as a local adoration for music has grown into a flourishing festival attracting world-class musicians and music lovers from all over the globe.
Every member of the family will find something to love; from sipping wine listening to jazz in the vineyards, to hearing an exclusive lecture series from Julliard professor, Aaron Wunsch.
The Dover Quartet kicks off the festival’s live concert season on Thursday, Aug. 12 at the West End Theater in Auburn.
In demand everywhere, the Dover Quartet is “the young American string quartet of the moment” (New Yorker). The Dover Quartet catapulted to international stardom in 2013, following a stunning sweep of prizes at the Banff Competition and has since become one of the most in-demand ensembles in the world. This Skaneateles Festival debut is sold out in A seating and the remaining number of tickets in B seating for the Dover Quartet is limited. All live concerts start at 8 p.m. and run for 90 minutes with no intermission. For performances at the West End Theater, doors will open at 7:30 p.m.
Week one of the festival will also feature the Bill Charlap Trio, performing Friday and Saturday, Aug. 13 and 14 outdoors at the Robinson Pavilion located at Anyela’s Vineyards.
Grammy award-winning pianist, Bill Charlap has performed and recorded with many leading artists of our time, ranging from jazz master Wynton Marsalis to singers Tony Bennett and Barbra Streisand.
Since 1997, he has led the Bill Charlap Trio with bassist Peter Washington and drummer Kenny Washington, having been recognized as one of the leading groups in jazz. “As a unit, this must be one of the best piano trios ever, and certainly as instantly recognizable as any of its great predecessors” (The Guardian).
Audiences are welcome to arrive as early as 6 p.m. and bring picnic dinners to enjoy on the lawn overlooking the incredible view of the lake. Wine and beer will be available for purchase at Anyela’s Vineyards; outside alcohol is not permitted.
In the event of inclement weather, Friday and Saturday concerts will be moved to the West End Theater. Venue changes will be made aware to all affected ticket holders in advance.
This year’s virtual educational course, SkanFest U, has begun. The series is hosted on Zoom and the first session was held Tuesday, Aug. 3.
The remaining sessions include Aug. 10, 17, and 24. The series is $40 per ticket and is free to season pass holders.
Each session is recorded for later viewing if you would still like to sign up or cannot attend a session. Artistic Director, Aaron Wunsch, will offer knowledge and insight in history, listening, and musical skill-building.
The lecture series’ theme this year is “Voices Unheard: Music at the Margins.”
Learn about underrepresented musicians and composers, hear exclusive performances, and engage in conversations with festival artists as you dive into the music that will be performed this season.
The festival has recently updated its COVID-19 protocols in response to the spread of the Delta variant and recommendations provided by the CDC.
The festival require that all attendees be fully vaccinated.
For outdoor concerts, masks must be worn while in line and can be taken off when seated. For indoor concerts, the festival is requiring masks to be worn at all times, regardless of vaccination status.
Children under the age of 18 are asked to wear a mask at all times throughout the festival. The festival is holding all concerts at approximate 50 percent capacity to leave room for social distancing between parties.
Tickets are on sale now and available for purchase through the Skaneateles Festival’s website skanfest.org or by calling the box office at 315-685-7418.
