Setting the Stage
2026 Pre-Performance Talk Series
Back by popular demand! Arrive early to select New York City Ballet and The Philadelphia Orchestra performances for exclusive pre-performance talks with some of the leading voices in the performing arts. Hear directly from the artists shaping today’s classical landscape!
Returning for the first time since 2019, we’ve reimagined Setting the Stage for our 60th anniversary season. Join us in the heart of the SPAC’s idyllic grounds, under the tent at the Charles R. Wood Stage, for engaging conversations with artists, conductors, choreographers, scholars, and cultural voices. Experience first-hand stories, artistic perspectives, and insights that illuminate that day’s performance and the creative process behind it.
Setting the Stage events are free to ticket holders and are rain or shine. Explore the full series below!
Setting the Stage pre-performance talks are made possible in part with generous support from Russell Sage College.
Setting the Stage with Jonathan Stafford
Artistic Director, New York City Ballet & School of American Ballet
Moderated by Jay Rogoff, Saratoga Springs Poet Laureate
Wednesday, July 8 | Charles R. Wood Stage | 6:30–7PM
New York City Ballet Artistic Director Jonathan Stafford reflects on the extraordinary 60-year relationship between NYCB and SPAC, and what it means to return to SPAC for this milestone anniversary season. Stafford offers insights into Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and previews the artists and performances audiences will enjoy during NYCB’s residency.
Included with admission to the July 8 performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Setting the Stage with Taylor Stanley & Daniel Ulbricht
Principal Dancers, New York City Ballet
Moderated by Jay Rogoff, Saratoga Springs Poet Laureate
Thursday, July 9 | Charles R. Wood Stage | 6:30–7PM
Two beloved NYCB dancers with deep ties to SPAC reflect on their extraordinary careers, their summers in Saratoga, and the challenges of dancing Puck and Oberon in George Balanchine’s masterpiece, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. This summer marks Stanley’s final SPAC performances and Ulbricht has partnered with SPAC Education for many years.
Included with admission to the July 9 performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Setting the Stage with Tiler Peck
Principal Dancer & Choreographer, New York City Ballet
Moderated by Jay Rogoff, Saratoga Springs Poet Laureate
Friday, July 10 | Charles R. Wood Stage | 12:45–1:15PM
NYCB Principal Dancer and choreographer Tiler Peck offers an inside look at her newest ballet, Symphonie Espagnole, with music by Lalo. Fresh from its premiere at New York City Ballet’s Spring Gala, the work debuts at SPAC this summer. Peck will discuss the inspiration behind the ballet, her choreographic process, and the challenges and rewards of creating new work for the company.
Included with admission to the July 10 performance of Innovators & Icons
Setting the Stage with Wendy Whelan
Associate Artistic Director, New York City Ballet
Moderated by Jay Rogoff, Saratoga Springs Poet Laureate
Saturday, July 11 | Charles R. Wood Stage | 6:30–7PM
NYCB Associate Director Wendy Whelan explores the evening’s program through the lens of both performer and artistic leader, discussing the collaborative process behind developing new ballets, her role in nurturing artistic innovation at NYCB, and the company’s commitment to expanding the ballet repertoire while maintaining its excellence in its priceless Balanchine and Robbins repertory.
Included with admission to the July 11 performance of Innovators & Icons
Setting the Stage with Morten Solvik
Vice President, Mahler Foundation
Thursday, August 6 | Charles R. Wood Stage | 6:30–7PM
Hear from renowned Mahler scholar, Morten Solvik, who is also the Producer and Host of The Mahler Hour, Vice President of the Mahler Foundation, and Founder and Artistic Director of the Mahler Festival in Austria. Join Solvik in the exploration of Gustav Mahler’s monumental Symphony No. 1, a work that transformed the symphonic tradition, and learn about the inspiration behind one of the most visionary composers. The conversation will also explore Mozart’s Piano Concerto and both Joan Tower and Copland’s brass-featured Fanfares.
Included with admission to Mozart & Mahler
Setting the Stage with Marin Alsop & Janis Ian
Marin Alsop, Principal Guest Conductor, The Philadelphia Orchestra
Janis Ian, GRAMMY-winning folk singer-songwriter
Co-presented by Caffè Lena
Friday, August 7 | Charles R. Wood Stage | 6:15–6:45PM
Witness history in the making as two trailblazing artists come together for a special conversation. Marin Alsop (who will be conducting the first three nights of the Orchestra’s residency) and Janis Ian (who will be in Saratoga this August as Caffè Lena’s first Artist-in-Residence) will share the remarkable influence Leonard Bernstein had on their lives and careers.
Bernstein famously championed Ian’s powerful song “Society’s Child,” inviting the then 14-year-old singer-songwriter to perform on his national television program despite controversy surrounding the song. For Alsop, seeing Bernstein conduct at age nine inspired a dream that would lead her to study under him and ultimately become the first woman to lead a major American orchestra. Together, Alsop and Ian reflect on their artistic journeys, the barriers they have broken in their respective fields, and the enduring legacy of mentorship, courage, and innovation in the arts.
Included with admission to American Dreams with Brian Stokes Mitchell
Setting the Stage with Daniele Rustioni
Principal Guest Conductor, Metropolitan Opera
Moderated by Rob Brown, WMHT Musical Director
Wednesday, August 12 | Charles R. Wood Stage | 6:15–6:45PM
The Met Opera’s Principal Guest Conductor, Daniele Rustioni, shares insight into this evening’s program and the creative process behind building a program, studying the scores, and rehearsing the orchestra. He’ll share his path to becoming a conductor and major influences, as well as his first impression of SPAC and Saratoga, and what it means to make his SPAC debut with The Philadelphia Orchestra. In addition to exploring this evening’s program, he’ll provide a preview of his second performance the following day.
Included with admission to Pictures from an Exhibition with Daniele Rustioni
Setting the Stage with Naomi Woo
Assistant Conductor, The Philadelphia Orchestra
Moderated by Rob Brown, WMHT Musical Director
Thursday, August 13 | Charles R. Wood Stage | 6:30–7PM
The Philadelphia Orchestra’s Assistant Conductor Naomi Woo offers an inside look at what it means to be an assistant conductor and the creative process of supporting the orchestra and conductor. She’ll talk about how she became a conductor and what the Philadelphia Orchestra residency at SPAC means to her personally and the orchestra. She’ll also discuss the significance of Beethoven and Brahms’ music and how they shaped the landscape for classical music.
Included with admission to Emanuel Ax Plays Beethoven
Setting the Stage with Joseph Conyers
Principal Bassist, The Philadelphia Orchestra
Moderated by Elizabeth Sobol, SPAC Chief Executive Officer
Thursday, August 20 | Charles R. Wood Stage | 6:30–7PM
Join The Philadelphia Orchestra’s Principal Bassist, Joseph Conyers, for a conversation exploring his musical journey, artistic inspirations, and the special connection between SPAC and The Philadelphia Orchestra. As co-founder and host of the classical music podcast Tacet No More, Conyers is a passionate advocate for expanding access to classical music and amplifying underrepresented voices. Drawing on the evening’s program featuring works by Gershwin, Ravel, Florence Price, and Jessie Montgomery, he will share his personal performance experiences and the importance of creating space for new perspectives within the orchestral tradition.
Included with admission to Gershwin’s An American in Paris
Setting the Stage pre-performance talks are made possible in part with generous support from
