This year, the Skaneateles Festival celebrates its 44th season, remaining an Upstate New York summer tradition. Not only does the festival attract loyal patrons from all over the state, but also music lovers from across the country that come to enjoy the renowned four-week long concert series. With a variety of genres represented—including classical, jazz, opera, and bluegrass—everyone is sure to find something to enjoy.
During the fourth and final week, the festival will host the Grammy-winning Parker Quartet for its second to last church performance entitled “Beethoven Illuminated.”
Described as “something extraordinary” by the New York Times, the Parker Quartet continues to dazzle audiences around the world with the depth of their music.
Their program includes selections from Haydn, Farrin, Cheung, Wiancko, and of course, Beethoven. This performance will be held Thursday, Aug. 17 at the First Presbyterian Church in Skaneateles. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and the concert starts at 8 p.m.
For the festival’s final church performance of the season, saxophonist Steven Banks makes his festival debut alongside pianist Xak Bjerken and the Parker Quartet.
Winner of the 2022 Avery Fisher Career Grant, Banks has paved the way for the classical saxophone—in fact, he was the first saxophonist to win first prize at the Young Concert Artists Susan Wadsworth International Auditions in 2019.
Traversing classical, contemporary, and popular repertoire, he leads a program that includes Saint-Saëns Sonata for Saxophone and Piano (with Xak Bjerken, piano), music by tango master Astor Piazzolla, and Banks’s own quintet for strings and saxophone, Cries, Sighs, and Dreams. Banks will be performing Friday, Aug. 18 at the First Presbyterian Church; doors open at 7:30 p.m. and the concert will begin at 8 p.m.
This year’s festival finale will be performed by the “explosive and experimental” saxophonist Joshua Redman, the frontman of the Grammy-nominated Joshua Redman Quartet.
Having studied with some of the greatest jazz musicians of his generation, Redman’s passion for jazz only grew.
The Joshua Redman Quartet is composed of himself on saxophone, Paul Cornish on piano, Philip Norris on bass, and Nazir Ebo on drums.
The quartet is best known for their mastery of modern and more experimental jazz, in addition to classic jazz pieces.
The finale will be held Saturday, Aug. 19 at the Robinson Pavilion at Anyela’s Vineyards. Doors will open at 6 p.m., with the concert beginning at 8 p.m.
This year, in addition to the regularly-scheduled performances, the festival is hosting KidsFest: an event where kids can meet musicians, get to know some musical instruments, and ask questions, with the hope of inspiring a next generation of musicians.
The fourth week KidsFest event will be hosted by Steven Banks, and children will be able to interact with him as he teaches them all about the saxophone. KidsFest is held on Wednesday, Aug. 16 at 11 a.m. at the First Presbyterian Church in Skaneateles. Kids are free, adults are $5 at the door.
Finally, this year the festival is also announced several outreach events—all outreach concerts this week feature classical saxophonist Steven Banks, are free to the public, and do not require a ticket.
The first in his trio of concerts will be held at the Salt City Market in Syracuse, located in the “alleyway” in front of their outdoor mural. This performance will take place Monday, Aug. 14 at 5:30 p.m., and Banks will be joined by pianist Xak Bjerken.
Banks’s second outreach performance will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 16 at 1 p.m. at the Auburn Public Theatre; for this performance, Banks will also be joined by Xak Bjerken. For the finale in this string of outreach concerts, Banks will perform solo on the front lawn of Seymour Library in Auburn. This event will take place Thursday, Aug. 17 at 6:30 p.m.
All 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.
