Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts Inc.

Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts is an estate and music venue located in Katonah, NY and is the home to the annual summer International Music Festival, one of the largest music festivals in New York's metropolitan area. Caramoor is also known for its Indoor series concerts, educational programs and museum.

Performance venues

Caramoor is home to three main performance venues:

The Venetian Theater is a 1,700 seat venue and main stage for the Caramoor International Music Festival. Patrons can see the show in a traditional concert setting in an open-air theater with state-of-the-art sound and lighting equipment.

The Spanish Courtyard was built around the Rosen house, and seats approximately 600. The Spanish Courtyard is used during the Music Festival, when weather permits.

The Music Room, inside the Rosen house, seats 220 and is used year round. This room is often used for chamber ensembles, lectures, holiday events, family programs and is the home to the Caramoor Virtuosi and Rising Stars.

History

Caramoor is the legacy of Walter and Lucie Rosen who built the luxurious Mediterranean-style villa Rosen House and filled it with their treasures; Renaissance, 18th century, and Eastern art objects and furnishings - tapestries, sculpture, paintings, textiles, furniture, exquisite wall coverings, stained glass, Urbino Maiolica, and a major jade collection. Entire rooms were imported from European palaces and country manors. Today, twenty rooms are open to the public. Walter Rosen was the master planner for the Caramoor estate, bringing his dream of creating a place to entertain friends from around the world to reality. Their musical evenings were the seeds of the International Music Festival of today.

Rosen House

Built about 1930, this house was the private residence of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Rosen. Following the death of Mrs. Rosen in 1968, the major works of art from the Rosen's New York City townhouse were incorporated into the Caramoor collection. In 1970, the museum was first opened to the public, featuring many of the Rosen's treasures from abroad, including many entire rooms imported from European palaces. Rosen House is built around the Spanish Courtyard, which, in addition to being a concert venue, features small perennial gardens, cloistered walkways, and an old baptismal font. Authentic teas are also held in the Summer Dining Room which overlooks the Spanish Courtyard.

Gardens and grounds

Caramoor is situated on 90 acres of gardens, woodland trails and rolling lawns. Visitors are encouraged to wander through the various gardens, including the Sunken Garden, Woodland Garden, Butterfly Garden, Sense Circle, and the Iris and Peony Garden. There is a picnic area where families and attendees can choose to dine before concerts. Caramoor is a beautiful setting for wedding receptions and celebrations as well.

Music at Caramoor

Caramoor International Music Festival

The Caramoor International Music Festival is one of the most well-known summer music festivals in the United States. It has been in existence continuously for over 60 years. Featuring performances from Wednesday-Sunday every week from the end of June until the beginning of August, the festival has a diverse lineup including Orchestra, Chamber, Jazz, Opera, and Cabaret.

Past Performers

Wyton Marsalis,
Mulgrew Miller and Wingspan, Aaron Diehl and Adam Birnbaum,
Jimmy Heath Big Band,
Michel Camilo Trio with Charles Flores and Dafnis Prieto– August ‘08

Sonidos Latinos; Paquito D’Rivera, Marco Granados,
Sarah Chang,
Orchestra of St. Lukes,
John Pizzarelli,
Vivica Genaux,
Alisa Weilerstein & Lera Auerbach,Philip Gossett,Daedalus Quartet,
Jason Graae – July ‘08

Caramoor Indoors Programs

In addition to the summer festival, Caramoor has many concerts and events throughout the fall, winter and spring. Known as the "Caramoor Indoors" program, this series of concerts focuses on chamber ensembles and lectures, all held in Caramoor's Music Room in the Rosen House. Several holiday events and family programs are also included as part of the indoors program.

Artistic Leadership

Michael Barrett – Chief Executive and General Director

Edward Arron - Artistic Director of Caramoor Virtuosi

Will Crutchfied – Director of Opera

References

*Sherman, Robert. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0CE7DA1F3EF933A15755C0A965958260 Music; Old and New Faces at Caramoor] . "New York Times".

External links

* [http://caramoor.org/ Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts Inc. website]