Press Release - Saratoga Performing Arts Center

Contact:
Carolyn Krupski
518.584.9330 x 218
ckrupski@spac.org
http://www.spac.org/press-room
Press Release
SPAC Announces 50th Anniversary
Holiday Collection
A Sneak Preview of Exciting 2016 50th Anniversary Season
RENÉE FLEMING, “The People’s Diva,” makes highly anticipated SPAC Debut
SPAC commissions THE FIREBIRD with Janni Younge Productions, the puppeteers
behind Broadway’s War Horse
Performed with The Philadelphia Orchestra
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s Revelations
New York City Ballet’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Jewels
The Philadelphia Orchestra and guests: Renée Fleming; Josh Bell & Chris Botti; Sarah Chang;
Pixar’s Ratatouille; “Audience Choice” piece
The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center performs SPAC premiere of Appalachian Spring
Saratoga Springs, NY – For the first time in five decades, Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) announces upcoming
summer programming prior to the holiday season with the Holiday Collection. The Holiday Collection is a selection of
ten incredible programs handpicked to help audiences celebrate the holiday season. Tickets will become available at
spac.org on Monday, November 30, “Cyber Monday,” at 10 a.m.
“SPAC’s 2016 Anniversary Season is a celebration of the visionaries who brought SPAC to life and the community that
sustained, enriched, and expanded SPAC for five decades. As we celebrate fifty years, we must remember that the
dreams of the future are as important as the history of the past. We pay tribute to our founders’ legacy by launching
SPAC’s artistic future through innovative programming, once-in-a-lifetime special events, and World-Premieres by
choreographer Justin Peck and composer Michael Torke. Together, we applaud our cherished resident founders George
Balanchine, Lincoln Kirstein, Eugene Ormandy, and their world-renowned artistry.”
“Through the Holiday Collection, SPAC’s supporters, friends and audiences can join our unforgettable 2016 50th
Anniversary Celebration immediately. There is no better way to support SPAC than to attend a performance in our
world-renowned amphitheater. As a community, we can build the next chapter of SPAC’s ongoing story. Let’s raise the
curtain on SPAC’s future together!”
SPAC Holiday Collection Programs Include:
ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER, featuring Revelations - Friday, July 8 at 8
p.m.; Saturday, July 9 at 2 p.m. & 8 p.m.
The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, recognized by the United States Congress as a vital American “Cultural
Ambassador to the World,” has performed for over 23 million people in 48 states and in 71 countries on 6 continents.
Their work is a celebration of the African-American cultural experience and the American modern dance tradition. This
summer the company will return to SPAC for the first time since 1980, bringing with them a dynamic program including
Revelations, the piece that has made the company famous around the world.
“The dancers of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater are truly peerless. They will perform on July 8th—the 50th
Anniversary of SPAC’s Opening Night in 1966. This will be a truly historic moment for our community and we couldn’t
be more proud to welcome this vital American cultural organization to bring our audiences together as we launch our
celebration” White said.
Choreographed by the company’s founder, the celebrated Alvin Ailey, Revelations takes audiences on a journey of the
human soul, expressed through athletic dance and African-American spirituals, song-sermons, and gospel songs. Ailey
once said that one of America’s richest treasures was the African-American cultural heritage —“sometimes sorrowful,
sometimes jubilant, but always hopeful.” Revelations has since become the most widely-seen modern dance work in
the world, transcending barriers of faith and nationality, and appealing to universal emotions.
“For many, watching Revelations is a spiritual experience” added White. “The dancers’ remarkable power, athleticism,
and precision makes this piece simply unforgettable.”
Tickets are $26 on the lawn and all amphitheatre seats $55-$65. Tickets for children 12 and under are $10 in the
amphitheatre and free on the lawn.
NEW YORK CITY BALLET’s iconic classics, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Jewels
A Midsummer Night’s Dream - July 20 at 8 p.m.; July 22 at 8 p.m.; and July 23 at 2 p.m.
SPAC’s inaugural 1966 season will come to life once again when New York City Ballet dances Balanchine’s unforgettable
masterpiece, A Midsummer Night’s Dream during the 2016 50th Anniversary summer season. The ballet was first
performed at SPAC fifty years ago at the amphitheatre’s Opening Night performance on July 8, 1966. Based on
Shakespeare’s beloved comedy, with a score by Felix Mendelssohn, and enchanting costumes by the famed designer
Karinska, the work is one of the most beloved in New York City Ballet’s repertoire. 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 respectively in 1826 and 1843), and it is this score, Balanchine later said, that
inspired his choreography. Having loved his experiences of performing onstage as a child, Balanchine felt it was
important that children be given the same opportunity in his own ballets when possible. A Midsummer Night’s Dream is
one such ballet that features several dozen roles for children. This summer, SPAC honors Balanchine’s legacy with casts
of local dance students performing the roles of fairies, butterflies, and pages.
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a SPAC tradition,” said Marcia J. White, President and Executive Director of SPAC. “This
work was performed at our amphitheatre’s opening night fifty years ago. Maybe more than any other piece, A
Midsummer Night’s Dream continues to capture our audiences’ hearts. From the comedy of Shakespeare’s classic story
to the production’s magnificent costumes and dazzling sets, our audiences will be transfixed and transported into an
enchanted forest of fairies and dreams. The beauty and magic of A Midsummer Night’s Dream perfectly reflects the
natural elegance of an evening in the Spa State Park.”
Tickets are $26 on the lawn and start at $35 in the amphitheatre.
Jewels - Wednesday, July 27 at 8 p.m.
Jewels, the first full-length abstract ballet ever created, showcases the splendor of classical dance technique through the
personification of sparkling emeralds, rubies, and diamonds. The ballet was inspired by the delicate artistry of famed
French jeweler, Claude Arpels. Set to music by three different master composers: Fauré for Emeralds, Stravinsky for
Rubies, and Tchaikovsky for Diamonds, the three acts are connected through the over-arching jewel motif. The work
was first premiered at SPAC in 1967 and immediately became an audience favorite – a reputation that continues to this
day. The New York Times has described the work as “a perfect education in the art of ballet.”
“Jewels is totally unique because it encompasses a colorful array of ballet styles,” White added. The dancers bring to life
the essence of each jewel through intricate physical patterns and designs that resemble the settings and sparkle of real
jewels. But the choreography also represents sweeping artistic trends, symbolic of Balanchine’s experiences in classical,
Imperial Russia and modern, urban America. This is a ballet that will captivate first-time ballet goers and keeps
audiences returning again and again.”
Tickets are $26 on the lawn and start at $35 in the amphitheatre.
THE PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA’s 50th SPAC Season
Sarah Chang– Thursday, August 4 at 8 p.m.
Recognized as one of the world’s great violinists, Sarah Chang returns to SPAC to play Sibelius’s beloved Violin Concerto
under the baton of one of Saratoga’s favorite conductors, Philadelphia Orchestra Principal Guest Conductor STÉPHANE
DENÈVE. Since her debuts with The Philadelphia Orchestra at the age of 10 and with the New York Philharmonic at the
age of eight, Chang has performed around the globe with the world’s leading orchestras, conductors, and accompanists
in a career spanning more than two decades. She first performed at SPAC with The Philadelphia Orchestra when she
was 10 years old.
Chang has described her love of performing with the Orchestra at SPAC, saying, “I was completely in awe of the
incredible artists around me and inspired by the beauty of SPAC’s outdoor Amphitheatre and stunning grounds. The
same wave of emotions – excitement and respect for the history of the venue – return to me every time that I perform
at SPAC. It is a stage that holds a very special place in my heart.”
“SPAC audiences have watched Sarah Chang grow up on our stage. She is our past and our future. We couldn’t be more
proud to welcome Ms. Chang back to SPAC as we celebrate our milestone anniversary,” White said.
Stéphane Denève has electrified audiences around the world with his distinctive style and striking musicianship. In
addition to his work with The Philadelphia Orchestra, he is the chief conductor of the Stuttgart Radio Symphony
Orchestra, chief conductor of the Brussels Philharmonic, and director of its Center for Future Orchestra Repertoire. Mr.
Denève, who made his debut on SPAC’s podium in 2011, is heralded by classical music audiences worldwide for his
charismatic and “kinetic presence on the podium.”
Opening the evening program will be SPAC’s first ever “Audience Choice” piece. Audiences will have an opportunity to
vote for the orchestral work that they would like to hear through an online voting initiative at spac.org. Details on
when and how to vote will become available at spac.org in January. Concluding the exciting August 4 concert will be
Johannes Brahms’s rich Symphony No. 4, the last of the beloved composer’s symphonies.
Tickets are $26 on the lawn and start at $40 in the amphitheatre.
Ratatouille in Concert – Saturday, August 6 at 8 p.m.
SPAC and The Philadelphia Orchestra present Disney and Pixar’s Academy Award-winning film Ratatouille in highdefinition on the big screen while the beloved score by composer Michael Giacchino is performed live by the
Orchestra. Ratatouille is the tale of a determined young rat with a cultivated palate who gets an unlikely chance to do
what he dreams of most – cook in a French restaurant in Paris. The Ratatouille in Concert experience made its world
debut in Paris in October 2015 and will come to SPAC after performances in London, Switzerland, and elsewhere around
the globe. At SPAC, the film will be shown on high definition screens in four distinct locations with movie dialogue for
optimal audience viewing.
Composer Michael Giacchino has fast become one of the best-known and most successful composers working in
Hollywood today. His credits feature some of the most popular and acclaimed film projects in recent history, including
The Incredibles, Ratatouille, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, and The Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. Giacchino’s
2009 score for the Pixar hit Up earned him an Oscar®, a Golden Globe, the BAFTA, the Broadcast Film Critics' Choice
Award and two GRAMMY Awards.
“Last summer, SPAC and the Orchestra presented Pixar in Concert, which featured snippets of each of Pixar’s films set to
live orchestral accompaniment. This concert was a phenomenal success –our young audiences had an opportunity to
experience the musicality imbued in their favorite films. Ratatouille in Concert will likewise illustrate for our young
audiences that orchestral music is present in our everyday lives in special and transformative ways” White said.
Tickets are $26 on the lawn and start at $40 in the amphitheater. Tickets for children 12 and under are $10 in the
amphitheatre and free on the lawn.
The Firebird – Thursday, August 11 at 3 p.m. and Friday, August 12 at 8 p.m.
The puppeteers that brought the world the unforgettable Broadway Musical War Horse will once again amaze
audiences as they bring to life the timeless Russian fairytale ballet The Firebird. SPAC, along with five other performing
arts venues—the Ravinia Festival, the Hollywood Bowl, Wolf Trap, Tanglewood, and the Mann Center for the Performing
Arts—has commissioned the South Africa-based puppet company Janni Younge Productions to create a live puppet
performance set to Igor Stravinsky’s 1910 masterpiece. Younge is a multi-award winning puppet creator, designer, and
director, best known for productions of Broadway’s War Horse, the Royal Shakespeare Company’s The Tempest, and the
Bristol Old Vic’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
The Firebird was originally written as a story ballet, depicting the tale of a magical bird that saves a prince from an
immortal magician and ultimately unites the prince with his true love. At SPAC, The Firebird puppet performance will
feature original choreography in a contemporary African style by Jay Pather, one of South Africa’s leading contemporary
choreographers. Pather’s recent work has taken him around the world to cities including Barcelona, Copenhagen, and
New York.
SPAC will introduce a rare matinee performance for the Thursday, August 11 presentation of The Firebird.
The concert will be led by CRISTIAN MĂCELARU, conductor-in-residence of The Philadelphia Orchestra. The Romanianborn conductor has earned numerous accolades for his artistry, including the 2012 Sir Georg Solti Emerging Conductor
Award and more recently, the 2014 Solti Fellow by the Solti Foundation U.S. In addition to a subscription week in
Philadelphia, Mr. Măcelaru’s 2015-16 season includes his New York Philharmonic debut and return engagements with
the Chicago Symphony, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the National Symphony in Washington, D.C. He will also
make debuts with more than 13 American and international orchestras, including the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester
Berlin, the Frankfurt Radio Symphony, and the Rotterdam Philharmonic.
“The Firebird will be nothing short of spectacular. We are thrilled to be a commissioner of such an exciting and
innovative take on Stravinsky’s timeless score. In addition, SPAC is delighted to present a rare Thursday matinee concert
with our partner, The Philadelphia Orchestra.” White added.
Also performed at the August 11 concert will be Argentinean composer Alberto Ginastera’s Variaciones concertantes.
Composed in 1953, a politically difficult time for Ginastera in Argentina under the Perón government, his Variaciones
concertantes acted as a nationalistic response to changes in Argentina. The work pays tribute to Argentinean folklore
and traditional instrumentation, including the acoustic guitar.
The program will also feature Sergei Prokofiev’s “Classical” Symphony. Last heard at SPAC in 2007, the piece was
composed in 1917 when Prokofiev was just 26. Ironically, because the work was modeled after the great symphonies of
Haydn, it was considered groundbreaking for Prokofiev, known in 1917 as an avant garde musical rule breaker. The
“Classical” Symphony quickly became one of Prokofiev’s most popular works and has remained so to the present, thanks
to its innovative blend of fresh new invention with comfortable old forms.
Tickets $36 on the lawn and start at $50 the amphitheater.
Renée Fleming – Thursday, August 18 at 8 p.m.
One of the most beloved and celebrated musical ambassadors of our time, soprano Renée Fleming will make her SPAC
debut with The Philadelphia Orchestra this summer. Known as “the people’s diva” and winner of the 2013 GRAMMY
Award for Best Classical Vocal Solo, Fleming captivates audiences with her sumptuous voice, consummate artistry, and
compelling stage presence. At a White House ceremony in 2013, the President awarded her the National Medal of Arts,
America's highest honor for an individual artist. Over the past few seasons, Renée has hosted a wide variety of television
and radio broadcasts, including the Metropolitan Opera’s Live in HD series for movie theaters and television, and Live
From Lincoln Center on PBS. She brought her voice to a vast new audience in 2014, as the first classical artist to sing the
National Anthem at the Super Bowl.
At SPAC, Ms. Fleming will join The Philadelphia Orchestra and charismatic Music Director YANNICK NÉZET-SÉGUIN who
was recently named Musical America’s 2016 Artist of the Year. Widely recognized for his musicianship, dedication, and
dynamic performances, Nézet-Séguin has established himself as a musical leader of the highest caliber and one of the
most exciting talents of his generation. His highly collaborative style, deeply rooted musical curiosity, and boundless
enthusiasm, paired with a fresh approach to orchestral programming, have been heralded by critics and audiences alike,
from the Orchestra's home in Verizon Hall to the Carnegie Hall stage. The New York Times has called him "phenomenal,"
adding that under his baton, "the ensemble, famous for its glowing strings and homogenous richness, has never
sounded better."
“We are delighted to welcome superstar soprano Renée Fleming to perform with the Orchestra and Yannick NézetSéguin. Her talent and expressive performances have endeared her to audiences around the world, and we eagerly
await her exciting debut on the SPAC stage” White said.
Tickets $36 on the lawn and start at $50 the amphitheater.
Joshua Bell and Chris Botti – Friday, August 19 at 8 p.m.
It’s a double billing of out-of-this stratosphere musicianship as two renowned GRAMMY winners – jazz trumpeter Chris
Botti and classical violinist Joshua Bell take to the SPAC stage on Friday, August 19. Botti and Bell will deliver
impassioned, ageless, genre-crossing music to SPAC concertgoers with The Philadelphia Orchestra and conductor
Cristian Măcelaru.
Chris Botti has proven over and over again that he is an exceptional balladeer – whether performing the “Star Spangled
Banner” in the New York Giants’ stadium or captivating audiences at the Blue Note Club. He’s sold more than four
million albums, won GRAMMY Awards, played with A-list pop collaborators – most notably Paul Simon, Sting, Herbie
Hancock and Yo-Yo Ma – and appeared in venues ranging from The White House to the Sydney Opera House. He has
delivered four No. 1 albums on Billboard’s Jazz Albums listings and still manages to keep up a rigorous, global touring
schedule. And his sound, while rooted in jazz, seamlessly crosses genres.
Joshua Bell, considered “the greatest American violinist active today” (The Boston Herald), has all the prestigious
accolades of a superstar classical musician. He commands the stage as a soloist, wielding his 18th century French bow
across the strings of his 1713 Stradivarius. Named the Music Director of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields in 2011,
Bell is the first person to hold this post since Sir Neville Marriner formed the orchestra in 1958.
It was when Bell agreed to perform incognito as a subway busker – part of Washington Post’s Gene Weingarten Pulitzer
Prize winning story about art and context – that he transitioned from “musician’s musician” to household name as the
article provoked an international firestorm of discussion. He has recorded numerous movie soundtracks, his most
recent, the 2014 Bach album (recorded with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields) which debuted at #1 on the
Billboard Classical Chart. Critics concur that Bell’s performance stirs souls.
“We are proud to welcome Chris Botti and Joshua Bell back to SPAC to perform together for the first time on our stage,”
says SPAC’s President and Executive Director Marcia White. “For many years both gentleman have captivated our
audiences with exceptional artistry. Neither has chosen to rest on any laurels – rather continuing to create and perform
tenaciously, graciously, and beautifully. Their upcoming collaboration with The Philadelphia Orchestra promises to
create lasting memories for all music lovers.”
Tickets $36 on the lawn and start at $50 the amphitheater.
1812 Spectacular – Saturday, August 20 @ 8 p.m.
The Philadelphia Orchestra finale will feature a power and intensity appropriate to say good-bye for another year. In
keeping with time-honored tradition, the Orchestra will conclude its 2016 residency under the baton of Yannick NézetSéguin with its annual performance of Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture complete with reenactments, live canon, and
fireworks!
Also featured on the program will be Johannes Brahms’s Symphony No. 2. Also called Brahms’s “Pastoral” Symphony,
the work evokes the natural beauty of a summer’s day—rippling streams, blue sky, and sunshine—the perfect imagery
to conclude The Philadelphia Orchestra’s 50th season at their Saratoga summer home.
Tickets $36 on the lawn and start at $50 the amphitheater.
THE CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY OF LINCOLN CENTER, performs SPAC debut of
Appalachian Spring Suite for Ensemble – Sunday, August 7 at 3 p.m.
The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center (CMS) will open their third annual SPAC residency with the SPAC debut of
Aaron Copland’s iconic masterpiece, Appalachian Spring. The 2016 presentation of Appalachian Spring will mark the
beloved American classic’s first live performance at SPAC.
Appalachian Spring was first performed as a ballet featuring Martha Graham at the Library of Congress in 1944 and is
well known for its quotations of the traditional Shaker melody, ‘Tis the gift to be Simple. Aaron Copland originally wrote
the score for celebrated choreographer Martha Graham and ultimately received the 1945 Pulitzer Prize for his
achievement.
“Appalachian Spring is one of the greatest works in the American repertoire and one that we have long sought to
program,” said Marcia J. White, President and Executive Director of SPAC. “In 2016, CMS will invite select members of
The Philadelphia Orchestra to The Spa Little Theater to make this exciting SPAC debut possible. This will be teamwork
between our resident companies that classical music lovers will simply not want to miss.”
The Appalachian Spring SPAC premiere will be a part of CMS’s Opening Night "Symphonic Spirit" program. Also featured
on the program will be Haydn’s Symphony in G major for Piano, Flute, Two Violins, Viola, and Cello, Hob. I:94,
“Surprise”; Schubert’s Rondo in A major for Violin and String Quartet, D. 438; and Ravel’s Introduction et allegro for
Flute, Clarinet, String Quartet, and Harp.
CMS performances are held in the Spa Little Theater. Tickets start at $40.
TICKETS
On Monday, November 30, popularly called “Cyber Monday,” tickets for Holiday Collection performances will become
available online at spac.org. Tickets may also be purchased in-person at the SPAC Hall of Springs Box Office as part of a
one-time-only Holiday Collection offering on Saturday, December 19 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with complimentary hot
chocolate. All Holiday Collection tickets purchased online and in person prior to May 1, 2016 may receive a 10%
discount by using code “Holiday.”
*Discount applies to full priced amphitheater tickets for evening performances of New York City Ballet, Alvin Ailey, and
The Philadelphia Orchestra (excluding the New York City Ballet Gala)
Renee Fleming (credit: Timothy White)
Chris Botti (credit: Fabrizio Ferri)
Joshua Bell (credit: Lisa Marie Mazzucco)
Sarah Chang (credit: Cliff Watts)
A Midsummer Night’s Dream at SPAC (photo: Saratoga Performing Arts Center)