THE NEW SEASON @ CARAMOOR: Katonah’s World-Class Cultural Destination

THE NEW SEASON

@ CARAMOOR KATONAH’S WORLD-CLASS CULTURAL DESTINATION

BY Drew Bordeaux, B&NC Mag Arts & Culture Editor

As large halls welcome back concert goers and the doors of Broadway prepare to open for the first time in almost two years, many feel the pull of the cultural offerings of NYC. But those ‘in the know’ are aware of a way to experience a broad spectrum of outstanding artists while dodging high ticket prices, traffic, and parking garages - and it’s right in our backyard. Caramoor, a beautiful 80-acre estate in Katonah, is a formidable venue and arts center. With another impressive upcoming Fall-Spring 2021-2022 Season line-up, and with partnerships as prestigious as their long-running collaboration with Jazz at Lincoln Center led by Wynton Marsalis, Caramoor is back in business and proving better than ever.

Classical music has always had a home at Caramoor, and there will be no disappointment this year with artists including Stephen Hough, who was lauded by The Guardian for “the most perfect piano playing conceivable” and the Grammy-nominated Danish String Quartet. Increasingly, though, over the past few years the venue has worked hard to diversify their musical offerings, with the addition of upcoming performances by Raul Midón, a Grammy-nominated guitarist and vocalist who has collaborations with Herbie Hancock and Stevie Wonder under his belt, and jazz phenom Jazzmeia Horn, a vocalist who, in addition to her two Grammy nods, has deftly fused the jazz tradition with R&B, hip-hop, and even Big Band music on her latest release Dear Love. According to Cararmoor’s new CEO, Edward J. Lewis III, this season’s curation is a “vibrant genre-spanning program of established masters and emerging artists; education programs that mentor the next generation of musical stars; and multicultural, sensory-friendly family events that invite everyone to enjoy the music.” When asked about the increased diversity and representation in Caramoor’s offerings, Artistic Director Kathy Schuman said, “Musical diversity is one of the most important things I look at as I’m planning each season. Many people still think of us as a classical music venue, but we’ve really broadened our offerings over the past few years and I hope that anyone can find at least a couple of concerts each Following their annual Gala this summer, B&NC MAG sat down with Lewis and Schuman for a Q&A on how they bring in such noteworthy artists, what brought Lewis - a highly accomplished arts administrator and fundraiser - to Caramoor, and what the community can look forward to from the venue in the months to come:

season that appeal to them. I also want to make sure we continue to bring new artists each year, even if it means waiting 2-3 years to bring back someone who was a big hit with our audience. I’m also very committed to representing a diversity of gender, race, and age on our stages, along with different genres of music.”

What inspired you to come to Caramoor?

Lewis: I first heard of Caramoor from radio broadcasts of its concerts in the 1990s. I recall the performances being of the highest caliber. In late October 2020, I was approached by a search firm about the CEO position. Once I realized that Caramoor offered all that resonated with me — world class music performances, nature, and history – I knew I had to be here.

What is a key lesson you learned as Vice Chancellor of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts that influences your work today?

Lewis: I learned that storytelling, especially tech-savvy storytelling, can be a powerful impetus to propel an organization forward. The acceleration of the communication and performance delivery channels available today fosters new opportunities for artists to engage with the greater community, helping us to build and maintain new audiences and donors.

You’ve said in previous interviews that sonically, the viola “leads from the middle”- do you find your leadership style at all inspired from your background as a viola player?

Lewis: My leadership style has been shaped by my experiences as both an artist and arts administrator. Having built successful high-performing fundraising

teams and leading organizations through change, I liken my leadership style to that of the conductorcomposer. Like a composer, I have found that I was often writing the score from which the team would perform. However, like a conductor, I enjoy collaborating with and leading an ensemble of accomplished individuals who, with their unique skill sets, combine talents to achieve an outcome greater than the sum of their parts. What I learned from working with great conductors - and even from some not so good ones - is the ability and obligation to inspire teams to ever greater levels of performance.

What was the highlight of the gala for you?

Lewis: Well, getting to meet Wynton Marsalis and some of the members of his band, and listening to their performance was the obvious highlight. And I enjoyed meeting Madame Speaker Nancy Pelosi - with whom I had a great conversation about the importance of the arts backstage before the performance. But I was moved by the overwhelming love and support for Caramoor that I felt from the audience.

Schuman: Being back at a live concert with hundreds of people after more than a year.

How do you attract such terrific talent to Caramoor (ie: what draws them to Caramoor)? What impact will the recent ‘Inspire’ initiative have on Caramoor in the short term?

Lewis: Through the Inspire campaign, Caramoor offers a greatly enhanced visitor experience through our reinvigorated gardens and grounds — from the fresh sense of arrival including accessible parking, the new box office, and Friends Field stage, to improvements to the Rosen House and reimagined walkways — for guests to gather and linger in beautifully designed spaces. Our newest sound art piece In“C” highlights our distinctive and peerless collection of sound art. And, by recently quadrupling our endowment, we’ve ensured a solid foundation for our high caliber music performances, mentoring and education programs, and ability to keep pace with innovation.

Do you still find time to play viola?

Lewis: With the responsibilities leading both the strategic direction and fundraising efforts for major arts and higher education organizations, it can be hard to find enough practice time at the end of the day to keep the skill level at its highest. However, I look forward to sneaking into the Rosen House Music Room to play a Bach suite or two amidst those glorious acoustics.

Schuman: Well, one thing is you have to invite them! Sometimes it’s as simple as that. Many artists who I’ve booked had heard of Caramoor but never performed here and were thrilled to be invited! Now as more of them have come and had a great experience, word is spreading. And many of them say that it was not at all what they envisioned -- they are surprised by the extraordinary setting and our appreciative audiences.

Besides purchasing concert tickets, what are good ways for the community to get involved in Caramoor today?

Schuman: We have recently started opening our grounds on weekends, and I think Caramoor is a great place to come and have a picnic or explore our gardens and the sound art. It’s very peaceful and calming here, but also a fun place for kids to run around. “Since 2015, we have loved working with Caramoor’s fantastic team! They’re committed to providing musicians the opportunity to perform, and showcasing Caramoor’s idyllic grounds, courtyards and art installations. President & CEO Edward J. Lewis III and I share a dedication to broadening audiences through world-class programming. We at Jazz at Lincoln Center look forward to collaborating with him to showcase to the Caramoor community the best our organizations have to offer.”

- Wynton Marsalis