Returning to the Skaneateles Festival for the first time since 2019, nine-time Grammy Award-winning trumpeter and jazz ambassador Wynton Marsalis will lead the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra on Saturday, Aug. 24, at the Robinson Pavilion at Anyela’s Vineyards! Wynton Marsalis has solidified himself as an internationally acclaimed musician, composer, bandleader, educator and advocate of American culture. He is also a globally respected teacher and spokesman for music education.
Wynton led the effort to construct Jazz at Lincoln Center’s new home — Frederick P. Rose Hall, the first education, performance and broadcast facility devoted to jazz. He currently serves as the managing and artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center.
Tickets for this performance on Aug. 24 are now sold out. In the event of inclement weather, the rain location will be del Lago Resort & Casino in Waterloo.
On Thursday, Aug. 22, at First Presbyterian Church in Skaneateles, the festival welcomes brass quartet The Westerlies, joined by violinist-fiddler George Meyer, to present "Songbook," a program of music by John Prine, Randy Newman and Woody Guthrie, spirituals by the famous Golden Gate Quartet and more. The New York-based Westerlies are “an arty quartet” of two trumpets and two trombones, who “mix ideas from jazz, new classical, and Appalachian folk," according to The New York Times.
From Carnegie Hall to Coachella, The Westerlies navigate a wide array of venues and projects with the precision of a string quartet, the audacity of a rock band and the charm of a family sing-along. Violinist-fiddler George Meyer explores the intersection of classical music and fiddle music in his performances and compositions alike. The son of seven-time Grammy winner Edgar Meyer, George has been commissioned by festivals across the country.
The festival presents Ivalas Quartet: "Quartet by Candlelight" on Friday, Aug. 23, at First Presbyterian Church. The first half of their program will be heard by candlelight, according to the Tenebrae tradition, featuring meditative, spiritual music.
The second half of the program features Mendelssohn’s youthful, passionate String Quartet, Op. 13. Ivalas Quartet is the festival’s 2024 Emerging Artist in Residence.
Hailed by The Strad for playing with “tremendous heart and beauty,” the Ivalas Quartet has been changing the face of classical music by celebrating BIPOC musical voices since its inception at the University of Michigan in 2017. Currently, The Ivalas Quartet is the Graduate Resident String Quartet at The Juilliard School. This week the festival also continues a series of outreach concerts that are free and open to the public.
After free concerts Tuesday at Seymour Library in Auburn and Wednesday at the Center for the Arts in Homer, the Ivalas Quartet will perform at 1 p.m. Thursday, Aug.
22, at Auburn Public Theater. Also on Friday, don’t miss KidsFest: "A Children’s Storybook" with the Westerlies at 11 a.m.
at the Mandana Barn on Skaneateles Lake. Fun for the whole family, this event is free for children and $5 for adults at the door! Chamber concerts on Thursday and Friday this week are at the First Presbyterian Church (97 East Genesee Street, Skaneateles). Concert evenings at the picturesque Robinson Pavilion offer stunning lake views and are located at Anyela’s Vineyards.
For concerts at the vineyards, audiences are welcome to arrive as early as 6:00 PM 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, visit skanfest.
org . The Skaneateles Festival will present its 45th anniversary season beginning Wednesday, July 31, and continuing with 19 concerts over four week..
. Ellen Sorber is marketing and digital communications manager with the Skaneateles Festival, an annual series of performances of chamber and other styles of music by international talent in the Skaneateles area. Tickets range from $32 to $70 for adults, lawn seating is free for children younger than 18, and college students with valid ID can purchase tickets for $10 at the door.
For more information on the season, or to purchase tickets, visit skanfest.org . Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly!.
