Press Release: Saratoga Performing Arts Center Reflects on SPAC’s Evolution As it Celebrates its 60th Anniversary and a Decade of Leadership from CEO Elizabeth Sobol
May 14, 2026
Saratoga Performing Arts Center Reflects on SPAC’s Evolution
As it Celebrates its 60th Anniversary and
a Decade of Leadership from CEO Elizabeth Sobol
Evolution of SPAC marked by expanded year-round programming, growth of education initiatives, and the physical transformation of its campus
60th Anniversary celebrations to culminate with the re-opening of the Spa Little Theater, currently undergoing a historic renovation
Saratoga Springs, NY (May 14, 2026) – At its Annual Meeting on May 14, 2026, leadership and staff of Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) reflected on the past decade of transformations as the organization celebrates its 60th anniversary and a decade of leadership under CEO Elizabeth Sobol.
“It is a profound honor to stand before you at this moment – as SPAC celebrates its 60th anniversary, and as I mark my own ten years in service to this extraordinary institution and community,” said Elizabeth Sobol, Chief Executive Officer of Saratoga Performing Arts Center at the Annual Meeting. “Anniversaries invite reflection as well as celebration. They ask us to look back with clarity and honesty—and forward with courage and resolve. Because sixty years ago, the creation of SPAC was exactly that: an act of bold and audacious imagination.”
Reflecting on SPAC’s evolution over the past decade, Sobol continued, “Ten years ago, we were the stewards of something extraordinary—but also something at risk. And so we asked ourselves: what would it mean to be as bold now as SPAC’s founders were then? Over the past decade, we have transformed this campus—honoring its history while preparing it for the future. We have evolved from a seasonal presenter into a year-round institution, bringing life, learning, and artistic expression into all four seasons.”
Ten Year Reflection and Evolution of SPAC
Throughout the meeting, leadership reflected on SPAC’s transformation over the past decade into a year-round cultural organization. Since Sobol’s arrival in 2016, SPAC has expanded its programming, significantly grown its educational reach, renovated and reimagined its campus, and launched new initiatives that expand the definition of the arts, increasing accessibility, wellbeing, and connection.
Today, SPAC welcomes approximately 500,000 visitors annually and contributes an estimated $105 million in annual economic impact to the region, according to a 2023 study by Camoin Associates. Over the past ten years, SPAC has also strengthened partnerships with many of the region’s leading arts and community organizations including Caffè Lena, Skidmore College, Opera Saratoga, Saratoga Book Festival, Pitney Farm, and Northshire Bookstore, among others.
“SPAC has become an interconnected ecosystem where performance, education, and community engagement strengthen one another,” said Christopher Shiley, President of Saratoga Performing Arts Center. “Year-round initiatives create ongoing points of connection that sustain and build audiences who return each summer, while the energy and visibility of the summer season amplifies that engagement and draws audiences further into SPAC’s broader programming.”
Year-round Programming and Initiatives
The 2026 summer season reflects SPAC’s continued commitment to balancing classical traditions with contemporary voices and expanded artistic experiences.
“Our summer festival remains the cornerstone of SPAC,” said Shiley. “It is where our legacy lives most vividly, where generations of artists and audiences have gathered, and where the traditions that define us continue to take shape year after year.”
The 2026 summer season will feature 28 SPAC-produced performances, welcome 24 artists making their SPAC debut, and present eight SPAC premieres. Highlights include BalletX’s SPAC premiere of The Four Seasons Reimagined, the 49th Saratoga Jazz Festival presented by GE Vernova, and the 60th summer residencies of New York City Ballet and The Philadelphia Orchestra.
Leadership also reflected on the growth of SPAC’s year-round programming initiatives, which accelerated following SPAC’s assumption of operations at Spa Little Theater in 2022. Since then, SPAC has presented more than 50 cultural events spanning classical, jazz, folk, world music, theater, and dance while also expanding education and community-based programming throughout the year.
Additional year-round programming initiatives at the Pines campus have expanded SPAC’s offerings in culinary, literary, healing, and visual arts, further broadening the organization’s artistic reach and community impact.
“The growth of SPAC as a year-round organization—and the emergence of the Spa Little Theater as a permanent home for expanded programming—signals the next chapter in our evolution,” added Shiley. “This is where we look ahead: building a future that extends beyond the season, deepens our impact, and shapes what SPAC will become over the next sixty years.”
Education and Community Impact
SPAC leadership also highlighted the extraordinary growth of its education initiatives, which have expanded from serving 5,000 students annually in 2016 to more than 60,000 individuals today in partnership with over 150 schools and community organizations throughout the Capital Region.
“The Education Department at SPAC represents an essential part of SPAC’s future and the next sixty years of impact,” said Dennis Moench, Vice President of Education. “At the center of all our work is a shared understanding: that the arts are for everyone, and they play a meaningful role in supporting health and wellbeing, building connection, and creating a sense of belonging.”
Leadership reflected on the launch of SPAC School of the Arts in 2021, which significantly expanded access to arts education and creative learning opportunities. Additional initiatives highlighted at the meeting included a new collaboration launched last fall with Pilobolus and the Skidmore College Dance Department exploring the relationship between creative movement, social connection across generations, and wellbeing.
Moench also reported on the opening of a new Sensory Room at SPAC School of the Arts, made possible by a $15,000 grant from the Dake Foundation for Children, designed to support regulation, reflection, and inclusive participation in the arts.
Additional initiatives discussed included expanded partnerships with Capital District Latinos, Double H Ranch, AIM Services, the Backstretch Employee Service Team, and the New York Race Track Chaplaincy, as well as continued growth of flagship programs including Classical Kids and the SPAC Dance Project.
“One of the clearest lessons we continue to see through this work is that the arts have the power to foster belonging and strengthen community,” added Moench. “By creating spaces where people feel welcomed, supported, and connected, we are expanding not only access to the arts, but opportunities for wellbeing and human connection.”
Physical Campus and Spa Little Theater Renovation
Leadership also reflected on the physical transformation of the SPAC campus over the past decade, including renovations and improvements to the amphitheater backstage, the Pines campus, SPAC School of the Arts, and the ongoing restoration of Spa Little Theater. The new Pines campus was completed in 2020 and has since become home to expanded educational and community programming initiatives.
“These investments have done more than enhance our facilities—they have fundamentally changed how we serve artists, students, and audiences,” said Shiley. “What were once limited touchpoints have become ongoing relationships.”
A centerpiece of SPAC’s future vision is the historic renovation and reopening of Spa Little Theater, which will serve as SPAC’s year-round performance home. The renovation is slated for completion at the end of the year, culminating in a special ribbon cutting ceremony that will serve as the capstone of SPAC’s 60th anniversary celebrations. The project is part of SPAC’s $17.5 million Four Seasons Campaign, announced at last year’s Annual Meeting.
“The restoration and reopening of the Spa Little Theater marks another defining moment in SPAC’s history that harkens back to that founding spirit,” said Sobol. “This storied and historic space will soon become SPAC’s fully restored, year-round home — a true jewel in the crown. A place for intimacy, for innovation, for new voices and new experiences for the whole community. And in many ways, a perfect mirror of that original act of creation in 1966.”
Community members can learn more or contribute to the campaign by visiting SPAC Four Seasons Campaign.
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SPAC’s 60th anniversary is being celebrated throughout 2026 with a series of special performances, events, and initiatives that honor its legacy as a home for world-class artists while highlighting its continued evolution as a year-round cultural destination. To follow along and be the first to receive updates, visit spac.org and follow Saratoga Performing Arts Center on social media.
2026 Summer Residency Dates:
BalletX: The Four Seasons Reimagined
June 11
Saratoga Jazz Festival
June 27 & 28
Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center
July 12-26
New York City Ballet
July 8-11
The Philadelphia Orchestra
August 5-22
Saratoga Performing Arts Center
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 outdoor amphitheaters. Its exquisite setting in a 2,400-acre park preserve surrounded by hiking trails, geysers, and natural mineral springs draws lovers of arts, culture and nature for performances by resident companies New York City Ballet, The Philadelphia Orchestra, The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the Saratoga Jazz Festival, and concerts by Live Nation. SPAC also hosts imaginative programming such as Caffè Lena @ SPAC and initiatives in culinary, literary, healing and visual arts.
SPAC is a 501c3 charitable organization. Donations and proceeds from fundraising events benefit the Center’s thriving education program, community outreach efforts, and the vibrancy of its programming. For more information visit spac.org.