JULY 2012 feature story


CARAMOOR KICKS OFF INTERNATIONAL MUSIC FESTIVAL SEASON by Mary Alice Franklin


Actress Bebe Neuwirth narrated A Midsummer Night's Dream at Caramoor's season opening.


At the spectacular opening to the 67th summer season, a full-bodied performance of Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream on June 23, the violin bows rose and receded in unison. The audience, sharing a magical experience, waited together with baited breath for the next as-


cending crescendo. Violinist Gil Sha- ham, as dramatic and expressive as the music, received roaring applause. Broadway star Bebe Neuwirth embodied several characters as she narrated the Shakespeare play from which the music was inspired. Con- ductor Roberto Abbado fervently led the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, as though constructing a play of his own. This is just one of the many once-in-a-life- time events that will occur through- out Caramoor’s summer months. The majestic presentation was fit for a midsummer’s night of whimsy and the crowd was more than willing to play along. It was a sneak peak to an auspicious season to come.


An orchestral masterpiece, a smooth jazz number and a boisterous gospel choir are all par for the course at Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts. The International Music Festi- val commemorates Michael Barrett’s 10th and final season as the center’s Chief Executive and General Director.


During his tenure, Barrett expanded the festival’s offerings to include a range of musical flavors sure to please any palette. With classical and chamber performances still at its core, the program now prides itself on the diversity of its lineups, and this year’s festival is no different.


Bel Canto collaborates with the Rossini Opera Festival in Italy to highlight the American premiere of Rossini’s Ciro in Babilonia.


Family-friendly events include the Dancing at Dusk series, which teaches various global dance skills, and A Day in the Renaissance, an interactive opportunity to experience life in the 16th century.


A weekend-long Jazz Festival


includes concerts by greats like jazz singer Dee Dee Bridgewater.


American Roots brings global and gospel elements to the Caramoor stage, featuring legendary folk-rock guitarist Richard Thompson in a solo


acoustic show and Paquito D’Rivera with an all-Cuban performance. New to Caramoor, Gospel Sunday closes the season with worship music from The Harlem Gospel Choir.


Caramoor began as a dream imagined by Walter and Lucie Rosen, who built the Italianate-style Katonah estate as a summer home to entertain friends with exquisite performances. Surrounded by a beautiful natural environment, it is the perfect set- ting for both intimate and grandiose performances. The altruistic couple planted the seeds for what has be- come an expansive and robust center – it enriches its audiences' experi- ences through high quality perfor- mances and deepens its understand- ing and appreciation of the art form. It seems that the Rosens’ dream has been realized as Caramoor remains a dream within a dream. For more information, visit: www.caramoor.org.


Westchester County Business Journal • ARTSWNEWS


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SCARSDALE ARTS COUNCIL FIGHTS TO PRESERVE LINK TO VILLAGE’S PAST by Alison Kattleman


At 937 Post Road in Scarsdale stands a veritable link to the village’s 300-plus year history: the Cudner-Hyatt House. A colonial-era farmhouse that dates back to 1734, the home is revered today by residents as a nostalgic nod to a Scarsdale of simpler times. But all of that may now be at risk.


This peaceful plot of land has stirred surprising controversy in recent months, after the Scarsdale Histori- cal Society applied to lift the Cudner- Hyatt’s museum zoning variance and change it to a single-family residence. The Scarsdale Arts Council submitted a statement to the Zoning Board of Ap- peals, urging it to reconsider for fear of losing a “local cultural and historic treasure.”


The Historical Society has operated Cudner-Hyatt as a museum since acquiring it in 1974, and developed successful education programs over the years to inform school children


on what 19th century rural life was like. They have made it clear that they do not wish to destroy the house by changing its museum status; rather, they wish to explore more viable options. With increasingly low atten- dance, the house has become a drain on Society finances.


Still, the Arts Council considers that a promising way to save Cudner-Hyatt would be a restructured version of its museum operations, including strong educational components. It even worked to raise public awareness by organizing a community forum, which took place on June 20, to discuss future possibilities for the house.


“We have had some dialogue with various school administrators,” said Arts Council President Edward A. Morgan. “The message that we’re get- ting is that the school programs could be structured in a way that they’d be willing to participate in them, and they


believe the children would enjoy them and be happy to go to them.”


The Arts Council feels that with a well thought out fundraising plan and an orga- nized brainstorming team, perhaps this old house could once more expand kids’ understanding of the past and impress young minds to take the digital distractions of our modern world less for granted.


Currently, the Board of Appeals zoning proceeding for the house remains on


hold, as requested by the New York State Attorney General and others. Ultimately, its protection depends on time to determine a solution that will satisfy those involved and be economi- cally practical. “We hope that the time available will prove adequate to find a good preservation solution,” said Morgan. “A lot depends upon commu- nity residents becoming aware of the problem and saying, ‘Hey, this is really something we ought to save.’”


Cudner-Hyatt House Complex at 937 Post Road in Scarsdale, NY


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