Category: Caroga Lake Music Festival

Premiering in 15 days!

Get your grill on for the 2020 Backyard Music Festival! Caroga Arts is excited to bring you the Caroga Lake Music Festival experience to YOUR backyard in celebration of Independence Day! 

The Fourth of July Virtual Concert will feature a variety of world-class artists and musical selections from jazz to classical to ragtime to folk – and of course some classic July Fourth music!

The “Virtual” Caroga Arts Ensemble 

For the first time ever, thirty musicians from Caroga Arts Ensemble will perform virtually together to play the iconic Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture, arranged by Caroga Arts artist Josh Henderson, and “Echoes Ring”, a piece commissioned in honor of MLK50 and composed by our very own Artistic Director Kyle Barrett Price. See who’s playing here!

Making-of 1812 Overture: Watch how 30 musicians are playing virtually together

World-class Jazz & Ragtime Pianists

Taylor Swift’s Music Director and renowned jazz pianist David Cook will perform a jazz segment during the virtual concert. David has music directed notable artists including Academy Award winner Jennifer Hudson, *NSYNC, KESHA, Halsey and Emmy/Oscar/Tony winner Ben Platt.

Making his first Caroga Arts appearance, Ethan Uslan is a ragtime pianist and 3-time winner of the World Championship Old-Time Piano Playing Contest! As a little sneak peak of what’s coming to Sherman’s in 2021, Ethan will play some music by Scott Joplin in celebration of the Sherman’s Centennial next year. 

Celebrating the Fourth of July

A Vocal Quartet made up of CLMF Artists and opera singers Nicole Heinen, Logan Contreras, Jazimina MacNeil, and Armando Contreras will sing a heavenly arrangement of “America the Beautiful.”

Longtime CLMF Artists Andy Liang and Aaron Schwartz are taking the challenge of playing the notoriously difficult Sousa’s “Stars and Stripes Forever” for two violins arranged by B. Dukov. 

The talented vocalists and multi-instrumentalists of the Saunders Family Band from Canada Lake will also join for a performance of “This Land Is Your Land.” 

Help us reach our $10,000 Matching Gift Challenge!

The Backyard Music Festival is a fundraising event to support Caroga Arts’ continued efforts to revitalize local culture, business, and life by providing unique experiences through collaborative performances, community engagement and education. All donations made to Caroga Arts between now and September 30, 2020 will be DOUBLED, thanks to a generous matching gift of up to $10,000 from Pat Lowry and Jim Hopkins.

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Watch Caroga Arts on CBS 6 Albany

If you missed the Caroga Arts spotlight on CBS 6 Albany News last week, watch the feature here!

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Lakeside Classics

We are excited to present to you a series of recorded CLMF performances from our archives! Stay tuned for more in the coming weeks, and enjoy our new selections below.

“Contrasts” by Brian Shank (World Premiere)
Brian Shank, conductor; Eva Ding, flute; Kai-Ju Ho, clarinet; Aaron Schwartz, violin; Deborah Barrett Price, viola; Erica Gailing, viola; Ken Kubota, cello

GINASTERA: Quartet No. 1, Op. 20 (I. Allegro violento ed agitato)
Caroga Arts Ensemble

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CBS 6 Albany Interview at Sherman’s

Tune in to CBS 6 on Wed. June 10 at 6pm EDT

Julia Dunn from CBS 6 interviews Caroga Arts General Manager Torrance Fish at Sherman’s

On Wednesday, June 10 at 6pm EDT, CBS 6 Albany will air a feature on Caroga Arts and one of its programs Your Body Is Your Strad Virtual Institute, which has now brought more than 70 musicians and educators worldwide together virtually.

The segment will include an interview with CBS reporter Julia Dunn and Caroga Arts General Manager Torrance Fish at Sherman’s Park in Caroga Lake, NY.

Tune in this Wednesday on CBS 6 Albany or www.cbs6albany.com!

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Thank you to our Volunteers!

A heartfelt thank you to our wonderful group of volunteers who help us keep Sherman’s and MyHil a beautiful place!

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The Loon Call: CLMF Flashback

Welcome Josh Henderson and Andy Liang, CLMF Artists and members of the ALKALI ensemble! Kyle, Josh and Andy go back in time to CLMF 2015 and 2018 to listen and react to their performances of works by Henderson, Schoenberg and Beethoven.

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Live Virtual Concert

Cellist Cole Randolph was an inaugural InterArts Symposium artist at Caroga Arts in 2017 and a participant at the National Summer Cello Institute in Caroga Lake, NY in 2018. Cole was recently awarded the prestigious African-American Orchestra Fellowship with Detroit Symphony Orchestra where he will begin his professional career as a member of the cello section in the 2020-2021 season. On June 27th, Cole will be performing a live virtual concert through Grace Presents – for more information click here!

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Lakeside Classics

We are excited to present to you a series of recorded CLMF performances from our archives! Stay tuned for more in the coming weeks, and enjoy our new selections below.

“Somewhere Over the Rainbow” (CLMF 2015) Cara Samantha. vocal; Caroga Arts Ensemble

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Presenting 2020 Virtual Institute

Featuring star-studded classical musicians and educators

Bringing more than 60 musicians around the world together virtually

Caroga Arts Collective is presenting this year’s Your Body is Your Strad programming through its 2020 Virtual Institute from June 2-13, 2020. More than sixty musicians from around the globe – as far as Japan, Turkey, and Hong Kong – have registered to participate!

Your Body Is Your Strad focuses on the importance of awareness to understand functions of the real instruments, your body and mind, to help maximize musical communication and minimize injury in performance through the Feldenkrais Method of exercise therapy used to reorganize connections between the brain and body to improve physical movement and psychological state.

The Virtual Institute will offer participants the opportunities to discover body awareness in performance, learn from cutting edge faculty and speakers, connect with world-class artists, and create a community with fellow musicians from around the world.

Master classes and presentations are led by star-studded musicians and educators including: Jeremy Denk, considered one of America’s foremost pianists; Gary Hoffman, described as one of the outstanding cellists of our time; and Caroline Myss, a five-time New York Times bestselling author and internationally renowned speaker. Other sought-after faculty include Miriam Fried, Kim Kashkashian, Alban Gerhardt, and more.

Your Body is Your Strad is directed by Feldenkrais Practitioners Uri Vardi, cellist, and former flutist Hagit Vardi. The Virtual Institute will offer a live interactive two-week series of programming open to all instrumentalists and vocalists for students, educators and professionals from June 2nd through the 13th, 2020, Tuesdays through Saturdays with 45 hours of live interactive sessions via Zoom.

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Virtual Concert Survey

If Caroga Arts were to present a “4th of July” virtual concert on July 3 or 4, what time(s) would you likely tune in to watch live?

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Lakeside Classics

We are excited to present to you a series of recorded CLMF performances from our archives! Stay tuned for more in the coming weeks, and enjoy our new selections below.

F.S. KELLY: Elegy for String Orchestra Caroga Arts Ensemble

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In response to recent events

“We had the honor of performing Dr. Daniel Roumain’s Rosa Parks Quartet last year during the 2019 Caroga Lake Music Festival season. We stand with him and fellow arts organizations in ‘a Declaration and Affirmation of Love for Black People’.
As a fellow composer inspired by Daniel’s words, I wanted to share a piece that I hope resonates with everyone during this time. This piece “Echoes Ring” was composed in 2018 in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. and MLK50. It was premiered by the wonderful students at the Chamber Music Connection and colleagues from various circles across the country.” -Kyle Barrett Price

Kyle Barrett Price “Echoes Ring” (2018) Chamber Music Connection Orchestra

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Caroga Reflections

Caroga Arts seeking community memories for history project

The Caroga Arts Collective is excited to announce Caroga Reflections. This new project will connect with the community and is seeking first-hand accounts of Sherman’s Amusement Park and the former Schine property at MyHil to create a history archive.

Many people growing up in Fulton County and summer visitors have fond memories of the Caroga area and Caroga Arts would like to hear your stories, digitally document memorabilia and will gladly accept donations of memorabilia for development of future displays.

A deep appreciation of all the area has to offer was the impetus for the creation of Caroga Arts and this project aims to celebrate the past as it looks forward to the 10th anniversary of the Caroga Lake Music Festival and the momentous centennial anniversary of the opening of Sherman’s in 2021.

Caroga Arts eagerly looks forward to engaging the community to archive the properties’ history and help shape its vision for the future of these historic sites.

Those interested in participating can contact Caroga Arts via email at info@carogaarts.org or leave a message at 518-832-2041 to schedule a time to speak with a staff-member to record your stories.

Correspondence may also be sent to:
Caroga Arts Collective
P.O. Box 1048
Caroga Lake, NY 12032

Thank you, and we look forward to hearing from you!

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Watch CLMF 2012 Reunion

Nine years later, musicians from CLMF 2012 reunite to talk about their fond memories of the inaugural Caroga Lake Music Festival on this week’s The Loon Call.

Special thanks to Eva Kennedy, Keir GoGwilt, Tom Duboski, and Hilary Glen for sharing their experiences!

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Lakeside Classics

We are excited to present to you a series of recorded CLMF performances from our archives! Stay tuned for more in the coming weeks, and enjoy our new selections below.

“Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” Frankie Valli
Empire Wild (Ken Kubota and Mitch Lyon, cello; Brandon Ilaw, vocal)

BRIDGE: 3 Idylls, H. 67 (III. Allegro con moto)
Aaron Schwartz, Kelly Talim, violins; Spencer Ingersoll, viola; Ken Kubota, cello

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Meet the Team!

On this week’s episode of The Loon Call, we’re excited to introduce you to some of our wonderful Caroga Arts team members who work tirelessly to make Caroga Arts possible!

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JOIN US THIS THURSDAY!

Caroga Arts welcomes Music QuaranTalk special guests violinist Benjamin Kronk (CLMF ’17-’19) & cellist Julian Müller (CLMF ’13-’18)!

Julian met Kyle when they discovered their love for music and sports at Cleveland Institute of Music. Ben met Kyle in Prague, Czech Republic during a summer music festival program. Both Julian and Ben have become beloved by the Caroga Lake community through their extensive residencies throughout the year!

Thursday, May 21, 2020 – LIVE from 5:15 – 6:00 pm EDT

Benjamin Kronk, Chicago-based violinist (CLMF ’17-’19)

Julian Müller, NYC-based cellist (CLMF ’13-’18)

Moderated by Kyle Price, Artistic & Executive Director of Caroga Arts

RSVP on Eventbrite to receive an invitation link via email.

Happy Hour Music QuaranTalk offers a fun opportunity to get to know our CLMF Artists and learn more about music and performance. Talks may include discussions on the life of an artist, their experience at Caroga Lake Music Festival, and more. Join us for an interactive musical talk and enjoy from your home with a glass of wine or your favorite drink!

QuaranTalks are open to the public and welcome all ages.

Donations to our virtual tip jar will be split between our special guests and Caroga Arts. Any amount is appreciated!

Benjamin Kronk, violin

Currently based out of Chicago, Benjamin graduated with his Master’s from McGill University, studying with Alexander Read. His recording with the National Orchestral Institute in 2017 was nominated for a GRAMMY for “Best Orchestra Performance”, and he made his solo debut with the National Repertory Orchestra in 2018. He has attended many festivals including the Colorado College Summer Music Festival, the National Repertory Orchestra, the National Orchestral Institute, Prague Summer Nights Festival, and Caroga Lake Music Festival. Previous member of the Andrew Alden Ensemble, Benjamin has been a substitute violinist for Symphoria. Born in Minnesota, raised in France and Germany, Benjamin received his Bachelor’s from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester New York, under Juliana Athayde.

Julian Müller, cello

American-German cellist, Julian Müller performs frequently as soloist, chamber musician and orchestral player in the United States and Europe. Hailed as “…haunting and mesmerizing…” by the USA Today, Julian appeared as soloist with the Louisville Orchestra, performing the world premiere of the ballet How They Fade, composed by him and art-pop band, YASSOU, on a commission from the Louisville Ballet Company. Müller has been presented on NPR Live, in collaboration with pianist, Sergei Babayan, performing works of Schubert and Schumann. Müller has performed with Simone Dinnerstein as a member of Ensemble Baroklyn and with Matt Haimovitz’s ensemble, UCCELLO. As an orchestral musician, Müller performs frequently with Orchestra of St. Luke’s and is a member of the Montclair Orchestra. In competitions, Müller has won first prize at the Uel Wade Music Competition and first prize at the Schenectady Symphony’s Stefan Concerto Competition. Müller holds a Master of Music Degree and Professional Studies Diploma with honors from the Mannes School of Music, and a Bachelor of Music degree with honors from the Cleveland Institute of Music. Müller is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Musical Arts degree at Rutgers University, where he studies with Jonathan Spitz.

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Lakeside Classics

We are excited to present to you a series of recorded CLMF performances from our archives! Stay tuned for more in the coming weeks, and enjoy our new selections below.

John Williams: Theme from Schindler’s List 
Benjamin Kronk, violin; Kelly Talim, violin; Caroga Arts Ensemble

BETTI: “C’est Si Bon” (arr. A. Vitnitsky)
Chelsea Sharpe, Delaney Meyers, violins; Alice Ping, viola;
Jose Guzman, guitar; Jordan Calixto, bass

Important Announcement from Caroga Arts

Dear friends, 
 

Around this time of year, Caroga Arts is usually hustling in preparation for the big Summer season and the Caroga Lake Music Festival. Volunteers are contacting prospective meal and housing donors, season schedule flyers are appearing in mailboxes, and artists are counting down the days until the festival begins.

For the last couple of months, however, we have been carefully analyzing the potential impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Therefore, it is with heavy heart and great sadness to share that due to COVID-19 we have made the difficult but necessary decision to cancel the regularly programmed Caroga Lake Music Festival in 2020. The health and safety of our community, artists, and staff are our top priority and this was the most sensible decision for everyone in mind. 

We are already hard at work planning the 2021 season which will celebrate the 100th birthday of Sherman’s and the 10th anniversary of Caroga Lake Music Festival. We are also developing virtual platforms for Caroga Arts to continue to engage with our community, friends and artists.

Here are some virtual programs we currently offer, and we will continue to expand our online activities in the coming months as well as explore social distancing possibilities. Whether close to home or from afar, we’re committed to reigniting the Caroga Experience. 

• Happy Hour Music QuaranTalk (Thursdays): A fun interactive live webinar to get to know our CLMF Artists (free event, donations to the Virtual Tip Jar are split between artists and Caroga Arts). RSVP for today’s Music QuaranTalk here.

• “The Loon Call” (Mondays): A weekly podcast providing insight into Caroga Arts from Artistic Director Kyle Price. Hear “The Loon Call” here.

• Lakeside Classics (ongoing): A series of new videos of CLMF performances from our archives available on the Caroga Arts YouTube channel here.

• Your Body Is Your Strad Virtual Institute (June 2-13): With a lineup of star-studded faculty from the U.S. and Europe, the Virtual Institute is an enrichment program for students, professionals and educators worldwide. Learn more and register here. 

• Caroga Reflections (coming soon!): A call for stories surrounding first-hand experiences at the MyHil/Schine property and Sherman’s Amusement Park to archive the properties’ history and help shape our vision for the future of the historic sites.

We are looking forward to building a bigger than ever Caroga Lake Music Festival season in 2021 on the grounds of Sherman’s Park – which our team will continue to make improvements on this summer – and throughout the community. It is your dedication to Caroga Arts that will carry us through these unprecedented times, and we are forever grateful. Caroga Arts will be waiting on the other side of the door with great anticipation, and as soon as we are able to open that door, together, we’ll celebrate the return of life and music in the serene backdrop of the Adirondack mountains. Thank you for your continuing support.

Stay well and healthy, 

Kyle Price
Artistic & Executive Director 

Rick Ruby
Board Chair

 

SPAC collaborates with Caroga Arts

Caroga Arts is excited to collaborate with Saratoga Performing Arts Center for its online “Learning Library” initiative! Musicians from Caroga Arts will be creating educational video content that will be available for all students, families and teachers who are stuck at home during the pandemic. Read more here.

YOU’RE INVITED!

Caroga Lake Music Festival has fostered many personal connections over the years.

Stephanie Price-Wong, CLMF founder Kyle’s sister, has seen the festival from day one and has been a dedicated CLMF Artists for almost 10 years! Alix Raspé Gray met Kyle when she was in 6th grade through his aunt Connie who was Alix’s orchestra teacher. Since then, Alix’s connection with Kyle’s family grew through spending summers together at Caroga Lake Music Festival. Hear their stories at this Thursday’s Happy Hour Music QuaranTalk!

Thursday, May 14, 2020 – LIVE from 5:15 – 6:00 pm EDT

Special Guests:
Stephanie Price-Wong, viola, KASA Quartet member (CLMF ’12-’19)
Alix Raspé Gray, harp, Columbus Symphony (CLMF ’15-’17, ’19)

Moderated by Kyle Price, Artistic & Executive Director of Caroga Arts

RSVP on Eventbrite to receive an invitation link via email.

Happy Hour Music QuaranTalk offers a fun opportunity to get to know our CLMF Artists and learn more about music and performance. Talks may include discussions on the life of an artist, their experiences at Caroga Lake Music Festival, and more. Join us for an interactive musical talk and enjoy from your home with a glass of wine or your favorite drink!

QuaranTalks are open to the public and welcome all ages.

Donations to our virtual tip jar will be split between our special guests and Caroga Arts. Any amount is appreciated!

Special Guests:

The Loon Call – May 11, 2020

This week on “The Loon Call” Kyle highlights performances from CLMF ’15, ’19 and the CLMF Switzerland tour ’17. Excerpts feature Alix Raspé Gray on harp and Stephanie Price-Wong on violin/viola.

Lakeside Classics

We are excited to present to you a series of recorded CLMF performances from our archives! Stay tuned for more in the coming weeks, and enjoy our new selections below.

GOLUBEV: Harp Quintet in C minor, Op.39
Alix Raspé, harp; Joseph Kromholz, violin;
Stephanie Price-Wong, viola; Deborah Barrett Price, viola; Noah Koh, cello

“Danny Boy” arr. Jacob Collier (trans. by A. Schwartz and K. Price)
KASA Quartet

YOU’RE INVITED!

Did you know: Many CLMF Artists, who now call Caroga their summer home, were just friends of Artistic Director Kyle Price at first?

For instance, violinist Aaron Schwartz was Kyle’s freshman roommate at Cleveland Institute of Music. And cellist Ken Kubota was Kyle’s childhood friend who played chamber music together growing up in Columbus. OH. Hear more about Aaron and Ken this Thursday at our live interactive Happy Hour Music QuaranTalk!

Thursday, May 7, 2020 – LIVE from 5:15 – 6:00 pm EDT

Special Guests:
Aaron Schwartz, violin, KASA Quartet member (CLMF ’12, ’14-’20)
Ken Kubota, cello, JHMJams founder (CLMF ’14-’20)

Moderated by Kyle Price, Artistic & Executive Director of Caroga Arts

Please RSVP on Eventbrite to receive an invitation link via email.

Happy Hour Music QuaranTalk offers a fun opportunity to get to know our CLMF Artists and learn more about music and performance. Talks may include discussions on the life of an artist, musical works, music history, and more. Join us for an interactive musical talk and enjoy from your home with a glass of wine or your favorite drink!

QuaranTalks are open to the public and welcome all ages.

Donations to our virtual tip jar will be split between our special guests and Caroga Arts. Any amount is appreciated!

May 7 QuaranTalk Special Guests: Aaron SchwartzAaron Schwartz is an accomplished orchestral, chamber, fiddler, and jazz musician. He creates chamber music arrangements and performs them regularly as a performing artist with the Caroga Lake Music Festival and as a founding member of the KASA Quartet.As an orchestral musician, Aaron is Concertmaster of Opera Project Columbus and Assistant Concertmaster of LaCrosse Symphony. He also performs in CityMusic Cleveland, Nat28, and the Ohio Valley Symphony. He has soloed with the Danville Symphony and participated in master classes with Rachel Barton Pine, Peter Salaff, Michael Tree, Joseph Silverstein and the Cavani String Quartet. As a teacher, Aaron is an Associated Faculty member at the Chamber Music Connection in Worthington, Ohio where he coaches chamber music and improvisation.Aaron received a Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance and an Advanced Musical Studies Certificate from Carnegie Mellon under the tutelage of Andres Cardenes.

Ken Kubota

Ken James Kubota, celebrated by The New York Times for his “dynamic performance,” has found unprecedented success in a career spanning performance, education, and social media. He is best known for founding the viral video series JHM Jams: unique arrangements of pop tunes performed by a rotating cast of top classical and jazz musicians. Recognized by Glamour Magazine, the series has received over 3,000,000 YouTube views and has led to high-profile performances in Google’s YouTube Space and Harlem’s Apollo Theatre.

A passionate educator and Juilliard graduate, Mr. Kubota also serves as cello instructor at top preparatory schools in the nation, including Peabody Preparatory, and has spoken to students at Juilliard as an authority on entrepreneurship.

The Loon Call – May 4, 2020

On this week’s episode of The Loon Call, Kyle shares his stories of growing up playing chamber music with Ken Kubota and Aaron Schwartz.

Today is #GivingTuesdayNow, a global day of giving and unity as a response to the unprecedented need caused by COVID-19. If you are able, we hope you will consider contributing to Caroga Arts so we can continue our mission to Reignite the Caroga Experience. We deeply appreciate your support – no amount is too little during these unprecedented times.

Thank you from the entire Caroga Arts family.

Lakeside Classics

We are excited to present to you a series of recorded CLMF performances from our archives! Stay tuned for more in the coming weeks, and enjoy our new selections below.