with The Orchestra of St. Luke's
led by Donald Runnicles

On July 31 at 4:30 p.m

Katonah, New York -- On Sunday, July 31 at 4:30 p.m. Donald Runnicles, principal conductor of The Orchestra of St. Luke's, leads the orchestra in an all Mozart and Haydn program featuring Peter Serkin, piano, in Mozart's Piano Concerto No.24, K.491 in C minor. The program also includes Mozart's Symphony No. 29 in A Major and Haydn's Symphony No.102 in B-flat Major. 

Mozart's orchestral music is seminal in Runnicles' relationship with St. Luke's - their very first collaboration was a performance of the "Jupiter" Symphony at Caramoor in 1998, about which Runnicles has said, "I look back to it as one of the most electrifying experiences I have ever had." He continued, "I think this is a group that was born to play Mozart. Why do I say that?  Because this orchestra, which is rightly proud of its chamber music heritage, finds a remarkable forum in the music of Mozart because - it sounds clichéd - it is one glorious piece of chamber music."

Artists

Peter Serkin, piano, is one of the most thoughtful and individualistic musicians appearing before the public today. He has appeared with the world's most prestigious orchestras and has been featured in famed concert halls around the world. Mr. Serkin is in great demand as an orchestral soloist, recitalist and chamber musician. His extensive discography, which ranges from the music of Bach to Berio, reflects his distinctive musical vision. He was honored as the first pianist to receive the Premio Internazionale Musicale Chigiana in recognition of his outstanding artistic achievement. Peter Serkin's recordings also reflect his musical vision. His recently recorded The Ocean that has no West and no East, released by Koch Records, contains compositions by Webern, Wolpe, Messiaen, Takemitsu, Knussen, Lieberson and Wuorinen.

Donald Runnicles, conductor, is one of today's most consistently acclaimed conductors of opera and symphonic repertoire. He has been Music Director of the San Francisco Opera since 1992, and is both Principal Conductor of New York's Orchestra of St. Luke's and Principal Guest Conductor of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Now in his second decade as Music Director of the San Francisco Opera, Mr. Runnicles has led more than 40 productions in the house, including the world premieres of Conrad Susa's The Dangerous Liaisons and of Michael Korie and Stewart Wallace's Harvey Milk. Other notable productions included Virgil Thomson's rarity, The Mother of Us All, Shostakovich's Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, Busoni's Doktor Faust, and Janácek's fable The Cunning Little Vixen

Mr. Runnicles's unique bond with New York's esteemed Orchestra of St. Luke's was apparent from their first concert together, at the 1998 Caramoor Festival.  The orchestra's members soon chose him as their Principal Conductor, to succeed Sir Roger Norrington.  Among the many awards bestowed upon Donald Runnicles are the OBE, which he received at his 50th-birthday gala at the San Francisco Opera, and an honorary degree from Edinburgh University.

The Orchestra of St. Luke's, Caramoor's orchestra-in-residence since 1979, is one of America's foremost and most versatile chamber orchestras. Formed at the Caramoor International Music Festival in the summer of 1979, the Orchestra evolved from the St. Luke's Chamber Ensemble (1974), with Ensemble members forming the Orchestra's artistic core as principal players. The Ensemble and the Orchestra still co-exist today, and the collaborative chamber aesthetic that is the St. Luke's hallmark has resulted in consistent critical acclaim, both for mastery of a diverse repertoire spanning the Baroque to the contemporary, and for vibrant music-making of the highest order.

About Caramoor

Caramoor is the legacy of Walter and Lucie Rosen, who built the great house and filled it with their treasures. Walter Rosen was the master planner for the Caramoor estate, bringing to reality his dream of creating a place to entertain friends from around the world.  Their musical evenings were the seeds of the International Music Festival of today.  Realizing the pleasure their friends took in the beauty of Caramoor - the house with its art collection; the gardens; and the musical programs on summer evenings - the Rosens established a Foundation to open Caramoor to the public in perpetuity.     

Lucie Rosen survived her husband by seventeen years.  During those years, she expanded the Music Festival:  The Spanish Courtyard was used as a setting for musical events, as it is today. Under her direction, the great stage of the Venetian Theater was built.

Caramoor is a Garden of Great Music.  "We invite people to come early, explore our beautiful grounds, take a tour of the House Museum, visit our gift shops, enjoy a pre-concert picnic, and discover beautiful music in a relaxed setting," advises Paul Rosenblum, Caramoor's Managing Director.  With its unique heritage, Caramoor remains a place where magical summer days and nights are shared and enjoyed by thousands.  "Caramoor is the loveliest Festival of them all." - The New York Times

Art and Gardens

Concerts take place in two outdoor theaters - the large, acoustically superb Venetian Theater, and the more intimate, romantic Spanish Courtyard.  Caramoor is more than just music - there is beauty at every turn.  The House Museum, the former summer home of Caramoor's founders, Lucie and Walter Rosen, contains a vast collection of Renaissance, 18th-century, and Eastern art objects - furniture, tapestries, sculpture, paintings, fabrics, porcelain and jade. Twenty rooms, imported in their entirety from European palaces and villas, are open to the public. On Thursdays and Fridays, Afternoon Tea is served in the Summer Dining Room, which overlooks the Spanish Courtyard.

A special exhibition, "If These Walls Could Talk:  17^th, 18^th, and 19^th Century Wall Decorations at Caramoor," will be on view in the House Museum from May 14 through December 2005.  Caramoor's gardens are also well worth the visit.  Nine unique perennial gardens - including a Sense Circle for the visually handicapped, a Butterfly Garden, and a Medieval Mount- may be seen on a guided tour or on one's own.

House Museum
Guided tours of the House Museum are provided Wednesday through Sunday, 1:00-4:00 p.m., with the last tour at 3:00 p.m.  On Saturdays during the Festival, tours are given from 1:00-5:00 p.m., with the last tour at 4:00 p.m. Tickets are $9 (children 16 and under free).  Admission includes the special exhibition, "If These Walls Could Talk."

Getting to Caramoor
Caramoor is easy to get to by car or mass transportation.  From Manhattan, take the Caramoor Caravan and ride comfortably in a luxurious, air-conditioned coach.  Round trip service is $21 and is available for all Saturday and most Sunday performances during the festival. The Caravan departs from the Port Authority Bus Terminal and Upper West Side and East Side locations. Call the Box Office (914-232-1252) for further information and reservations.  By train, take the Harlem Division of the Metro-North Railroad to Katonah, New York. Taxi service from the station to Caramoor (5 minutes away) is available.  By car: (West Side Manhattan and New Jersey) Take the Saw Mill River Parkway north to Katonah.  Exit at Route 35/Cross River. Turn right, and at the first traffic light make a right turn onto Route 22 south.  Travel 1.9 miles to junction of Girdle Ridge Road. Follow the signs to Caramoor.  (Detailed directions:  914-232-5035, press 2, or online at www.caramoor.org).

Tickets may be ordered by calling the Box Office at 914-232-1252 or online at www.caramoor.org.

  Mozart & Haydn

July 31                         Mozart & Haydn

Sunday, 4:30 pm           Orchestra of St. Luke's

Venetian Theater          Donald Runnicles, conductor

Tickets: $65, $50         Peter Serkin, piano

$40, $30, $17.50                        

Mozart                        Symphony No. 29 in A Major, K. 201

Mozart                        Piano Concerto in C minor, K.491

Haydn                          Symphony in B-flat Major, No. 102

*This concert can also be enjoyed from the picnic grounds for $5.