Present-day Performances
Today, SPAC hosts the New York City Ballet and the Philadelphia Orchestra every summer, however in recent seasons it has become apparent that SPAC is in financial trouble, evidenced by its reducing the ballet season from three weeks to 2013's proposed five days only. Paul Bray, in an editorial column has noted that SPAC has suffered from a lack of artistic vision, and has recently been particularly unsuccessful in its fundraising efforts.
IN past seasons, some of the world's finest classical music soloists, including Yo-Yo Ma, Gil Shaham, Yuja Wang, and Sarah Chang, have performed major concerts at this venue.
The "Philadelphia Orchestra's most well-attended performance is its annual Tchaikovsky Spectacular, which includes the 1812 Overture and one or two well-known concerts.
A feature of each summer is the Freihofer Jazz Festival, co-produced with George Wein, which presents major and emerging jazz artists on two stages.
Also, the Saratoga Chamber Music Festival, under the direction of Canadian violinist, Chantal Juillet, presents programs in the Spa Little Theatre. In 2006, the Composer-In-Residence was Bright Sheng.
Opera performances are given by the Opera Saratoga (formerly Lake George Opera) in the Spa Little Theatre.
The Martha Graham Dance Company performed at SPAC during its 2008 residency at Skidmore College.
SPAC is also a venue for popular music concerts, which are booked exclusively by Live Nation, a leading concert promotion company.
Sting performed during his Symphonicities Tour on July 31, 2010, along with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
The Dave Matthews Band has a live album recorded at SPAC: Live Trax Vol. 11 (August 29, 2000). Also, they have sold out more concerts than any other artist at the venue, with ten.
For at least two decades, SPAC has played host to the School of Orchestral Studies (SOS) for the New York State Summer School of the Arts (NYSSSA) program. Under the baton of artistic director Russell Stanger and overseen by administrator Dr. Edward Marschilok, and accompanied by string orchestra conductors Patricia Koppeis and Philip Preddice as well as wind ensemble conductor Conrad Kuchay, the approximately 115 high school age students of NYSSSA's SOS attend concert performances during their summer weeks as part of an intensive study of music performance, study with members of the Philadelphia Orchestra, and ultimately give a culminating performance in the amphitheater.
SPAC is headed by Marcia White, who replaced president Herb Chesborough in 2005, although her recent stewardship has been seriously questioned.
Over 200 seasonal employees keep the venue running smoothly over the summer.
SPAC's largest attended performance in its history was by The Grateful Dead in 1985, where a total of 40,231 fans showed up to see the band. Since the show, SPAC limits its capacity to 25,100.
Read more about this topic: Saratoga Performing Arts Center
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