Mandy Gonzalez, Nobuntu and More Set for Caramoor 2026-27 Season

Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts has revealed its the 2026-2027 season of its intimate Rosen House Concert Series, which includes twenty-one performances featuring classical, jazz, folk, and global music held from October 2026 through May 2027. Caramoor also continues its commitment to mentoring the next generation of classical musicians with its annual Evnin Rising Stars and Schwab Vocal Rising Stars programs, as well as the Ernst Stiefel String Quartet-in-Residence, held this season by the Renaissance String Quartet. In addition, Caramoor will offer expanded public programs, going Beyond the Music with Yoga, Teas, Talks and More and giving the community more opportunities to engage with this special location. These include a new collaboration with Juilliard Extension, Juilliard's flagship program for nonmatriculated students, presenting the inaugural set of six faculty-led lectures complementing the Rosen House Concert Series.

Caramoor, once the estate of music and art lovers Walter and Lucie Rosen, is one of the region's most distinctive destinations for live performance, cultural engagement, and exploration. Caramoor's Rosen House Concert Series is held in the exquisite Music Room of the historic home – a Mediterranean-style villa from 1939 filled with treasures from around the world. Audiences enjoy performances by some of today's most in-demand artists in the same living room salon setting where the Rosens once entertained their many friends. The estate's gardens and grounds are also open year round to visitors, free of charge, for picnicking and walking daily from 10:00am to 4:00pm.

2026-2027 Rosen House Concerts Series

Nobuntu

Friday, October 2, 2026 at 7:30pm

Nobuntu, the internationally acclaimed female a cappella quartet from Zimbabwe, brings its vibrant artistry to Caramoor for the first time. Nobuntu's inventive performances range from traditional Zimbabwean songs to Afro-Jazz and Gospel, utilizing pure voices along with traditional dance and percussion. Named for an African concept valuing humility, love, and unity, the award-winning ensemble preserves its cultural heritage while championing music's power to transcend social and economic boundaries. Beyond the group's extensive international tours and three studio recordings, Nobuntu leads vital community initiatives at home, empowering a new generation of young women in the arts.

Bandits on the Run

Friday, October 16, 2026 at 7:30pm
Presented in collaboration with City Winery

Bandits on the Run is an indie-folk-pop-Americana outfit consisting of three lead singers who also play guitar, cello, suitcase drum, accordion, and various toy instruments. They hail from Brooklyn and are known for their vivacious performance style, genre-defying sound, soaring harmonies, and ability to make music-magic happen everywhere from subway platforms to concert halls. Their three-part harmonies have been heard filling iconic venues while opening for The Wood Brothers' 2025 East Coast tour, on the main stages at Colorado's Rocky Mount Folks Fest and Michigan's Blissfest, and in a sold-out residency at Manhattan's Bowery Electric.

Countertenor Iestyn Davies and Harpist Oliver Wass

Sunday, October 18, 2026 at 3:00pm

Celebrated British countertenor Iestyn Davies is known for his vocal beauty and technical dexterity. An esteemed Handelian, he is a GRAMMY-winner and recipient of multiple Gramophone awards, with appearances at The Metropolitan Opera, La Scala, and Carnegie Hall. He earned an Olivier Award nomination for his performance in the play Farinelli and the King in London and New York. In 2022, Davies appeared with lutenist Thomas Dunford in the Music Room, and now he returns with Oliver Wass, the first harpist ever to win the prestigious Guildhall Gold Medal, for a recital of works by Dowland, Purcell, Handel, Gluck, Monteverdi, and more.

Pianist Jonathan Biss

Sunday, October 25, 2026 at 3:00pm

Pianist Jonathan Biss is recognized globally for his impeccable taste and formidable technique. He has appeared as a soloist with the foremost ensembles of the world, including the Los Angeles and New York Philharmonics, the Boston Symphony, and the Royal Concertgebouw. Biss is particularly renowned for his deep engagement with the music of Beethoven. He has recorded the complete piano sonatas of the composer, created a widely viewed Coursera lecture series, spearheaded the Beethoven/5 commissioning project, and is the author of the acclaimed book Unquiet: My Life with Beethoven. Beyond his extensive touring and advocacy for newly commissioned works, Biss serves as the Co-Artistic Director of the Marlboro Music School and Festival. He is a frequent contributor to The New York Times and the recipient of numerous prestigious honors, including the Leonard Bernstein Award, an Avery Fisher Career Grant, and a Gilmore Young Artist Award. At Caramoor, he will present his program Words Fail! featuring selections from Mendelssohn's Songs Without Words, Janáček's "Words Fail!" from On the Overgrown Path, Kurtág's "Quiet Talk with the Devil" and "Silence" from Játékok, Amy Beth Kirsten's (speak to me), and Schumann's Variations on an Original Theme and Fantasy in C Major, Op. 17.

Evnin Rising Stars

Saturday, October 31, 2026 at 3:00pm
Sunday, November 1, 2026 at 3:00pm

These two performances feature participants in Caramoor's Evnin Rising Stars mentoring program, which has nurtured emerging talent since 1992. Each year, the program's Artistic Director Marcy Rosen identifies some of the most promising musicians at the cusp of their careers, bringing them to Caramoor for a weeklong chamber music residency with distinguished artist mentors. In addition to Rosen, this year's mentors are violinist Soovin Kim and violist Dmitri Murrath, both alumni of the Evnin Rising Stars program. The 2026 Evnin Rising Stars are Isabelle Ai Durrenberger, violin; Stephen Kim, violin; Julian Rhee, violin; Laura Liu, viola; Emad Zolfaghari, viola; Andrew Byun, cello; Annie Jacobs-Perkins, cello; and Albert Cano Smit, piano. The Evnin Rising Stars and the artist mentors will perform chamber music by Mozart, Janáček, and Franck on October 31 and music by Beethoven, Bartók, and Brahms on November 1. Tickets are free for audience members ages 18 and under.

Pianist Aaron Diehl

Friday, November 6, 2026 at 7:30pm
Presented in collaboration with Jazz at Lincoln Center

Pianist Aaron Diehl has quietly re-defined the lines between jazz and classical and built a global career around his nuanced, understated approach to music-making. He has collaborated with musical giants such as Wynton Marsalis, Cécile McLorin Salvant, and Philip Glass. Diehl serves as the Artistic Director of the Jazz in July Festival at 92NY and frequently performs as a soloist with the New York Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Cleveland Orchestra. A familiar presence at Caramoor, Diehl recorded his debut solo album, Live at Caramoor, at the venue in 2008 and most recently returned for a performance with The Knights of Mary Lou Williams' Zodiac Suite, following his landmark recording of the work in 2023.

Renaissance String Quartet

Sunday, November 15, 2026 at 3:00pm
2026-2027 Ernst Stiefel String Quartet-in-Residence

The Renaissance String Quartet makes the first of three appearances at Caramoor as part of Caramoor's yearlong mentorship program dedicated to supporting rising ensembles. Founded in 2021 by violinists Randall Goosby and Jeremiah Blacklow, violist Jameel Martin, and cellist Daniel Hass, the quartet was built on over a decade of friendship formed at The Perlman Music Program and The Juilliard School. Driven by a desire to reimagine the capacity of the string quartet, the ensemble commands a diverse repertoire of classic, underrepresented, and new works to champion an inclusive vision for the future of classical music. As recipients of a 2024 Salon de Virtuosi career grant, the quartet has performed extensively across the globe, featuring recent international debuts at Queen Elizabeth Hall in London and Muziekhaven in Amsterdam alongside dynamic collaborations and educational residencies spanning from Princeton University to Kingston, Jamaica. At Caramoor, the Renaissance Quartet will perform W.A. Mozart's Adagio and Fugue in C Minor, K. 546; Florence Price's String Quartet No. 2 in A Minor; and Béla Bartók's String Quartet No. 1. Tickets are free for audience members ages 18 and under.

Guitarist Julian Lage – Benefit Concert

Saturday, December 5, 2026 at 8:00pm

Hailed as one of the most prodigious guitarists of his generation and among the "highest category of improvising musicians" (The New Yorker), Julian Lage is known for blending jazz traditions with American roots music through virtuosic technique and improvisation. A former child prodigy who performed at the 2000 GRAMMYs, he has released acclaimed albums from his GRAMMY-nominated debut Sounding Point to his 2026 Blue Note release Scenes from Above.

A pre-concert Benefit Dinner in the Formal Dining Room offers a way to support Caramoor in a meaningful way. Attendees will enjoy a three-course meal, fine wine, and conversation with Caramoor's most ardent supporters. Select concert tickets also include a post-concert reception with Julian Lage.

Christmas with Cantus

Sunday, December 6, 2026 at 2:00pm and 4:00pm

Now in its 32nd season, the widely acclaimed low-voice ensemble Cantus is known for its trademark warmth, blend, and innovative programming. Lessons and Carols for Our Time invites audiences to a rich, contemplative holiday experience that merges tradition with timely resonance. Cantus reimagines the beloved format of Lessons and Carols, exploring themes of hope, peace, and unity through classic carols, music from around the world, and a captivating blend of poetry curated by award-winning author Michael Kleber-Diggs.

Celebrate the season with the timeless beauty of carols such as "Silent Night" and "I Saw Three Ships," alongside recent works from bold, fresh compositional voices like Zanaida Robles and Marian L. Harrison. The program unfolds with a dynamic range of emotions and textures, featuring pieces by Rachmaninoff, Ariel Ramirez, and Eric Whitacre that spark reflections on faith and humanity. At once classic and modern, Lessons and Carols for Our Time is a heartfelt program that evokes the spirit of celebration and reflection.

Schwab Vocal Rising Stars

Sunday, March 7, 2027 at 3:00pm

The spring Rosen House Concert Series opens with the Schwab Vocal Rising Stars' culminating performance. Every year, Schwab Vocal Rising Stars's Artistic Director Steven Blier selects four promising singers and a pianist for a week-long Caramoor residency with Blier and Associate Artistic Director Bénédicte Jourdois that includes daily coaching, rehearsals, and workshops, culminating in this concert in the Music Room. Together they will present Guilty Pleasures, a program of secrets, admonitions, parables, guilt, and delights from many cultures and centuries. This bracing dive into the Seven Deadly Sins (with a side tour to some sweeter peccadillos) includes songs by Strauss, Britten, John Jacob Niles, Brahms, and Irving Berlin. Tickets are free for audience members ages 18 and under.

Viano Quartet

Sunday, April 4, 2027 at 3:00pm

The Viano Quartet has quickly soared to international acclaim as a dynamic and in-demand string ensemble. Formed in 2015 at the Colburn Conservatory of Music, the group achieved major recognition after winning First Prize at the Banff International String Quartet Competition. The quartet was awarded the Avery Fisher Career Grant in 2025. Equally committed to classical masterworks and contemporary repertoire, the ensemble actively collaborates with leading modern composers. The discography of the quartet highlights a diverse range across traditional and modern eras, featuring the 2023 debut EP Portraits and the 2025 full-length album Voyager. The quartet also shares a deep passion for chamber music education by working with young artists at leading music institutions around the world. At Caramoor, the Viano Quartet will give the New York premiere of String Quartet No. 2: Dhara by celebrated composer Reena Esmail, alongside Haydn's String Quartet in C Major, selections from Dvořák's Cypresses, and Mendelssohn's String Quartet No. 4 in E Minor.

The Summer Camargo Quintet

Friday, April 9, 2027 at 7:30pm
Presented in collaboration with Jazz at Lincoln Center

Twenty-four-year-old jazz trumpeter Summer Camargo is a composer and bandleader recently named a "25 for the Future" rising jazz star by DownBeat magazine. In 2022 she became the newest and youngest member of the Saturday Night Live house band and is also enjoying her most recent role as a band member in Broadway's new musical, Just in Time. She is a regular performer at notable New York City jazz clubs like Dizzy's and Birdland, as well as a member of the Mingus Big Band. Camargo has toured with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra on the Big Band Holidays tour, performed with Jon Batiste at the Newport Jazz Festival, was a guest artist at Wynton at 60, and performed her original composition "Alalazoo" at the 2022 Jazz at Lincoln Center Gala.

ACRONYM

Reginald Mobley, countertenor
Sunday, April 11, 2027 at 3:00pm

GRAMMY-nominated American countertenor Reginald Mobley and the acclaimed Baroque band ACRONYM join forces for Lasciatemi Morire: Songs of Love, Death and Devotion. Globally renowned for his purity of tone and deft interpretations of early music, Mobley regularly performs with top orchestras across the globe and serves as a leading advocate for diversity in classical programming. He shares the stage with ACRONYM, an early music string ensemble dedicated to premiering forgotten instrumental works of the seventeenth century. Since forming in 2012, the ensemble has released numerous critically acclaimed albums and captivated audiences with their consummate style. Together, they present a historically rich program featuring vocal and instrumental compositions by Claudio Monteverdi, Barbara Strozzi, Antonio Vivaldi, Isabella Leonarda, and other notable figures of the Baroque era.

The Other Mozart

Sylvia Milo, creator & actress
Nathan Davis, composer & sound designer
Phyllis Chen, composer

Saturday, April 17, 2027 at 7:30pm
Sunday, April 18, 2027 at 3:00pm

The Other Mozart is an award-winning play telling the true, forgotten story of Nannerl Mozart, the sister of Amadeus—a prodigy, keyboard virtuoso, and composer who performed throughout Europe with her brother to equal acclaim, but whose work and story faded away, lost to history. Created, written, and performed by Sylvia Milo, The Other Mozart had a critically acclaimed Off-Broadway run at HERE Arts Center, earning Drama Desk and Off Broadway Alliance nominations. It also received eight New York Innovative Theatre (NYIT) Award nominations, winning Outstanding Solo Performance and Original Music. The production has had more than 350 performances worldwide. The New York Times describes the play as "strikingly beautiful," while The Los Angeles Times writes, "With an emotional precision that captures and rewards attention throughout, Sylvia Milo rescues Nannerl's genius."

Pianist Inon Barnatan

Sunday, April 25, 2027 at 3:00pm

Recognized as a highly admired pianist of his generation, Inon Barnatan has established a uniquely varied career as a soloist, curator, and collaborator. He performs regularly with leading orchestras worldwide and served as the inaugural Artist in Association of the New York Philharmonic. The versatile musician has appeared with prominent ensembles including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony, and the Leipzig Gewandhaus. As a curator, he serves as the Music Director for the SummerFest of the La Jolla Music Society. He maintains close partnerships in chamber music, frequently performing alongside cellist Alisa Weilerstein and soprano Renée Fleming. At Caramoor, Barnatan presents a program framed by Chopin's Four Ballades, creating a dialogue across time between Chopin, his influences, and his successors. It includes music by Irish composer John Field, Samuel Barber, along with mazurkas by Karol Szymanowski and Thomas Adès, revealing how Chopin's incorporation of Polish idioms continued to inspire composers in the 20th and 21st centuries.

Renaissance String Quartet

Sunday, May 2, 2027 at 3:00pm
2026-27 Ernst Stiefel String Quartet-in-Residence

For its second of three performances as the 2026-27 Ernst Stiefel String Quartet-in-Residence, the Renaissance String Quartet presents a program that places Mozart and Ravel in dialogue with a bold new work by founding cellist Daniel Hass, reflecting the ensemble's commitment to both classical mastery and contemporary creation. The program features the world premiere of Suite for String Quartet by Hass, paired with Mozart's String Quartet No. 22 in B-flat Major, K. 589, and Ravel's String Quartet in F Major. Tickets are free for audience members ages 18 and under.

Sister Sadie

Friday, May 7, 2027 at 7:30pm
Presented in collaboration with City Winery

Sister Sadie is a GRAMMY-nominated all-female bluegrass supergroup renowned for its hard-driving acoustic sound and breathtaking vocal harmonies. Formed after a spontaneous jam session at the legendary Station Inn in Nashville, the acclaimed ensemble quickly made history as the first all-female band to win the prestigious Entertainer of the Year award from the International Bluegrass Music Association in 2020. Having also secured multiple Vocal Group of the Year titles from the organization, the band bridges the gap between traditional mountain music and a vibrant contemporary edge. Delivering fiery and high-energy performances with exceptional instrumental prowess, Sister Sadie continues to tour extensively and captivate audiences at major music festivals and historic concert venues across the nation.

Vocalist Mandy Gonzalez

Friday, May 14, 2027 at 7:30pm
Cabaret in the Music Room

Mandy Gonzalez is an accomplished film, television, and stage actor celebrated for her starring roles on Broadway. She is widely known for her portrayal of Nina Rosario in the original cast of In the Heights, as well as her acclaimed performances as Angelica Schuyler in Hamilton and Elphaba in Wicked. Beyond her extensive theatrical credits, Gonzalez is a familiar presence on television with recurring roles in programs such as Madam Secretary and Quantico. As a versatile recording artist and concert performer, she released her debut solo album Fearless, which features a title track written by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Her captivating cabaret performances showcase a dynamic vocal range and a deeply personal storytelling style. Gonzalez is also the founder of the Fearless Squad, a community focused on inclusivity and positivity, and she brings this inspiring energy to audiences worldwide.

Beyond the Music: Yoga, Teas, Talks, & More

Caramoor has expanded its slate of community and family programming, giving visitors more ways to experience this unique setting in addition to its world-class concerts. Highlights for the 2026-2027 season include the continuation through September 5 of Caramoor's 2026 Rosen House Focus Tour: Inside Lucie's Wardrobe on Fridays and Saturdays, inviting visitors to discover Lucie Rosen's fashions through a docent-led experience. For the first time in over thirty years, Lucie's unique fashions are displayed in the Rosen House, enlivened by photos and new research. In related programming, on Thursday, September 3, 2026 at 7:00pm in the Music Room at the Rosen House, Caramoor presents Conversations at Caramoor: Spotlight on Lucie's Jewelry. Beth Carver Wees, Curator Emerita of the American Wing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and co-author of Marcus & Company: Three Generations of New York Jewelers, will place Lucie's jewelry into historic context and speak about the well-known Manhattan jewelers of the Rosens' era.

After September 5, 2026, Caramoor offers Rosen House Signature Tours on Fridays and Saturdays, inviting visitors to explore the historic Rosen House through a docent-led experience which shares the stories behind the House's carefully assembled treasures, including Asian and Renaissance art, period rooms imported from European villas and châteaux, and architectural details that reveal the Rosens' global tastes and vision for a home that celebrates beauty and culture.

Caramoor will also continue its popular Afternoon Teas, offering a variety of tea sandwiches, scones with crème fraîche and preserves, delicious desserts, and a selection of fragrant teas. Afternoon Tea was one of the English traditions Lucie Rosen enjoyed during her time living in England in the early 1910s. She kept up the practice of inviting friends and guests to tea for many years, using the time for conversation and for planning concerts and other social events. Tea is served in the Music Room, a unique opportunity to relax with friends and family in a breathtaking historic setting.

In addition, Caramoor invites the community to unwind and restore in a serene setting with Yoga in the Sunken Garden in September and Yoga in the Music Room in January. This special yoga series is designed to nurture both body and mind. Each session offers a gentle, mindful practice led by an experienced instructor, with an emphasis on breath, alignment, and presence. Whether you are new to yoga or returning to your mat, these sessions provide a peaceful way to end your day while experiencing Caramoor from a new perspective.

Caramoor also offers family activities in all seasons, including making Halloween treats and winter wreaths during Halloween Dessert Decorating Kids Cooking Class and Winter Wreath-Making for Families. In 2027, Young Artists at Caramoor workshops return to let kids explore new media and the forms it can take. Caramoor also offers Rosen House Studio Nights: Art and Aperitifs for adults on select Wednesday evenings, with themes including ceramic tile painting, stained glass mosaics, and jewelry design.

Check the Caramoor website for the schedule of Beyond the Music programs, which is announced on a rolling basis: caramoor.org/events/beyond-the-music

New Collaboration with Juilliard Extension: Six Faculty-Led Lectures at Caramoor

Need more Central New York Theatre News in your life?
Sign up for all the news on the Summer season, discounts & more...