Tai Murray

There's nothing quite like the sound of an oboe amidst the crickets, or a piano concerto floating over lake water. Nestled in the heart of the Finger Lakes region, the Skaneateles Festival brings the magnificence of chamber music in all its forms to summer nights. The results, hailed as"world class", have galvanized over 7,000 eager listeners each season and garnered close attention and bright acclaim from The New York Times, Boston Globe, Bon Appetit, The New Yorker, and The Wall Street Journal. All this, right in Skaneateles' own beautiful Presbyterian Church, or (Saturday nights) outdoors under the stars, where listeners are welcomed to the elegance of the sloping lakeside lawn at Brook Farm - and are encouraged to celebrate with their own summer evening picnic!

The Festival will outdo itself yet again during its bold, breathtaking 29th season. Co- Artistic Directors David Ying (cellist of the Grammy-winning Ying Quartet) and Elinor Freer (pianist and musical innovator), who recently won the Festival an Award for Adventurous Programming from Chamber Music America, have expertly themed four weeks of captivating music. We'll be treated to the jazzy metamorphoses of the Grammy Award-winning Turtle Island Quartet, the musicultural phenomenon Imani Winds, the wonder and romance of Paris and Vienna, the splendor of the concert organ, dozens of internationally renowned musicians, some of the most sublime works in the repertoire, including Bach's beloved Brandenburg Concerto No. 5, Mozart's magnificent Sinfonia Concertante, and Vaughan Williams' heartrending The Lark Ascending. And, as always, an exciting array of free events, from FamilyFest! to student workshops to thoughtful, informative talks and lively post-concert receptions.

Adam Neiman

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