SaratogaArtsFest awarded grants to nine
local arts organizations to help them prepare
for this spring’s citywide celebration
of the arts, June 12-15, 2014.
The programming enhancement grants
for the 2014 festival total $25,000.
Each year, proceeds from SaratogaArtsFest’s fundraising event, Prelude, and a
portion of funds received from donors are
awarded to the festival’s arts partners to
support the creation and refinement of
their festival presentations, festival officials
said.
“The events proposed by our arts partner
organizations are diverse and exciting, and
we are pleased to support these creative
endeavors,” said Laura Herr, executive director
of SaratogaArtsFest. “These groups
work year round to make the area’s arts
scene so vibrant, and we are grateful for
what they bring to SaratogaArtsFest.”
The grants program, now in its fifth year, will provide support to the Albany Symphony Orchestra, the Children’s Museum at Saratoga, Empire State Youth Orchestras, Home Made Theater, Hubbard Hall Projects, Opera Saratoga, Saratoga Film Forum, Saratoga Shakespeare Company, and Saratoga Springs Youth Orchestra.
The Albany Symphony Orchestra will present a children’s program titled “Around the World,” in which the audience takes a trip with Cowboy Dave (maestro David Allan Miller) around the globe, from England to Spain, Hungary to New York. It features the works of Strauss, Copland, Sousa, Brahms, Handel, Bizet and others.
The Children’s Museum at Saratoga sponsors Karen Pillsworth, a local storytelling artist, who will present “The Art of Words Through Storytelling.” Young listeners will hear stories and make props, encouraging them to continue the tradition and art of storytelling.
The ESYO Repertory Jazz Ensemble, directed by Matt Cremisio, will present “Life of a Jazz Man,” with jazz trombonist Michael Davis as guest soloist. Davis will perform with an original commissioned piece written specifically for SaratogaArtsFest.
Home Made Theater will present a lighthearted cabaret performance titled “Therapy.”
The Hubbard Hall Opera Theater will present “Serenata Italiana,” a program exploring the music of 18th and 19th century Italy, from the works of Verdi and Leoncavallo, to popular songs by Tosti, Donaudy and others.
Opera Saratoga’s 2014 Young Artists will present a workshop performance of the new opera “Roscoe,” by composer and Skidmore College faculty member Evan Mack. The opera is based on the novel of the same name by Pulitzer-prize winning author William Kennedy.
A program titled “Films on Artists/Artists on Film” will offer three films and speakers to examine the lives of artists as a means of exploring of the artistic process and the individuals who embrace it. The film series honors 2014 SaratogaArtsFest theme, “It’s an Artist’s Life.”
Saratoga Shakespeare Company presents “In The Remix,” using an inventive format to introduce Shakespeare to young audiences.
The Saratoga Springs Youth Orchestra will perform “Neapolitan Revival,” a concert and master class in a collaboration with the Internationally recognized Neapolitian Music Society. The program will feature a world premier of works from the Neapolitan archives.
More information about the festival, including volunteer and sponsorship opportunities, is available at www.SaratogaArts-Fest.org.
Photo Courtesy of Ann Norsworthy-Rigley/ioLIGHTS Studio