Chautauqua Institution’s Board of Trustees elected Matthew Benson, Karen Goodell and Dave Pelton to four-year terms at the final meeting of the body’s 2023–24 cycle on Aug. 24. Board-elected trustees are vetted and nominated by the Board’s Nominating and Governance committee that considers the knowledge, skills and experience necessary to support the Institution’s leadership, advancement and evolution, guided by the strategic plan, 150 Forward: A Renewed Vision for Chautauqua Institution. Also at the Aug. 24 meeting, David Peckinpaugh was elected to a second four-year term. Additionally, members of the Chautauqua Corporation elected Michelle Adelman as the newest of the four trustees selected...
Chautauqua today announced the appointment of internationally acclaimed mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves-Montgomery as Artistic Advisor and distinguished baritone Jonathan Beyer as Director of the Chautauqua Opera Conservatory. Together, they will help shape the program’s future during a pivotal time of transition and growth, building upon the 44-year legacy created by the late Marlena Malas. Graves-Montgomery will set the vision and priorities for the Opera Conservatory. Beyer will help shape and execute that vision, both through a close partnership with Graves-Montgomery in the planning phases and in overseeing the Conservatory’s day-to-day operations. Graves-Montgomery will bring her unparalleled prowess and vision to the Opera...
The New Documentary, Airing in Early 2025, Celebrates One of the Nation’s First Centers of Lifelong Learning and Features Special Performances from the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis PASADENA, CA; July 15, 2024 — Today at the Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour, PBS and Chautauqua Institution announced the production of a new one-hour documentary film, CHAUTAUQUA AT 150: WYNTON MARSALIS’ ALL RISE, to air on PBS in early 2025. Produced by the award-winning production company Black Robin Media, CHAUTAUQUA AT 150: WYNTON MARSALIS’ ALL RISE will tell the institution’s story through the voices of its current patrons and partners, including those...
Today on the Chautauqua Amphitheater stage, Chautauqua Institution Senior Pastor, The Right Reverend Eugene Taylor Sutton spoke out against violence following the attack on President Donald Trump and his supporters. Sutton, the former Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland, emphasized the importance of fostering dialogue as an alternative to violence, which threatens the foundation of democracy. Bishop Sutton opened the morning worship service with a prayer for Former President Trump and all impacted by yesterday’s shooting. “My friends, we do gather this morning as we grieve over yet another spasm of political violence in our nation. Last night in butler, Pennsylvania,...
Each Receives $100,000 Grant to Further Democracy Work Chautauqua Institution proudly introduces Melody Barnes and David French as the inaugural recipients of the Chautauqua Perry Fellowship in Democracy. Barnes is the executive director of the Karsh Institute of Democracy at the University of Virginia; French is a widely read opinion columnist at The New York Times. Both will be able to use the distinction and funding afforded by the Perry Fellowship to further democracy-focused personal and professional projects of their choice, in addition to their roles with their home institutions and shared projects with Chautauqua Institution. This announcement comes just...
Chautauqua Theater Company (CTC), the resident theater company of Chautauqua Institution, today announced its New Play Workshops for the 2024 season. CTC’s audience will have the chance to experience plays at every stage of development, showcasing the work of the country’s most exciting playwrights. From a first new play reading to a staged workshop, a revival of a New Play Workshop, and a commissioned world premiere, the audience will be a part of the process as CTC deepens its long-standing commitment to new work. CTC will present readings of three new play workshops: C.A. Johnson’s Tell Me You’re Dying (the...
You may have seen signs around Chautauqua Lake that say “KEEP THE LAKE A LAKE! — Object to WETLAND regulation for Chautauqua Lake.” These signs are about the upcoming wetland regulation changes in New York State, effective January 2025 and 2028. While regulations affecting property use can be concerning, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) has indicated that these new changes will likely have minimal impact on property owners around Chautauqua Lake, including Chautauqua Institution. In October 2022, Chautauqua Institution’s Vice President of Campus Planning and Operations John Shedd and Director of NYSDEC Region 9 Julie Barrett...
The New York company has revealed creative teams for their upcoming summer season. New York’s Chautauqua Theater Company (CTC) has announced the lineup and creative teams for its upcoming season, which coincides with the 150th anniversary of the Chautauqau Institution. Directed by Arya Shahi, Noah Haidle’s Birthday Candles will open the season, with previews beginning July 5 before a July 9 opening night. The production will run through July 21. The creative team will include scenic designer Brittany Vasta, costume designer Afsaneh Aayani, lighting designer Anshuman Bhatia, sound designer Ben Truppin-Brown, with original compositions by Jane Lui.
Climate change impacts are unfolding across the globe, affecting every community, ecosystem and institution in countless ways. At Chautauqua, we understand the importance of engaging with these challenges head-on. Our commitment to environmental sustainability lies in our dedicated efforts to preserve Chautauqua Lake and a growing desire to facilitate discussions that spark a collective effort toward positive change, on Earth Day and every day. In Weeks Four and Eight of our 2024 season, we recognize the urgent need to explore creative solutions to combat climate change, and -invite visitors to join us on the path to a more sustainable future...
Chautauqua Institution today announced a series of events, activities and initiatives that will be part of the quintessential Chautauqua experience in the summer of 2024 to commemorate and celebrate the Institution’s 150th Anniversary. Organized around the theme The Seasons and Stories of Chautauqua, the anniversary calendar celebrates the dream of our founders, Lewis Miller and Bishop John Heyl Vincent, who together understood the importance of education across a lifetime. Their vision for Chautauqua called for Americans to make their leisure time matter by intentionally engaging in interdisciplinary and intergenerational learning and personal growth experiences. That vision has framed the main...
