Photos by CAROLYN SIMPSON
Sitting on 80 scenic acres in Katonah, New York, is Caramoor, a historic estate, generously gifted to the public by its founders, Walter and Lucie Rosen. Caramoor is known for its music concert series, but many people do not know there is a historic site that is part of the venue as well. If you have not yet visited this haven for music and the arts, you should plan to attend a concert or take a tour. Even if you have already visited, the staff at Caramoor is consistently expanding Caramoor’s offerings, so there is always something new to experience.
Caramoor History
Walter Rosen, a successful lawyer and banker, and his wife Lucie Bigelow Rosen, were great lovers of art and music. The Rosens regularly hosted friends and family for intimate musical performances and lavish parties at Caramoor, their country estate.
World War II took a toll on the family. The couple was devastated when their son, Walter, a pilot for Royal Canadian Air Force, died in a wartime plane crash in 1944. Ten months prior, Walter Sr.’s sister Jeanne, who lived in France, was sent to Auschwitz and murdered. Wrestling with their grief, they chose to turn their tragic loss into something positive. In 1946, they graciously opened their house to the public, beginning what became Caramoor’s year-round music program.
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Welcoming A Broader Audience
Historically known for its classical music performances, Caramoor has now expanded to include many other genres, such as latin, jazz, roots, and global music. In recent years, Caramoor’s board and staff have focused their mission on growing their audience by both serving the desires of the community and by better reflecting the nature of the community through their programming.
Edward J. Lewis, III, President and CEO of Caramoor, joined in May 2021 with the charge “to make Caramoor more open and accessible to a broader and more diverse community that’s reflective of the county in which we sit.” Lewis, a Chappaqua resident, brings to the table his expertise gained from a remarkable career as a professional classical musician, an arts educator, administrator, and two decades of non-profit management and fundraising. “From these experiences and my lifelong passion for the arts, I bring this ability to help institutions find that essence of themselves and inspire a broader constituency to engage with it.”
“Over the past several years we have broadened our music programming to include more jazz, roots and global music while maintaining our core classical programming.” Lewis explained. “We also try to include a broad range of lived experiences in all the artists and genres we present to help ensure that our expanding and increasingly diverse audiences can hear themselves in the music and see themselves reflected back from the stage.”
World Class Performances
Marc Lowenstein, Director of Marketing and Communications, was brought on two years ago to assist in that mission. A common message that he has heard is “I’ve heard about Caramoor, but I’ve never been,” or “I don’t think they have the music that I’m interested in.” “In some ways it’s a challenge but it’s also a huge opportunity for the marketing department here knowing there’s this population that for whatever reason has not availed themselves of Caramoor.”
“The thing that makes it so special, other than the music and the art, which is certainly world-class on any level, is just the experience of being at this beautiful place is unrivaled by any performing arts center in the area. People ask me what show they should come see and I say, just pick a nice night when the weather is good, you may not know the artist…but I promise you, come early, bring a picnic, make a night of it, enjoy the music, and you will have a positive experience,” says Lowenstein.
Adina Williams, Director of School Programs and Community Engagement, was also recruited a few years ago to execute the new mission, redesign Caramoor’s educational offerings, and embark on their first intentional community engagement work. Williams channels her background as a former New York City public school teacher and her impressive career in arts administration and music management into her role at Caramoor.
“Caramoor advocates inclusive arts and education exploration,” says Williams. “We believe in an intercultural arts practice that actively involves artists and communities from a range of national and international ethnic and cultural groups, a breadth of physical and mental abilities, languages, social classes and gender identifications so that the voices and stories of the multiple publics that we serve are heard, expressed, and celebrated.
Our educational vision is bringing to life Caramoor’s extraordinary artistic heritage and future to as broad a spectrum of people, young and old alike, ages 0 to 100 plus.”
Williams designed the innovative Caramoor Kids program for elementary and middle school classes where students take a field trip to Caramoor and a Caramoor teaching artist visits their school based on an interdisciplinary curriculum. The immersive curriculum is available in both English and Spanish and can be tailored to meet a school’s specific educational goals.
As part of Caramoor’s community outreach initiative, Williams has organized roundtables with teachers, parents, conservatories, and community members, such as Neighbors Link, that help inform the programming. “Our mission is to have a deeper understanding of the value proposition of Caramoor to our many communities and how we can be a very rich resource for them, especially historically underserved communities in the region.”
This summer, Caramoor welcomed the community for a successful Juneteenth event, celebrating African American freedom and achievement. The free event featuring Charles Turner & Uptown Swing brought in about 1500 people for a fun-filled day with hands-on activities.
Caramoor also brings jazz performances to those incarcerated at nearby correctional facilities. “We want to be a conduit in which all of our community can live an art-filled life,” says Lewis.
“It’s all about equal access and not your life narrative, whether tragic or happy…and hopefully providing life changing experiences through arts and culture,” adds Williams.
Inspired by the Rosens, Caramoor’s leadership is clear-eyed in their mission. “We need to balance the reverence for and relevance of Caramoor,” says Lewis. “We have this rich storied history and if we remain true to the vision of our founders, this is a place where visitors can be refreshed and renewed by that convergence of exceptional music performances, the beauty of the art-filled historic home, and the gorgeous gardens and grounds. The Rosens left this legacy for us all to enjoy and I believe that together with our board, staff, artists, and volunteers, we all partner together as stewards of their legacy, and we revere its past. Our job, as I see it, is to assure that Caramoor continues to resonate with audiences and visitors of today and tomorrow.”
The Rosen House
Visitors can enjoy the Rosen House by taking a tour, booking an Afternoon Tea, or attending a concert in the Music Room or Spanish Courtyard. The Rosens were great hosts and the Caramoor staff continue in that great tradition.
Jessa Krick, Director of Interpretation, Collection, and Archives for the Rosen House, is also a recent addition to the Caramoor team, just having passed her second anniversary. Krick is responsible for the vast art collection and a trove of archival documents related to the family’s history. Krick is doing her utmost to make sure the collection is better known, and people realize they need to visit the Rosen House when they come for a concert.
Re-energizing the tours this year, Krick spearheaded the 2024 Focus Tour, highlighting works in the collection by women artists that previously never received much attention during their regular tours. “It has been fantastic fun to do the research for this and our docents have appreciated the chance to add new material to their tours. It has been so rewarding over the last year discovering the stories of these women artists. They existed in the archives, but surfacing their stories through our focus tour has been so exciting. I love it when people say, “I never knew that” – those are the comments we really love to hear.”
Dedicated Staff & Supporters
The consensus among the people that make this hidden gem run is that Caramoor is a great place to work. Box Office Manager Olivia Ottinger, who is also a talented opera singer, began her relationship with Caramoor after Caramoor musicians visited her high school for a master class and she thereafter joined their esteemed mentorship program. She says one of the most special things about Caramoor is the staff. “I have been lucky enough to end up with some of my best friends here. Two of us were just bridesmaids at the marketing manager’s wedding.”
“It’s a lot of hard work but there are always one or two shows a season where we get to stand in the back and watch everything we created come together. It’s nice to step back and experience it and think, ‘cool we did this,’” reflects Ottinger.
“It’s fun to be part of someone’s vision that was such an impressive human being [Lucie] and also to progress with the times and do it well,” says Events Operations Manager Aarti Gilmore. Gilmore manages much of the logistics and scheduling of volunteers, security and emergency personnel. “I make sure we deliver on what we promised, and everybody is comfortable and feels safe. My mission is to make people love Caramoor as much as I do and to ensure their experience is as worry-free as possible from the second someone engages to buy a ticket at the box office or online.”
“Our volunteers, ranging from high school age to retirees, are great ambassadors for us. They’re available throughout the property to answer any questions, including where their favorite spots are and where is the best place to take a photo.” One of Gilmore’s favorite spots is the peaceful Cedar Walk, a well-maintained pathway which holds the t(ch)ime sound art installation.
Caramoor is a nonprofit organization. The programming and the beautiful facilities offered are supported by concert attendance, individual donations, a dedicated board of trustees, and generous sponsors.
Upcoming Events
Although summer is Caramoor’s busiest season, there is plenty to look forward to this fall. Here are just some of the upcoming events. Caramoor’s Hispanic Heritage Month celebration, a free event, featuring the artist People of Earth, will be on September 29th. The annual cabaret show featuring Julie Benko and Jason Yeager will be on October 25th. Jazz icon Abdullah Ibrahim will perform on November 8th. The annual fall benefit on December 7th will feature American folk band Bonny Light Horseman. December will offer the immensely popular holiday tea musicales. Caramoor’s first-ever Hannukah show, featuring Nefesh Mountain Band, will take place on December 12th. For the full schedule, tickets and additional information, go to caramoor.org.
