The Church in Sag Harbor presents the inaugural season of the Sag Harbor Song Festival Thursday, September 29 to Sunday, October 2. Spanning the course of three evenings and culminating with a matinee performance, the festival promises a world class experience of music in a setting of intrinsic beauty with an intimacy of presentation.
The four concerts will consist of a mixture of operatic repertory, musical theatre, songs, and lieder covering a musical panorama and highlighting the talent of six rising stars of immense talent. These singers have appeared on the stages of the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, the Aix-en-Provence Festival, the Bayerische Opera, Staatstheater Stuttgart, and in venues from the White House to St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
The singers include Anna Christy, Leah Hawkins, Sarah Coit, Jonathan Johnson, Jarrett Ott, and David Leigh.
The festival program was orchestrated by two colleagues. Artistic Director, Brad Woolbright and Musical Director, Robert Tweten have a combined seven plus decades in the world of music. During his tenure with the Santa Fe Opera, Tweten has been on the podium for six productions, most recently stepping in this summer to conduct three performances of Falstaff.
The Sag Harbor Song Festival was conceived for The Church by Lena Kaplan, philanthropist, entrepreneur, and music lover. Her family has resided in East Hampton for more than fifty years. Kaplan said, “We live in challenging times, and many feel a sense of unease. For me, music is the greatest source of healing power and of spiritual renewal. When I first had the idea for this festival, I called it Glorious Voices. And now this idea is becoming a reality. I invite you all to join us for the first Sag Harbor Song Festival, a four-part concert series featuring six singers with truly glorious voices in the beautiful and intimate space of The Church.”
“We’re so grateful to Lena that after only a year and a half, The Church will inaugurate a world class music festival,” said co-founder April Gornik. Sheri Pasquarella, Executive Director, added, “Not to mention offering a diverse repertory spanning opera, choral, classical, Broadway, and even traditional Japanese song performed by these astonishing emerging voices.”
Artistic director Brad Woolbright said, “Joining my colleague Robert Tweten, Music Director, I am thrilled to be part of the inaugural Sag Harbor Song Festival featuring six of the finest singers working in the world of music today. With offerings spanning four centuries, we believe the festival will be an exceptional experience. Whether neophyte or aficionado, we look forward to welcoming you.”
Individual tickets are $75 and a package of four tickets is $250.