Press Release: Saratoga Performing Arts Center Announces 7th Annual “Adirondack Trust Company Festival of Young Artists” Sunday, June 2 @ 2 PM
May 13, 2024
Saratoga Performing Arts Center Announces
7th Annual “Adirondack Trust Company Festival of Young Artists”
Sunday, June 2 @ 2 PM
Free community festival to showcase hundreds of the Capital Region’s brightest young dancers, musicians, singers, poets and visual artists, culminating in a large-scale performance on the SPAC stage
With performances by local organizations and school ensembles, including Empire State Youth Orchestra,
Capital District Youth Chorale, Saratoga Springs Youth Ballet, Capital District Arts Initiative, and the SPAC School of the Arts
Saratoga Springs, NY (May 13, 2024) – Saratoga Performing Arts Center announced that “The Adirondack Trust Company Festival of Young Artists” will return for its seventh annual event on Sunday, June 2 from 2 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. Following the theme Rhythm – an inspirational thread woven throughout SPAC’s 2024 season – the festival will celebrate the collaborative creativity of more than 700 of the Capital Region’s brightest young dancers, musicians, singers, poets, and visual artists all in support of SPAC’s mission to provide free access to enriching arts programs for local youth.
Featuring students from local schools and organizations such as Empire State Youth Orchestra, Capital District Youth Chorale, Saratoga Springs Youth Ballet, Capital District Arts Initiative, and the SPAC School of the Arts, the afternoon will include individual pop-up performances and art displays, culminating in a large-scale, coordinated production on SPAC’s stage. As part of the production, an original musical composition by festival student, Lucia Vysohlid (Niskayuna HS, Grade 12), will premiere on the SPAC stage, performed by the ESYO Symphony Orchestra, Capital District Youth Chorale, and singers from Saratoga Springs, Schalmont, and Shenendehowa high schools.
Earlier this month, SPAC also revealed this year’s online student gallery at www.spacfoya.org, showcasing 95 pieces selected out of nearly 300 submissions. “The student pieces were inspired this year by a passage from ‘The First Book of Rhythms’ by Langston Hughes,” said Dennis Moench, VP of Education, “which is a book that was written to encourage youth to be cognizant of rhythm not only as it exists in music, but as it exists in everything all around us.”
“We are grateful to The Adirondack Trust Company for their continued support of this joyful, signature SPAC event, and we look forward to gathering on June 2 to celebrate and participate in the collective rhythms of hundreds of young artists when they bring their talents to SPAC,” said Elizabeth Sobol, President and CEO of Saratoga Performing Arts Center.
Kicking off at 2:00 p.m., SPAC’s grounds will be transformed into a festive celebration and will feature individual pop-up performances by student ensembles from the Capital Region, fine art displays, food stands, poetry slams, lawn games and immersive art activities, plus free ice cream provided by Stewart’s Shops. At 4:45pm, hundreds of young artists will gather to present a celebratory concert on SPAC’s main stage, featuring large-scale productions that combine music, song, poetry, visual art, and dance.
This event is free to the community; however, registration is required for admission. Visit spacfoya.org for details.
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SPAC Education
Each year, Saratoga Performing Arts Center’s (SPAC’s) education programs reach over 50,000 individuals, offer more than 1,500 classes and events, and partner with 120+ schools and nonprofit organizations across the Saratoga, Adirondack, and Capital Regions of New York State. SPAC Education provides arts access to people of all ages, abilities, and demographics, while prioritizing historically marginalized groups and identities. Flagship offerings include the “Classical Kids” in-school music and dance program; “SPAC Dance Project” in-school dance residencies; “Access the Arts” weekly classes for adults from local day habilitation programs; the “Creative Connections” Saturday program for children from local youth-serving organizations; the “Summer Nights at SPAC” outreach initiative, providing transportation, meals, and performance tickets to families from under-resourced communities; and the “Festival of Young Artists,” an annual event that brings together and celebrates hundreds of student dancers, singers, musicians, poets, and visual artists. Additional music, theater, and dance programs are offered year-round at SPAC School of the Arts, a state-of-the-art educational facility dedicated to furthering SPAC’s mission to promote inclusion, equity, and access. The SPAC School operates out of the Lewis A. Swyer Studios on the National Museum of Dance campus in Saratoga Spa State Park. www.spacschool.org
Saratoga Performing Arts Center
The Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC), located in the historic resort town of Saratoga Springs in upstate New York, is one of America’s most prestigious summer festivals. Its tranquil setting in a 2,400-acre park preserve surrounded by hiking trails, geysers, and natural mineral springs draws vacation crowds and arts connoisseurs each year for immersive experiences of performances by resident companies New York City Ballet, The Philadelphia Orchestra, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the Freihofer’s Saratoga Jazz Festival, and concerts by Live Nation. SPAC also hosts imaginative programming such as CulinaryArts@SPAC, Literary Arts including WAMC@SPAC events, and Caffè Lena @ SPAC. SPAC is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Donations and proceeds from fundraising events benefit the Center’s children’s education programs and support the vibrancy of its classical season. For more information visit spac.org.