Saratoga Performing Arts Center announces new summer season

Ready at the Spa

SARATOGA — It is almost time to spend the summer with the stars at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC). Headlining events of the 2024 summer season include its annual Jazz Festival, returning residencies by the New York City Ballet and the Philadelphia Orchestra, and great performers collaborating for ‘Beethoven for Three’.

“It’s going to be a great season,” said SPAC Vice President of Artistic Planning Christopher Shiley. “It’s a long season with a lot of performances. We have close to 30 performances over that stretch. Hundreds of artists are joining us from all over the world for this season.”

In addition to many musicians and artists making their SPAC debuts, many pieces are going to be presented as SPAC premieres. “There’s a lot of exciting things on the horizon for the season and a very robust and ambitious schedule,” said Shiley.

The 47th Annual Freihofer’s Saratoga Jazz Festival on Saturday, June 29 and Sunday, June 30 marks a full two-day, two-stage celebration of music at SPAC. “We are thrilled to have the Freihofer’s Saratoga Jazz Fest,” said Shiley.

“It’s just an amazing weekend; it’s just a party,” he continued. “The music runs all day, every day. There’s a real community around it that we really love and appreciate having here, and this year we’ve got just a wonderful lineup.”

Headlining the event are both returning and debut performers, including Lake Street Dive, Norah Jones, Laufey, and Samara Joy. Joining the Grammy award-winning musicians for the weekend are jazz and blues legends Stanley Clarke with his band N*4Ever, Terence Blanchard Sextet, and Coco Montoya.

The stages will be filled with performers all day, and the talented lineup of headlining acts includes the electrifying jazz performers Yussef Dayes, Joey Alexander, Miguel Zenon, Tia Fuller, Theo Crocker, Helen Sung, and Sara Caswell, as well as the dynamic Afro-Cuban and funk bands Cory Henry, Cimafunk, The New Orleans Groove Masters, and Pedrito Martinez Group.

“We are fortunate to have the best of the best at SPAC,” said Shiley. “The quality is certainly something that we take a lot of pride in, and we’re excited to have these wonderful performers on our stage.”

On July 9–13, the robust schedule continues with the New York City Ballet returning to resume their residency at SPAC. With a July program that features beloved repertory by George Balanchine, they are also returning for the first performance since 2016 of ‘Jewels’.

“It’s an exciting year, especially because it’s the New York City Ballet’s 75th anniversary,” said Shiley. “We’re excited to be continuing the celebration they’ve been doing all year in the city up here in Saratoga, which has been their summer home for so many years.”

Opening the season on July 9 is ‘NYCB On and Off Stage’. This experience provides the opportunity to see excerpts from the week’s ballets, which culminate with a celebratory afterparty.

On July 10–11, ‘Jewels’ takes center stage with a three-act work of timeless elegance with Emeralds, Rubies, and Diamonds. Featured July 11–13 are two evenings of contemporary and classic repertoire with a compelling program of ‘The Times Are Racing’, ‘Stars and Stripes’, ‘Swan Lake’, ‘New Garner’, ‘Red Angels’, and ‘Gustave Le Gray No. 1.”

To end the residency on July 12 and 13, are the productions of ‘Swan Lake’, ’Scenes from Coppélia’, ‘The Steadfast Tin Soldier’, and ‘Stars and Stripes’. These productions, which encompass the spirit of the 75th anniversary, also provide audiences with the unique experience of delving into the breadth of the company’s work.

“With the ballet, we have core classical programs like ‘Jewels’ and ‘Swan Lake’,” said Shiley. “If you’re not a fan of classical ballet or you’re less familiar, we have some wonderful contemporary offerings, including some electronic scores that highlight the dancers in a really different way from those classic ballets as well.”

“At the core of what we’re trying to do is that we’re really trying to present something for everyone,” said Shiley. “And everyone can find something that they hopefully can engage with at SPAC.”

Continuing their residency from July 31–August 17, the Philadelphia Orchestra will present an impressive three-week season with 12 different programs and appearances by music icons Yo-Yo Ma and John Legend.

“It’s another ambitious season for them for their 58th season here at SPAC,” said Shiley. With several new music and musician debuts, the season is overflowing with curated selections of the finest the Philadelphia Orchestra has to offer.

Selections for the upcoming season include Tchaikovsky conducted by David Robertson, riveting African music by five-time Grammy-award winner Angélique Kidjo, and classic pieces such as ‘An Alpine Symphony’ and ‘An Evening of Brahms’ with Fabio Luisi.

“We’re really excited about all of them, but in particular, we’re excited to be working with John Legend, who will be making his SPAC debut and his debut with the Philadelphia Orchestra,” said Shiley. “We have Yo-Yo Ma coming back, which we’re very excited about as well.

On August 25, Yo-Yo Ma will return for ‘Beethoven for Three’, also featuring Emanuel Ax, Leonidas Kavakos, and special guest Antoine Tamestit. The performance will take place in the Spa Little Theater, with the proceeds from the performance going toward establishing a programming fund for the year-round SPAC venue.

“This is a project that they started years ago and have done a few recordings that have just received incredible critical acclaim,” said Shiley. “They reimagined the music of Beethoven for a chamber setting. They’ll be doing Beethoven’s third symphony, but reimagined for four instruments.”

Shiley encourages attendees to find out what performances during the season speak to them and not to be afraid to explore the vast array of programs that the venue is providing.

“What a way to spend a summer,” he enthused, “with this indoor-outdoor experience— the sun setting behind the venue and just incredible music or a performance on the stage.”

For the full list of upcoming events and more information, visit https://spac.org.

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