On Saturday, Aug. 10, the Festival proudly presents Beethoven Under the Stars at Anyela’s Vineyards.
The first half of the program honors Central New York refugee communities by featuring Syrian clarinetist Kinan Azmeh in his own dynamic Suite for Improviser and Orchestra, based on Syrian folk music, as well as Forbidden Dances and a world premiere by young Afghan composer Arson Fahim. For the finale, conductor Tito Muñoz leads the Skaneateles Festival Orchestra in Beethoven’s beloved “Pastorale” Symphony, a perfect fit for the surroundings at the Robinson Pavilion at Anyela’s Vineyards.
The two-time GRAMMY-nominated Dover Quartet will perform Aug. 8 and 9 at the First Presbyterian Church in Skaneateles, bringing together works by Tchaikovsky and Dvořák.
On Aug. 9, the festival will premiere MASS, a new collaboration between operatic bass-baritone Davóne Tines and the Dover Quartet. Western European, Afro-American, and 21st-century traditions converge in the format of a Catholic Mass for a reverent, genre-bending experience. Newly added for Aug. 9, there will be a special matinee concert with the Dover Quartet at the May Memorial Unitarian Universalist Society in East Syracuse at 1 p.m.
Named one of the greatest quartets of the last 100 years by BBC Music Magazine, the Dover Quartet is one of the world’s most in-demand chamber ensembles. The Dover Quartet is the Penelope P. Watkins Ensemble in Residence at the Curtis Institute of Music.
Davóne Tines is a pathbreaking artist whose work encompasses a diverse repertoire, ranging from early music to new commissions by leading composers, while exploring the social issues of today.
Tines is Musical America’s 2022 Vocalist of the Year and Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra & Chorale’s first-ever Creative Partner, taking part in strategic planning, programming, and working within the community. He is a graduate of The Juilliard School and Harvard University, where he also serves as guest lecturer.
The Skaneateles Festival will also host a Summer Suite Fundraiser on Wednesday, Aug. 7 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the lakeside home of Ben and Kathleen Tarantino.
The party will feature summer cocktails by 1911, Beak and Skiff, and food and desserts from over 20 participating restaurants including the Sherwood Inn, Elephant and the Dove, Mirbeau Inn & Spa, Patisserie, & more. Tickets are $100/person and can be purchased at skanfest.org.
Chamber concerts on Wednesday and Thursday this week are at the First Presbyterian Church at 97 E. Genesee St.
Concert evenings at the picturesque Robinson Pavilion offer lake views and are located at Anyela’s Vineyards.
For concerts at the vineyards, audiences are welcome to arrive as early as 6 p.m. and bring picnic dinners to enjoy on the lawn overlooking the lake. Wine and beer will be available for purchase at Anyela’s Vineyards; outside alcohol is not permitted.
For more information on the season and to get tickets, visit skanfest.org.
Since 1980, the Skaneateles Festival has grown from a few concerts in the local library to a month-long celebration each summer that attracts some of the world’s finest musicians, involves community volunteers, and draws audiences from all over the Northeastern United States. It is
the Festival’s mission to be one of the nation’s outstanding summer music festivals, set in the beauty of the Finger Lakes region, community-inspired, and recognized for its creative and dynamic concert programming, education, and outreach.
Additional concerts
Kinan Azmeh & Claremont Trio; First Presbyterian Church, Aug. 15, 8 p.m.
Claremont Trio: Queen of Hearts; First Presbyterian Church, Aug. 16, 8 p.m.
An Evening with Chris Thile; Robinson Pavilion at Anyela’s Vineyards, Aug. 17, 8 p.m.
Free: Music in the Stacks; Seymour Library, Aug. 20, 7 p.m.
Free: An Evening with Ivalas Quartet; Center for the Arts of Homer, Aug. 21, 7 p.m.
Free: Ivalas Quartet; Auburn Public Theater, Aug. 22, 1 p.m.
The Westerlies: Songbook; First Presbyterian Church, Aug. 22, 8 p.m.
KidsFest: A Children’s Storybook with The Westerlies; Mandana Barn, Aug. 23, 11 a.m. (free for kids; $5 tickets for adults)
Ivalas Quartet: Quartet by Candlelight; First Presbyterian Church, Aug. 23, 8 p.m.
Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis; Robinson Pavilion at Anyela’s Vineyards, Aug. 24, 8 p.m.
