From Tomorrow (July 2): Sean Jones, The War and Treaty, Joan Osborne, Amjad Ali Khan & Sharon Isbin, and Scarlett Strallen Highlight Caramoor’s Jazz, American Roots, World Music and Broadway Offerings This Summer
Clockwise from top left: Flor de Toloache, Amjad Ali Khan & Sharon Isbin, Sean Jones, Scarlett Strallen,
Watkins Family Hour, The War and Treaty, Joan Osborne, Ljova and the Kontraband
Dedicated to adventurous programming across the genre spectrum, Caramoor – “a year-round powerhouse of cultural activity” (BBC Music magazine) – presents a wealth of jazz, American roots, world music, Broadway and pops at this year’s summer festival. Highlights include the annual Jazz Festival, featuring Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Sean Jones; the annual American Roots Music Festival, with a closing set from The War and Treaty; the Caramoor debut of singer-songwriter Joan Osborne; “Strings for Peace,” the acclaimed cross-cultural collaboration of Amjad Ali Khan and Sharon Isbin; a special 91st birthday celebration for Stephen Sondheim; and the annual Independence Day “Pops & Patriots” concert. Together with a host of other events, these will be presented live, for in-person audiences, on Caramoor’s picturesque Westchester campus, hailed as “an ideal venue for summer concerts” (New York Times).
Jazz at Caramoor this summer (chronological list)
After launching the summer season with an Opening Night Gala performance by Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Caramoor presents three further events in collaboration with Jazz at Lincoln Center.
July 2: In “With Ella in Mind,” the Brianna Thomas Band pays tribute to the great Ella Fitzgerald and the wide breadth and scope of her repertoire and instrument. Leading the performance is Brianna Thomas, a vocalist with a “strong voice and a big range, descended from Sarah Vaughan and Betty Carter and routed through Dianne Reeves, with clarity and confidence and a little dirt” (New York Times).
July 31: The annual Jazz Festival returns with a stellar lineup, including the Alexa Tarantino Quartet, whose vibrant young frontwoman was named one of the Top Five Alto Saxophonists of 2019 by the JazzTimes Critics’ Poll; Jeremy Bosch, lead vocalist of the acclaimed Spanish Harlem Orchestra; “deeply intuitive” American bassist Larry Grenadier (New York Times); the Godwin Louis Duo, featuring drummer Jonathan Barber; Endea Owens and The Cookout, led by the bassist named Lincoln Center’s Emerging Artist of 2019; and the Brandon Goldberg Trio, whose 15-year-old frontman is already a “a gifted pianist and composer, a sensitive interpreter, and an inventive improviser” (JazzTimes) with two albums to his name. The all-day event will culminate with a closing set from Sean Jones, two-time winner of Downbeat magazine’s Rising Star award and former lead trumpet of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. Joined by vocalist and tap dancer Brinae Ali, Jones explores cultural and spiritual dilemmas within the African Diaspora through the music of Dizzy Gillespie, in “Dizzy Spellz.” Click here to see Sean Jones in performance.
Aug 27: Even after the official summer festivities draw to a close, there will be more live music at Caramoor. In the casual “Concerts on the Lawn” series, vocalist Shenel Johns showcases her eclectic style, ranging from jazz to gospel and R&B, in “Power to the People.”
American Roots at Caramoor this summer (chronological list)
Caramoor offers a rich and varied American roots lineup this summer, of which all but one of the events (Aug 7) is presented for the first time in collaboration with City Winery.
July 17: Seven-time Grammy nominee Joan Osborne has never played it safe, preferring to explore a diverse range of genres alongside the likes of Luciano Pavarotti, Stevie Wonder, Emmylou Harris, Bob Dylan and the Grateful Dead. Now, 25 years after making her mark with the multi-platinum album Relish, the singer-songwriter makes her eagerly anticipated Caramoor debut.
July 24: The annual American Roots Music Festival is back with a day of blues, Americana, folk and bluegrass, performed throughout the Caramoor grounds. Artists include the Rad Trads, known for their “excellent musicianship, deft writing, and one wicked sense of humor (PopMatters); The Martha Redbone Roots Project, which encapsulates “both the taut determination of mountain music and the bite of American Indian singing” (New York Times); Upstate, a band known for its “gorgeous three-part harmonies, eclectic arrangements, and unforgettable performances” (Parade); singer-songwriter Kat Wright, described as “Bonnie Raitt meets Amy Winehouse” (NPR); dedicated singer-songwriter, storyteller and cultural ambassador Reggie Harris, who performs a family-friendly set; talented multi-instrumentalist Hubby Jenkins, formerly of the Grammy-winning Carolina Chocolate Drops; and The War and Treaty, which performs the closing set. Named Folk Alliance International’s 2020 Artist of the Year, and known for its swampy, southern, soul-infused sound, The War and Treaty is fronted by the husband-and-wife duo of Tanya Blount and Iraq War veteran Michael Trotter Jr., who recently recounted his story for CBS Sunday Morning.
Aug 6: The Watkins Family Hour is a bluegrass collective led by siblings Sara and Sean Watkins; together they form two-thirds of the Americana group Nickel Creek, while Sara is also a member of I’m With Her. Of their eclectic shows, NPR writes: “They listen to each other, they pay attention to each other, and it’s glorious.”
Aug 7: Family band Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas “have long been amongst the best proponents” (All About Jazz) of the fast and furious accordion-driven Creole dance music known as zydeco, which emerged after the Second World War. The Cha Chas have won the coveted Big Easy award for Best Zydeco Band several years running, while frontman Nathan Williams has also been honored with the Zydeco Music Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Aug 20: Another casual “Concert on the Lawn” presents Della Mae, a Grammy-nominated, Nashville-based, all-female bluegrass string band, whose wholly original style blends traditional mountain music with a modern singer-songwriter sensibility.
World Music at Caramoor this summer (chronological list)
After kicking off this summer’s world-music offerings with a performance by West-African singer-songwriter Natu Camara, Caramoor presents four further world music events, of which all but the first will be presented in the casual “Concerts on the Lawn” series.
July 8: With his sons Ayaan Ali Bangash and Amaan Ali Bangash, Amjad Ali Khan, the leading exponent of the 19-string Indian sarod, joins forces with American classical guitarist Sharon Isbin, “the preeminent guitarist of our time” (Boston magazine), for “Strings for Peace,” which finds common ground between Western art and folk music and Northern India’s great classical tradition. When the ensemble released the same program on disc last year, it was hailed by Rolling Stone as “a remarkable spiritual and emotional journey … [that] results in an extraordinary blend,” and selected as one of the “Best of 2020” by NPR, Classical Guitar and a host of other outlets. Click here to see the preview video for “Strings for Peace.”
Aug 5: Hailing from Russia, Lithuania, the U.S. and Switzerland, Ljova and the Kontraband draw on family backgrounds in traditional folk music to create their own distinct blend of “Brahmsian tone, Bartókian lines, hiccupping Hungarian rhythms, Klezmer soul and the sexy plaintiveness of tango and the blues” (NewsDay).
Aug 13: The women of Flor de Toloache fuse influences from across genres and cultures to offer a powerful take on traditional Mariachi music. As NPR puts it, “They don’t just sing; they could blast through mountains with their wails and gritos (shouts), and melt glaciers with the warmth of their gorgeous harmonies.”
Broadway and Pops at Caramoor this summer (chronological list)
July 4: To celebrate Independence Day, Curt Ebersole and the Westchester Symphonic Winds return for their annual Pops & Patriots concert (this time without fireworks). Two guest vocalists – soprano Candice Hoyes and baritone Jorell Williams, both alumni of Caramoor’s Bel Canto Young Artists program – will perform a medley of Gershwin songs, and the program also includes Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture, a special tribute to Duke Ellington, patriotic tunes and more.
July 10: In place of last year’s cancelled 90th-birthday concert for Stephen Sondheim, Caramoor celebrates the Tony-winning composer and lyricist’s 91st birthday, presenting Broadway stars Betsy Wolfe (Waitress, Falsettos), Scarlett Strallen and Bryce Pinkham (A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder), and Ben Davis (Violet) in an evening of favorite and lesser-known Sondheim numbers from Company, Follies, Sweeney Todd, Merrily We Roll Along, Anyone Can Whistle and more, hosted by Tony-winning Music Director Ted Sperling.
Also at Caramoor this summer
Beyond jazz, roots, world music, Broadway and pops, Caramoor presents a rich array of classical offerings this summer. Highlighting the lineup are two major experiential, site-specific, open-air contemporary works; The Crossing sings Donald Nally’s The Forest (July 3) and Alarm Will Sound performs John Luther Adams’s Ten Thousand Birds in a version customized for Caramoor by Artistic Director Alan Pierson (July 11). Other large ensemble performances still to come include an “awakening”-themed program from Chanticleer (July 23); the New York premiere of Nico Muhly’s Shrink by The Knights and violin soloist Pekka Kuusisto (July 30); an all-English program from the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra (July 18); Italian Baroque favorites from Apollo’s Fire (Aug 1); and an all-Bach Summer Season Finale by the Orchestra of St. Luke’s and violinist Leonidas Kavakos (Aug 8).
In recital, rising star pianist-composer Conrad Tao makes his Caramoor solo recital debut (July 15), Korean guitarist JIJI performs new commissions from eight contemporary composers (July 22) and Pekka Kuusisto and Nico Muhly offer an intimate and adventurous evening for violin and piano (July 29). Upcoming chamber performances see the Callisto Quartet – Caramoor’s Ernst Stiefel String Quartet in Residence – premiere a new Caramoor commission from Saad Haddad (July 1); guitarist Nels Cline join the Aizuri Quartet for the New York and live world premieres of Seven Limbs by Douglas J. Cuomo (July 9); the Verona Quartet return for Beethoven, Puccini and Bacewicz with pianist David Fung (July 16); and Sō Percussion premiere a new Caramoor commission from beatboxer, vocal percussionist and breath artist Dominic Shodekeh Talifero, who appears as a special guest (July 25). The “Beginner’s Ear” series, which combines music with mindfulness, returns on three Sundays in late summer (Aug 15 & 29; Sep 12).
As well as attending concerts, visitors are invited to explore Caramoor’s newly renovated, landscaped Italianate and woodland gardens; interact with nature and architecture on socially distant walks and picnics; and discover the site-specific sound art installations of Sonic Innovations, of which the new centerpiece is in“C”, a site-specific sound-sculpture commissioned from MacArthur Fellow Trimpin (Fridays through Sundays, until Oct 10).
About Caramoor
Caramoor is a cultural arts destination located on a unique 80-plus-acre estate with Italianate architecture and gardens in Northern Westchester County, NY. Its beautiful grounds include the historic Rosen House, a stunning mansion listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Besides enriching the lives of its audiences through innovative and diverse musical performances of the highest quality, Caramoor mentors young professional musicians and provides music-centered educational programs for young children. Getting to Caramoor is simple by car or public transportation. All parking is free and close to the performance areas. Handicapped parking is also free and readily available. By car from New York City, take the Henry Hudson Parkway north to the Saw Mill River Parkway north to I-684 north to Exit 6. Go east on Route 35 to the traffic light (0.3 miles). Turn right onto Route 22 south, and travel 1.9 miles to the junction of Girdle Ridge Road where there is a green Caramoor sign. At the junction, veer left and make a quick right onto Girdle Ridge Road. Continue on Girdle Ridge Road 0.5 miles to the Caramoor gates on the right. Approximate drive time is one hour. By train from Grand Central Station, take the Harlem Division Line of the Metro-North Railroad heading to Southeast, and exit at Katonah. Caramoor is a 3.5-mile drive from the Katonah station, where taxi service is available.
Caramoor has been committed to public health and safety since the start of the pandemic, and the 2021 festival has been designed in accordance with all the latest state and federal guidelines. All between 60 and 90 minutes in duration and without intermission, the summer concerts will as always take place outdoors, in the Venetian Theater and other venues, now with reduced capacity.
Click here to download high-resolution photos, and here to download Caramoor’s summer brochure.
Caramoor: jazz, American roots, world music, Broadway and pops at summer festival 2021
All artists and dates are subject to change.
Fri, July 2 at 8pm
The Brianna Thomas Band
“With Ella in Mind”
Presented in collaboration with Jazz at Lincoln Center
Sun, July 4 at 4pm
Pops & Patriots
Westchester Symphonic Winds
Curt Ebersole, conductor
Jorell Williams, baritone
Candice Hoyes, soprano
Smith (arr. Walter Damrosch/ John Philip Sousa): The Star-Spangled Banner
Herman (arr. Barton Green): Overture to Mame
Sparke: Jubilee Overture
Svanoe: Steampunk Suite: Barnum and Tesla’s Tandem Bicycle
King: Barnum and Bailey’s Favorite
Ellington (arr. by Floyd Werle): An Ellington Portrait
Sousa: The Invincible Eagle
Gershwin (arr. Matt Podd): I Got Gershwin
Tchaikovsky (arr. Mayhew L. Lake): 1812 Overture, Op. 49
Sousa (arr. Keith Brion & Loras Schissel): Stars and Stripes Forever
Thurs, July 8 at 7pm
Amjad Ali Khan & Sharon Isbin
“Strings for Peace”
Sharon Isbin: Spanish Work for Solo Guitar
Amjad Ali Khan: Sacred Evening
Amjad Ali Khan: By the Moon
Raga and folk music
Amjad Ali Khan: Romancing Earth
Sat, July 10 at 8pm
Celebrating Stephen Sondheim’s 91st Birthday
Ted Sperling, Music Director and Host
Betsy Wolfe, Scarlett Strallen, Bryce Pinkham and Ben Davis, vocalists
Songs from Company, Follies, Sweeney Todd, Merrily We Roll Along, Anyone Can Whistle and more
Sat, July 17 at 8pm
Joan Osborne
Presented in collaboration with City Winery
Sat, July 24 at 1:30pm–8pm
American Roots Music Festival
Presented in collaboration with City Winery
The War and Treaty (closing set)
Upstate
Kat Wright
The Martha Redbone Roots Project
Hubby Jenkins
The Rad Trads
Family Set: Reggie Harris
Sat, July 31 at 1:30pm–8pm
Jazz Festival
Presented in collaboration with Jazz at Lincoln Center
Sean Jones’s “Dizzy Spellz,” featuring Brinae Ali (closing set)
Alexa Tarantino Quartet
Brandon Goldberg Trio
Godwin Louis Duo featuring Jonathan Barber
Jeremy Bosch & Friends: Salsa Meets Jazz
Larry Grenadier
Endea Owens and The Cookout
Additional artists to be announced
Thurs, Aug 5 at 7pm
Ljova and the Kontraband
Concerts on the Lawn
Fri, Aug 6 at 8pm
Watkins Family Hour
Presented in collaboration with City Winery
Sat, Aug 7 at 8pm
Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas
Concerts on the Lawn
Fri, Aug 13 at 7pm
Flor de Toloache
Concerts on the Lawn
Fri, Aug 20 at 7pm
Della Mae
Presented in collaboration with City Winery
Concerts on the Lawn
Fri, Aug 27 at 7pm
Shenel Johns
“Power to the People”
Presented in collaboration with Jazz at Lincoln Center
Concerts on the Lawn
Caramoor: other events at summer festival 2021
Until Sun, Oct 10
2021 Sonic Innovations
Trimpin: in”C”
Taylor Deupree: t(ch)ime
Annea Lockwood & Bob Bielecki: Wild Energy
Ranjit Bhatnagar: Stone Song
Miya Masaoka: Listen Ahead
Spencer Topel & Hana Kassem: Undercurrent
Until Sun, Oct 10
Trimpin: The Sound of Invention
A Peter Esmonde film featuring The Kronos Quartet
Online documentary available for viewing
Thurs, July 1 at 7pm
Callisto Quartet
2020–21 Ernst Stiefel String Quartet-in-Residence
Haydn: String Quartet in E-flat, Op. 20, No. 1
Saad Haddad: String Quartet No. 2 (world premiere of new Caramoor commission)
Beethoven: String Quartet No. 9 in C, Op. 59, “Razumovsky” No. 3
Sat, July 3 at 6pm
The Forest
Performed by The Crossing
Donald Nally, conductor
Donald Nally and Kevin Vondrak: The Forest
Fri, July 9 at 8pm
Douglas J. Cuomo’s Seven Limbs featuring Nels Cline and the Aizuri Quartet
Douglas J. Cuomo: Seven Limbs (NY premiere)
(Pre-concert conversation with Douglas J. Cuomo and Nels Cline at 7pm)
Sun, July 11 at 4pm
John Luther Adams’s Ten Thousand Birds
Alarm Will Sound
Alan Pierson, Artistic Director
(Pre-concert conversation with Alan Pierson at 3pm)
Thurs, July 15 at 7pm
Conrad Tao, piano
Conrad Tao: improvisation
J.S. Bach: Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue in D minor, BWV 903
Jason Eckardt: Echoes’ White Veil
Schumann: Kreisleriana, Op. 16
Fri, July 16 at 8pm
Verona Quartet
David Fung, piano
Puccini: Crisantemi
Bacewicz: Quintet for Piano and Strings No. 1
Beethoven: String Quartet No. 14 in C-sharp minor, Op. 131
Sun, July 18 at 4pm
Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra
Richard Egarr, conductor and harpsichord
Rowan Pierce, soprano
Gibbons: Fantasy in A minor
Blow: “Welcome, Welcome Every Guest” from Amphion Anglicus
Blow: “Peaceful is he and most secure”
Blow: “Lovely Selina”
Locke: “Curtain Tune” from The Tempest
Purcell: “The Blessed Virgin’s Expostulation”
Purcell: “Music for a While”
Purcell: “Bess of Bedlam”
Purcell: Chaconne from King Arthur
Purcell: Selections from The Fairy Queen
Thurs, July 22 at 7pm
JIJI, guitar
Guitar in the Garden
“Unbound”
Claudia Sessa (arr. JIJI): Occhi io vissi di voi
Albeniz: Asturias
Justin Holland: See-Saw Waltz and Peekaboo Waltz
Paganini: Caprice No. 24
Natalie Dietterich: Abigail (U.S. premiere)
Hilary Purrington: passaggio (U.S. premiere)
Kate Moore: Blue Cobalt (U.S. premiere)
Tania León: Bailarín
Krists Auznieks: Cor
Gulli Björnsson: Dynjandi
Fri, July 23 at 8pm
Chanticleer
“Awakenings”
Monteverdi: “Lauda Jerusalem” from the Vespers of 1610
Lusitano: Regina caeli – Et Resurrexit
Vecchi: Vidi civitatem
Agricola: Regina caeli
James MacMillan: O Radiant Dawn
Augusta Read Thomas: The Rewaking
Ayanna Woods: close[r], now
Kay: Music from Triumvirate
Lassus: Surge propera amica mea
Palestrina: La ver l’aurora
Palestrina: Surge illuminare Jerusalem
Byrd: Laudibus in sanctis
Villa-Lobos: Chôros No. 3, “Pica-pau”
Augusta Read Thomas: The Bird her punctual music
Janequin: Le chant des oiseaux
Steven Sametz: Birds of Paradise
Lane: On a Clear Day
Michelle (arr. Tim Keeler): Sunrise
Richard Evans/Norman Gimbel (arr. Joseph H. Jennings): Journey to Recife
Sun, July 25 at 4pm
Sō Percussion
With special guest Dominic Shodekeh Talifero, beatboxer
Angélica Negrón: Gone
Kendall K. Williams: Melodic Concept iii
Shodekeh: Vodalities: Paradigms of Consciousness for the Human Voice (world premiere of Caramoor commission)
Jason Treuting: September/Extremes
Julia Wolfe: Forbidden Love
(Pre-concert pop-up performances throughout the Caramoor grounds from Sō Percussion and Dominic Shodekeh Talifero, free of charge, at 2pm)
Thurs, July 29 at 7pm
Pekka Kuusisto, violin
Nico Muhly, piano
Fri, July 30 at 8pm
The Knights
Pekka Kuusisto, violin
J.S. Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G, BWV 1048
Nico Muhly: Shrink (New York premiere)
Jessie Montgomery: Starburst
Beethoven: String Quartet No. 11 in F minor, Op. 95, “Serioso”
(Pre-concert conversation with Nico Muhly, Pekka Kuusisto and Eric Jacobsen at 7pm)
Sun, Aug 1 at 4:00pm
Apollo’s Fire
Jeannette Sorrell, Artistic Director
Erica Schuller, soprano
Brian Giebler, tenor
“Love in Venice”
Vivaldi: Ciaccona in C, RV 114
Monteverdi: “Zefiro torna” from Scherzi Musicali
Vivaldi: Concerto in A minor for Two Violins, RV 522
Strozzi: Che si può fare?
Monteverdi: Ohimè, ch’io cado
Porpora (arr. J. Sorrell): Alto Giove
Monteverdi: “Pur ti miro” from L’Incoronazione di Poppea
Monteverdi:“Damigella tutta bella” from Scherzi Musical
Vivaldi: Concerto in B minor for Four Violins, RV 580
Vivaldi: “Summer” from The Four Seasons
Sun, Aug 8 at 4pm
Summer Season Finale: Orchestra of St. Luke’s
Leonidas Kavakos, violin
Bach: Violin Concerto in A minor
Bach: Violin Concerto in E
Bach: Violin Concerto in D minor
Sun, Aug 15 at 10am
Beginner’s Ear
Alexi Kenney, violin
Corinna da Fonseca-Wollheim, moderator
Sun, Aug 29 at 10am
Beginner’s Ear
Layale Chaker, violin; Kinan Azmeh, clarinet
Amadi Azikiwe, moderator
Thomas Droge, meditation coach
Sun, Sep 12 at 10am
Beginner’s Ear
Rubén Rengel, violin; Jorge Glem, cuatro
Corinna da Fonseca-Wollheim, moderator
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© 21C Media Group, July 2021