Music Room Sets the Scene for Caramoor's Year-Round Activities

When today's audiences enter the magnificent Music Room, with its elaborately coffered ceiling and ornate décor, they may be surprised to discover that Caramoor founders Lucie and Walter Rosen used the room on a daily basis—it was, quite literally, their living room. The earliest concerts there took place amid couches and end tables, with the furniture arranged in traditional fashion. Over the years, as the Rosen soirées became increasingly popular, the couple added rows of chairs to accommodate larger audiences. Eventually the Spanish Courtyard and the Venetian Theater became the main venues for the popular Summer Music Festival concerts, but the Music Room is the heart of Caramoor's activities.

As the emotional core of Caramoor's activities, the Music Room is used on a year-round basis. Caramoor's mentoring programs reserve the room for rehearsals and performances. Thousands of middle school children from Westchester and New York City schools visit during the school year to hear concerts, spend time observing the art, and learning about architechture, the Renaissance, and Chinese culture. And, as in the Rosens' day, some of the world's greatest artists appear on its small stage. The couches may be gone, but the living room ambience remains.