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REIMAGINED 2020

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CONTENTS 9 A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT 11 INTRODUCING SPAC’S NEW CHAIRWOMAN, SUSAN LAW DAKE 13 SPAC + LIVE NATION | SPAC NEEDS A NEW DANCE FLOOR | SPAC BY THE NUMBERS 14 THANK YOU TO OUR MEMBERS

16 SPAC REIMAGINED

PRESIDENT AND CEO ELIZABETH SOBOL TAKES US ON SPAC’S BEAUTIFUL 2020 JOURNEY OF TRANSFORMATION.

18 THE LIBRARY IS OPEN!

SPAC UNVEILS ITS LEARNING LIBRARY, AN ONLINE RESOURCE PACKED WITH FREE ARTS EDUCATION CONTENT.

20 YOUNG ARTISTS RISE ABOVE

SPAC HOSTS ITS THIRD ANNUAL THE ADIRONDACK TRUST COMPANY FESTIVAL OF YOUNG ARTISTS

22 ALL THAT (VIRTUAL) JAZZ

THIS YEAR, SPAC TOOK ITS FREIHOFER’S SARATOGA JAZZ FESTIVAL ONLINE.

23 MIND, BODY, SPAC

SPAC TEAMS UP WITH COESA TO HOST TAI CHI AND MEDITATION CLASSES ON ITS GROUNDS.

23 FESTIVAL EXPRESS

SPAC TEAMS UP WITH CAFFÈ LENA AND NEWPORT FOLK FESTIVAL TO SCREEN MAVIS STAPLES CONCERT FILM FOR 50 LUCKY FANS.

24 LOST SUMMER, FOUND

NYCB DANCERS EMILY KIKTA AND PETER WALKER CREATE A FITTING VIDEO TRIBUTE TO SPAC’S COVID-CANCELED CLASSICAL SEASON.

26 E-THOVEN

SPAC HOSTS A SPECTACULAR VIRTUAL BEETHOVEN FESTIVAL TO CELEBRATE THE COMPOSER’S 250TH BIRTHDAY.

29 VIDEO CURED THE CLASSICAL STARS SPAC LANDS WORLD-RENOWNED VIOLINIST JOSHUA BELL AND CLASSICAL ENSEMBLE TIME FOR THREE FOR EXCLUSIVE VIDEO PERFORMANCES AND INTERVIEWS.

30 PINES OF THE TIMES

WHILE THE SPAC TEAM WAS REIMAGINING ITS SKY-HIGH ARTISTIC GOALS, MLB CONSTRUCTION WAS MORE DOWN TO EARTH, REINVENTING ITS GROUNDS. • photography by DAVE BIGLER

32 LOOKING FORWARD

SPAC GEARS UP TO HOST IMMERSIVE, ORCHESTRAL EXHIBIT ‘SOUNDWALK’ IN THE SPA STATE PARK THIS FALL.

CONTRIBUTING TO THIS ISSUE SPAC ELIZABETH SOBOL LESLIE COLLMAN-SMITH KRISTY VENTRE saratoga living

Abby Tegnelia CEO Will Levith EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Kathleen Gates CREATIVE DIRECTOR Natalie Moore MANAGING EDITOR Linda Gates SENIOR DESIGNER Morgan Fechter STAFF WRITER Annette Quarrier ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

SaratogaHospital.org

that welcomed me upon my arrival. As we took the unthinkable and devastating step of canceling a whole season of live performances, you were with us. As we turned our sights to the reimagining of a season without the SPAC amphitheater, you were with us. And as we created online and in-person experiences around intimate, shared experiences sparked by beauty, you were with us. Thanks to the generosity of our members and donors and sponsors and friends, rather than mourning the utter loss of Summer 2020, we were able to celebrate it with SPAC REIMAGINED. And thanks to saratoga living, we are able to share these wonderful memories and milestones with you.

hen I first arrived in Saratoga Springs in 2016, the thing that struck me most immediately and most powerfully was the sense of community and philanthropic spirit that is at the very heart of this city. Now, with the passing of four years, this particular moment finds me reflecting upon the unfolding of the events of the last six months, contemplating the profoundly altered fabric of our very existence—and the unimaginable challenges that we face as individuals, as organizations and as a region. In the face of so much upheaval, change and uncertainty, there is one thing that has been constant and unwavering: that generosity of spirit and love of community

The holidays are only a few short months away! This year,

saratoga living & CAPITAL REGION LIVING are joining together to HONOR 10 LOCAL NONPROFITS/CHARITIES and the people who support them. Be sure to pick up a copy of our Giving issue in early December, and save the date for our

CAPITAL REGION GIVES BACK

Warmly, FRANCESCO D’AMICO

fundraising event on DECEMBER 10.

DEAR FRIENDS,

Elizabeth Sobol

President & CEO, SARATOGA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 9

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S PA C R E I M A G I N E D

Introducing SPAC’s New Chairwoman, SUSAN LAW DAKE DAKE WILL TAKE OVER THE ROLE FROM RON RIGGI ON OCTOBER 1.

@prime_saratoganational

@primeatsaratoganational 518.583.4653

www.primeatsaratoganational.com Photos by: @exploresaratoga | @alexandriaeigo_photgraphy | @mattramosphotography

hen Stewart’s Shops Chairman William “Bill” Dake stepped down as chair of the SPAC board in 2012, the organization was struggling financially following the Great Recession. Now, after eight years and somewhat of a SPAC renaissance, Bill’s wife, Susan Law Dake, a current co-vice chair of the board, is stepping into the role. Susan, who is the president of the Stewart’s Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the local convenience store titan, also serves on the boards of Siena College, the Empire State College Foundation, Adirondack Trust Company and the Arnold Cogswell Foundation (part of the Community Foundation), as well as the Dake family’s two foundations. She’ll officially inherit the new role from Ron Riggi on October 1. While Susan will be taking over during a trying time—arts institutions around the globe have been hit especially hard by the COVID-19 crisis—she’s confident her skills While Dake is a classical music fan will help SPAC survive and thrive. “I’m a through and through—her all-time favorite fundraiser,” she says. “I raise a lot of money, SPAC performance is Grammy Award– and it’s something I can do easily, in part winning violinist Joshua Bell’s 2018 turn because we give. You’re asking somebody for with The Philadelphia Orchestra—she says a significant donation, and they know what Live Nation is also crucial to the health you’ve given. I think I’m in a of SPAC. “My husband’s position that I can do that.” late brother had a great “SPAC is extremely She continues: “Hopefully line when people were important for Saratoga people will respond, and so complaining about the rock far, everybody I’ve talked to stars,” she says about the and the greater Capital is like, ‘Whatever you want acts Live Nation brings to District,” says SPAC’s new to do, we’re going to make the venue. “He said, ‘The chairwoman, Susan it happen.’ SPAC is going fence jumpers of today are to survive. We’re going to the donors of tomorrow.’ Law Dake. “The arts are finish the year in the black, It’s really true: We need all so vital for people’s and we’ll just carry on. I those components. We need mental health, especially think we have a lot of really jazz, we need Live Nation, dedicated people who will we need classical. We’ve got now during COVID.” keep giving to SPAC.” something for everybody.” 11

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S PA C R E I M A G I N E D

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SPAC NEEDS A NEW DANCE FLOOR!

Live Nation, not SPAC, brings the Dave Matthews Band and many other rock, pop, country and hip-hop acts to Saratoga each summer.

SPAC’s original dance floor, which was built for the New York City Ballet under the supervision of George Balanchine himself, has fallen into disrepair. In 2020, construction began on a new floor, but SPAC still needs help completing it. It has started a GoFundMe page to help cover the cost. (At press time, $28,165 of the $40,000 goal had already been raised.) To give SPAC a hand, visit charity.gofundme.com/o/ en/campaign/a-new-dancefloor-for-spac.

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(Dave Matthews Band) FRANCESCO D’AMICO; (Ballet) MARTHA SWOPE

organization and is not subsidized by city, county, state or federal governments. Each year, except this one, SPAC has rented out its world-renowned venue to Live Nation, a for-profit organization that brings rock, pop, country and hip-hop acts to the Spa City. Live Nation Rent and SPAC programming account for approximately 50% percent of SPAC’s $10 million annual operating budget, so SPAC must raise $5 million each year through membership and community support to provide the world-class performances for which it is known.

SPAC BY THE NUMBERS 500,000

Number of visitors the SPAC amphitheater hosts each summer

12,000

Number of tickets given away to youth, senior citizens, students and underserved members of the community by SPAC every season

49,000

100

Number of students who participate in SPAC’s youth education programs every year

SPAC’s annual economic impact, in millions of dollars

Number of tractor trailers that deliver all the New York City Ballet equipment (including 1,000 pointe shoes, 3 miles of cable for lighting and 4 pianos) to SPAC each year

16,326

Number of hours donated by 417 volunteer ushers in a typical SPAC season

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S PA C R E I M A G I N E D

Thank you to our community, The Philadelphia Orchestra, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and all of the artists who made SPAC REIMAGINED possible!

SPAC 2020 SPAC 2020

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times, but creatively, the cavernous space had an incredible vibe. To keep the spirit alive, and offer hope and love to a place that gives so much to so many. We were grateful to be a small part of this moment, and will never forget the experience.”

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E S S AY

SPAC REIMAGINED

and SPAC’s staff worked from home, the amphitheater remained locked down, and the very real possibility of some cancellations—or the cancellation of the whole season—forced its way into our unwilling consciousness. As every day went by bringing inexorable waves of depressing data, the utterly unthinkable became the most probable—until it became the inevitable. For 53 consecutive years, the SPAC amphitheater had been the summer home of The Philadelphia Orchestra and the New York City Ballet—and Eugene Ormandy and George Balanchine, the very DNA of SPAC’s artistic soul. As the dark days went by this spring, we began to face the questions: Who are we (and what is SPAC) in a summer without the Orchestra, the Ballet, without any performance on the amphitheater stage? Over the last four years, SPAC has quietly been undergoing a transformation, from the restoration of its physical campus to the expansion and diversity of its programming, and from the exponential growth of education for the arts to a deepening of its role as convener of community and

he year 2020 was to be known as the grand 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth, with countless live performances happening around every corner, at every classical concert hall and festival around the globe, in celebration of the composer’s magnificent and awe-inspiring artistic achievement. At the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, an overflowing abundance of summer performances—classical music, jazz, world and pop music, dance, theatre, spoken word, and yes, a Beethoven 2020 festival, were scheduled to take place. Of course, we all know now that the history books will present a very different narrative of the year 2020. In the middle of March, our exquisite brochure had just gone out. Our marketing campaigns were about to ratchet up into high gear. And we were right on the cusp of SPAC Awakening— that time of year when the grass shows hints of green, the amphitheater doors are flung open, and the campus begins to spring to life in preparation for a summer full of surprise and delight. By the end of March, however, as COVID case numbers continued to climb SPAC 2020

DAVE BIGLER

PRESIDENT AND CEO ELIZABETH SOBOL T A K E S U S O N S PA C ’ S B E A U T I F U L 2 0 2 0 J O U R N E Y O F T R A N S F O R M AT I O N .

In 2020, SPAC was meant to open its steward of its home in the Spa State Park. doors to a transformative building project In its exquisite location, steeped in the called the Pines @ SPAC. These renovations history of healing springs, SPAC lives in restored Park aesthetics to the grounds, the confluence of man-made and natural opening up original site lines from the 50 beauty, as influenced by Balanchine and Gate to the Victoria Pool. The plans also Beethoven as by birdsong and birch. provided for brand-new and vastly expanded In an oddly prescient process last fall, restrooms and concessions areas, plus new SPAC began rethinking and refashioning its measures for safety and security. But most mission statement to encompass this wider, of all, this undertaking provided new spaces more ample view of its place and its role. As for gathering outside of the amphitheater: we sought to distill our vision down to its most The Pines Pavilion, The Pines Terrace and essential, our sense of purpose and urgency the Education Room at The Pines. The settled upon the knowledge of the profound latter is SPAC’s first year-round space for importance of experiences of beauty in education and community outreach. human lives, and SPAC’s importance in Originally anticipated as a humming, making those very experiences possible. thriving hub of activity, vitally connected And so, when COVID hit, stripping the to ballet, orchestra and pop concerts world of the most basic human contact in the amphitheater, The Pines this through communal acts of gathering, we summer has instead been an oasis of instinctively knew where to head. And we calm and tranquility. began to ask ourselves: And yet, it has also been How can we recreate our lodestar as we have those experiences that OUR SENSE OF PURPOSE navigated, untethered, the join human souls through AND URGENCY SETTLED depths and darks of an shared experiences of UPON THE KNOWLEDGE unknowable future. beauty? How can we reThe Pines gave us dedicate ourselves to art, OF THE PROFOUND protected space for intimate artists and community? IMPORTANCE OF gatherings in our natural Through the seemingly EXPERIENCES OF setting—gave us permission eternal and evolving era to open our doors to tai chi of COVID, SPAC has been BEAUTY IN HUMAN and meditation, to dance reimagining itself, creating LIVES–AND SPAC’S classes and children’s art online communities camp, to screenings of around shared themes of IMPORTANCE IN films—to allow people to art and beauty; turning MAKING THOSE VERY sit, to gather, once again, on its large and vibrant EXPERIENCES POSSIBLE. the beloved and hallowed education program into a grounds under the stars. creator of extraordinary And whither, SPAC? online learning; taking Whither the world? No one can know. a beloved 40-year-old jazz festival and What we know is this: It is only in moments refashioning it into a virtual, vital gathering of encounters with great beauty—the of community and music-making at its transcendent grace of a Mozart aria, the best; creating a Beethoven 2020 Festival majesty of a cathedral of pines—that that combined magisterial digital content we enter that state of wonder...a place by The Philadelphia Orchestra and without time or boundaries or strife or Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center differences. On the top of a mountain, with original choreography and a world under the canopy of the night sky, we are premiere audio play about the composer’s both infinitesimal and infinite, luminous, life. Most importantly, we found ways radiant and eternally interconnected. To to allow people to gather, in person (and this, we dedicate ourselves and our future. socially distanced), on our grounds. 17

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S PA C R E I M A G I N E D

THE LIBRARY IS OPEN!

SPAC UNVEILS ITS LEARNING LIBRARY, AN ONLINE RESOURCE PACKED WITH FREE ARTS EDUCATION CONTENT.

hen the COVID-19 crisis hit Saratoga Springs in mid-March— and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo locked the entire state down shortly after—it essentially ground all manner of life and culture in the area to a halt. Eventually, SPAC would be forced to cancel its entire 2020 season, but the arts institution didn’t stand by idle. Instead, it immediately swung into action, ramping up its arts education programming online by launching a series of initiatives under the umbrella of its innovative SPAC REIMAGINED campaign. “Since the stay-at-home order, we woke up every morning and said, ‘What could we do for the community?’” said SPAC’s President and CEO Elizabeth Sobol at the time. “What could we do to help people maintain hope—to share what SPAC is all about on a daily basis?” In early May, SPAC had an answer. The arts center unveiled its virtual Learning Library, a sprawling repository of free, original content, video lessons and arts education programming directed at the 120-plus partnering schools and local nonprofit organizations that would be missing out on its usual crush of in-person, educational activities. The library, which lives at spaclearninglibrary.org, is divided into six unique channels:

(from top) A printable coloring SPAC-tivity; a string quartet sing-a-long with the KASA Quartet from the Caroga Arts Collective; a step routine SPAC Break with Soul Steps Founder Maxine Lyle.

» Printable SPAC-tivities include coloring book-like pages such as a SPAC grounds maze, plus name-that-composer and hidden instruments games.

» Shared Resources features a plethora

(from top) Two scenes from Kitchen Floor Dance Classes with Broadway actors Dennis Moench and Eric Hatch; a SPAC Break that introduces viewers to a classical Indian dance; New York City Ballet Principal Dancer Daniel Ulbricht leads a SPAC Break.

» SPAC Breaks are packed with short,

» Stories That Move features dancers from

introductory videos on everything from ballet dancing, taught by a dancer from the New York City Ballet; and “kitchen drumming,” by a member of the Fourth Wall Ensemble; to singing (and clapping!) along with the KASA Quartet from the Caroga Arts Collective. SPAC 2020

the Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company teaching choreographed dances synced to spoken word short stories.

» Kitchen Floor Dance Class is a four-part series of instructional dance videos hosted by Broadway actors Dennis 18

of multi-video series from the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center; The Philadelphia Orchestra; and Skidmore College’s Dance to Success, an integrative movement program that works to bring highquality dance into the everyday routine of elementary students. Needless to say, the library has been a major hit with area teachers. “My teachers and I absolutely love the dance videos in SPAC’s new Learning Library,” says Deborah Keough, district music supervisor for the North Colonie School District. “They’re fabulous! The only sustainability that any arts organization has lies in its ability to connect with a young audience. SPAC shows us again that they know this well.”

Moench (Les Misérables), who also serves as SPAC’s director of education; and Eric Hatch (West Side Story).

» The Virtual Dance Lab is where participants can learn professional-level modern dances, courtesy of dancers from the Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company; as well as the African American dance tradition known as “stepping,” via Soul Steps’ Founder Maxine Lyle. 19

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YOUNG ARTISTS RISE ABOVE

SPAC HOSTS ITS THIRD ANNUAL THE ADIRONDACK TRUST COMPANY FESTIVAL OF YOUNG ARTISTS

alk about a virtual home run. On July 8, SPAC hosted its third annual Festival of Young Artists (FOYA) (spacfoya.org), this year virtually, due to COVID-19 concerns. The festival featured a wealth of wonderful art produced by students from the Adirondacks, Saratoga and the Capital Region. Participants had the opportunity to engage in a trio of mediums, including visual, literary and performance art . The results demonstrate just how truly talented the region’s students are. Included in the cache of content online is a student-created visual art exhibition; and a literary gallery, featuring poems, essays and short stories written by local students. You can even SPAC 2020

listen to select poems read by the young authors themselves and watch a video of a dance performance choreographed in tandem with one of the poems. In pre-pandemic times, FOYA was an all-day affair and presented student art shows, poetry slams and live performances, with hundreds of young dancers, singers and musicians, all performing at SPAC. But this year’s virtual gallery space will be extra special, as it will remain an ongoing platform for student artists in the region to share their artistic visions and achievements—and to inspire and enrich their peers and the community. Help support future iterations of FOYA today at spacfoya.org. 20

“THESE TALENTED YOUNG INDIVIDUALS GIVE US HOPE THAT THE NEXT GENERATION WILL CONTINUE THIS AREA’S LEGACY OF CELEBRATING CREATIVITY IN ALL FORMS.” – Charles V. Wait, Jr., Adirondack Trust Company President and CEO (clockwise from top left) Self-Portrait by Yassin Hag-Elsafi; Untitled by Riley Borst; Self-Portrait by Anna Wang; Resilience by Nate Tys; (opposite, clockwise from top left) Dimitrii by Aislinn Dailey; When I Grow Up performance piece with cellist Avery Roach and ballet dancer Lia Richter; Self-Portrait by Pallavi Datta 21

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Mind, Body, SPAC

SPAC TEAMS UP WITH COESA TO HOST TAI CHI AND MEDITATION CLASSES ON ITS GROUNDS.

t the beginning of July, the Capital Region had reached phase four of New York’s reopening plan, and Upstate New Yorkers were champing at the bit to get out and be active. SPAC was ready, teaming up with COESA, the state-of-theart, nonprofit learning and wellness center

Festival Express

ALL THAT (VIRTUAL) JAZZ

THIS YEAR, SPAC TOOK ITS FREIHOFER’S SARATOGA JAZZ FESTIVAL ONLINE.

SPAC 2020

Skidmore senior Isa Hage created the official artwork for the 2020 Saratoga Jazz Festival, with proceeds from the sales of T-shirts featuring her design going to the Equal Justice Initiative; (top) Jon Batiste performing for the virtual Jazz Fest.

O (Festival) DAVE BIGLER

ne of the earliest casualties of SPAC’s summer season was the Freihofer’s Saratoga Jazz Festival, but not even COVID-19 could get SPAC to give up on celebrating jazz. Over Jazz Fest’s originally scheduled weekend, June 26-28, SPAC took the festival virtual with the help of Saratoga’s historic folk venue Caffè Lena. The virtual Jazz Fest was streamed live (and free) on Caffè Lena’s popular “Stay Home Sessions” YouTube channel, and performances included a mix of local artists performing live in the empty venue and national artists who had produced prerecorded sets. The lineup included local jazz-masters Chuck Lamb & Jorge Gomez; soul man Garland Nelson, doing a special tribute to Motown (this year would’ve marked his Jazz Fest debut); and the Skidmore Jazz Institute Alumni Trio. Nationally renowned “headliners” included Jon Batiste (The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’s bandleader); 15-time Grammy-winning banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck, along with his wife, singer-songwriter-banjoist Abigail Washburn; and the Grammynominated, four-time Jazz Fest headliner Pedrito Martinez.

on the Spa State Park’s grounds, to offer a series of outdoor tai chi and meditation classes. The series was made up of two well-attended courses held throughout the summer: one led by Mark Tolstrup of the Tai Chi Center and one led by Pierre Zimmerman of One Roof Saratoga. “This summer, I had the opportunity to run my tai chi classes on the beautiful grounds at SPAC,” says Tolstrup. “With plenty of safe, open space and fresh air, it was a perfect setting for our classes. The movements of tai chi and the relaxing beauty of the grounds at SPAC helped provide calm and health in this time when so many aspects of life have been very difficult.” All proceeds from the classes go directly to the instructors.

SPAC TEAMS UP WITH CAFFÈ LENA AND NEWPORT FOLK FESTIVAL TO SCREEN MAVIS STAPLES CONCERT FILM FOR 50 LUCKY FANS.

n what would’ve been the weekend of the Newport Folk Festival this past July, SPAC partnered with fellow Saratoga nonprofit Caffè Lena—and the festival itself—to host an exclusive screening of Mavis 80: A Newport Folk Revival on the SPAC grounds. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, just 50 ticketholders were able to attend the screening on July 31 on SPAC’s lawn. Needless to say, the event sold out quickly. What did lucky ticketholders get to experience? A concert film recorded at The Theatre At Ace Hotel in Los Angeles on May 22, 2019, celebrating the 80th birthday of Rock and Roll/Blues Hall of Famer Mavis Staples. The guest of honor, whose most recent album, We Get By, was imminent, was joined onstage by a star-studded lineup

of musicians, including Ben Harper, who wrote and produced Staples’ album, as well as Jason Isbell, Brandi Carlile, the Talking Heads’ Jerry Harrison and many more. Proceeds from SPAC’s event went towards the continued work of the Newport Festivals Foundation to support artists and music education programs during the COVID-19 crisis. 23

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Lost Summer, Found

NYCB DANCERS EMILY KIKTA AND PETER WALKER CREATE A FITTING VIDEO TRIBUTE TO SPAC’S COVID-CANCELED CLASSICAL SEASON.

Scenes from this year’s NYCB videos produced by Emily Kikta and Peter Walker.

the dance company’s summer seasons, since 2017. But this year’s series wasn’t on deck for a happy reason: Kikta and Walker were set to get married in Saratoga in June. But then, of course, the pandemic hit. Now, with their pending nuptials (and NYCB season) postponed, the couple decided that it would be a fitting tribute to their lost summer to film another series, making use of SPAC’s stunning property that lay bare of visitors. So, they got in touch with SPAC President and CEO Elizabeth Sobol, got the green light and went all out. “It became so

ven with its annual residencies by the New York City Ballet (NYCB) and The Philadelphia Orchestra canceled for the first time since the ’60s due to the COVID-19 pandemic, SPAC wasn’t ready to submit to a ballet-less summer. So it instead turned the situation into a unique opportunity to bring its audience, spending much of their time sequestered at home, a virtual experience of a lifetime. NYCB dancers/filmmakers Emily Kikta and Peter Walker had been creating exclusive video shorts for SPAC, promoting

SPAC 2020

performances were filmed at specific times of day, to make sure that the natural light and shadows were just right. And the results are simply breathtaking (the entire series has been archived on SPAC’s YouTube and Facebook pages). Maybe more so than previous years’ videos, you can truly feel the love for SPAC in the series. “SPAC is my favorite place to perform with the company,” says Kikta. “It’s so different performing outside, and you feel so close to the audience and nature. It’s so much fun.”

much bigger in a great way,” says Kikta. In just two weeks, she and Walker, along with seven fellow dancers, four choreographers and recorded “accompaniments” by residency-mates The Philadelphia Orchestra and The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, created a four-part series of three- to five-minute videos— plus, an 18-plus-minute “grand finale”— featuring interconnected performances by NYCB dancers in and around the beauty of the eerily quiet, shuttered SPAC grounds. Locations were scouted beforehand, and 25

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E-THOVEN

SPAC HOSTS A SPECTACULAR VIRTUAL BEETHOVEN FESTIVAL TO CELEBRATE THE COMPOSER’S 250TH BIRTHDAY. The Philadelphia Orchestra; a two-part symposium of Beethoven’s Fidelio presented by Opera Saratoga; an exclusive performance by and conversation with pianist Jonathan Biss; and the world premiere of Damian Lanigan’s TESTAMENT, an audio play co-produced with the Saratoga Shakespeare Company that depicts Beethoven in his despair as he goes deaf, ultimately emerging with his masterwork, the Eroica Symphony. Also included at the festival’s virtual hub were videos of the “Beethoven Quartet Cycle” lecture series by Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Co-Artistic Director David Finckel, recorded at Manhattan’s Rose Studio, with Finckel performing excerpts from the entire cycle on cello, joined by

Pianist Jonathan Biss gave a performance and talk exploring Beethoven’s sonatas and solo piano works as part of the virtual festival; (inset) the official artwork for the Virtual Beethoven Festival.

SPAC 2020

The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center also helped SPAC celebrate Beethoven’s 250th birthday.

SCENES FROM THE NIGHT photography by

DAVE BIGLER

(Chamber Music Society) TRISTAN COOK

un-dun-dun-dunnnnn! This year marked what would’ve been the 250th birthday of famed German composer Ludwig von Beethoven— and the plan had been for The Philadelphia Orchestra, under the baton of conductor and Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin, to perform all nine of the composer’s symphonies across four successive nights. It would be, by all accounts, a birthday affair to remember. While the COVID-19 virus could’ve acted as a Beethoven birthdayparty spoiler, SPAC came to the rescue, launching its own virtual Beethoven 2020 festival August 5-22 (spacbeethoven.org). SPAC’s festival included: a Caffè Lena “Stay Home Session” performance by musicians from

(Jonathan Biss) LUIS LUQUE

violinists Sean Lee and Arnaud Sussmann, and violist Matthew Lipman. “It is essential for us during this time to continue to collaborate, connect and engage with the wonderful community at SPAC, whom we cannot wait to see again soon,” said Finckel and co-artistic director, Wu Han. And the prolific composer was still honored with all of his groundbreaking symphonies; the virtual festival page included recordings of all nine, performed by The Philadelphia Orchestra. After all, it was the world’s most famous composer’s one-and-only 250th.

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Violinist Joshua Bell sat down with his friend and former manager, SPAC’s President and CEO Elizabeth Sobol, for an exclusive interview about what it’s like being an artist during the COVID-19 crisis.

is setting the stage

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SPAC LANDS WORLD-RENOWNED VIOLINIST JOSHUA BELL AND CLASSICAL ENSEMBLE TIME FOR THREE FOR EXCLUSIVE VIDEO PERFORMANCES AND INTERVIEWS.

TIME FOR THREE, which features Charles Yang (violin/vocals), Nicolas Kendall (violin/vocals) and Ranaan Meyer (double bass/vocals), mixes Americana, modern pop and classical music. The trio also sat down with Sobol and covered some pop favorites, along with several originals written during lockdown. Their video will be out on September 19.

Joshua Bell ) DAVE BIGLER

rammy-winning violinist Joshua Bell and genre-bending classical ensemble Time for Three were both slated to perform at SPAC this past August as part of The Philadelphia Orchestra’s annual residency. But then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and the classical season was canceled. Not so fast, though! SPAC brought Bell and Time for Three to Saratoga anyway to be interviewed and perform live for its SPAC REIMAGINED video series. In the first video set for release, JOSHUA BELL sat for a 30-minute interview on what it’s like being an artist during the COVID-19 crisis with old friend, manager and now SPAC CEO and President Elizabeth Sobol, as well as Ian Berry, Dayton Director of The Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery. Bell then performed works by Beethoven, Dvor̆ák, Chopin and more. The video of Bell’s interview and performance will be available via spac.org on September 12.

Genre-bending classical ensemble Time for Three recorded a series of performances on SPAC’s empty grounds. “Creatively, the cavernous space had an incredible vibe,” says the trio. “It was pretty dramatic when we started playing. We had that goosebump moment.” 29

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A view of the SPAC grounds from above.

The view of the amphitheater (and upgraded pedestrian walkways) from the new rooftop terrace.

PINES OF THE TIMES WHILE THE SPAC TEAM WAS REIMAGINING ITS SKY-HIGH ARTISTIC GOALS, MLB CONSTRUCTION WAS MORE DOWN TO EARTH, REINVENTING ITS GROUNDS. • photography by DAVE BIGLER

“The new buildings—or The Pines—have completely transformed SPAC’s campus. Designed to address issues of safety/security, functionality and aesthetics, the new structures within The Pines have also created new opportunities to present unique programming in protected outdoor spaces during the new era of COVID. Our reimagined campus better reflects the natural beauty of our home here in the middle of one of New York State’s most beautiful parks, as well as our reputation as one of the nation’s jewel-in-the-crown summer festivals.” – ELIZABETH SOBOL, PRESIDENT AND CEO

A new main concessions and restrooms building boasts a year-round education and community space on the second floor, with an aluminum-and-glass design.

THE REINVENTION OF THE SPAC GROUNDS WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY SIGNIFICANT CAPITAL INVESTMENT FROM LIVE NATION, EMPIRE STATE DEVELOPMENT AND NY STATE PARKS. SPAC 2020

A grand open-air covered pavilion will be used for education and community events, and a second building features brand-new restrooms and concessions facilities. 31

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At Rensselaer, we are stepping up to solve the most pressing issues of the 21st century — from disease transmission and mediation, to cybersecurity and data protection. Learn more at dearworld.rpi.edu

Together, we make a difference. We are proud to celebrate 14 years of partnership between Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC).

Shirley Ann Jackson, Ph.D. 18th President, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

LOOKING FORWARD

SPAC GEARS UP TO HOST IMMERSIVE, ORCHESTRAL EXHIBIT ‘SOUNDWALK’ IN THE SPA STATE PARK THIS FALL.

VIRTUAL LEARNING LIBRARY: spaclearninglibrary.org FESTIVAL OF YOUNG ARTISTS: spacfoya.org BEETHOVEN 2020: spacbeethoven.org SPAC 2020

DAVE BIGLER

PAC, sadly, won’t be hosting any packed-house concerts at its amphitheater before next summer. But in the meantime, it’s got some exciting news to share with you. On September 21, Pulitzer Prize–winning composer Ellen Reid will be bringing her immersive Soundwalk—a GPS-enabled, socially distanced, sonic art installation— to the Spa State Park. Experiencing Soundwalk is as simple as downloading a free app, putting on your headphones and walking around a designated area (in this case, the Park’s Vale of Springs and Geyser Creek areas) while listening to world-class orchestras accompany your journey. Stay up to date on info regarding Soundwalk and other upcoming SPAC events at spac.org. For SPAC’s other online offerings mentioned in this digest, check out the following sites:

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2020 SPAC Reimagined Digest

Articles inside

INTRODUCING SPAC’S NEW CHAIRWOMAN, SUSAN LAW DAKE

SPAC + LIVE NATION | SPAC NEEDS A NEW DANCE FLOOR | SPAC BY THE NUMBERS

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT