SKANEATELES — After concluding a week of music festivities such as SkanFest U, the Dover Quartet, and the Bill Charlap Trio at Anyela’s Vineyards, the Skaneateles Festival welcomes another week of exhilarating concerts for people of all ages.
The Voice Within kicks off the week on Thursday, Aug. 26 at the West End Theater in Auburn. Discover the voice within from popular and underrepresented composers that use the power of music to speak beyond the capacity of words and language.
The program features 19-year-old rising star Avery Gagliano, first prize winner of the 2020 National Chopin Piano Competition. You’ll hear her masterful interpretation of Chopin’s exciting Piano Concerto No. 1. Avery Gagliano is a young artist who captures audiences with her sensitivity, emotional depth, and musical expression. As a soloist, Avery has collaborated with several symphonies in the United States including the Aspen Philharmonic Orchestra and the Capital City Symphony. She is also an avid chamber musician and performs as a guest artist with the Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players. Catch her in Skaneateles now before she makes her Carnegie Hall debut this fall.
At The Voice Within, you’ll also experience soul-stirring works by African American composers Florence Price and George Walker. Artistic Directors, cellist Julia Bruskin and pianist Aaron Wunsch will be returning this year, performing alongside violinist Emily Bruskin.
All 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.
The festival’s back-to-back finale features festival fan favorite, Time for Three on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 27 and 28 outdoors at Anyela’s Vineyards.
Sensational string band Time for Three brings their unique blend of Americana, pop, and classical music back to the Festival.
“This remarkable group is not to be missed, and its members play (and sing) with joy, mastery, creativity and supreme artistry in all that they do; truly no one else is like Time for Three” (The Strad).
Violinists Nick Kendall and Charles Yang and bassist Ranaan Meyer draw on their classical training and their love for all kinds of music. Hear various eras, styles, and traditions of Western music fold in on themselves and emerge anew.
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.
The festival will also present KidsFest with Time for Three on Aug. 28 at 11 a.m. before the night’s performance at Anyela’s.
Kids of all ages will love Time for Three’s energetic, joyful presentation of bluegrass, folk, and classical favorites. Their enthusiastic exchange with the audience and musical show and tell will keep everyone engaged, bringing the joy of music to a new generation.
Time for Three’s exceptional family performance will be held at the Mandana Barn in Skaneateles on 1274 Lacy Rd. Tickets for youth 18 and under are free, and adults pay $5 at the door. No pre-registration is required.
The festival has recently updated its COVID protocols in response to the spread of the Delta variant and recommendations provided by the CDC. They require that all festival 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.
