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In deep gratitude for their extraordinary, life-saving dedication in the fight against COVID-19, Opera Saratoga is pleased to offer healthcare professionals and front-line workers in hospitals and public health settings complimentary tickets to the final dress rehearsal of the Tony Award winning musical, MAN OF LA MANCHA, on Wednesday, July 7th at 8:00pm. Complimentary dress rehearsal tickets must be reserved by Tuesday, July 6th at Noon, and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Health care and front-line workers will be asked to confirm their organizational affiliation at the time of their ticket request, which may be made online at www.operasaratoga.org/man-of-la-mancha-dress-rehearsal "The team at Saratoga Hospital has made it possible for us to return to the stage this summer by partnering with us to provide regular testing to all of our artists and production personnel," explains Opera Saratoga's Artistic and General Director, Lawrence Edelson. "As we prepare to take the stage again for the first time since the onset of the pandemic, we wanted to show our appreciation to all of the health care workers who have sacrificed so much to ensure our safety over the past 18 months, and who have helped facilitate our return to the stage. It is our deepest pleasure to be able to invite health care heroes from across the region to join us for the final dress rehearsal of Man of La Mancha – a musical that celebrates optimism and looks forward to what is possible in the face of life's greatest challenges. I am deeply grateful to our season sponsors, Adirondack Trust and Stewart's Shops / The Dake Family Foundation, for making this open dress rehearsal for health care and front-line workers possible." Opera Saratoga returns to the stage for its 60th Anniversary with a season of performances inspired by the iconic novel Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes. At the center of the festival is a new production of MAN OF LA MANCHA, the Tony Award winning musical, featuring Broadway and Opera star Zachary James in the role of Cervantes / Don Quixote; and Opera Saratoga favorite, Kelly Glyptis, returning to Saratoga Springs as Aldonza. The production, directed and choreographed by Opera Saratoga's Artistic and General Director Lawrence Edelson, will feature projection and lighting design by Barry Steele, costumes by Glenn Avery Breed, and will be conducted by Laura Bergquist - who most recently led the musical Allegiance on Broadway. The beloved musical, with a book by Dale Wasserman, music by Mitch Leigh, and lyrics by Joe Darion, was inspired by Miguel de Cervantes' 17th Century masterpiece Don Quixote. A universal tale of love, hope, and adventure, Man of La Mancha celebrates the perseverance of one man who refuses to relinquish his ideals, and who is determined to see life not as it is, but as it ought to be. The celebrated score includes "The Impossible Dream," "I, Don Quixote," "Dulcinea," "I Really Like Him," "Little Bird," and "To Each His Dulcinea." Three performances are scheduled on the SPAC Amphitheater Stage on July 8th, 9th, and 10th at 8pm. Tickets to these performances are on sale through the SPAC box office at www.spac.org. In a more classical vein, Opera Saratoga will also present DON QUICHOTTE AT CAMACHO'S WEDDING, a one-act comic serenata by Georg Philipp Telemann with a libretto by Daniel Schiebeler, taken from an episode from Part Two of Cervantes' celebrated novel, in which the Knight and his squire Sancho Panza encounter some rather strange wedding celebrations as they roam the world in search of adventure. The al fresco production will be staged by Rebecca Miller Kratzer and will be conducted by Michelle Rofrano in and around the Columbia Pavilion in Saratoga Spa State Park, with the backdrop of the forest creating a natural set for this pastoral adventure. The performances will feature Festival Artists from Opera Saratoga's Young Artist Program – the second oldest professional training program for emerging professional singers in the country. Ten performances are scheduled between July 14th and July 18th, with performances at 11am, 1pm, 6pm, and 8pm. In addition, Festival Artists will be featured in A KNIGHT AT THE OPERA, a one-night-only gala concert featuring scenes from operas - both famous and forgotten - that embrace the world of chivalry and knighthood, including music by Verdi, Wagner, Rossini, Gluck, Haydn, and Purcell. This special program is scheduled for Saturday July 17th at 7pm in "The Jousting Tent" at The Lodge of Saratoga Casino Hotel. Complete details about Opera Saratoga's 60th Anniversary Season may be found at www.operasaratoga.org  ABOUT OPERA SARATOGA Opera Saratoga, formerly known as Lake George Opera, began with a production of Die Fledermaus at the Diamond Point Theatre on July 5, 1962, playing to an audience of 230. The Company now calls Saratoga Springs home and performs for more than 25,000 people annually. Opera Saratoga celebrates its 60th Anniversary this season. The company serves the communities of Saratoga Springs, the Lower Adirondack and New York State Capital areas by providing access to world-class opera through the production of an annual Summer Festival, as well as year-round activities including extensive educational programs, mentorship of emerging operatic artists, and unique opportunities for the public to experience opera in both our home theater and non-traditional venues that leverage and embrace the unique cultural, historic, and natural resources of the area. To date, the company has performed 104 different fully staged works by 65 different composers, including 42 works by American composers and 14 premiere productions. In 2014, the Board of Directors appointed Lawrence Edelson Opera Saratoga's Artistic and General Director. Edelson's leadership has marked a new chapter in the company's history, with increased emphasis on community partnerships throughout the year, diversification of the company's repertoire, and a reaffirmed commitment to both the presentation of American opera and the mentorship of emerging artists. For more information, visit www.operasaratoga.org.

Tue, July 20, 2021, 6- 8 PM EST Rome Neal Banana Puddin' Jazz Supported by Jazz Foundation of America Presents "JAZZ Live in the Commodore Barry Park" (Brooklyn) Featuring Chip Crawford (keys), Patience Higgins (sax), Dwayne Cook Broadnax (drums), Lonnie Plaxico (bass) And the Vocals of Patsy Grant, Frank Senior, Steve Cromity More info: www.romeneal.com FREE in the Park and Streamed on YouTube and FaceBook Live, however, your financial support will help to keep this program ALIVE and LIVE! venmo: rome-neal-2 or PayPal: romekyn@earthlink.net Rome Neal's Banana Puddin' Jazz events are STREAMED LIVE! YOUTUBE & FB "FREE" SPONSORS: John D. Smith, Ron Cephas Jones, Lamon Fenner Barbara Flowers, Sheryl Renee Productions, Chris Bryan, Laurence Holder, George Turner, Russell G. Jones, Lisa Martin, Steve Burnett, Black Repertory Group (Berkeley) Black Theatre Project (Documentary)

Jazz in the Valley (JITV) returns Sunday, August 15, 2021, noon to 6:00 pm, with a celebration of Legacy, History and the Future of Jazz.  Presented by TRANSART & Cultural Services, Inc., the day-long festival features its Artistic Director Javon Jackson and his Quartet and celebrates the future of jazz with four young musicians – the Curtis Brothers, Lakecia Benjamin, Julius Rodriguez and Samara Joy – who are taking the jazz tradition to the next level. JITV observed its 20th anniversary last year as a virtual production, due to the pandemic. This year’s edition features the return of live music, with a diverse assemblage of world-class and emerging jazz musicians.

It’s no surprise Sarah Brightman is the biggest selling soprano in the world. Her crystalline voice is immediately recognizable across the globe: earthy yet ethereal, haunting yet angelic. Since her international breakthrough as Christine Daaé in The Phantom of the Opera, Sarah has toured extensively to widespread acclaim. She is credited with pioneering the classical crossover movement and is the only artist to have simultaneously topped the Billboard dance and classical charts. Don’t miss the awe-inspiring vocals of this luminous superstar.

Rhymes With Opera presents a live, virtual production of Red Giant on Sunday, June 20, 2021 at 7pm ET which will be available for streaming beginning June 22, 2021 at 7pm ET. Red Giant will feature three singers performing synchronously from three different cities: soprano Bonnie Lander in Baltimore, MD; soprano Elisabeth Halliday-Quan in Rochester, NY; and baritone Robert Maril in New York, NY. They will be accompanied by the Rhymes With Orchestra, Adam Matlock's new sci-fi opera Red Giant is a compelling chamber opera that tells the story of three people who are lost in space and struggling with the aftermath of humanity as their former home planet becomes uninhabitable. Tickets for the live performance are $20 and $10 for streaming and can be purchased online at www.rhymeswithopera.org/red-giant-2021. Ticket buyers for the live performance will also have access to stream the production. "As a lifelong fan of Science Fiction and a composer enamored of opera as a medium, it only made sense to combine the two when given the opportunity to work on a piece," said Matlock. "Of course in the beginning the scenario - people trying to escape a planet's surface that has become uninhabitable due to their sun becoming the titular 'Red Giant' - was pure fantasy. But in the nearly decade since this piece was first written, we've seen governments and societies struggle to reach a consensus as to whether or not climate change is really happening in the face of readily observable evidence - and it's hard not to feel that this story has gained some resonance in the face of that. And of course, even in the face of a true existential crisis, humans will still find time to bicker." Red Giant is Rhymes With Opera's first revival. The piece was originally performed in 2014 and was slated to be revived in May 2020. It is commissioned, produced and performed by Rhymes With Opera. Run time is approx. 40 minutes. Red Giant Opera in One Act (RWO Commission) Adam Matlock, composer Brian Slattery, librettist Ashley Tata, director Eamonn Farrell, video designer Afsoon Pajoufar, set design Aislinn Curry, stage management  Elisabeth Halliday-Quan, soprano Bonnie Lander, soprano Baritone Robert Maril  George Tsz-Kwan Lam, conductor  Tia Allen, viola Zach Herchen, saxophone Chris Wilson, piano Thomas Lai, violin Maiko Hosoda, percussion Jenna Girone-Virgilio, cello David Crandall, radio announcer Artist Bio Adam Matlock is an accordionist, composer, and vocalist living and working in New Haven, CT. Matlock writes and performs songs under the name An Historic, building narratives accompanied by musical inspirations from Balkan music and Klezmer, Soul, and various strains of rock. An Historic exists as a solo project, but is reinforced live and on record with the members of Dr. Caterwauls Cadre of Clairvoyant Claptraps, a folk/jazz band with flexible instrumentation. Matlock also composes under his own name, most notably the opera Red Giant (2014) for 6 piece ensemble and three singers, commissioned by Rhymes With Opera; and Earthseed Songs (2012) for voice and two instrumentalists; he also composes and performs keyboard-based music under a variety of aliases. Matlock has performed original music and arrangements with Broadcloth, The Yale Klezmer Band, Orkestar BAM, and the Harris Brothers Balkan Band, in addition to the aforementioned projects. He has recorded, performed, or improvised with artists including Anthony Braxton, Mario Pavone, Ceschi, Vinny Golia, Sigh, and Clara Engel, and works as a music teacher in the New Haven area. Rhymes With Opera is a New York-based ensemble of performers and composers that expands the repertory of contemporary opera by commissioning, developing and staging new chamber works. Founded in 2007, Rhymes With Opera includes founding company members Ruby Fulton (composer); Elisabeth Halliday-Quan (soprano); George Tsz-Kwan Lam (composer); Bonnie Lander (soprano); and Robert Maril (baritone). During the 2012-2013 season, Rhymes With Opera expanded to include a house band, the Rhymes With Orchestra, a chamber ensemble comprised of some of this generation's most exciting contemporary instrumentalists. With the addition of the RWOrchestra, RWO has become a self-contained contemporary opera machine, commissioning and producing works that can be performed whole-cloth by the company. Since 2007, RWO has commissioned more than 17 new operas, ranging from one-minute "signature" pieces to evening-length productions. In addition to premiering works by founders Fulton and Lam, new operas commissioned and produced by RWO include Vid Smooke's Criminal Element, Adam Matlock's Red Giant, Anna Meadors' Manifesto on the Ledge, Daniel Thomas Davis' The Impossible She, and Erik Spangler's Cantata For A Loop Trail, an outdoor hiking opera set in Gwynn Falls Leakin Park in Baltimore and Inwood Hill Park in New York City. For more information, visit www.rhymeswithopera.org.

"a bottomless well of musical energy--he can probably cut any saxophonist in town, and hold his own with any saxophonist, period." - Washington City Paper "a grandly talented improviser" - Allaboutjazz.com "when he steps in front of his own combo, Baker's liable to bring the house down; he has a broad, powerful tone and a sure-footed improvisational attack that winds and zags. It's confident and questioning, all at once." - Giovanni Russonello Tedd Baker, sax Kris Funn, bass Quincy Phillips, drums Tedd Baker has performed with a wide variety of jazz greats and contemporary artists including Barry Harris, George Duke, David Sanborn, Slide Hampton, Eddie Daniels, Jon Faddis, Victor Lewis, Vanessa Rubin, Jason Moran, Duane Eubanks, Josh Groban, Wycliffe Gordon, Butch Warren, Fitz and The Tantrums, Mason Bates, Michael Mossman, Warren Wolf, Donnie McCaslin, and Pete Yellin among others. He has recorded with New York Voices, Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra under the direction of David Baker, Bohemian Caverns All-Stars, John La Barbera, George Russell Orchestra, Bobby Caldwell, and the Amina Figarova Sextet among others. Tedd has also performed with the Artie Shaw Orchestra, Washington Jazz Orchestra, Alan Baylock Orchestra, and the Frank Carlberg/Andrew Rathbun Orchestra among others. Tedd Baker began playing professionally in Boston as a teenager. He placed first in the 2000 Hilton Head Jazz Society Competition. In 2001 he was chosen for the State Department Jazz Ambassador Program and toured South America, Central America and Jamaica. In 2002 he joined the Airmen of Note, USAF Band, Washington, D.C. Tedd Baker's all-original 2006 debut CD “Mugshots” received rave reviews from JazzTimes, and All About Jazz. Tedd's latest release "Duos Volume 1" is a reverent nod to the classic duo configuration, and features tenor/soprano saxophone paired in various duo settings with piano, bass, drums, guitar, and voice. Tedd is also featured on many recordings such as steel pan and composer Victor Provost's "Bright Eyes," the Taylor/ Fidyk Big Band "Live At Blues Alley," Ben Patterson Jazz Orchestra's "Vital Frequencies feat Chris Potter," and The Young Lions "Live At Bohemian Caverns." Showtime is 7 pm ET/6 pm CT/5 pm MT/4 pm PT/11 pm GMT A limited number of in-person seats are available for $20 each. Email henry@andiemusik.com for stipulations. Streaming cost is $10 Donations are welcomed. The link will be revealed to you 15 minutes before the show and will remain active through July 9

The Abe Mamet trio, with Joe Palmer and Steve Arnold Abe Mamet is a French horn player from Denver, CO who has lived in Washington, DC since 2017. Being one of the only musicians in the country to exclusively play jazz music on the horn, Abe has become an oft-used addition for large format ensembles across the region, most notably working for Frank Lacy in NYC and the AFree symphony in DC. His teachers and mentors include Manuel Collazo (Colorado Springs), Keith Oxman (Denver), Franz Sollner (Vienna), Morris Kliphuis (Amsterdam), and John Clark (NYC). With his small ensemble work, Abe presents 21st-century American music informed by his positionality within the wide-ranging Jewish diaspora, as well as his family’s long roots in jazz on the East Coast. Stephen Arnold is a bassist, composer, producer, and arranger living in Washington, DC. He received a bachelor’s degree in English and Music from the George Washington University, where he studied with Herman Burney. He has quickly become one of the region’s most in-demand upright and electric bassists, performing regularly with Sharon Clark, Donvonte McCoy, and Simone Baron, and leading his own critically-acclaimed ensemble, Sea Change. Joe Palmer was born in Manchester CT and currently resides in Silver Spring MD. He is a drummer and Percussionist. Joe has spent recent years traveling Europe and Africa with Real World Records artist Les Amazones De Afrique, as well as freelancing as a sideman with several Jazz, Hip-Hop, and Rock artists. His life consists of the study of music whilst promoting humanitarian work through world travel and cultural exploration. Together, the group explores the unique anxieties, and joys, of artistic creation, freedom, and struggle in our modern America, by using jazz to groove and build new pathways towards beauty. Showtime is 7 pm ET/6 pm CT/5 pm MT/4 pm PT/11 pm GMT A limited number of in-person seats are available for $20 each. Please email henry@andiemusik.com for stipulations. Streaming cost is $10 Donations are welcomed. The link will be revealed to you 15 minutes before the show and will remain active through June 23

Lafayette Gilchrist's The Return of The Specials Revealed Ensemble Herman Burney, bass Eric Kennedy, drums Lafayette Gilchrist, piano Working out on "New Songbook" a new ever-unfolding work in progress. Showtime is 7 pm ET/6 pm CT/5 pm MT/4 pm PT/11 pm GMT A limited number of in-person seats are available for $20 each. Please email henry@andiemusik.com for stipulations. Streaming cost is $10 Donations are welcomed. The link will be revealed to you 15 minutes before the show and will remain active through June 24

Elijah Jamal Balbed - Saxophone James Collins - Organ Eric Tapper - Drums Elijah Jamal Balbed is an award-winning Saxophonist in Washington, DC. A native of the nation's capital and graduate of the legendary Jazz program at Howard University. Named Best Tenor Saxophonist (2017) and Best New Jazz Musician (2010) by the Washington City Paper, Elijah has established himself as one of the top Jazz Artists in the area. In 2018 & 2019, Elijah led cultural diplomacy tours in Russia as Jazz Ambassadors on behalf of the U.S. State Department. In 2020, Elijah won the DC Jazz Prix International Band Competition, and in 2021 performed at the Port-au-Prince International Jazz Festival (#PAPJAZZ). Most recently, Elijah was featured in The Washington Post for his efforts to keep live music alive throughout the pandemic - a series now known as #JazzMobDC. For this concert at An Die Musik, Elijah will bring his organ trio featuring James Collins on Organ and Eric Tapper on Drums. The three have been performing regularly as a trio recently, with an ever-growing repertoire ranging from Larry Young, Wayne Shorter, Duke Pearson, and even some original music. Come out or tune in to witness this great trio for a night of swingin', soulful music. Showtime is 7 pm ET/6 pm CT/5 pm MT/4 pm PT/11 pm GMT A limited number of in-person seats are available for $20 each. Please email henry@andiemusik.com for stipulations. Streaming cost is $10 Donations are welcomed. The link will be revealed to you 15 minutes before the show and will remain active through July 14

Paul Carr & Friends Juneteenth Celebration: Songs of Celebration and Hope This performance is in remembrance of the historic African American “Juneteenth” Emancipation of the former Texas slaves. The term comes from the date June 19th, 1865 when slaves in Texas were freed although slavery had been officially abolished more than two years earlier. Today, Juneteenth continues to be celebrated throughout the country as a ritual of cultural pride and historical continuity. Don't miss this concert ~ please share with all your friends Paul Carr, Saxes Allyn Johnson, Piano Amy Shook, Bass Chris Latona, Drums Paul Carr, a Houston native and 1985 Howard University graduate, has dedicated his professional career to mastering the saxophone and the art of Jazz. He carries on the Texas tenor tradition espoused by great heroes such as the late Houstonians Arnett Cobb and Don Wilkerson who served as his early idols and mentors. He grew up in inner-city Houston and was a member of the Kashmere High School Stage Band, whose director, the late Conrad Johnson, is the subject of a documentary, Thunder Soul, produced by actor Jamie Foxx. Though never having had private music lessons, Paul has received several outstanding musician awards at high school and college jazz festivals. Paul has recorded 5 CD’s, which have been well received by critics and jazz fans alike. His new CD “DC-NYC Organ Sessions” eleased in September, 2014 and hit the top 10 on the Jazz Week radio play charts. His 2013 CD, “Standard Domain,” reached #3 on the Jazz Week radio play chart and stayed on the chart for 16 weeks. Paul has toured Russia, Europe, the Middle East, the Caribbean and Central and South America and has shared the stage with many of the greatest names in jazz. Paul was a favorite of President Clinton during his term in office and Paul performed at many of the Clintons' private events. He also did a special performance for the late King Hussein and Queen Noir of Jordan at their residence in Aqaba, Jordan. Paul is passionately committed to the education of children and particularly as it relates to the preservation of jazz. In 2002, he founded the Jazz Academy of Music, which hosts summer camps and jazz ensembles for kids throughout the year. Paul has changed the lives of hundreds of his students by selflessly sharing his knowledge of music and life. Several of his students have been admitted and even received full scholarships to some of the top music schools and conservatories in the country. In fact, five of Paul's students have been admitted to the prestigious Julliard School of Music in New York. Paul’s work was acknowledged in 2012 by ABC Channel 7 News when he was selected as a “Harris Hero” for his amazing work with music students across the area. Most recently in March 2014, Paul received the prestigious, Howard University, “Benny Golson Jazz Master Award”, for his outstanding work as a performer, presenter and educator. He served as a panelist at the 2014 Congressional Black Caucus where he spoke on the importance of jazz education and advocated for a Bill currently being vetted in Congress that will offer federal support toward the advancement and preservation of traditional jazz. In 2010, Paul re-established the East Coast Jazz Festival as the Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival and serves as its Executive and Artistic Director. The festival enjoys over 2,000 attendees that travel from states across the U.S. and beyond. Showtime is 7 pm ET/6 pm CT/5 pm MT/4 pm PT/11 pm GMT A limited number of in-person seats are available for $25 each. Please email henry@andiemusik.com for stipulations. Streaming cost is $10 Donations are welcomed. The link will be revealed to you 15 minutes before the show and will remain active through June 25.