JULY 12-16, 2022
YOU’VE CHEERED FOR
To our friends, our family, our community and our heroes—thank you for your continued support!
not just insurance. It’s your insurance. You are unique. So, our independent agents customize coverage specifically for you, making sure you have exactly what you need at surprisingly great prices. With roots that run deep in the Capital District, Amsure is an insurance agency ready to focus on you. Talk with our team or visit us at amsureins.com/unique
AStarBidsAdieu
New York City Ballet (NYCB) principaldancerSterlingHyltin ispreparingforherbittersweet final Saratoga performance— she’s sad to be saying goodbyebutthrilledthatshe’llbedancing in George Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream as her last SPAC show beforeretiringnextyear.“It’ssuchalovely waytosaygoodbye,”shesays.“Theballet is approachable for
lightningbugsdancingonstage.” WhenHyltinstartedcomingtoSaratoga
Sweet as Pie
saratogaliving.com
isback!
JohnF.Harwick
PatrickL.Seely,Jr. DavidR.Murphy BenjaminF.Neidl
MeghanR.Keenholts CathyL.Drobny JamesW.Bendall
ThomasJ.Higgs
MarkR.Sonders KevinS.Mednick
music to our ears
Music fills the air again and we’re all so happy we could burst into song.
As long-time supporters of the performing arts in the Capital Region, we’re thrilled that live music and world-class ballet are bringing us back together. Bravo!
Dear Friends,
It is thrilling to welcome you back for our 2022 season! This summer marks the full return of SPAC—Renewed and Rejuvenated. Much like our Karner Blue Butterflies, we are re-emerging glorious and beautiful after being cocooned for so long.
For those of you joining us for the first time since 2019, we are proud to showcase our major campus transformation represented by The Pines that includes the Nancy DiCresce Room, a state-of-the-art indoor facility for education and community events; The Pines Terrace, with its breathtaking views from the Route 50 Gate all the way to the Victoria Pool, and the Julie Bonacio Family Pavilion in the heart of our campus.
This year, we also welcome New York City Ballet back to the stage with a brand-new dance floor and a brand-new house curtain, both replacing ones that were several decades old. And we have brand-new chairs and stands, which we've dreamed of owning for decades, for our fabulous Philadelphia Orchestra. We’ve also improved the auditory experience by installing new sound equipment and an assisted listening system in the amphitheater. These are just a few ways in which we are continuing to modernize the venue for the future and enhance the experience at SPAC for you and our artists.
On our stage, we will bring the strongest classical line-up ever presented with a mix of tradition and innovation, emerging and super-star artists, an unprecedented number of SPAC premieres and co-commissions, as well as a truly game-changing season celebrating diversity. This is all in addition to our newly introduced initiatives in the culinary, literary, visual, and healing arts, and the recent launch of SPAC’s School of the Arts.
Thank you for joining us for a spectacular summer at SPAC.
Elizabeth Sobol President and CEO
Dear SPAC supporters,
Welcome and thank you for making the 2022 season a time of celebration. After a challenging two years navigating the pandemic, we would like you to know that it is your loyal support that keeps SPAC strong and thriving.
Under Elizabeth Sobol’s extraordinary leadership as President and CEO, SPAC has completed major facility renovations and upgrades, expanded year-round programming, increased collaborations with numerous arts groups and renewed emphasis on community outreach. In short, we have become a cultural destination which will have economic benefits for the community at large.
One of the most exciting areas of growth and a personal passion of mine is education. In previous years, we have talked about the extraordinary expansion of SPAC’s education program, which has grown from serving 5,000 students to more than 50,000 individuals throughout the Capital Region. That investment and growth took another momentous leap last fall when we launched the brand-new SPAC School of the Arts at the Lewis A. Swyer Studios. The new School of the Arts, which just completed its first school year, is part of SPAC’s longstanding mission to ensure that students of all ages have the opportunity to experience the transformative power of the arts in a welcoming and joyful environment.
Please come early and enjoy the total SPAC experience; your attendance and support is key to our success.
With appreciation,
Susan Law Dake Chair SPAC Board of Directors
Nothing brings together a community like food… particularly in gorgeous gathering places that foster deep connections: to one another, to the arts, to nature, and the planet.
CulinaryArts@SPAC is a food-and-drink-forward series that offers culinary experiences with an emphasis on sustainability.
Featuring the talents of both local and visiting chefs who partner with farmers, butchers, distillers and purveyors, CulinaryArts@SPAC supports the notion of socially conscious cultivation & consumption, local procurement, and fair wages.
Partnering with SPAC to program and produce the events is Kim Klopstock, owner and operator of Lily and the Rose Catering and food writer Pam Abrams.
ANGELO G. CALBONE President & CEO, Saratoga Hospital
Imagine Your Next Event at SPAC
Host intimate and large-scale gatherings, including business meetings, company outings, life events, milestone celebrations, and more!
The Julie Bonacio Family Pavilion
Take your event to the heart of the campus under the open-air pavilion, a versatile space offering a wide variety of options from a simple covered reception area to an elegant event space.
Nancy DiCresce Room
The Pines@SPAC
Welcome your guests to the Nancy DiCresce Room, a state-of-the-art indoor multi-purpose room, and The Pines Terrace, an impressive second floor balcony overlooking SPAC’s iconic amphitheater.
SPAC’s newly renovated campus boasts two unique rental spaces including The Pines@SPAC which features both the Nancy DiCresce Room and The Pines Terrace, in addition to the Julie Bonacio Family Pavilion. For more information visit
or contact
The Pines Terrace
The Julie Bonacio Family Pavilion
Become a 2023 Member Today!
As a 501c3 non-profit, your SPAC membership gift is vital to the success of our classical residencies and educational programs.
Join or renew today to lock in 2022 rates and help make SPAC’s work on stage and in our community possible!
You’ll receive exclusive access and attractive benefits to make every visit to SPAC memorable.
Membership benefit highlights include:
• Invitations to special member-only events
• Early ticket access and discounts
• VIP Parking
• Live Nation concert ticket access
• Behind-the-scenes rehearsal access for New York City Ballet and The Philadelphia Orchestra
• Patrons’ Club Dining and Patrons’ Patio access for pre-performance refreshments
• The Pines Terrace access for SPAC shows with its breathtaking views of our entire campus and amphitheater for President’s Circle donors
Membership benefits vary based on level of giving More information on
Interested in becoming an ambassador for SPAC?
Join The SPAC Action Council or Friends of SPAC today
The SPAC Action Council was established in 1977 by SPAC founders Philly Dake and Jane Wait. The Action Council serves as a community of ambassadors to SPAC, supporting its cultural mission, membership, events and programming by broadening awareness and promoting development.
The Friends of SPAC Committee (formerly SPAC Junior Committee) is comprised of arts-loving volunteers. As ambassadors, the committee promotes SPAC membership at all levels. The committee connects young people with world-class arts events and education, ensuring the vitality of SPAC and the arts. Activities include community outreach and fundraising that support SPAC’s mission.
Visit “Join & Support” at spac.org for more information today!
SAVE THE DATE
The SPAC Action Council presents: SPAC in Conversation: Sylvie Bigar
Spa Little Theater & The Hall of Springs Wednesday, October 19, 2022
Saratoga Dermatology specializes in Dermatologic Surgery including Mohs surgery, cosmetic enhancements such as Botox, fillers, lasers and peels, and the diagnosis and treatment of skin diseases: skin cancers, acne, warts, rosacea, psoriasis, rashes.
THANK YOU, MEMBERS!
SPAC Welcomes our 1,604 Members Including 382 New Members
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, SPAC depends on the generous support of members, corporate and institutional partners, and philanthropic gifts.
Your annual membership gifts help support our beloved residencies, year-round programming, newly introduced initiatives in the culinary, literary, visual, and healing arts, and the recent launch of SPAC School of the Arts.
Thank you for the essential role you play in serving our community.
Our list of 2022 donors can be found by scanning the QR Code below.
2022 SPRING SEASON
NEW YORK CITY BALLET
Founders: George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein
Founding Choreographers: George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins
Ballet Master in Chief from 1983-2017: Peter Martins
Artistic Director
Executive Director
Jonathan Stafford Katherine E. Brown
Associate Artistic Director
Wendy Whelan
Resident Choreographer and Artistic Advisor: Justin Peck
Senior Repertory Director: Rosemary Dunleavy
Repertory Directors
Jean-Pierre Frohlich Gonzalo Garcia Craig Hall
Lisa Jackson Glenn Keenan Rebecca Krohn
Christine Redpath Kathleen Tracey
New York City Ballet Orchestra
Music Director: Andrew Litton
Associate Music Director: Andrews Sill
Resident Conductor: Clotilde Otranto
The Company
Jared Angle Tyler Angle Harrison Ball Ashley Bouder Chun Wai Chan
Adrian Danchig-Waring Megan Fairchild Jovani Furlan Joseph Gordon
Anthony Huxley Sterling Hyltin Russell Janzen Sara Mearns
Tiler Peck Unity Phelan Taylor Stanley
Daniel Ulbricht Andrew Veyette Peter Walker Indiana Woodward
Sara Adams Daniel Applebaum Preston Chamblee Harrison Coll
Emilie Gerrity Ashley Hod Emily Kikta Claire Kretzschmar Isabella LaFreniere
Ashley Laracey Megan LeCrone Roman Mejia Miriam Miller Mira Nadon
Georgina Pazcoguin Erica Pereira Brittany Pollack Aaron Sanz Troy Schumacher Sebastian Villarini-Velez Emma Von Enck
Victor Abreu Devin Alberda Marika Anderson Olivia Boisson Gilbert Bolden III
Jacqueline Bologna India Bradley† LaJeromeny Brown Christina Clark Lauren Collett Nieve Corrigan Naomi Corti Uma Deming Gabriella Domini Meaghan
Dutton-O'Hara Savannah Durham Jonathan Fahoury David Gabriel Christopher Grant
Laine Habony Kennard Henson Spartak Hoxha Rachel Hutsell Sasonah Huttenbach
Baily Jones Alec Knight Ruby Lister Malorie Lundgren Jules Mabie Alston Macgill
Mary Thomas MacKinnon Olivia MacKinnon Zoe Bliss Magnussen Jenelle Manzi
Alexa Maxwell Samuel Melnikov Clara Miller Lars Nelson Maxwell Read
Davide Riccardo† Ava Sautter Kristen Segin Mary Elizabeth Sell
McKenzie Bernardino Soares Mimi Staker Quinn Starner KJ Takahashi
Mckenzie
Kennedy Targosz Rommie Tomasini Claire Von Enck Cainan Weber Andres Zuniga
†Janice Levin Dancer Honoree
Apprentices: Dominika Afanasenkov, Sarah Harmon, Shelby Mann, Anna Snellgrove
Solo Pianists:
Elaine Chelton, Stephen Gosling, Alan Moverman, Susan Walters
Children’s Repertory Director: Dena Abergel
Associate Children's Repertory Director: Arch Higgins
Travelers is the Global Sponsor of New York City Ballet
PRINCIPAL DANCERS
Jared Angle
born Altoona, Pennsylvania joined NYCB 1998 principal 2005
Chun Wai Chan
born Guangdong, China joined NYCB as Soloist 2021 principal 2022
Joseph Gordon
born Phoenix, Arizona joined NYCB 2012 principal 2018
Tyler Angle
born Altoona, Pennsylvania joined NYCB 2004 principal 2009
Adrian DanchigWaring
born San Francisco, California joined NYCB 2003 principal 2013
Anthony Huxley
born Walnut Creek, California joined NYCB 2007 principal 2015
Harrison Ball born Houston, Texas joined NYCB 2012 principal 2022
Megan Fairchild
born Salt Lake City, Utah joined NYCB 2002 principal 2005
Sterling Hyltin
born Amarillo, Texas joined NYCB 2003 principal 2007
Ashley Bouder
born Carlisle, Pennsylvania joined NYCB 2000 principal 2005
Jovani Furlan
born Joinville, Brazil joined NYCB as Soloist 2019 principal 2022
Russell Janzen
born Bridgeport, Connecticut joined NYCB 2008 principal 2017
Sara Mearns
born Columbia, South Carolina joined NYCB 2004 principal 2008
Daniel Ulbricht
born St. Petersburg, Florida joined NYCB 2001 principal 2007
Tiler Peck
born Bakersfield, California joined NYCB 2005 principal 2009
Andrew Veyette
born Denver, Colorado joined NYCB 2000 principal 2007
Unity Phelan
born Princeton, New Jersey joined NYCB 2013 principal 2021
Peter Walker
born Fort Meyers, Florida joined NYCB 2012 principal 2022
Taylor Stanley
born Philadelphia, Pennsylvania joined NYCB 2010 principal 2016
Indiana Woodward
born Paris, France joined NYCB 2012 principal 2021
Photos by Erin Baiano, Paul Kolnik, and Amitava Sarkar
First Violins
Arturo Delmoni
Concertmaster
Kurt Nikkanen
Concertmaster
Nicolas Danielson
Assistant
Concertmaster
Michael Roth
Associate
Robert Chausow
Associate
Paul Peabody
Yevgenia Strenger
Alexander Simionescu
Bin Lu
Min Young Song
Andrew Schaw
Second Violins
Lydia Hong
Principal
Conway Kuo
Associate
Yeojin Cho
Nelly Kim
Wei Yi Wang
Derek Ratzenboeck
Jiye Lee
Sarah Pratt
Helen Strilec
ORCHESTRA NEW YORK CITY BALLET
Violas
Katharina Kang Litton
Principal
Cyrus Beroukhim
Associate
Katarzyna Bryla-Weiss
Chihiro Allen
Alexis Sykes
Laurance Fader
Jeffrey Jacobi
Cellos
Eugene Moye
Principal
Peter Sanders
Associate
Ann Kim
Hannah Holman
Joseph Lee
Alessandro Benetello
Double Basses
Ron Wasserman
Principal
Marji Danilow
Associate
Wan Hao Xu
Grey Fulmer
Flutes
Scott Kemsley
Principal
Laura Conwesser
Associate
Tanya Witek
Oboes
Julia DeRosa
Principal
Alexandra Knoll
Associate
Erin Gustafson
Clarinets
Steven Hartman
Principal
Gerhardt Koch
Associate
Daniel Mui
Bassoons
Harrison Hollingsworth
Principal
Ethan Silverman
Associate, Bassoon and Contrabassoon
French Horns
Dan Wions
Principal
Wil DeVos
Richard Hagen
Associate
H.Robert Carlisle
Trumpets
Neil Balm
Principal
Jonathan Heim
Co-Principal
Robert Haley
Trombones
Carlos Jiménez
Fernández
Principal
Hugh Eddy
Associate
Nicholas Schwartz
Bass Trombone
Tuba
Dan Peck
Harp
Sara Cutler
Timpani
Ian Sullivan
Percussion
James Baker
Principal
James Saporito
Associate
Pablo Rieppi
H a n n a K i m
Piano
Hanna Kim
Orchestra Manager
David Titcomb
Library Assistant
Grey Fulmer
The dancers of New York City Ballet in Jerome Robbins’ Glass Pieces
PHOTO BY ERIN BAIANO
NEW YORK CITY BALLET EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Katherine E. Brown
Executive Offices
Artistic Administrative Coordinator
Assistant to the Executive Director & TurnOut Events Coordinator
Manager, Strategic Analysis
Communications and Special Projects
Managing Director
Associate Director, Communications
Manager, Media Relations
Development and Special Events
Senior Director, Development
Director, Special Events
Director, Corporate Relations
Director, Foundation & Government Relations
Julianne Maeda
Emily Young
Josephine Holasek
Robert Daniels
Katharina Plumb
Kina Poon
Matthew Bird
Christine van Kipnis
Fredrick E. Wodin
Sarah Graham
Director, Major Gifts & Individual Giving Joshua Lenihan
Deputy Director, Special Events
Associate Director, Corporate Relations
Associate Director, Patron Programs
Senior Manager, Major Gifts
Manager, Major Gifts & Individual Giving
Associate Manager, Foundation & Government Relations
Senior Coordinator, Membership
Senior Coordinator, Special Events
Senior Associate, Special Events
Associate, Patron Program
Associate, Special Events
Assistant, Membership
Meghan Baldwin
Galina Khitrova
Kenneth Triwush
Catherine Hsieh
Michael Boyd
Nicholas Denninger
Alexandra Hart
Terra Hazen
Katie Gorsky
Nicole Case
Rachel Smythe
Laura Porcelli
Operations and Company Management
Senior Director of Operations
Company Manager
Payroll and Benefits Administrator
Production and Design
Director of Production
Resident Lighting Designer
Lighting Director
Stage Manager
Assistant Stage Manager
Technical Director
Assistant Lighting Director
Master Carpenter
Fly Man
Master Electrician
Property Master
Sound Man
Assistant Carpenter
Assistant Electricians
Director of Rehearsal Administration
Music Department
Music Administrator
Rehearsal Pianist
Piano Technician
Costume and Wardrobe
Director of Costumes
Women’s Wardrobe Supervisor
Men’s Wardrobe Supervisor.
Brooks Parsons
Gregory Russell
Daniel Claffey
Marquerite Mehler
Mark Stanley
John Cuff
Jacqueline Reid
Nicole Mommen
Alberto Ruiz
Emily Clarkson
Mark Walters
Joseph DeGeorge
Rolf Lee
Norman Kirkland
TJ McEvoy
Ronald Lynch III
Andrew Hill
Stephanie Parry
Chris Robinson
Barbara Rocker
Seth Weldon
Thomas A. Lemanski
Jeffrey Guimond
Craig Baldwin
Michael Scales
Ed Wedberg
Marc Happel
Jacqueline (Norma) Attride
John Radwick
Assistant Women’s Wardrobe Supervisor Paulina Campbell
Assistant Men’s Wardrobe Supervisor Jay Sangster
Manager, Costume Shop
Draper
Hair and Makeup Supervisor
Makeup
Shoe Department Manager
Jarod Lewis
Caroline LaPorta
Suzy Alvarez
Grace Arias
Daniel Wong
Health and Wellness
Orthopedic Consultants
Chiropractic Consultant
Health and Wellness Coordinator
Massage Therapist
Chiropractor
Podiatric Consults
Nutritionist
Phillip A. Bauman, M.D.,
Jessica Gallina, M.D.
David Williams, D.C.
Marika Molnar, PT, LAc
Suzanne Jagoda
Alicia Sparano
Louis C Galli, DPM; Thomas M Novella, DPM
Joy Bauer, M.S., R.D., CDN
Wellness Consultant
Marketing and Media
Senior Director, Marketing & Media
Director, Relationship Marketing
Director, Acquisition Marketing
Director, Creative Services
Director, Media
Senior Manager, Ticket Services
& Group Sales
Senior Manager, Ticket Services & Group Sales
Manager, Editorial & Social Media
Manager, Digital Content & E-Commerce
Archivist, Media
Producer, Media
Editor & Post-Production
Coordinator, Media
Designer, Creative Services
Coordinator, Social Media
Associate, Acquisition Marketing
Associate, Relationship Marketing
Designer, Creative Services
Assistant, Ticket Services & Group Sales
Education
Senior Director, Education & Public Programs
Associate Director, Education
Senior Manager, Public Programs
Senior Manager, School Programs
Coordinator, NYCI & Education
Assistant, Education
The George Balanchine Trust
Director
Administrative Manager
Administrator/Foreign Licensing
General Partner
Linda H. Hamilton, Ph.D.
Karen Girty
Dustin Brauneck
Jill Jefferson
Camille Aden
Laura Snow
Aaron Franklin
Brian McCafferty
Madelyn Sutton
Mamé Dmey
A.M. LaVey
Morgan Winters
Courtney Garboski
Aja Skye Bivens
Malik Winslow
Eric McMillan
Katie Ross
Jason Vachula
Corinne Williams
Laura Johnson
Meghan Gentile
Sloane Bratter
Colleen Megley
Annabelle Sadoff
Sophia Massie
Nicole Cornell
Nicole Montano
Ellen Sorrin
Barbara Horgan
Finance and Administration
Senior Director of Finance & Administration/Chief Financial Officer Farang Azari
Director of Finance
Ana C. Valdez
Associate Director, Budgeting Yuliya Bukhman
Accounting Manager
Accounting Manager
Accounting Manager
Payroll Manager
AP Supervisor
Director, Donor Records
Database Editor
Human Resources
Senior Director, Human Resources, Diversity, and Inclusion
Nicole M. Logan
Jamie Kim
Juliana Laracuente
Daniel Jun
Tatyana Wasserman
Elizabeth V. Ferris
Nancy Digonis
Judy Elliott-Pugh
Assistant Director, HR Lia Rojales
Senior Manager, Talent Acquisition & Volunteer Services
HR & Benefits Associate
Information Technology
Director
Assistant Director
Programmer Analyst
Senior Infrastructure Engineer
Desktop Support/Assistant
Infrastructure Engineer
New York City Ballet MOVES
Artistic Administrator
Melinda Bonner
Heather Hite
Stephan Czarnomski
Yolanda Colon
John Abramowsky, Sr.
Anthony Vignola
Andrew Au
Jean-Pierre Frohlich
NYCB ON AND OFF STAGE
Hosted by Sterling Hyltin and Adrian Danchig-Waring, NYCB Principal Dancers Accompanied by the NYCB Orchestra
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM (Excerpt)
Music by Felix Mendelssohn Choreography by George Balanchine*
Conductor: ANDREW LITTON
DANIEL ULBRICHT ALEXA MAXWELL
Butterflies
Lauren Collett, Gabriella Domini, Quinn Starner, Rommie Tomasini
Butterflies and Fairies
Hannah Barber, Julia Beaton, Addison Dinkels, Teagan Enck, Bailey Gilman, Keira Green, Zoe Greenblatt, Halina Hawkins, Caitlin Herring, Emeline Hong, Addison Kelly, Alex Lambie, Brooke McAndrew, Brielle Olah, Molly Pacella, Cailin Prostor, Natalie Riccio, Theresa Richter, Ella Scandariato, Sophia Sebald, Elliot Smith, Claire Steele, Lily Wolff, Ruoxi Zhan
CHACONNE (Excerpt)
Music by Christoph Willibald von Gluck Choreography by George Balanchine*
Conductor: ANDREWS SILL
SARA MEARNS TYLER ANGLE
Dominika Afanasenkov+, Sarah Harmon+, Sasonah Huttenbach, Ruby Lister, Malorie Lundgren, Ava Sautter, Anna Snellgrove+, Kennedy Targosz, Rommie Tomasini
THE FOUR TEMPERAMENTS (Excerpt)
Music by Paul Hindemith Choreography by George Balanchine*
Conductor: ANDREW LITTON
Piano solo: STEPHEN GOSLING
Second Variation: Sanguinic EMILIE GERRITY CHUN WAI CHAN
Lauren Collett, Gabriella Domini, Quinn Starner, Rommie Tomasini
SUMMERSPACE (Excerpt)
Music by Morton Feldman Choreography by Merce Cunningham
Conductor: ANDREWS SILL
SARA ADAMS, DEVIN ALBERDA, EMILIE GERRITY, MEAGHAN DUTTON-O’HARA, ASHLEY LARACEY, ANDREW VEYETTE
GUSTAVE LE GRAY NO.1
(Excerpt)
Music by Caroline Shaw
Choreography by Pam Tanowitz
Piano: STEPHEN GOSLING
DANIEL APPLEBAUM NAOMI CORTI
ALEXANDRA HUTCHINSON+ ANTHONY SANTOS+
+Guest Artist
Appearing Courtesy of Dance Theater of Harlem
EMANON – IN TWO MOVEMENTS
(Excerpt)
Music by Wayne Shorter
Choreography by Jamar Roberts
Conductor: RON WASSERMAN
Soprano Saxophone: CHRIS HEMINGWAY
Piano: ALAN MOVERMAN
Bass: MARTIN KENNEY
Drums: JAMES SAPORITO
EMILY KIKTA UNITY PHELAN EMMA VON ENCK INDIANA WOODWARD JONATHAN FAHOURY JOVANI FURLAN ANTHONY HUXLEY
IN CREASES
(Excerpt)
Music by Philip Glass
Choreography by Justin Peck
Pianos
ELAINE CHELTON and ALAN MOVERMAN
SARA ADAMS EMILIE GERRITY BRITTANY POLLACK KRISTEN SEGIN
DEVIN ALBERDA DANIEL APPLEBAUM HARRISON COLL TAYLOR STANLEY
GLASS PIECES
(Excerpt)
Music by Philip Glass
Choreography by Jerome Robbins
Conductor: ANDREWS SILL
Dominika Afanasenkov+, India Bradley, Olivia Boisson, Gabriella Domini, Baily Jones, Ruby Lister, Malorie Lundgren, Olivia MacKinnon, Mary Thomas MacKinnon, Shelby Mann, Alexa Maxwell, Mimi Staker
Gilbert Bolden III, Jonathan Fahoury, David Gabriel, Christopher Grant, Kennard Henson, Jules Mabie, Roman Mejia, Samuel Melnikov, Maxwell Read, Davide Riccardo, KJ Takahashi, Andres Zuniga
+Apprentice
*© The George Balanchine Trust
*This program is approximately 90 minutes in length without intermission
WEDNESDAY, JULY 13 AT 7:30PM
SATURDAY, JULY 16 AT 7:30PM
Sara Mearns in George Balanchine’s Chaconne.
PHOTO BY PAUL KOLNIK
Conductor: ANDREWS SILL
CHACONNE
Music by Christoph Willibald von Gluck
(Ballet music from the opera Orphée et Euridice)
Choreography by George Balanchine*
Costumes by Karinska
Lighting by Mark Stanley
SARA MEARNS
EMMA VON ENCK
OLIVIA BOISSON
ALEXA MAXWELL
VICTOR ABREU
TYLER ANGLE
HARRISON COLL
CHRISTINA CLARK MEAGHAN DUTTON-O’HARA
CLAIRE VON ENCK
LARS NELSON AARON SANZ
Dominika Afanasenkov+, Sarah Harmon+, Sasonah Huttenbach, Ruby Lister, Malorie Lundgren, Ava Sautter, Anna Snellgrove+, Kennedy Targosz, Rommie Tomasini, David Gabriel, Jules Mabie, Samuel Melnikov, Maxwell Read, Mckenzie Bernardino Soares, Andres Zuniga
Pas de Trois
Pas de Deux
Christina Clark, Meaghan Dutton-O’Hara, Aaron Sanz
Emma Von Enck and Harrison Coll
Pas de Cinq Claire Von Enck with Lauren Collett, Gabriella Domini, Shelby Mann+, Quinn Starner
Pas de Deux Sara Mearns and Tyler Angle
Chaconne Sara Mearns and Tyler Angle with Olivia Boisson, Alexa Maxwell, Victor Abreu, Lars Nelson and Ensemble
+Apprentice
* © The George Balanchine Trust
Premiere: January 22, 1976, New York State Theater
INTERMISSION
WEDNESDAY, JULY 13 AT 7:30PM
SATURDAY, JULY 16 AT 7:30PM
Ashley Laracey in Merce Cunningham’s Summerspace.
PHOTO BY ERIN BAIANO
SUMMERSPACE
Music by Morton Feldman
Choreography by Merce Cunningham
Scenery and Costumes by Robert Rauschenberg
Lighting by Aaron Copp
Staged by Jean Freebury
SARA ADAMS, ADRIAN DANCHIG-WARING, EMILIE GERRITY, MEAGHAN DUTTON-O’HARA, ASHLEY LARACEY, ANDREW VEYETTE
Summerspace (1958) by Merce Cunningham © Merce Cunningham Trust. All rights reserved
Music: IXION, used by arrangement with C.F Peters Corporation,publisher and copyright owner.
Premiere: August 17, 1958, Merce Cunningham Dance Company, American Dance Festival at Connecticut College, New London, Connecticut New York City Ballet Premiere: April 14, 1966, New York State Theater
INTERMISSION
GLASS PIECES
Music by Philip Glass
Choreography by Jerome Robbins
Production Design by Jerome Robbins and Ronald Bates
Costumes by Ben Benson
Lighting by Ronald Bates
1. Rubric
ASHLEY HOD
DANIEL APPLEBAUM
ISABELLA LaFRENIERE DAVIDE RICCARDO JACQUELINE BOLOGNA DEVIN ALBERDA and CORPS DE BALLET
2. Facades UNITY PHELAN JOVANI FURLAN and CORPS DE BALLET
I. Akhnaten (excerpt) CORPS DE BALLET
Dominika Afanasenkov+, India Bradley, Olivia Boisson, Christina Clark, Lauren Collett, Gabriella Domini, Sarah Harmon+, Baily Jones, Ruby Lister, Malorie Lundgren, Olivia MacKinnon, Mary Thomas MacKinnon, Shelby Mann, Alexa Maxwell, Ava Sautter, Anna Snellgrove+, Mimi Staker, Quinn Starner, Rommie Tomasini, Kennedy Targosz
Victor Abreu, Gilbert Bolden III, Jonathan Fahoury, David Gabriel, Christopher Grant, Kennard Henson, Jules Mabie, Roman Mejia, Samuel Melnikov, Maxwell Read, Davide Riccardo, Mckenzie Bernardino Soares, KJ Takahashi, Cainan Weber, Andres Zuniga
+Apprentice
Music by arrangement with Dunvagen Music Publishers, Inc.
The original production of Glass Pieces was made possible by a generous and deeply appreciated gift from a friend of the company, and with the choreographer’s thanks to P., M., and R.
Premiere: May 12, 1983, New York State Theater
THURSDAY, JULY 14 AT 2:00PM
THURSDAY, JULY 14 AT 7:30PM
Jonathan Fahoury in Jamar Roberts’ Emanon – In Two Movements
PHOTO BY ERIN BAIANO
THURSDAY, JULY 14 AT 2:00PM
THURSDAY, JULY 14 AT 7:30PM
EMANON – IN TWO MOVEMENTS
Music by Wayne Shorter
Choreography by Jamar Roberts
Costumes by Jermaine Terry
Scenery and Lighting by Brandon Stirling Baker
Conductor: RON WASSERMAN
Soprano Saxophone: CHRIS HEMINGWAY
Piano: ALAN MOVERMAN
Bass: MARTIN KENNEY
Drums: JAMES SAPORITO
EMILY KIKTA UNITY PHELAN
EMMA VON ENCK INDIANA WOODWARD
JONATHAN FAHOURY JOVANI FURLAN
ANTHONY HUXLEY PETER WALKER
Music: Prometheus Unbound and Pegasus, published by IMUA Music and used by arrangement with Kobalt Music Publishing.
Lead underwriting support for Emanon – In Two Movements was provided by Elysabeth Kleinhans.
Major support was provided by Jeff and Susan Campbell and Stephen Kroll Reidy, with additional support from Michael and Nan Cooper, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, and Ted and Mary Jo Shen Charitable Gift Fund.
Leadership support for new work is provided by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, LuEsther T. Mertz Charitable Trust, Ted and Mary Jo Shen Charitable Gift Fund, estate of Harlan Morse Blake, and donors to the New Combinations Fund.
Premiere: February 3, 2022, David H. Koch Theater
INTERMISSION
THURSDAY, JULY 14 AT 2:00PM
THURSDAY, JULY 14 AT 7:30PM
Taylor Stanley in Justin Peck’s In Creases
PHOTO BY PAUL KOLNIK
THURSDAY, JULY 14 AT 2:00PM
THURSDAY, JULY 14 AT 7:30PM
IN CREASES
Music by Philip Glass
Choreography by Justin Peck
Costumes conceived by Justin Peck and Marc Happel
Lighting by Mark Stanley
Pianos
ELAINE CHELTON and ALAN MOVERMAN
SARA ADAMS
EMILIE GERRITY
BRITTANY POLLACK KRISTEN SEGIN
DEVIN ALBERDA
DANIEL APPLEBAUM
HARRISON COLL TAYLOR STANLEY
Music: Four Movements for Two Pianos, (1st and 3rd movements) ©2007, by arrangement with Dunvagen Music Publishers, Inc. Used by Permission.
Commissioning support for In Creases was provided by the Rudolf Nureyev Fund for Emerging Choreographers, established through a leadership grant from the Rudolf Nureyev Dance Foundation, with additional support provided by the Harriet Ford Dickenson Foundation and the Joseph and Sylvia Slifka Foundation.
Additional support for new work was provided by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund and donors to the New Combinations Fund.
Premiere: July 14, 2012, Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, New York
PAUSE
THURSDAY, JULY 14 AT 2:00PM
THURSDAY, JULY 14 AT 7:30PM
Daniel Applebaum and Naomi Corti in Pam Tanowitz’s Gustave Le Gray No. 1
PHOTO BY ERIN BAIANO
THURSDAY, JULY 14 AT 2:00PM
THURSDAY, JULY 14 AT 7:30PM
GUSTAVE LE GRAY NO. 1
Music by Caroline Shaw
Choreography by Pam Tanowitz
Costumes by Reid Bartelme and Harriet Jung
Lighting by Davison Scandrett
Piano: STEPHEN GOSLING
DANIEL APPLEBAUM
NAOMI CORTI
ALEXANDRA HUTCHINSON+ ANTHONY SANTOS+
+Guest Artist
Appearing Courtesy of Dance Theater of Harlem
Assistants to the Choreographer: Jason Collins and Vincent McCloskey
Music: Gustave Le Gray
Lead underwriting support for New York City Ballet’s production of Gustave Le Gray No. 1 is provided by Denise Littlefield Sobel.
Leadership support is provided by The Thompson Family Foundation.
Leadership support for new works by female choreographers is provided by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.
Leadership support for new work is provided by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, LuEsther T. Mertz Charitable Trust, Ted and Mary Jo Shen Charitable Gift Fund, estate of Harlan Morse Blake, and donors to the New Combinations Fund.
World Premiere: May 31, 2019, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts New York City Ballet Premiere: April 22, 2022, David H. Koch Theater
INTERMISSION
THURSDAY, JULY 14 AT 2:00PM
THURSDAY, JULY 14 AT 7:30PM
Chun Wai Chan and Emilie Gerrity in George Balanchine’s The Four Temperaments.
PHOTO BY ERIN BAIANO
THURSDAY, JULY 14 AT 2:00PM
THURSDAY, JULY 14 AT 7:30PM
Conductor: ANDREW LITTON
THE FOUR TEMPERAMENTS
Music by Paul Hindemith
Choreography by George Balanchine*
Lighting by Mark Stanley
Piano solo: STEPHEN GOSLING
Theme
1. OLIVIA BOISSON, LARS NELSON
2. MIMI STAKER, KENNARD HENSON
3. ALEXA MAXWELL, AARON SANZ
First Variation: Melancholic SEBASTIAN VILLARINI-VELEZ
Olivia MacKinnon and Kristen Segin
Dominika Afanasenkov+, Sarah Harmon+, Anna Snellgrove+, Kennedy Targosz
Second Variation: Sanguinic EMILIE GERRITY
CHUN WAI CHAN
Lauren Collett, Gabriella Domini, Quinn Starner, Rommie Tomasini
Third Variation: Phlegmatic CHRISTOPHER GRANT
Christina Clark, Naomi Corti, Malorie Lundgren, Ava Sautter
Fourth Variation: Choleric MEGAN LeCRONE and Ensemble
+ Apprentice
*©The George Balanchine Trust
Music used by arrangement with European American Music Distributors LLC, sole U.S. and Canadian agent for Schott Music, publisher and copyright owner.
Premiere: November 20, 1946
FRIDAY, JULY 15 AT 7:30PM
SATURDAY, JULY 16 AT 2:00PM
Miriam Miller and the Company in George Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream
PHOTO BY PAUL KOLNIK
FRIDAY, JULY 15 AT 7:30PM
SATURDAY, JULY 16 AT 2:00PM
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM
(Ballet in Two Acts and Six Scenes)
Music by Felix Mendelssohn
Choreography by George Balanchine*
Scenery by David Hays
Costumes by Karinska
Original Lighting by Ronald Bates
Lighting by Mark Stanley
Conductor: ANDREW LITTON
ACT I
A Forest Near Athens, on Midsummer Eve.
Titania MIRIAM MILLER
Puck ROMAN MEJIA
Helena, in love with Demetrius
Oberon DANIEL ULBRICHT
CLAIRE KRETZSCHMAR
Hermia, in love with Lysander ERICA PEREIRA
Lysander, beloved of Hermia LARS NELSON
Demetrius, suitor of Hermia
SEBASTIAN VILLARINI-VELEZ
Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons ASHLEY HOD
Theseus, Duke of Athens PRESTON CHAMBLEE
Titania’s Cavalier
Bottom
Butterfly
ACT II
At the Court of Theseus in Athens.
Divertissement
AARON SANZ
GILBERT BOLDEN III
ALEXA MAXWELL
STERLING HYLTIN and ANDREW VEYETTE
FRIDAY, JULY 15 AT 7:30PM
SATURDAY, JULY 16 AT 2:00PM
Daniel Ulbricht in George Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream
PHOTO BY PAUL KOLNIK
FRIDAY, JULY 15 AT
16 AT
THE CAST
ACT I
Butterflies
Oberon’s pages
Lauren Collett, Gabriella Domini, Quinn Starner, Rommie Tomasini with Hannah Barber, Addison Dinkels, Halina Hawkins, Emeline Hong, Brooke McAndrew, Molly Pacella, Ella Scandariato
Keira Green, Theresa Richter, Sophia Sebald, Ruoxi Zhan
Titania’s Page Zoe Tamvada
Bottom’s Companions
Victor Abreu, KJ Takahashi, Cainan Weber, Andres Zuniga
Courtiers to Theseus Jules Mabie, Samuel Melnikov, Maxwell Read, Mckenzie Bernardino Soares
Titania’s Retinue
Oberon’s Kingdom:
Marika Anderson, Dominika Afanasenkov+, India Bradley, Christina Clark, Nieve Corrigan, Naomi Corti, Sasonah Huttenbach, Ruby Lister, Malorie Lundgren, Mary Thomas MacKinnon, Ava Sautter, Kennedy Targosz
Hannah Barber, Julia Beaton, Butterflies and Fairies Addison Dinkels, Teagan Enck, Bailey Gilman, Keira Green, Zoe Greenblatt, Halina Hawkins, Caitlin Herring, Emeline Hong, Addison Kelly, Alex Lambie, Brooke McAndrew, Brielle Olah, Molly Pacella, Cailin Prostor, Natalie Riccio, Theresa Richter, Ella Scandariato, Sophia Sebald, Elliot Smith, Claire Steele, Lily Wolff, Ruoxi Zhan
Hippolyta’s Hounds
Dominika Afanasenkov+, Sarah Harmon+, Shelby Mann+, Ava Sautter, Anna Snellgrove+, Kennedy Targosz
INTERMISSION
ACT II
Courtiers
Dominika Afanasenkov+, India Bradley, Christina Clark, Lauren Collett, Nieve Corrigan, Naomi Corti, Gabriella Domini, Sarah Harmon+, Sasonah Huttenbach, Ruby Lister, Malorie Lundgren, Mary Thomas MacKinnon, Shelby Mann+, Ava Sautter, Anna Snellgrove+, Quinn Starner,
Divertissement
Kennedy Targosz, Rommie Tomasini, David Gabriel, Jules Mabie, Samuel Melnikov, Maxwell Read, Mckenzie Bernardino Soares, KJ Takahashi, Cainan Weber, Andres Zuniga
Olivia Boisson, Baily Jones, Meaghan Dutton-O’Hara, Mary Elizabeth Sell, Mimi Staker, Emma Von Enck
Victor Abreu, Devin Alberda, Jonathan Fahoury, Christopher Grant, Kennard Henson, Davide Riccardo
+Apprentice
*© The George Balanchine Trust
ALBANY PRO MUSICA CHORUS
José Daniel Flores-Caraballo, Opalka Family Artistic Director
Soprano: Angela Yam Mezzo-soprano: Emily Triebold
Sopranos
Tonya Burandt Hansen, Joanna Feuer, SooYeon Justesen, Heather Lessard, Katie McNally, Sandra Schujman
Altos
Abigail Cowan, Kathryn Farris, Terressa Mannix
Darcy Meadows, Dharma Sanchez-Flores, Irina Tikhonenko
The children appearing in A Midsummer Night’s Dream are students from the local area rehearsed and supervised by Dena Abergel and Arch Higgins
Leadership support for costume refurbishment of A Midsummer Night’s Dream was provided by The LuEsther T. Mertz Charitable Trust as part of the Company’s 50th anniversary celebration of its residence at Lincoln Center.
Premiere: January 17, 1962, City Center of Music and Drama, New York
CHACONNE
A chaconne is a dance built on a phrase in the bass and was often used by composers of the 17th and 18th centuries to end an opera in a festive mood. This choreography, first performed in the 1963 Hamburg State Opera production of Orfeo ed Euridice, was somewhat altered for presentation as the ballet Chaconne, particularly in the sections for the principal dancers. Balanchine’s first Orfeo was made for the Metropolitan Opera in 1936. His novel approach—the singers remained in the pit while the action was danced onstage—was not well received, and the production had only two performances. In addition to the Hamburg production, he choreographed other versions of the piece for the Paris Opera in 1973 and the Chicago Lyric Opera in 1975.
EMANON - IN TWO MOVEMENTS
Jamar Roberts’ Emanon – In Two Movements is set to Pegasus and Prometheus Unbound from Wayne Shorter’s Emanon. The Resident Choreographer of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Roberts previously created a piece for film, Water Rite, as part of NYCB’s digital New Works Festival in 2020. With a cast of eight dancers, Emanon – In Two Movements is his first stage work for NYCB, and features costume design by Jermaine Terry, and set and lighting design by Brandon Stirling Baker.
THE FOUR TEMPERAMENTS
The score for this ballet was commissioned by George Balanchine from Paul Hindemith in 1940. The ballet, together with Ravel’s opera L’Enfant et les Sortilèges, constituted the opening program of Ballet Society (the direct predecessor of the New York City Ballet) on November 20, 1946. In Complete Stories of the Great Ballets, Balanchine wrote of the ballet that it “is an expression in dance and music of the ancient notion that the human organism is made up of four different humors, or temperaments. Each one of us possesses these four humors, but in different degrees, and it is from the dominance of one of them that the four physical and psychological types—melancholic, sanguinic, phlegmatic, and choleric—were derived. Although the score is based on this idea of the four temperaments, neither the music nor the ballet itself makes specific or literal interpretation of the idea. An understanding of the Greek and medieval notion of the temperaments was merely the point of departure for both composer and choreographer.” An accomplished pianist, Balanchine commissioned the score because he wanted a short work that he could play at home with friends during his evening musicales. It was completed in 1940 and had its first public performance at a 1944 concert with Lukas Foss as the pianist.
GLASS PIECES
Although Philip Glass’s work is often labeled as minimalist, he prefers to call it “music with repetitive structures.” His early compositions were greatly influenced by Ravi Shankar and the hypnotic rhythms of Indian music. Some of his most notable work for theater includes the trilogy of operas comprising Einstein on the Beach, Satyagraha, and Akhnaten. Jerome Robbins, originally in line to direct Akhnaten, instead choreographed a ballet using music from the opera along with Rubric and Facades, both from Glassworks. In Glass Pieces, Robbins incorporated concepts from postmodern dance into the traditional ballet vocabulary, and he infused the work with a distinctly urban energy. The recurrent rhythms, driving momentum, and labyrinth of shifting patterns of the ensemble combine to create a physical architecture for Glass’s music.
GUSTAVE LE GRAY NO. 1
Tanowitz originally choreographed Gustave le Gray No. 1 in 2019 for dancers from Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH) and Miami City Ballet at the Kennedy Center’s “Ballet Across America.” At this performance, two NYCB dancers and two guest dancers from DTH will perform alongside an onstage pianist. The ballet is set to Caroline Shaw’s Gustave le Gray and features costume design by Reid Bartelme and Harriet Jung and lighting design by Davison Scandrett.
IN CREASES
In Creases is the first work that Justin Peck, then an NYCB corps de ballet dancer, created for the Company. The ballet is set to Philip Glass’ “Four Movements for Two Pianos,” and received its world premiere in July 2012 during NYCB’s annual summer residency at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in upstate New York. Named the Company’s Resident Choreographer in 2014, Peck has since created 18 works for NYCB, and his ballets are found in the repertories of dance companies around the world.
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM
Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream is one of his happiest and most loved comedies. It is called a “Dream” because of the unrealistic events that the characters experience in the play—real, yet unreal, such as crossed lovers, meaningless quarrels, forest chases leading to more confusion, and magic spells woven by the infamous Puck. Balanchine had been familiar with Shakespeare’s play from an early age. As a child he had appeared as an elf in a production in St. Petersburg, and he could recite portions of the play by heart in Russian. Balanchine loved Mendelssohn’s overture and incidental music for A Midsummer Night’s Dream (composed over a period of 15 years with the overture [Opus 21] first in 1826, and the other sections later in Opus 61). It is this score, Balanchine later said, that inspired his choreography. Mendelssohn had written only about an hour’s worth of music for the play, not enough for an evening-length dance work, so Balanchine added the following pieces, listed in the order of being played: Overture to Athalie, Opus 74; Overture to The Fair Melusine, Opus 32; excerpts from The First Walpurgis Night, Opus 60; Symphony No. 9 for Strings; Overture to Son and Stranger, Opus 89.
Midsummer night has long been associated with love and magic. In European folklore it is the one night of the year when supernatural beings such as fairies are about and can interact with the real world. It is also a date that falls near the summer solstice, which was traditionally a time for fertility rites and festivals devoted to love. Shakespeare’s 1595 play has been the source for films, an opera by Benjamin Britten (1960), and a one-act ballet by Frederick Ashton, called The Dream (1964). George Balanchine’s version, which premiered in 1962, was the first wholly original evening-length ballet he choreographed in America. Two years later, on April 24, A Midsummer Night’s Dream opened the New York City Ballet’s first repertory season at the New York State Theater (now the David H. Koch Theater).
SUMMERSPACE
Summerspace was first performed by the Merce Cunningham Dance Company on August 17, 1958 at the American Dance Festival at Connecticut College in New London, Connecticut, and entered New York City Ballet’s repertory on April 14, 1966. This piece is indicative of Cunningham’s unique collaborative method, in which Morton Feldman composed the score, Robert Rauschenberg designed the décor, and Cunningham choreographed independently from each other. Together, the movement, music, and décor give the effect of a balmy, summer day. Dressed in painted leotards, the dancers move about the stage in sudden bursts of speed and suspensions, zigzagging every which way, like flying creatures. The delicate music at times sounds like bubbles of water rising to the surface, at others, with a muffled rumble in the bass, like distant thunder.
NEW YORK CITY BALLET
Board of Directors
Diana L. Taylor, Chair
Jeffrey M. Peek, President
Sarah Jessica Parker
Alan D. Schnitzer
Barbara J. Slifka Vice Chairs
Stephen Kroll Reidy Treasurer
Maria Cristina Anzola
Zoë E. Baird
JT Batson
Ronald N. Beck
Howard P. Berkowitz
Franci J. Blassberg
Donya Archer Bommer
Ursula M. Burns
Susan J. Campbell
Debra Martin Chase
Stuart H. Coleman
Paul M. Donofrio
Barbara R. Evans
Kira Faiman
Kristin Kennedy Clark Secretary
Meyer Feldberg
Thelma B. Ferguson
Randy Fishman
Maureen Footer
Barry S. Friedberg
Lynn J. Good
David Heleniak
Robert I. Lipp
Carol D. Mack
Alison Mass
Clarke Murphy
Karen Murphy
Marie Nugent-Head
Gordon B. Pattee
Mark S. Melodia Counsel
Robert Pitts
Brynn Putnam
Raja Rajamannar
Mazdack Rassi
Deborah Roberts
Denise Saul
Charles W. Scharf
Bonnie Strauss
Allyson Tang
Danielle Taubman
Alair A. Townsend
John L. Vogelstein
Cathinka Wahlstrom
William H. Wright II
Chairmen Emeriti: Jay S. Fishman†, Barry S. Friedberg, Eugene P. Grisanti†, Theodore C. Rogers, Howard Solomon†, John L. Vogelstein
Directors Emeriti: Gillian Attfield, Frederick W. Beinecke, Daniel Brodsky, Randal R. Craft, Jr., Mary Sharp Cronson, Lawrence Herbert, Nancy Lassalle†, David H. Mortimer, Edward J. Toohey†
Members Ex-Officio: Honorable Eric Adams, Mayor of the City of New York; Anthony Shorris, Designee, Mayor of the City of New York; Honorable Mark D. Levine, Manhattan Borough President; Honorable Adrienne Adams, Speaker, New York City Council; Honorable Laurie Cumbo, Commissioner, Department of Cultural Affairs
† In Memoriam
As of May 2022
As of July 2022
THANKS SPECIAL
Major annual support for New York City Ballet is provided by Miss Gillian Attfield, Berry Charitable Foundation, Franci Blassberg and Joe Rice, Emily and Len Blavatnik, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Mother Cabrini Health Foundation, Barbara and Brad Evans, Estate of Georgia Lee Funsten, The Giorgi Family Foundation, The Florence Gould Foundation, Holland and Knight LLP, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Elysabeth Kleinhans, Lincoln Center Corporate Fund, Estate of Douglas Matheson, Karen and Tommy Murphy, Liz and Jeff Peek, Stephen Kroll Reidy, Charles and Amy Scharf, The Shubert Foundation, Joseph and Sylvia Slifka Foundation, Denise Littlefield Sobel, Michael and Sue Steinberg, Estate of Winifred R. Williams, and a gift in Memory of Nancy Lassalle.
Leadership support for new work is provided by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, LuEsther T. Mertz
Charitable Trust, Ted and Mary Jo Shen Charitable Gift Fund, Estate of Harlan Morse Blake, and donors to the New Combinations Fund.
Leadership support for new work by female choreographers is provided by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.
Lead Underwriting support for the 2022 Art Series and Access Evenings is provided by Lynne and Richard Pasculano, with generous sponsorship support from Bank of America.
The Stepping Forward Fund to support the salaries of NYCB dancers during their first year in the Company has been made possible through the generosity of the Joseph and Sylvia Slifka Foundation and Martha and Bob Lipp.
The creation and maintenance of New York City Ballet’s costumes are endowed in part by the LuEsther T. Mertz Costume Fund.
The Corps de Ballet is endowed in part by the Carl Jacobs Foundation.
New York City Ballet gratefully acknowledges The Jerome Robbins Foundation for leadership support of its Repertory Directors who ensure the excellence and vitality of the Company’s repertory performances.
New York City Ballet’s student matinees and school residencies are generously underwritten by a leadership grant in memory of Ralph W. Kern.
2021-22 commissioning support for emerging choreographers is provided by the Rudolf Nureyev Fund for Emerging Choreographers, established through a leadership grant from the Rudolf Nureyev Dance Foundation with additional grants from the Harriet Ford Dickenson Foundation and the Joseph and Sylvia Slifka Foundation.
New York City Ballet gratefully acknowledges the Lila Acheson and DeWitt Wallace Endowment Fund, which provides support for new work and audience development.
New York City Ballet’s musical leadership is endowed in part by the Agnes Gund and Daniel Shapiro Fund for Musical Excellence.
The creation and performance of works by Peter Martins is funded in part by an endowment gift from the Solomon family, given in loving memory of Carolyn B. Solomon.
New York City Ballet’s performances of works by George Balanchine are supported in part by the Balanchine Production Fund, an endowment created through The Campaign for New York City Ballet. New York City Ballet is pleased to recognize:
Programming is made possible by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council, and in part by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, and by the National Endowment for the Arts.
Medical services during the performances are provided under the direction of Youngnan Jenny Cho, M.D.
Children’s costumes executed by the NYCB Costume Shop, Arel Studio, and Parsons-Meares, Ltd.
Scenery built by Feller Scenery Co.
Scenery painted by Nolan Scenery Studios, Inc.
Shoes by Capezio Ballet Maker and Freed of London. Soft good and fabrics provided by I. Weiss and Sons.
New York City Ballet Gift Shop
Souvenir Merchandise designed and created by: The Araca Group www.araca.com or (212) 869-0070
The Saratoga Performing Arts Center is the summer home of New York City Ballet.
Steinway & Sons is the official piano of the David H. Koch Theater.
New York City Ballet wishes to express its appreciation to TDF for its support this season.
The taking of pictures in the theater is strictly prohibited.
The choreographies presented on this program are copyrighted by the individual choreographers.
ABOUT NEW YORK CITY BALLET
New York City Ballet is one of the foremost dance companies in the world, with a roster of spectacular dancers and an unparalleled repertory. The Company was founded in 1948 by George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein, and it quickly became world-renowned for its athletic and contemporary style. Jerome Robbins joined NYCB the following year and, with Balanchine, helped to build the astounding repertory and firmly establish the Company in New York.
New York City Ballet owes its existence to Lincoln Kirstein, who envisioned an American ballet where young dancers could be trained and schooled under the guidance of the greatest ballet masters. When he met George Balanchine in London in 1933, Kirstein knew he had found the right person for his dream. Balanchine traveled to America at Kirstein’s invitation, and in 1934 the two men opened the School of American Ballet, where Balanchine trained dancers in an innovative style and technique that matched his idea of a new, unmannered classicism.
In 1946 Kirstein and Balanchine formed Ballet Society and presented their new company at New York’s City Center of Music and Drama, which had been founded by Fiorello H. LaGuardia, Newbold Morris, and Morton Baum. After seeing a Ballet Society performance, Baum invited Balanchine and Kirstein’s fledgling company to officially join City Center. On October 11, 1948, New York City Ballet was born with a performance that featured Balanchine’s Concerto Barocco, Orpheus, and Symphony in C. Balanchine served as Ballet Master of New York City Ballet from its inception until his death, in 1983, choreographing countless works and creating a company of dancers known for their linear purity, sharpness of attack, and overall speed and musicality. In 1949 Jerome Robbins joined the Company as associate director and, with Balanchine, created a varied repertory that grew each season.
Following Balanchine’s death, Jerome Robbins and Peter Martins were named Co-Ballet Masters in Chief, and from 1990 until he retired in 2017, Mr. Martins assumed sole responsibility for the Company’s artistic direction. Under Martins’ leadership, NYCB maintained the integrity of its core works, the 20th-century masterpieces by Balanchine and Robbins, while adding significantly to its repertory by commissioning more than 250 world premiere ballets created by more than 60 choreographers.
As part of NYCB’s ongoing commitment to the development of new choreography, in 2001 Martins created the position of NYCB Resident Choreographer, which was first held by Christopher Wheeldon (2001-2006), and is currently held by Justin Peck.
In September 2000, Martins and the late philanthropist Irene Diamond launched the New York Choreographic Institute, an affiliate of New York City Ballet, which promotes the development of choreographers and dancers involved in classical choreography by providing opportunities to develop their talents.
In 2009 Katherine Brown was named NYCB’s first-ever Executive Director, a position created to oversee the administrative management of the Company. In February of 2019, Jonathan Stafford was named Artistic Director of New York City Ballet and the School of American Ballet, and Wendy Whelan was named Associate Artistic Director of New York City Ballet.
Photo © Frederic Ohringer
Jerome Robbins
George Balanchine Photo
Photo
Lincoln Kirstein
Peter Martins Photo
NEW YORK CITY BALLET
Jonathan Stafford was appointed Artistic Director of New York City Ballet and the School of American Ballet in February 2019. Upon retiring as an NYCB Principal Dancer in May 2014, Stafford was named one of NYCB’s Ballet Masters. In December 2017, he was appointed to lead NYCB’s interim artistic team.
As a dancer with NYCB, Stafford performed an extensive repertory of featured roles in numerous ballets by George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Peter Martins, and Christopher Wheeldon, and also originated featured roles in works by Mauro Bigonzetti and Alexei Ratmansky. As an educator, Stafford served as a member of SAB’s guest faculty beginning in 2006 and joined the School’s permanent faculty in 2007. In 2015 he was named SAB’s first Professional Placement Manager. He graduated summa cum laude from the Fordham School of Professional and Continuing Studies with a B.A. in Organizational Leadership.
Born in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, Stafford studied at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet before entering SAB in the summer of 1996. Stafford was named an apprentice with NYCB in 1998, joined the corps de ballet in 1999, and rose through the ranks to became a Principal Dancer in 2007.
Wendy Whelan was named New York City Ballet Associate Artistic Director in February 2019. One of the most acclaimed dancers of her generation, she performed with NYCB for 30 years. Whelan danced principal roles in more than 125 ballets in NYCB’s repertory, performing virtually all of the major Balanchine roles, working closely with Jerome Robbins on many of his works, and originating roles in more than 50 ballets by such choreographers as William Forsythe, Twyla Tharp, Alexei Ratmansky, Christopher Wheeldon, and numerous others. Following her retirement from NYCB in October 2014, she has cultivated multi-disciplinary performance projects with a wide range of collaborators.
Whelan began studying dance in Louisville with Virginia Wooton, a local teacher, and at the Louisville Ballet Academy before first studying at SAB in the summer of 1981. She was named an apprentice with NYCB in 1984, joined the corps de ballet in 1986, and was promoted through the ranks to be elevated to Principal Dancer in 1991. She is the recipient of a 2007 Dance Magazine Award, the 2011 Jerome Robbins Award, a 2011 Bessie Award for Sustained Achievement in Performance, and a Doctorate of Arts, honoris causa, from Bellarmine University.
Andrew Litton, Music Director of the New York City Ballet since 2015, is also Principal Guest Conductor of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Conductor Laureate of Britain’s Bournemouth Symphony, and Music Director Laureate of Norway’s Bergen Philharmonic, where he recently concluded a 12-year tenure as Music Director. For his work in Bergen, King Harald V knighted Litton with the Norwegian Royal Order of Merit. Litton led the Dallas Symphony as Music Director from 1994 to 2006. Each season, he also guest conducts leading orchestras and opera companies around the globe and adds to his discography of more than 130 recordings, which have garnered America’s Grammy Award, France’s Diapason d’Or, and other honors.
Litton’s work in ballet began while he was a Juilliard student, performing as onstage pianist for Rudolf Nureyev, Natalia Makarova, and Cynthia Gregory. An accomplished pianist, Litton is an acknowledged expert on George Gershwin and has performed and recorded Gershwin widely as both pianist and conductor. In 2014 he released his first solo piano album, A Tribute to Oscar Peterson. For more information visit andrewlitton.com.
Andrew Litton Music Director
Photo © Danny Turner
Jonathan Stafford Artistic Director
Photo © Christopher Lane
Wendy Whelan Associate Artistic Director
Photo © Nina Wurtzel
TRAILBLAZE NY
Bernard Roumain.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CHAIRPERSON
Susan Law Dake
VICE CHAIR
Charles V. Wait, Jr.
SECRETARY
Eleanor K. Mullaney
TREASURER
Linda Toohey
Raimundo Archibold
Sonny Bonacio
Sally Bott
Carl DeBrule
C.J. DeCrescente
Geraldine Golub
Judy A. Harrigan, Ph.D
George R. Hearst III
Richard Higgins
Anthony Ianniello, Esq.
Sean Leonard
Heather Mabee
Chris Mackey
Martin A. Mbugua
Donald J. McCormack
Bill McEllen
Norma Meacham
STAFF
Elizabeth Sobol President & CEO
Leslie Collman-Smith General Manager
Zack Ashcraft Assistant Box Office Manager
Brogan Barker Operations Associate
Eric Brower Senior Director, Ticketing, Data and Analytics
Fu-chen Chan Senior Director, Events and Special Projects
Andreya Cherry Artistic Administrator
Jeff Conkey Director, Operations
Christine Dixon Senior Director, Individual and Planned Giving
Brittany Gilman Director, Marketing
David Greco Senior Director, Operations
Jay Lafond Chief Financial Officer
Cynthia Madcharo Senior Accountant
Maddie McCarthy Development Associate
Dennis Moench VP, Education
Linsey Reardon Education Events Coordinator
Ron Riggi
Dr. L. Oliver Robinson
Andrea Spungen
Stephen C. Verral
Jason C. Ward
TRUSTEES EMERITI
William P. Dake
Charles V. Wait
TRUSTEES OF COUNSEL
I. Norman Massry
John J. Nigro
Hon. Susan Phillips Read
Edward P. Swyer
Timothy Roylance Manager, Box Office and Group Sales
Philip Scibilia Director, Membership
Christopher Shiley VP, Artistic Planning
Scott Somerville Director of Creative Services
Frank Tessier Associate Manager, Membership and Guest Services
Heather N. Varney Senior Director, Corporate Partnerships
Kristy Ventre Senior Director, Marketing and Communications
Jill Zygo Director, School Programs
What better way to honor your fond SPAC memories than with a planned gift to SPAC?
A planned gift is one of the most meaningful commitments you can make and helps ensure the future of SPAC.
There are many ways to join SPAC’s Evergreen Society:
• Create a bequest
• Donate from your IRA
• Name SPAC as a life insurance beneficiary
• Give appreciated stock
These are just some of the easy ways to make a planned gift to SPAC. Talk with your financial advisor about what’s best for you financially.
When you make a planned gift, you become a member of SPAC’s Evergreen Society and are acknowledged in all SPAC program materials and receive invitations to exclusive events.
Other commemorative gifts include seat plaques and the dedication of trees and benches to celebrate a special occasion or honor the memory of a loved one.
For more information, please contact Christine Dixon at 518-485-9330 ext. 112 or cdixon@spac.org.
TRANS FORM ATIONS
The Art of John Van Alstine
Exhibition On View June 11 - September 18, 2022
Art Inspired Dance Performance by Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company August 6 at 2 pm
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SPAC School of the Arts is changing the face of arts education in the Capital Region!
SPAC School of the Arts is changing the face of arts education in the Capital Region!
Classes are taught by qualified teaching artists who challenge students explore diverse topics and cultures, connect with others, learn new perspectives, and discover passion, confidence, and a deeper sense of self.
Classes are taught by qualified teaching artists who challenge students to explore diverse topics and cultures, connect with others, learn new perspectives, and discover passion, confidence, and a deeper sense of self.
Supported by
Supported by
Additional support from the Charles R. Wood Foundation, NYS Parks Connect Kids to Parks program, Michael and Stacie Arpey, and the Business for Good Foundation
Additional support from the Charles R. Wood Foundation, NYS Parks Connect Kids to Parks program, Michael and Stacie Arpey, and the Business for Good Foundation
SPAC | SCHOOL OF THE ARTS
SPAC | SCHOOL OF THE ARTS
SPAC | SCHOOL OF THE ARTS
SPAC | SCHOOL OF THE ARTS
Sterling Hyltin’s New York City Ballet Swan Song
The retiring principal dancer kicks off her final year with NYCB with a goodbye performance of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ at SPAC.
NBY ABBY TEGNELIA | PHOTOGRAPHY BY PAUL KOLNIK
ew York City Ballet (NYCB) principal dancer Sterling Hyltin is preparing for her bittersweet final Saratoga performance—she’s sad to be saying goodbye but thrilled that she’ll be dancing in George Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream as her last SPAC show before retiring next year. “It’s such a lovely way to say goodbye,” she says. “The ballet is approachable for all ages. Plus, dancing outside adds to the magic. There can be lightning bugs on the lawn while watching lightning bugs dancing on stage.”
When Hyltin started coming to Saratoga with NYCB 20 years ago, the company’s residency was still three weeks long, and she cherishes her memories of her extended Spa City stays. “You were in a house with your friends,” she says. “It felt like we were a family there, so much more so than in the city. It felt like home.”
Hyltin’s love for Saratoga is so strong that she and her family visited during lockdown. And it’s sitting on the SPAC lawn—as a spectator—where the new mom hopes to show her daughter, Ingrid, who was born near the beginning of lockdown, her beloved NYCB for the first time. “SPAC is so kid-friendly, with the lawn,” she says. “So I would like to show my daughter ballet there.”
From the amphitheater stage, Hyltin has certainly felt SPAC’s magic as well, most dramatically as Juliet in Peter Martins’ Romeo + Juliet, a role she originated. “One year as we were dancing, right as it got into the story, the sky got ominous,” she says. “You really get immersed in the story that way—for some ballets, being outside really enhanc es the story. Or sometimes you look out, and there’s a full moon in the sky. As people are watching us, we’re watching nature!”
Hyltin considers herself so blessed to have been able to do what she loves that she’s retiring in order to help her daughter find that special something for herself. “I love dancing so much,” Hyltin says. “It’s been a gift to be surrounded by passionate people. That gives you confidence. I want to inspire that in my daughter, let her teach me where she should be. And for that I need to be present for her, not off dancing all the time.”
NYCB performs at SPAC July 12 to July 16, bringing the whole company of more than 90 dancers to Saratoga for the first time since 2019. In addition to the comical and fanciful Midsummer, they will also dance a roster of contemporary works, including Merce Cunningham’s masterful Summerspace, plus a special “NYCB On and Off Stage” presentation. At press time, Hyltin was expected to dance the famous “Divertissement” pas de deux in the second act of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, a romantic piece that shows off her most ethereal qualities. She will then start her final season back in NYC, which will culminate in her grand final performance December 4 at Lincoln Center, where she will dance the coveted role of the Sugarplum Fairy in The Nutcracker.
“Going in for my final season, I know I have to enjoy dancing everything for one last time,” Hyltin says. “I have to stop myself from thinking that I have to make every step the most perfect ever. This year, I get to just enjoy it.”
Yo-Yo Ma Finds Beauty in Nature at SPAC
For this cellist great, performing outside in the Spa State Park brings out the very essence of music.
BY ABBY TEGNELIA | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JASON BELL
In a comeback classical season that’s about as buzzed-about and fanfare-filled as it could possibly get, there’s no denying that Yo-Yo Ma’s return to SPAC is the boldest headline. Not only is the world-renowned cellist the most famous name on the marquee, but he also made the news during COVID for his comforting impromptu performance at a vaccination clinic in nearby Massachusetts. And now the famously positive and smiley musician will bring his healing powers of music to SPAC’s outdoor amphitheater August 5, in what is sure to be an especially meaningful experience for the virtuoso.
“There’s nothing like creating music in nature,” Ma says of SPAC’s location in the Spa State Park. “The natural world, like the best music, engages all of our senses, demanding that we use our head, our heart, and our hands. In my experience, it’s when we use all three that we form the most enduring memories, that we can understand who we are and how we fit into the world. That’s the purpose of music.”
Ma’s performance will be a highlight of the Philadelphia Orchestra’s residency, which features the full orchestra for the first time since 2019. The residency runs from July 27 to August 13 and also features the return of Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin (in four programs including a finale featuring Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony) and violinist Joshua Bell (alongside star soprano Larisa Martinez on July 29). Ma will perform Camille Saint-Saëns’ Cello Concerto No. 1, an emotional and dramatic solo that’s written in one continuous movement with a final section that is especially demanding.
“Saint-Saëns’ first cello concerto is so full of joy and sparkle,” Ma says. “It is beloved for good reason, and I hear it always as a celebration of nature and human nature. It is fitting music for such a beautiful place and such extraordinary musical company.”
Ma’s passion for the arts began at an extremely young age; as a 7-year-old prodigy he performed for President John F. Kennedy after a rousing introduction by the great composer Leonard Bernstein. Since then, the 19-time GRAMMY Award winner has become a household name by appealing to about as diverse a crowd as possible, having performed for children on Sesame Street, with friend James Taylor on a range of projects and even with Miley Cyrus on a (charity) Metallica tribute album. But while his dedication to a diverse repertoire of music has certainly helped make him the most famous cellist in the world, it’s his mind-blowing mark on the classical music realm that has garnered him esteemed awards, appointments and accomplishments the world over.
“There is no artist better than Yo-Yo Ma to embody the essence of this summer—joy, community and celebration of the human spirit,” says SPAC president and CEO Elizabeth Sobol. “Summer 2022 will be a season like no other as we welcome our audiences and resident companies home to SPAC and the park after several long years of yearning.”
Ma has a long history of performing with the Philadelphia Orchestra and says he is excited to reunite with them on the SPAC stage (he was on-hand for the Orchestra’s first post-COVID performance at their home theater, Verizon Hall, where he also performed Saint-Saëns’ Cello Concerto No.1). “The Philadelphia Orchestra always plays with the very fullest commitment,” he says. “Its musicians sound extraordinary every time I hear them—and as an institution, the orchestra has a remarkable, almost magical ability to pass on its love of music and performance from generation to generation.”
Ledisi Brings Nina Simone Tribute to SPAC
Widely regarded as one of the greatest singers in the world, GRAMMY-winning vocalist Ledisi will perform with the Philadelphia Orchestra on August 3.
BY NATALIE MOORE
When it comes to the sheer talent possessed by Ledisi, the genre-fluid powerhouse singer-songwriter who scheduled not one, but two SPAC performances this summer, don’t take our word for it. Instead, take it from, oh, 12-time GRAMMY winner John Legend. “As a contemporary vocalist, there’s almost no one I can think of in the world that sings as skillfully as she does,” the “All of Me” singer and household name once said in an interview. “In terms of her range, dexterity, clarity, versatility, she can do anything she wants. She’s one of the great singers in the world, period.”
And yet Ledisi isn’t quite a household name herself—at least not yet. That could be because she’s not particularly concerned with sticking to any one type of music long enough to be classified as a pop, jazz or R&B artist. “I’m genre-less,” the New Orleans native told me the week after performing Jacques Brel’s “Ne Me Quitte Pas” in French at the 2022 GRAMMYS. “Last week I was at the GRAMMYS. Now I’m with Eric Church in New Orleans. And then before the GRAMMYS I was doing musical theater with Billy Porter directing at New York City Center. It’s just blowing my mind.” Oh, right: In addition to singing in a plethora of genres, ranges and languages and with music’s biggest names including Dave Matthews, Kelly Clarkson and jazz great Herbie Hancock, Ledisi is also a stage and screen actor, appearing in everything from Selma to The Legend of Little Girl Blue, the one-woman show she co-wrote and co-produced in 2019.
This summer, Ledisi is flexing her multi-disciplinary muscles right here in the Spa City. First, she graced the SPAC amphitheater stage at the Freihofer’s Saratoga Jazz Festival. And she’ll return August 3 to headline her very own show with the Philadelphia Orchestra, in which she’ll perform songs from Ledisi Sings Nina, her 2021 album of songs by music icon and civil rights activist Nina Simone, an artist who literally saved Ledisi’s life when she was contemplating suicide while living in Oakland. “When I was depressed and ready to quit and really leave this earth, 'Trouble in Mind' came on the radio,” Ledisi says. “I really got Nina then and I promised to finish this tribute.”
While Ledisi Sings Nina is something to behold on its own—the album was nominated for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album at this year’s GRAMMYS—its songs become something even greater when paired with a full orchestra. “It just brings them sonically to another level,” Ledisi says. “The Philadelphia Orchestra has a little something that I like: A little wiggle.” Performing live also gives the artist a chance to sing songs by Simone that didn’t make it onto the album, such as African American folk song “See-Line Woman.” “It goes into this rhythm that I’m sure Nina would’ve loved, because it has this African beat on it,” Ledisi says of her arrangement of the song. “People get so euphoric; they’re so excited until I start to speak in words that are uncomfortable for them, and everybody gasps. At the end of it, they’re understanding: This is Nina. Ledisi is tributing her.”
If you’re not quite sold on Ledisi’s August 3 performance yet, SPAC president and CEO Elizabeth Sobol will surely change your mind: “This is an incredible opportunity for our community to experience this inspiring musician who is arguably one of the greatest singers in the world,” she says. “Ledisi’s new project with the orchestra takes the diversity and depth of Simone’s artistry with the breathtaking range of Ledisi’s powerhouse vocals. It’s our can’t-miss performances of the season.”
PHOTOGRAPHY BY MAX BARRETT
Pianist and NPR Host Lara Downes Returns to Saratoga
Following a show at Skidmore in April, the 2022 Classical Woman of the Year will perform with the Philadelphia Orchestra on August 4.
BY NATALIE MOORE
When you ask an artist as impressive as pianist Lara Downes if there has been a moment in her career when she felt she had officially “made it,” you expect an impressive answer. Maybe “when my recording topped the Billboard chart” or “when I was named 2022 Classical Woman of the Year.”
But while both of those things have indeed happened to Downes, who performed at Skidmore’s Arthur Zankel Music Center this past April 14 and will return to Saratoga with the Philadelphia Orchestra August 4, neither were her answer. Instead, when asked if she had an “I made it” moment, she said, “No! And I don’t think there ever is. You do your work and you’re really happy when wonderful things happen, but I’ve noticed that the more success I have, the things that give me real gratification are not the applause, approval, recognition—of course it’s so wonderful to have those things—but when I feel that what I’m doing is actually impacting or helping someone else.”
Luckily for Downes, there have been plenty such moments throughout her career. She specializes in revisiting the works of Black composers who in many cases helped shape classical music as we know it today, but aren’t necessarily recognized for having done so. Take Scott Joplin, the turn-of-the-20th-century composer who serves as the inspiration for Downes’ recent album, Reflections: Scott Joplin Reconsidered. “It’s an interesting story because he wasn’t under-appreciated in his time,” Downes said of the musician. “He was very, very famous in his time as the ‘King of Ragtime.’ But at the same time he was also a classical composer and wanted to write operas.” Joplin did write Treemonisha, one of the first operas by a Black American composer, but did not live to see a full production of it. “Of course,” Downes continues, “the doors that were closed to him in his time were closed because of race.”
That Joplin album is just one of a series of albums released under Downes’ Rising Sun Music label that explores the work of Black composers—including Eubie Blake, William Grant Still and Florence Price—and their contributions to the American classical canon, which has historically been dominated by white males. And the iconoclast doesn’t stop there. In addition to highlighting the works of influential composers from the last 200 years, Downes also explores the contributions of contemporary BIPOC artists in her born-from-COVID NPR series, AMPLIFY, which features performances by and conversations which features such musicians.
Speaking of Price, the pioneering composer—who in the 1930s became the first female composer of color to have her work performed by a major symphony orchestra—will be the focus of Downes’ performance when she returns to Saratoga with the Philadelphia Orchestra. (This year’s Orchestra residency at SPAC will feature a record number of works by female and BIPOC composers.) At the August 4 show, Downes will also perform
“The Strayhorn Concerto,” a brand-new piece of music created just for her from three songs by Billy Strayhorn, a jazz pianist and songwriter known for being a close collaborator of Duke Ellington’s.
And while Downes’ work does indeed focus heavily on BIPOC artists, she hopes that her music brings people of all backgrounds together. “This is a time when people feel really divided,” she says. “Music is a place where we can see where we have crossed paths, where we have given and taken from each other, and where even the difficult and painful parts of our history have produced beautiful things.”
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