Zankel Spring 26 Brochure

SPRING

20 26

ZANKEL

ARTHUR ZANKEL MUSIC CENTER

ARTHUR ZANKEL MUSIC CENTER We turn to music because it reminds us of our shared humanity.

Common ground always exists. Through music, we can recognize one another across difference, no matter our age, ability, or experience.

We can feel connected by a sound, a scene, or a soul, and be moved from introspection to action, from redemption to healing.

Many of us are carrying questions about safety, belonging, freedom, and the future of our shared civic life. In moments like these, it can be difficult to know where to place our attention, our care, and our hope. We turn to music to remain connected when words fail and when understanding takes time.

At the Arthur Zankel Music Center, we make space for many voices and many ways of being in music. We believe access to the arts is essential to our health and to the practice of democracy.

When we gather to listen, we exercise the same skills our society needs: patience, empathy, accountability, and imagination.

Our spring season reflects this commitment, moving between ancient and contemporary practices, solo and collective expression, familiar forms, and global traditions. Each performance invites artists and audiences alike to open themselves with courage to what is beautiful and what is difficult, all at once.

Shared experience still matters. We are grateful to everyone who makes these gatherings possible. In listening together, we strengthen our connection to one another and to the world.

I hope to see you soon.

Zhenelle LeBel, Director

SPRING 20 26

Zankel’s spring 2026 events are presented in collaboration with the Department of Music and the Office of Special Programs. This programming is made possible 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; the Aaron Copland Fund for Music; the Zankel Music Fund; and the generosity of Jean Sterne '32 and the family of Elisabeth Luce Moore.

Zankel events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted.

For select performances, we invite patrons to participate in a pay-whatyou-will model, with suggested donation ranges for adult tickets.

Admission for students and children 18 and under is always free.

Your support helps sustain our programming while ensuring that live music remains accessible to all.

To view all events and purchase tickets, scan the QR code or go to www.skidmore.edu/zankel/events.php

JAN

SURROUND concert series: Tarta Relena + Meara O’Reilly’s Hockets for Two Voices – performed by Mingjia Chen & Linnea Sablosky SUNDAY, JANUARY 25, 4:00PM

Skidmore Jazz Faculty Concert FRIDAY, JANUARY 30, 7:00PM

FEB

Ensemble Connect FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 7:30PM

Jorge Caballero FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 7:30PM

Michael Mayo FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 7:30PM

MAR

SURROUND concert series: Gao Hong SUNDAY, MARCH 1, 5:00PM

Sterne Virtuoso Series: Haesun Paik FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 7:30PM

APR

Voices of Freedom & Unity FRIDAY, APRIL 10, 7:00PM

Skidmore String Festival w/Pacifica Quartet SATURDAY, APRIL 18, 7:30PM

Skidmore String Festival w/Pacifica Quartet and Skidmore Students SUNDAY, APRIL 19, 2:00PM

BOX OFFICE TUESDAY - FRIDAY | 1:00 - 5:00PM Phone: 518-580-5321 | Email: zankel@skidmore.edu 815 N. Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 @ZankelMusicCenter

SUNDAYS AT SUNSET JANUARY 25 | 4:00PM

TARTA RELENA

+ MEARA O’REILLY’S HOCKETS FOR TWO VOICES – PERFORMED BY MINGJIA CHEN & LINNEA SABLOSKY Tarta Relena is the vocal duo of Marta Torrella and Helena Ros, whose a cappella performances draw from traditional Mediterranean music, early sacred repertoire, and original compositions. Founded in 2016, the Barcelona-based artists explore the expressive possibilities of the human voice, blurring boundaries between the ancient and the contemporary, the sacred and the secular.

At the heart of their work is experimentation through restraint. By weaving together contrasting vocal timbres with subtle electronic and synthetic elements, Tarta Relena creates music that finds richness in simplicity and emotional depth in minimal means. Their latest album, És Pregunta, engages with ideas of fate, knowledge, and tragic thought — introducing characters who confront inevitable consequences and the uncertainty of what lies beyond understanding. The result is a haunting, intimate sound world that feels both timeless and strikingly modern.

The evening opens with composer Meara O’Reilly’s Hockets for Two Voices, performed by Mingjia Chen and Linnea Sablosky — a series of interlocking vocal works inspired by the ancient practice of hocketing, in which a single melody is shared across voices in surprising and playful ways.

Scan the QR code to purchase your tickets now. $25 General Public, $8 Skidmore faculty and staff, FREE for Skidmore students and children 18 and under.

SURROUND concert series

The SURROUND series makes space for the quiet magic of listening together. Seated onstage around the artist as sunset fills our window wall, audiences experience music as a conversation — intimate, unguarded, and resonant.

MARCH 1 | 5:00PM

GAO HONG Chinese pipa master Gao Hong is internationally celebrated for her virtuosic technique, dynamic stage presence, and genre-defying artistry. A leading ambassador of the four-stringed Chinese lute, she brings centuries-old traditions into vibrant dialogue with contemporary and global influences, crafting performances that feel both deeply rooted and boldly exploratory.

Throughout her career, Gao Hong has collaborated with musicians across cultures and genres — from jazz and bluegrass to Syrian oud and Senegalese kora traditions. Her concerts move fluidly between meditative solo works and energetic ensemble pieces, all infused with storytelling and a palpable sense of joy. Through music and spoken reflection, she invites audiences into an intimate encounter with the pipa, its history, and its enduring power to connect across borders.

Made possible by the Zankel Music Fund; the Alfred Z. Solomon Community Fund for Children, Youth, and the Arts; and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 30 | 7:00PM

SKIDMORE JAZZ FACULTY CONCERT Led by Russell Haight, associate professor of saxophone and coordinator of the jazz program at Skidmore College, the faculty come together for an evening that showcases the depth, versatility, and creative spirit of the program. The concert features a wide-ranging repertoire — from jazz standards to original compositions and arrangements by the performers — highlighting both tradition and innovation within the form.

The ensemble includes Haight (saxophones), Bob Halek (drum set), Wayne Hawkins (piano), Adam Hutcheson (alto sax), and Rich Syracuse (bass), with a special appearance by Floydd Ricketts on vocals.

Together, they bring a wealth of experience and musical rapport that promises a dynamic and engaging performance.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13 | 7:30PM

ENSEMBLE CONNECT Carnegie Hall’s versatile Ensemble Connect is celebrated for “fresh, exciting performances charged with creativity, energy, and daring” (New York Classical Review). This program highlights the work of notable American composers, including the world premiere of George Lewis’s Carnegie Hallcommissioned piece, Broke. The program also features Valerie Coleman’s Portraits of Langston, Barber’s Adagio for Strings, selected rags by Joplin arranged for string quartet, and Ives’s String Quartet No. 1, From the Salvation Army, offering a thoughtful survey of American chamber music. Made possible by the generous support of the Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Foundation.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 20 | 7:30PM

JORGE CABALLERO Peruvian-born guitarist and composer Jorge Caballero is internationally recognized as one of the most formidable classical guitarists of his generation. Acclaimed for his extraordinary technical command and depth of musical expression, he has performed as a soloist and chamber musician on major stages around the world, earning praise from critics who describe his playing as both fearless and profoundly musical. The New York Times has called him “a masterly guitarist” with “chameleonic timbres.”

While deeply grounded in the standard guitar repertoire — from Renaissance works to contemporary music — Caballero is equally renowned for his ambitious transcriptions of large-scale masterworks originally written for piano or orchestra. His interpretations of works such as Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, Dvořák’s New World Symphony, and Debussy’s Children’s Corner expand the expressive possibilities of the guitar, revealing new colors and dramatic scope. In concert, Caballero offers performances of rare intensity, virtuosity, and imagination — standing, as one critic wrote, “on top of the repertoire’s Mount Everest.”

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27 | 7:30PM

MICHAEL MAYO Los Angeles-born vocalist Michael Mayo is known for his remarkable range, precision, and clarity.

He moves easily from resonant baritone depths to bright, soaring upper registers. A graduate of the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz Performance (formerly the Thelonious Monk Institute), he was only the third vocalist ever admitted to the program and studied with artists such as Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter. His second album, Fly, received two 2026 Grammy Award nominations, including Best Jazz Vocal Album.

Mayo is a bold and inventive performer, recognized for his use of live vocal layering and emotionally charged performances. He has collaborated with artists including Herbie Hancock, Terri Lyne Carrington, Jacob Collier, Lenny Kravitz, and The War and Treaty.

As a bandleader, he has toured internationally, appearing at jazz clubs and festivals around the world and captivating audiences with a sound that is both virtuosic and deeply expressive.

FRIDAY, MARCH 27 | 7:30PM

STERNE VIRTUOSO SERIES: HAESUN PAIK Pianist HaeSun Paik is internationally acclaimed for performances of striking intelligence, virtuosity, and depth. Praised by The New York Times for her “big and individual personality,” she brings formidable technique in service of musical insight and emotional clarity.

Her recital program spans wide stylistic ground, from Beethoven’s Sonata in E-flat major, Op. 81a (“Les Adieux”) and Bartók’s Piano Sonata to Juri Seo’s Piano Sonata No. 2, “Spring in My Homeland,” and Schumann’s expansive Fantasie in C Major, Op. 17. Made possible by Jean Sterne ’32.

FRIDAY, APRIL 10 | 7:00PM

VOICES OF FREEDOM & UNITY This shared concert features two contrasting vocal programs. The Musical Theater/Opera Workshop offers critical musical theater and operatic perspectives on independence in the United States, marking the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The Vocal Soul Collective presents ensemble-driven music celebrating harmony, collaboration, and connection, inspired by influential vocal groups across R&B, soul, pop, and gospel traditions. Directed by Senior Artistin-Residence in Voice Sylvia Stoner-Hawkins and Artist-in-Residence and Director of Choirs Floydd Ricketts.

21ST ANNUAL SKIDMORE STRING FESTIVAL This engagement of the Pacifica Quartet is presented as part of the Elisabeth Luce Moore Chamber Music Residency.

SATURDAY, APRIL 18 | 7:30PM

PACIFICA QUARTET The Pacifica Quartet, a multiple Grammy Award-winning ensemble, is internationally recognized as one of the leading string quartets of our time. Praised by The New York Times for performances of “luminescent tranquility” and “spine-tingling intensity,” the Quartet is known for its fearless programming, virtuosity, and deeply unified sound. With a career spanning three decades, Pacifica has become a defining voice in American chamber music, celebrated for interpretations that combine precision, warmth, and dramatic power.

Their Skidmore String Festival concert brings together three landmark works for string quartet: Louis Gruenberg’s Four Diversions, a vibrant example of early American modernism; Dvořák’s beloved String Quartet in F major, Op. 96 (“American”), written during the composer’s time in the United States; and Beethoven’s monumental String Quartet in B-flat major, Op. 130, performed with its original and uncompromising Grosse Fuge finale. Together, the program traces a bold arc from lyricism to radical innovation, highlighting the quartet’s mastery across styles and eras.

SUNDAY, APRIL 19 | 2:00PM

SKIDMORE STRING ENSEMBLES FEATURING PACIFICA QUARTET Now in its 21st year, the Skidmore String Festival culminates with a Sunday afternoon concert featuring Skidmore string ensembles performing alongside members of the Pacifica Quartet. Following a weekend of chamber coaching, rehearsals, and master classes led by the Quartet, this collaborative performance celebrates the festival’s long-standing commitment to mentorship, shared music-making, and the artistic growth of student musicians.

TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 7:00PM

SKIDMORE IN CONCERT

ORCHESTRA FEATURING CONCERTO WINNERS Directed by Georgia Mills SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 2:00PM

This free, public series showcases the excellence of our Music Department and celebrates the vibrancy of our shared artistic community.

All events take place in Zankel’s Helen Filene Ladd Concert Hall unless otherwise noted.

BRASS & WOODWIND ENSEMBLES Directed by Patrice Malatestinic and Yvonne Chavez Hansbrough Wilson Chapel SUNDAY, APRIL 12, 3:00PM

YOUNG KIM & SKIDMORE PIANISTS

TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 7:00PM

SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 4:00PM

CHORUS

GUITAR ENSEMBLE

Directed by Floydd Ricketts

Coached by Brett Grigsby and Paul Quigley

FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 7:00PM

BIG BAND + CUBAN MUSIC ENSEMBLE Coached by Russell Haight and Jorge Gomez

SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 6:00PM

STRING ENSEMBLES Directed by Michael Emery MONDAY, APRIL 27, 7:00PM

Coached by the Jazz Faculty

GLOBAL MUSIC SHOWCASE FEATURING CHINESE & WEST AFRICAN ENSEMBLES

SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 1:00PM

Coached by Charlotte D’Evelyn and Koblavi Dogah

SATURDAY, APRIL 25, NOON

SMALL JAZZ ENSEMBLES + GUITAR

CONCERT BAND Directed by Milton Lee

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 7:00PM

ORCHESTRA Directed by Georgia Mills

To learn more, visit:

www.skidmore.edu/zankel