Chautauqua Institution

Islam 101 Khalid and Sabeeha Rehman
2026-07-06 15:30, 2026-07-13 15:30, 2026-07-20 15:30 (America/New_York) | Hall of Christ: Sanctuary
“The Quran and What is Says About Other Faiths”

"Courageous Conversation on Death and Dying" Shahid Aziz
2026-07-06 15:30, 2026-07-13 15:30, 2026-07-20 15:30, 2026-07-27 15:30 | Presbyterian Chapel

Chautauqua Chamber Music: Cantus
2026-07-06 16:00 | Elizabeth S. Lenna Hall, Elizabeth S. Lenna Hall
Experience the award-winning vocal ensemble Cantus in a performance of stunning harmony and heartfelt storytelling. Renowned for their rich tone and collaborative artistry, Cantus brings a diverse program spanning classical masterworks, folk traditions, and contemporary compositions. Each performance offers an intimate and dynamic musical connection with the audience. Don’t miss this captivating concert from one of America’s premier vocal groups.

Play CHQ: Marble Fireworks
2026-07-06 16:00 | Heinz Beach, Heinz Beach

CHQ Mystic Heart - Sound Meditation with Suzanne Watters
2026-07-06 16:45, 2026-07-20 16:45 | Hall of Christ: Sanctuary
Suzanne Watters is a Pratt Institute MFA graduate with a concentration in painting/drawing. Her art practice centers around woven pieces made with found textiles painted with pigments and/or dyed with food waste and other organic matter. She has attended training in New York City and received a certification in sound meditation from the Sound Healing Academy. She has also done additional sound healing training at a retreat and session with Wyatt Mylius at Rooted In Sound in Pittsburgh, PA (trained with Peter Hess) and with indigenous sound healing practitioner Moises Tort in Mandarina, Mexico. Watters sees her sound meditation sessions as being led by an artist and guided with the relaxation tools and techniques of poetry, breath, and sound

PROJECT HAIL MARY
2026-07-06 16:45 | Chautauqua Cinema, Chautauqua Cinema
When science teacher Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) wakes up alone on a spaceship light years from home he has no recollection of how he got there. As his memory returns he uncovers his mission to save the Earth’s sun from a mysterious threat, and discovers that an unexpected alien friendship may be the key. “One of the most visually stunning, emotionally resonant space films ever made.” -Nikki Gemmell, The Australian “Purely pleasurable.” -Peter Travers, The Travers Take “Hard sci-fi with a soft heart.”-Matt Singer, ScreenCrush “Will send happy viewers soaring into orbit, again and again.” -Kyle Smith, Wall Street Journal (PG-13, 156m)

Taize and Tea Meditation Worship
2026-07-06 19:00, 2026-07-13 19:00, 2026-07-20 19:00, 2026-07-27 19:00 | Randell Chapel, UCC Headquarters

Music School Festival Orchestra: Opening Night
2026-07-06 20:00 | Amphitheater, Amphitheater

THE DRAMA
2026-07-06 20:30 | Chautauqua Cinema, Chautauqua Cinema
A happily engaged couple played by Zendaya and Robert Pattinson, is put to the test when an unexpected turn sends their wedding week off the rails. Written and directed by Kristoffer Borgli. “The craft of the picture is impressive. But the film’s wit, daring and overall success is largely owed to the formidable performances by Zendaya and Pattinson.” -Wendy Ide, Observer UK “The rare star-driven film that is willing to tackle big ideas, ask big questions and cause big discomfort. We need more of these movies, not less, messiness and all.” -Adam Graham, Detroit News (R, 106m)

Chautauqua Opera Conservatory Late-Night Cabaret
2026-07-06 22:00 | Roe Green Theater Center
Step into a different side of opera training with an evening of jazz, musical theater, and American Songbook favorites performed by the singers of the Chautauqua Opera Conservatory. Curated by acclaimed cabaret artist and Pittsburgh Opera’s Mark Trawka, this late-night performance brings the energy and intimacy of classic NYC and Paris cabarets to Chautauqua. With drinks in hand and an intimate atmosphere, audiences can experience these rising operatic artists in repertoire that is heartfelt, entertaining, and unexpectedly personal.

CHQ Mystic Heart- Sharon Wesoky, Mahyana Buddhism / Mindfulness Meditation
2026-07-07 07:45, 2026-07-08 07:45, 2026-07-09 07:45, 2026-07-10 07:45 | Presbyterian House, Presbyterian House
Sharon R. Wesoky, Ph.D has been practicing Buddhist meditation for over 15 years. Born and raised in a Reform Jewish tradition, she regards Buddhist practice as a way to connect with an open heart as well as to consider how spiritual practice can help address questions of daily meaning as well as social and political belonging across different faith traditions. She holds a B.A. in Politics from Brandeis University, a Ph.D. in Government from Cornell University, and is Professor of Political Science at Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania. Her research and teaching center on Chinese feminism and comparative political philosophy, and she is the editor and chief translator of Chinese Modernity and Socialist Feminist Theory, a collection of writings by contemporary Chinese feminist theorist Song Shaopeng.
A Dharma student of Lodro Rinzler since 2014, Sharon has been a long-time member of his Buddhist Community as well as a graduate of his Mindfulness and Lovingkindness Teacher Trainings. Sharon graduated from Upaya Zen Center’s Buddhist chaplaincy training in March 2025, a program that combines academic study, Zen Buddhist practice, and socially-engaged activity. She is a volunteer meditation teacher at the Pennsylvania state women’s prison SCI-Cambridge Springs. Sharon looks forward to leading meditation at Chautauqua centered on the teachings and practices of Mahayana Buddhism, which emphasizes the cultivation of compassion and wisdom both on and off the cushion.

Episcopal Holy Eucharist
2026-07-07 07:45, 2026-07-08 07:45, 2026-07-09 07:45, 2026-07-10 07:45, 2026-07-12 07:45, 2026-07-12 09:00, 2026-07-13 07:45, 2026-07-14 07:45 and 14 more dates | Chapel of the Good Shepherd, Chapel of the Good Shepherd

Daily Word Meditation
2026-07-07 08:00, 2026-07-08 08:00, 2026-07-09 08:00, 2026-07-10 08:00, 2026-07-13 08:00, 2026-07-14 08:00, 2026-07-15 08:00, 2026-07-16 08:00 and 8 more dates | Hall of Missions, Hall of Missions
(Programmed by Unity of Chautauqua)

Catholic Mass
2026-07-07 08:15, 2026-07-08 08:15, 2026-07-09 08:15, 2026-07-10 08:15, 2026-07-13 08:15, 2026-07-14 08:15, 2026-07-15 08:15, 2026-07-16 08:15 and 6 more dates | Hurlbut Church sanctuary, Hurlbut Church sanctuary

Chautauqua Prays for Peace though Compassion
2026-07-07 08:55, 2026-07-08 08:55, 2026-07-09 08:55, 2026-07-10 08:55, 2026-07-13 08:55, 2026-07-14 08:55, 2026-07-15 08:55, 2026-07-16 08:55 and 8 more dates | Hall of Philosophy Grove

Rev. Robert W. Henderson
2026-07-07 09:15, 2026-07-08 09:15 | Amphitheater, Amphitheater
In 2008, The Rev. Robert W. Henderson was installed as the sixth senior minister and head of staff at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, N.C. A respected pastor, preacher, and leader, Henderson is known for cultivating congregational vitality and meaningful community engagement. His ministry focuses on the centrality of worship, pastoral care, and vibrant mission programs.
Both personally and through leading his congregation, Henderson continues his active involvement in uplifting local and international communities. Within recent years, his congregation has invested more than 6 million dollars in affordable housing projects. In Greensboro, N.C., they initiated an innovative partnership with an underprivileged neighborhood.
Directly at Covenant Presbyterian Church, Henderson’s congregation opened a need-based child development center. The church is also home to a unique pastoral residency program for seminary graduates. Henderson enjoys seeing people grow in their personal faith and has particularly witnessed this through organizing and participating in mission trips in places such as Appalachia, Nablus, Bethlehem, Kenya, Haiti, and Mexico.
In addition to his work with the Covenant Presbyterian Church, Henderson has been leading renewal conferences for large church pastors. He is also actively involved at Davidson College serving on the board of trustees and presidential search committee.
From 1993 to 2008, Henderson served as senior pastor at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Greensboro, N.C. In Stone Mountain, Ga. he was associate pastor of Eastminster Presbyterian Church from 1988-1993.
Henderson received his Doctor of Ministry degree from Columbia Theological Seminary, Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary, and Bachelor of Arts in economics and religion from Furman University.

Dr. Michael Ackerman: The Visible Human
2026-07-07 09:15 | Hurlbut Church sanctuary, Hurlbut Church sanctuary
Chautauqua Science Group Weekly Lecture
Dr. Ackerman will discuss The Visible Human Project, which was nominated as a finalist for a 1995 Discover Magazine Award for Technological Innovation in Software and a 1996 Smithsonian Award for Information Technology. The project focuses on identifying the healthiest cadavers, implementation, distribution, educational, medical and other applications.
Dr. Ackerman received his Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, in Biomedical Engineering. After graduation, he served as a research physiologist in the Hyperbaric Medicine and Physiology Department, Naval Medical Research Institute, where he studied the effects of the hyperbaric environment on neurophysiology and behavior. He later became head of the Institute’s Biomedical Engineering and Computing Branch responsible for the application of computers to real time medical data analysis and the control and monitoring of diving systems.
Dr. Ackerman came to the National Library of Medicine (NLM) in 1987. He served as the Chief of the Educational Technology Branch of the Lister Hill National Center for Biomedical Communications, applying computer based interactive technology to medical education, and as the Associate Director for Specialized Information Services responsible for the Library’s non-bibliographic databases. From 1994 until his retirement in 2015, he served as NLM’s Assistant Director for High Performance Computing and Communications overseeing the Library’s programs in medical imaging, collaborative environments, and next generation networking.

Service of Blessing and Healing
2026-07-07 10:15, 2026-07-08 10:15, 2026-07-09 10:15, 2026-07-10 10:15, 2026-07-13 10:15, 2026-07-14 10:15, 2026-07-15 10:15, 2026-07-16 10:15 and 7 more dates | Randell Chapel, UCC Headquarters

Chuck Todd
2026-07-07 10:45 | Amphitheater, Amphitheater
Chuck Todd is one of America’s foremost experts on American politics. A seasoned political journalist and analyst known for his sharp insight, he is the host of “The ChuckToddCast,” a weekly podcast offering in-depth interviews with political figures, experts, and thought leaders. He is currently the head of politics and host of “Sunday Night with Chuck Todd” for the Noosphere app, where he aims to continue his legacy of delivering impactful political analysis and fostering engaging conversations with leaders shaping the future of American politics. He is also the inaugural Scholar-in-Residence for the University of Southern California’s Capital Campus, in Washington, D.C., where he teaches about how Washington works. Todd joins Chautauqua’s week “Charting a New Media Landscape” to help survey the landscape of legacy national media institutions, and how forces both within and beyond their control are shaping their news-gathering operations, values and standards, and overall business models.
A six-time Emmy Award winner, Todd was NBC News’s chief political analyst and moderator of “Meet the Press” from 2014 to 2023. Known for his sharp insight and knowledge of politics, Todd has co-moderated multiple presidential debates, including the record-breaking 2019 and 2020 Democratic debates. He previously served as NBC News’s chief White House correspondent from 2008 to 2014 and hosted “The Daily Rundown” on MSNBC. In 2007, he joined NBC News as political director after 15 years at The Hotline, where he served as editor-in-chief. Todd was also the founding managing editor for The Sports Business Daily in 1994, now known as The Sports Business Journal.
Todd is the author of two books: How Barack Obama Won, co-authored in 2009, and The Stranger: Barack Obama in the White House, released in 2014. He has contributed to The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Atlantic.

Play CHQ: Marshmallow & Toothpick Building
2026-07-07 12:00 | Bestor Plaza, Bestor Plaza

LGBTQ+ and Friends of Chautauqua: Discussion Group, Bring your lunch
2026-07-07 12:15 | Alumni Hall Ballroom, Alumni Hall Ballroom

Adrian Higgins, Washington Post Gardening Columnist: "Naturalism, Not Nativism"
2026-07-07 12:30 | Smith Wilkes Hall, Smith Wilkes Hall
Bird, Tree & Garden Club lunchtime lecture series
Adrian Higgins began his career in the mid-1970s as a reporter in England for East Midlands Allied Press and its flagship daily paper, The Evening Telegraph. Since the late 1980s, he has specialized in writing about gardening, landscape architecture, and related environmental areas. He joined The Washington Post in 1994. He previously worked for shelter magazines as an editor and contributor. He has authored three garden books and contributed to several more. Higgins has wide artistic interests and sees his work and life entwined in a continual journey of creative exploration and expression.

Masters Series Masterclass: The Science of Cooperation in partnership with Arizona State University
2026-07-07 12:30 | Hall of Christ: Sanctuary
The Science of Cooperation: How Understanding Our Evolutionary History Helps Us Build a Cooperative Future. Athena Aktipis, Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at Arizona State University, Director of the Cooperative Futures Institute, The Interdisciplinary Cooperation Initiative, and the The Cooperation Lab at ASU presents this compelling and timely Master Class. Athena’s work focuses on cooperation and how it makes us stronger, more adaptable, and ready for an uncertain future. She is the author of “A Field Guide to the Apocalypse.”

CHQ Mystic Heart- Sharon Wesoky, Mahayana Buddhism / Mindfulness Meditation
2026-07-07 12:30, 2026-07-09 12:30 | Hall of Missions, Hall of Missions

CHQ Dialogues
2026-07-07 12:30, 2026-07-08 12:30, 2026-07-14 12:30, 2026-07-15 12:30, 2026-07-21 12:30, 2026-07-22 12:30 | Presbyterian House, Presbyterian House

English Lawn Bowling Tips
2026-07-07 13:00, 2026-07-08 13:00, 2026-07-09 13:00, 2026-07-10 13:00, 2026-07-13 13:00, 2026-07-14 13:00, 2026-07-15 13:00, 2026-07-16 13:00 and 7 more dates | Sports Club, Lawn Bowling Green

HAMNET
2026-07-07 13:40, 2026-07-08 14:10, 2026-07-08 20:00, 2026-07-09 19:15 | Chautauqua Cinema, Chautauqua Cinema
Staring Jessie Buckley as Agnes and Paul Mezcal as William, this is the powerful story of love and loss that inspired the creation of Shakespeare’s masterpiece, Hamlet. “Impeccably directed by Chloé Zhao”-Kevin Maher, The Times (UK) “A beautiful examination of mourning and artistic catharsis.” -Kristen Lopez, The Film Maven “Buckley is nothing less than magical. She can singlehandedly break your heart with one glance or gesture and is, put simply, brilliant.” -Carla Renata, TheWrap “A technical, artistic, intellectual, and emotional feast.-Michael Ordoña, TheWrap “It is devastating and magnetic and most of all brilliant. Don’t miss it.” -Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic (PG-13, 125m)

Elizabeth Dias
2026-07-07 14:00 | Hall of Philosophy, Hall of Philosophy
Elizabeth Dias is the national religion correspondent for The New York Times. She has reported on faith and politics for 15 years, covering religion in four presidential elections and reporting from more than 30 states and the Vatican. She writes about the shifting expressions of belief and power in American society, including the conservative Christian political movement as well as life’s biggest questions at the heart of our shared humanity.
Dias is the co-author of The Fall of Roe: The Rise of a New America, a book chronicling the political and religious campaign to end federal abortion rights, along with her New York Times colleague Lisa Lerer.
Previously, she was a reporter for Time Magazine, where she traveled with Pope Francis and interviewed the Dalai Lama.
She has a Master of Divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary.

School of Music: Open Recital
2026-07-07 14:00, 2026-07-10 14:00, 2026-07-14 14:00, 2026-07-17 15:30, 2026-07-21 14:00 | Fletcher Music Hall, Fletcher Music Hall

Islam 101 Khalid and Sabeeha Rehman
2026-07-07 15:30, 2026-07-14 15:30, 2026-07-21 15:30 | Hall of Christ: Sanctuary
“Family Life and Women in Islam”

CHQ Dialogues
2026-07-07 15:30, 2026-07-09 12:30, 2026-07-14 15:30, 2026-07-16 12:30, 2026-07-21 15:30, 2026-07-23 12:30 | Everett Jewish Life Center, Everett Jewish Life Center

Play CHQ: Paper Airplanes
2026-07-07 16:00 | Miller Park, Miller Park

IT'S ALL THE RAGE
2026-07-07 16:45 | Chautauqua Cinema, Chautauqua Cinema
Meet the Filmmaker! Free Admission! Join director/producer and seventh-generation Chautauquan Dan Karslake (For The Bible Tells Me So) to play a role in the making of his new feature documentary that is taking a hard look at America’s extreme social and political polarization: How did we get here? Who’s profiting from our outrage and separation? How can we emerge more united than ever? During this presentation, the audience will screen a number of sequences from the film, and then be asked for feedback. Your input will impact the finished movie! (NR, 75m)

Labyrinth History and Meditation
2026-07-07 18:30, 2026-07-14 18:30, 2026-07-21 18:30 | Turner (Outside of Building)
Bring gate pass. Adjacent to Turner Community Center

THE BALTIMORONS
2026-07-07 19:30, 2026-07-08 17:15, 2026-07-09 13:45 | Chautauqua Cinema, Chautauqua Cinema
On Christmas Eve, Cliff (Michael Strassner), a down-on-his luck comedian who can’t catch a break, chips a tooth, and suddenly finds himself in the late-night care of Didi (Liz Larsen), a sharp-witted, no-nonsense dentist. What should have been a quick fix unfolds into an unforgettable night of twists, mishaps, and a brewing heartfelt connection. Directed by Jay Duplass. “It’s light on its feet but gradually gathers real emotional weight. It’s also beautifully shot and steeped in atmosphere.” -Bilge Ebiri, New York Magazine/Vulture “It is so sweet, so understated, and just a wonderful slice of life.” -Christy Lemire, FilmWeek (R, 109m)

Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra with Alexander Gavrylyuk, piano
2026-07-07 20:00 | Amphitheater, Amphitheater
Rossen Milanov, conductor
Alexander Gavrylyuk, piano
The Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra welcomes the return of Artist in Residence Alexander Gavrylyuk for an evening of symphonic passion. Tabakova’s Orpheus’ Comet opens the program with shimmering energy and mythic inspiration. Gavrylyuk then takes center stage in Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1, a thrilling showcase of sweeping melody and virtuosic brilliance. The evening concludes with Schumann’s Symphony No. 3, “Rhenish,” a richly textured work inspired by the grandeur of the Rhineland.
Program:
Tabakova: Orpheus’ Comet
Schumann Symphony No. 3, “Rhenish”
Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1

Masters Series Masterclass: Surviving AI in partnership with Arizona State University
2026-07-07 21:30 | Athenaeum Parlor, Athenaeum Parlor
This event is a part of Chautauqua’s partnership with Arizona State University and is hosted by comedian Shane Mauss and Athena Aktipis (featuring comedy, science & music.) Surviving AI is a comedy show that blends humor with thoughtful exploration of how humans relate to artificial intelligence and how we might build a more cooperative technological future. The evening begins with a stand-up comedy set, moves into a salon-style conversation with experts on AI and cooperation, and culminates in a live improvisational “battle” between a human artist and an AI, responding to each other in real time. Throughout the show, an LED screen displays dynamic visuals generated through human–AI collaboration, created live by AI artist Michael Strauss, inviting the audience to reflect on creativity, agency, and collaboration in an age of intelligent machines.

Sunrise Paddle - Kayak/SUP
2026-07-08 06:00, 2026-07-10 06:00, 2026-07-15 06:00, 2026-07-17 06:00, 2026-07-22 06:00, 2026-07-24 06:00 | Sports Club, Waterfront
Enjoy the beauty of the lake during our sunrise paddle. This is not a guided tour but an opportunity to rent a kayak, SUP or canoe for an enjoyable hour at sunrise. Reservations accepted one day in advance at the Sports Club. Contact sportsclub@chq.org with questions.

Movement and Meditation with Monte Thompson
2026-07-08 08:30, 2026-07-10 08:30, 2026-07-13 08:30, 2026-07-15 08:30, 2026-07-17 08:30, 2026-07-20 08:30, 2026-07-22 08:30, 2026-07-24 08:30 and 1 more date | Hall of Philosophy Grove
Monte Thompson was a professional dancer, and also spent years as a restauranteur. His life was spent on his feet. Now retired, he is interested in continuing to be able to move easily and gracefully while using breathing and stretching techniques to help quiet his mind and prepare him to face each day with purpose and joy.

School of Music: Opera Conservatory Masterclass with Carol Vaness
2026-07-08 10:00 | McKnight Hall, McKnight Hall

Jason Riley
2026-07-08 10:45 | Amphitheater, Amphitheater
Jason Riley is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and the “Upward Mobility” opinion columnist for The Wall Street Journal, where he has written about politics, economics, education, immigration and social inequality for more than 25 years. He’s also a frequent public speaker and provides commentary for television and radio news outlets, and he joins the 2026 Chautauqua Lecture Series for the Week Two theme “Breaking the News: Charting a New Media Landscape.”
Riley is the author of six books. In 2008 he published Let Them In, which argues for more legal immigration. His second book, Please Stop Helping Us, is about government efforts to help the Black underclass and was published in 2014. In 2017 he published False Black Power?, an assessment of why Black political success has not translated into more economic advancement. In 2021 he published Maverick, a biography of the iconic economist and social theorist Thomas Sowell and narrated the documentary film “Thomas Sowell: Common Sense in a Senseless World.” In 2022 he published The Black Boom, an analysis of Black economic progress prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. His most recent book, The Affirmative Action Myth: Why Black Don’t Need Racial Preferences to Succeed, was published in 2025.
Riley earned a bachelor’s degree in English from the State University of New York at Buffalo. He has also worked for USA Today and the Buffalo News.

"Homecoming: School of Art Alumni" Exhibition: July 8–August 16
2026-07-08 11:00 | Fowler-Kellogg Art Center 2nd floor
“Homecoming: School of Art Alumni” exhibition runs July 8-August 16. We welcome our School of Art residency alumni back to Chautauqua to share their talents and recent works. Co-curated by Judy Barie and Erika Diamond, this exhibition celebrates eight artists working in disparate styles and materials. They investigate domestic objects, memory, familial ties, and suburban landscapes. We celebrate their “Homecoming”. This exhibition is generously sponsored by Jack Turben. Artists: Quinn Antonio Briceño, Melissa English Campbell, Jeremiah Ibarra, David Linneweh, Daphne Minkoff, Kelly Rossetti, Brant Weiland, and Tina Williams-Brewer.

Women In Ministry
2026-07-08 12:15, 2026-07-15 12:15, 2026-07-22 12:15 | Hall of Missions, Hall of Missions

Twelve Step Meeting
2026-07-08 12:15, 2026-07-10 12:15, 2026-07-12 12:15, 2026-07-15 12:15, 2026-07-17 12:15, 2026-07-19 12:15, 2026-07-22 12:15, 2026-07-24 12:15 and 1 more date | Hurlbut Marion Lawrance

Protecting Chautauqua County Lands: The Bear Lake Story, with the Western NY Land Conservancy and Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy
2026-07-08 12:30 | Smith Wilkes Hall, Smith Wilkes Hall
The Bear Lake Preserve is a key piece in a growing conservation corridor in northern Chautauqua County. Together with the nearby College Lodge Forest, protected in 2022, and Floating Fen, protected in 2023, these lands will form a connected network of forests, wetlands, and wildlife habitat totaling nearly 1,000 acres across 2.5 miles.
This corridor is also an important component of the WNY Wildway, a landscape-scale vision to protect and connect large natural areas so plants and animals can move freely across Western New York. Bear Lake lies within a priority linkage and helps close critical gaps between previously protected lands. That connectivity supports healthier wildlife populations and strengthens the region’s resilience to climate change.
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With Bear Lake Preserve added, a continuous ribbon of protected land is taking shape, one that improves water quality, stores carbon, reduces habitat fragmentation, and creates new opportunities for education and low-impact recreation. Each project builds on the last, creating a lasting legacy of connected conservation.

All Denomination Chaplain of the Week with Rabbi Samuel Stahl
2026-07-08 12:30, 2026-07-15 12:30, 2026-07-22 12:30 | Everett Jewish Life Center, Everett Jewish Life Center

Guided Kayak Historic Tour
2026-07-08 12:45, 2026-07-15 12:45, 2026-07-22 12:45 | Sports Club, Waterfront
Enjoy paddling while learning about historic sites along the shores of Chautauqua Institution during this hour-long guided kayak tour. The tour begins and ends at the Sports Club. The cost is for rental of single or tandem kayak plus $12 per person for the tour guide. Limited spots so please reserve one day before the event. For more info, please contact sportsclub@chq.org.

Naomi Riley
2026-07-08 14:00 | Hall of Philosophy, Hall of Philosophy
Naomi Schaefer Riley is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where she focuses on child welfare and foster care issues. Specifically, her work analyzes the role of faith-based and community organizations in changing the foster care and adoption services landscape. She also studies how race, class and family structure affect foster care placement and services and the impact of the drug crisis on child welfare. She is concurrently a senior fellow at the Independent Women’s Forum.
Riley’s books include No Way to Treat a Child: How the Foster Care System, Family Courts, and Racial Activists Are Wrecking Young Lives and Be the Parent, Please: Stop Banning Seesaws and Start Banning Snapchat: Strategies for Solving the Real Parenting Problems. Her book, Til Faith Do Us Part: How Interfaith Marriage Is Transforming America, was a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice. She was interviewed by Brian Lamb on C-SPAN about her book The Faculty Lounges: And Other Reasons Why You Won’t Get the College Education You Paid For.
Riley is a frequent contributor to a variety of publications, including The Atlantic, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post. She was previously a columnist for New York Post and an editor and writer for The Wall Street Journal. Her work has also appeared in Bloomberg Opinion, The Boston Globe, Commentary, First Things, Los Angeles Times, National Review, and the Chronicle of Philanthropy, among others.
A regular guest on television, Riley’s appearances include C-SPAN, Today on NBC News, Fox News Channel, Fox Business, and CNBC.

"Homecoming: School of Art Alumni" Opening Reception
2026-07-08 15:00 | Fowler-Kellogg Art Center 2nd floor
“Homecoming: School of Art Alumni” opening reception. Exhibition runs July 8-August 16. We welcome our School of Art residency alumni back to Chautauqua to share their talents and recent works. Co-curated by Judy Barie and Erika Diamond, this exhibition celebrates eight artists working in disparate styles and materials. They investigate domestic objects, memory, familial ties, and suburban landscapes. We celebrate their “Homecoming”. This exhibition is generously sponsored by Jack Turben. Artists: Quinn Antonio Briceño, Melissa English Campbell, Jeremiah Ibarra, David Linneweh, Daphne Minkoff, Kelly Rossetti, Brant Weiland, and Tina Williams-Brewer.

Islam 101 Khalid and Sabeeha Rehman
2026-07-08 15:30, 2026-07-15 15:30, 2026-07-22 15:30 | Hall of Christ: Sanctuary
“Shia-Sunni Sects and Religious Hierarchy”

CHQ Dialogues
2026-07-08 15:30, 2026-07-15 15:30, 2026-07-22 15:30 | Catholic House, Catholic House

Play CHQ: Frogs & Slingshots
2026-07-08 16:00 | Miller Park, Miller Park

CHQ Mystic Heart - Therapeutic Gong Meditation with Kim Hehr
2026-07-08 16:45, 2026-07-15 16:45, 2026-07-22 16:45 | Hall of Christ: Sanctuary
Kim Hehr is a lifelong Chautauquan and a certified level 2 teacher of Kundalini Yoga and Meditation. She has been a yoga and meditation practitioner for 30 years and has been teaching Kundalini Yoga and Meditation for 25 years. A retired hospice nurse, she is presently the coordinator of the CHQ Mystic Heart Meditation Program. Kim specializes in healing addictive patterns through yogic technology. Passionate about teaching meditation, performing Gong Baths, and pranayama (breath work), her objective is to help others with their anxiety and everyday stress. Her goal is to facilitate bringing more peace and self-acceptance into people’s lives.

Dance Preview: All-Stars Gala
2026-07-08 18:15 | Smith Wilkes Hall, Smith Wilkes Hall

CVA Lecture Series: Kyle Hackett, School of Art Faculty
2026-07-08 18:30 | Hultquist 101, Hultquist 101
The Chautauqua School of Art proudly welcomes Kyle Hackett, a distinguished member of our 2026 visiting faculty. Kyle Hackett will participate in the School’s Summer Lecture Series, sharing insights and practices with our artistic community.
Kyle Hackett’s paintings explore race, class, and social standing through approaches to self-representation and the constructed image. Hackett (b. Still Pond, MD) earned his MFA from the LeRoy E. Hoffberger School of Painting at Maryland Institute College of Art and his BFA in Fine Arts from the University of Delaware. He has received numerous honors and awards, including the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities Artist Fellowship, the Civil Society Institute Fellowship at the Vermont Studio Center Residency, the Ruth Katzman Scholarship at The League Residency in New York, and Best in Show at the 2014 Bethesda Painting Awards Exhibition. His work has been featured in publications such as New American Paintings, The Washington Post, HuffPost, Aesthetica Magazine (UK) and is published in the British Library. Hackett received a Mayoral Salute from the City of Baltimore for his solo exhibition “Rate of Contingency.” Recent exhibitions include The Ruth Borchard 2025 Self Portrait Prize (UK); The Herbert Smith Freehills 2024 Portrait Award Exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery (London, UK); “Revisit/Reimagine” at the Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum (Annapolis, MD) and “Circular Narratives” at Vinegar Projects (Birmingham, AL). Hackett’s work is represented by Goya Contemporary Gallery (Baltimore, MD). His work is part of collections at Ethan Cohen Gallery (New York) the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, Capital One Lounge at Washington Dulles International Airport, the Soho House Art Collection, among others. Hackett is Assistant Professor and co-director of the MFA Studio Art Program at American University in Washington, DC.

Unity's Positive Path for Spiritual Living
2026-07-08 18:30, 2026-07-15 18:30, 2026-07-22 18:30 | Turner Conference Room, Turner Conference Room
Programmed by Unity of Chautauqua

CHQ Dialogues
2026-07-08 18:30, 2026-07-10 12:30, 2026-07-15 18:30, 2026-07-17 12:30, 2026-07-22 18:30, 2026-07-24 12:30 | Lutheran House, Lutheran House

School of Music: Opera Scenes with Kensho Watanabe
2026-07-08 18:30 | Elizabeth S. Lenna Hall, Elizabeth S. Lenna Hall

All-Star Dance Gala
2026-07-08 20:00 | Amphitheater, Amphitheater
Curated by Sasha Janes, Bonnefoux McBride Artistic Director of Chautauqua School of Dance, the annual All-Star Dance Gala serves as a celebration of the exceptional talent consistently produced by the Chautauqua School of Dance. Artists from top-tier national companies join forces for an exciting mixed repertoire evening of contemporary and classical dance. In addition to the performance, all-stars host discussion panels and serve as School of Dance guest faculty, graciously sharing their knowledge with the next generation of Alumni All-Stars. Come celebrate the extraordinary talent that Chautauqua has nurtured from school to stage.

Rev. Robert W. Henderson
2026-07-09 09:15 | Hall of Philosophy, Hall of Philosophy

Paula Kerger
2026-07-09 10:45 | Amphitheater, Amphitheater
Paula Kerger is president and chief executive officer of PBS, the nation’s largest non-commercial media organization representing more than 330 member stations throughout the country. She also serves as president of the PBS Foundation, which provides a significant source of revenue for projects that benefit the entire public television system. Kerger joins Chautauqua’s series on “Charting a New Media Landscape” to share thoughts on the state of public media in the United States nationally, regionally and locally.
As the longest serving president and CEO in PBS history, Kerger has led the transformation of PBS from a broadcaster to a multiplatform digital media organization which delivers on public television’s essential mission of education, inspiration and service to the American public. Under her leadership, PBS has grown its audiences across genres and platforms. Kerger has also deepened PBS’ impact, from providing universal access to early learning resources through the PBS KIDS broadcast and streaming channels, to empowering educators with digital resources through PBS LearningMedia. Programs on PBS are consistently recognized with the industry’s most prestigious honors, including Peabody, Emmy and Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University awards.
Kerger is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the Women’s Forum. Prior to joining PBS, Kerger served for more than a decade at the Educational Broadcasting Corporation (EBC), the parent company of Thirteen/WNET and WLIW21 New York, where her ultimate position was executive vice president and chief operating officer. Kerger received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Baltimore. She has received numerous honorary doctorates. At the University of North Carolina Asheville, she received the Chancellor’s Medallion and at the Darden School at the University of Virginia, she served as a DC Fellow.

Play CHQ: Watermelon Fans
2026-07-09 12:00 | Bestor Plaza, Bestor Plaza

CTC Theater Chats
2026-07-09 12:15, 2026-07-23 12:15 | Smith Wilkes Hall, Smith Wilkes Hall
Theater Chats (formerly known as Brown Bags)
On selected Thursdays at 12:15 p.m., bring lunch to Smith Wilkes Hall and join special guests, including actors, designers, playwrights and more, for a look at our upcoming productions and discussions on the craft of theater-making. Free and open to the public.

Duplicate Bridge ABCL Sanctioned
2026-07-09 12:45, 2026-07-16 12:45, 2026-07-23 12:45 | Sports Club, Sports Club
Don’t have a partner? One will be provided. Game managed by Shelley Dahlie. $10/person.

Rev. Nicole Martin
2026-07-09 14:00 | Hall of Philosophy, Hall of Philosophy
The Rev. Nicole Martin is the president and chief executive officer of Christianity Today. She has been with the magazine since 2023, previously holding the positions of chief operating officer and chief impact officer. Martin currently serves on the executive council of the National Association of Evangelicals, the Board of Trustees at Fuller Theological Seminary, and on the National Advisory Council for the Salvation Army. She is a founding board member of the Center for Christianity and Public Life and has been inducted into the esteemed Board of Preachers at Morehouse College.
Martin is the founder and executive director of Soulfire International Ministries which accelerates thriving for pastors, churches, and younger leaders. She has decades of executive leadership experience in the church and Christian non-profits. Martin is very active at Kingdom Fellowship AME Church, her local congregation in Maryland.
In addition to writing numerous articles, Martin is also the author of two books titled, Made to Lead: Empowering Women for Ministry and Leaning In, Letting Go: A Lenten Devotional.
Martin was born and educated in Baltimore. She graduated magna cum laude from Vanderbilt University with a triple major in Human and Organizational Development, Educational Studies and French. Martin received her Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary and earned a Doctor of Ministry from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.

Islam 101 Khalid and Sabeeha Rehman
2026-07-09 15:30, 2026-07-16 15:30, 2026-07-23 15:30 | Hall of Christ: Sanctuary
“Shariah”

CHQ Dialogues
2026-07-09 15:30, 2026-07-16 15:30, 2026-07-23 15:30 | United Methodist House, United Methodist House

CHQ Dialogues
2026-07-09 15:30, 2026-07-16 15:30, 2026-07-23 15:30 | Baptist House, Baptist House

School of Music Piano Faculty Recital: HieYon Choi
2026-07-09 16:00 | Elizabeth S. Lenna Hall, Elizabeth S. Lenna Hall
Praised for her artistry and expressive depth, HieYon Choi is one of the most sought-after pianists of her generation. “One of this sonata’s greatest-ever recorded interpretations… a model of intelligent bravura” (Gramophone). She gained international recognition with prizes at the Kapell, Epinal, Busoni, and Viotti International Competitions and has performed with the National Symphony Orchestra (Washington, D.C.), Berlin Symphoniker, Rundfunkorchester Berlin, Seoul Philharmonic, and Korean Broadcast Symphony.
A highlight of her career was the complete Beethoven sonata cycle at Kumho Art Hall in Seoul, later followed by additional Beethoven cycles across Europe, the U.S., and Korea. Her discography includes the complete Beethoven sonatas (Decca Korea, 2025), Debussy Études, Liszt Paganini Études, and Chopin Études.
Alongside the canon of the classical piano literature such as Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms and Debussy, Music of 20th & 21st century forms another important part of HieYon’s career.
In 2023/24, she joined the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University after 24 years on the faculty of Seoul National University.

Play CHQ: Obstacle Course
2026-07-09 16:00 | Heinz Beach, Heinz Beach

Film and filmmaker talk: Superbugs: The Search for the Solution to Antimicrobial Resistance
2026-07-09 16:30 | Chautauqua Cinema, Chautauqua Cinema
Join filmmaker Janice Overbeck for a film screening and discussion.
This thought-provoking documentary exposes the alarming rise of antibiotic resistance, shedding light on the quiet war unfolding within the microbial world. Unveiling the magnitude of the crisis, the film showcases groundbreaking research, personal stories, and expert insights illuminating the dire consequences of antimicrobial resistance.

CVA Lecture Series: Susan Klein, School of Art Faculty
2026-07-09 18:30 | Hultquist 101, Hultquist 101
The Chautauqua School of Art proudly welcomes Susan Klein, a distinguished member of our 2026 visiting faculty. Susan Klein will participate in the School’s Summer Lecture Series, sharing insights and practices with our artistic community.

CHQ Dialogues
2026-07-09 18:30, 2026-07-16 18:30, 2026-07-23 18:30 | Disciples of Christ House, Disciples of Christ House

Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra: Toward a New World
2026-07-09 20:00 | Amphitheater, Amphitheater
Rossen Milanov, conductor
Jaren Atherholt, oboe
Join the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra for a celebration of musical exploration. John Corigliano’s Midsummer Fanfare opens the program with brilliance and energy. The orchestra then turns to Martinů’s Oboe Concerto, where soloist Jaren Atherholt brings wit, warmth, and virtuosity to the Amphitheater stage. The evening concludes with Dvořák’s iconic “New World” Symphony-one of the most powerful and beloved works in the orchestral repertoire.
Program:
John Corigliano: Midsummer Fanfare
Martinu Oboe Concerto
Dvorak Symphony No. 9 “From the New World”

Master Series Masterclass: Surviving AI in partnership with Arizona State University
2026-07-09 21:30 | Athenaeum Parlor, Athenaeum Parlor

Ecumenical Communion Service
2026-07-10 09:15, 2026-07-24 09:15 | Hall of Philosophy, Hall of Philosophy

School of Music: Opera Conservatory Masterclass with Nicole Cabell
2026-07-10 10:00 | McKnight Hall, McKnight Hall

Neil deGrasse Tyson and Scott Hamilton Kennedy
2026-07-10 10:45 | Amphitheater, Amphitheater
World-renowned astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson and Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Scott Hamilton Kennedy have twice joined forces to confront the twin crises of misinformation and science denial. Their documentaries — “Food Evolution,” which resets the GMO debate, and “Shot in the Arm,” begun in 2019 as measles resurged and transformed by COVID-19 — show how narrative can rescue facts from the fog of controversy and rekindle public trust in science. The pair will close the Chautauqua Lecture Series week dedicated to “Breaking the News: Charting a New Media Landscape” with a conversation on trust and media literacy, with lessons and tips on how to be a good consumer of information and news.
Neil deGrasse Tyson is an astrophysicist and the director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History, where he has served since 1996. Collaborating with Scott Hamilton Kennedy of Black Valley Films, Tyson is the executive producer of “Shot in the Arm” and narrator of “Food Evolution.”
He is the author of 19 books, including the New York Times bestsellers Starry Messenger: Cosmic Perspectives on Civilization and Astrophysics for People in a Hurry. His latest work, Just Visiting This Planet, was released in October 2025.
Tyson is the two-time host of the beloved TV series “Cosmos” — rebooting the original 1980 series hosted by Carl Sagan. He is also the host and cofounder of the popular Emmy-nominated podcast “StarTalk,” which combines science, humor, and pop culture. 2026 marks the 17th anniversary of “StarTalk.”
Tyson is a recipient of 28 honorary degrees, the Public Welfare Medal from the National Academy of Sciences, and the Distinguished Public Service Medal from NASA. Asteroid 13123 Tyson is named in his honor. He lives in New York City.
Scott Hamilton Kennedy is an Academy Award–nominated filmmaker, director, journalist and educator. He founded the production company, Black Valley Films. In addition to “Shot in the Arm” and “Food Evolution,” Kennedy’s other work includes the Oscar-nominated documentary “The Garden,” the Independent Spirit–nominated “OT: Our Town” and the fan-favorite “Fame High.”
With “Food Evolution” and “Shot in the Arm,” Kennedy focused on the collision between scientific evidence and public perception, beginning his collaboration with Tyson. “Food Evolution” mapped the early contours of science denialism around food, while “Shot in the Arm” captured vaccine hesitancy and the social fractures revealed by COVID-19. Together, the films anticipated the rise of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement. The filmmaker Kennedy’s work continues this trajectory with “Toxic,” investigating the machinery of disinformation, and “A More Perfect Union,” a civic-literacy initiative designed to help audiences navigate the information ecosystem and rebuild trust. Kennedy approaches all his work with the belief that storytelling is a public service—one of humanity’s most powerful tools for understanding and repairing the world.

Introduction to Jumu'ah Muslim Prayer
2026-07-10 12:30, 2026-07-17 12:30, 2026-07-24 12:30 | Hall of Christ: Sanctuary
Jumu’ah introduction for visitors is at 12:30 PM. Jumu’ah Service is at 1:05 PM

PRESSURE
2026-07-10 13:15, 2026-07-11 20:15, 2026-07-12 21:15, 2026-07-13 14:20, 2026-07-13 20:15 | Chautauqua Cinema, Chautauqua Cinema
In the tense 72 hours before D-Day, and with the fate of the free world hanging in the balance, General Dwight D. Eisenhower (Brendan Fraser) and Captain James Stagg (Andrew Scott) face an impossible choice–launch the largest and most dangerous seaborne invasion in history or risk losing the war altogether. “Less of a traditional war flick than a satisfying chamber piece about how people use and communicate information when the stakes are sky high and groupthink is kicking in. Your dad already has his ticket booked.·”-Philip De Semlyen, Time Out “Smashing!” -Thelma Adams, AARP Movies for Grownups (PG-13, 100m)

Stefan Fatsis
2026-07-10 14:00 | Hall of Philosophy, Hall of Philosophy
Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle — Unabridged: The Thrill of (and Threat to) the Modern Dictionary by Stefan Fatsis
Words are the currency of culture—and never more than today.
Journalist and bestselling author Stefan Fatsis embedded as a lexicographer-in-training at America’s most famous dictionary publisher, Merriam-Webster, to learn how words get into the dictionary, where they come from, who decides what they mean, and how we write and think about them. As he recounts in Unabridged, he discovered the history and fascinating subculture of the dictionary and of those who curate and revere “one of the most basic features of our collective humanity.”
Fatsis reveals the little-known story of how the brothers George and Charles Merriam acquired Noah Webster’s original American dictionary and reshaped the business of language forever. Merriam-Webster became America’s most successful and enduring compendium of words, withstanding intense competition and cultural controversies—only to be threatened by the power of Google and artificial intelligence today.
Delving into Merriam’s legendary archives and parsing its arcane rules, Fatsis learns the painstaking precision required for writing good definitions. He examines how the dictionary has handled the most explosive slurs and the revolutionary change in pronouns. Fatsis demonstrates how words are weaponized in our polarized political culture—from liberal to woke to DEI—and, in a time of insurrections and pandemics, how they can be a literal matter of life and death. Along the way, he manages to write a few definitions that crack the code and are enshrined in the pixelated dictionary.
Unabridged takes readers to the heart of an industry in flux, celebrating as it does the sheer thrill and wonder of words.
Stefan Fatsis is the author of Unabridged: The Thrill of (and Threat to) the Modern Dictionary, published in October by Grove Atlantic, and three other books: the New York Times bestseller Word Freak, about the world of competitive Scrabble; A Few Seconds of Panic, about life in the NFL; and Wild and Outside, about minor league baseball. In four decades as a journalist, Fatsis has written and talked for Slate, The Wall Street Journal, NPR, The New York Times, The Atlantic, ESPN, Sports Illustrated, and many other outlets. He lives in Washington, D.C.

Chautauqua Opera Company workshop: Sarah in the Theatre
2026-07-10 15:15 | Elizabeth S. Lenna Hall, Elizabeth S. Lenna Hall
Commissioned by Odyssey Opera, Mark Adamo’s Sarah in the Theatre is a fantasy on the life and work of pioneering opera conductor, stage director and impresario Sarah Caldwell. Chautauqua Opera Company’s 16 young artists will sing all principal and ensemble roles in the first piano/vocal workshop of the opera’s second act. Following a reading of the complete act, the two-week workshop will conclude with a public presentation of excerpts and conversation with the composer/librettist. The Chautauqua audience, which saw Adamo’s first opera Little Women in 2002, will have a special window into his work dramatizing the career of a true American trailblazer.

Islam 101 Khalid and Sabeeha Rehman
2026-07-10 15:30, 2026-07-17 15:30, 2026-07-24 15:30 | Hall of Christ: Sanctuary
“Islam in America”

CHQ Dialogues
2026-07-10 15:30, 2026-07-17 15:30, 2026-07-24 15:30 | Unitarian Universalist Fellowship

CHQ Dialogues
2026-07-10 15:30, 2026-07-17 15:30, 2026-07-24 15:30 | Episcopal Cottage, Episcopal Cottage

CHQ Dialogues
2026-07-10 15:30, 2026-07-17 15:30, 2026-07-24 15:30 | Christian Science House

Masters Series Masterclass: Meet the Filmmaker - A screening and discussion with documentary filmmaker Scott Hamilton Kennedy
2026-07-10 16:00 | Chautauqua Cinema, Chautauqua Cinema
Join award-winning documentary filmmaker Scott Hamilton Kennedy for a screening of one of his films followed by Q & A following his Amphitheater lecture earlier in the day. Learn more about Scott’s work at https://blackvalleyfilms.com/

Kabbalat Shabbat Service
2026-07-10 17:00, 2026-07-17 17:00, 2026-07-24 17:00 | Miller Park, Miller Park

Chautauqua Theater Company Presents FutureNow New Play Lab 1: The Bone Wars
2026-07-10 18:00, 2026-07-11 18:00, 2026-07-12 14:00, 2026-07-12 18:00 | Roe Green Theater Center
Paleontologists O.C. Marsh and Edward Drinker Cope race against each other to uncover the secrets of the prehistoric world. Between them, they discover and named 136 new species of dinosaurs, including Stegosaurus, Triceratops, Coelophysis, and Allosaurus. Their rivalry also led to their professional and personal ruin. The Bone Wars brings to life the explosive true story of the legendary rivalry between two American paleontologists in the late 1800s.

THE SHEEP DETECTIVES
2026-07-10 19:15, 2026-07-11 17:00, 2026-07-12 15:00, 2026-07-12 18:10, 2026-07-13 17:00 | Chautauqua Cinema, Chautauqua Cinema
George (Hugh Jackman) is a shepherd who reads detective novels to his beloved sheep every night, assuming they can’t possibly understand. But when a mysterious incident disrupts life on the farm, the sheep realize they must become the detectives. “Accessible enough for younger viewers without condescending to them, yet complex enough to engage an adult audience.” -Nell Minow, RogerEbert.com “Tickles the funnybone, touches the heart and just may end up as the summer’s sweetest surprise.” -Peter Travers, The Travers Take (PG, 109m)

Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue – Let’s Go Get ‘Em Tour
2026-07-10 20:00 | Amphitheater, Amphitheater
Few artists embody the heart and soul of their city like Trombone Shorty. Perhaps the most recognizable ambassador for New Orleans music working today, Shorty has spent his entire life not only carrying the torch for Crescent City culture, but also propelling it forward into the 21st century with his ecstatic live performances and intoxicating blend of rock, funk, soul, jazz, blues, hip-hop, and Caribbean influences.
Born Troy Andrews, Shorty made his first appearance at New Orleans’ iconic Jazz Fest at the age of four, when he took the stage for an impromptu performance with Bo Diddley. By six, he was heading up his own brass band, and by his early twenties, he’d released the first in a string of critically acclaimed, chart-topping albums that would lead to performances everywhere from the White House and the Grammy Awards to Madison Square Garden and the 2025 Super Bowl. Along the way, Shorty would tour with artists as diverse as Jeff Beck and the Red Hot Chili Peppers; play Coachella, Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, the Roots Picnic, and countless other festivals; perform alongside Juvenile on his instantly legendary NPR Tiny Desk Concert; earn his first Grammy Award; appear on The Tonight Show, The Late Show, Conan, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Good Morning America, Today, CNN, HBO’s Treme, and even an episode of The Simpsons; and collaborate with an eclectic mix of stars including Pharrell, Bruno Mars, Mark Ronson, Jon Batiste, Lenny Kravitz, Foo Fighters, ZHU, Zac Brown, Normani and Ringo Starr.

CHQ Mystic Heart: Centering Prayer with Carol McKiernan
2026-07-11 07:15, 2026-07-18 07:15, 2026-07-25 07:15 | Hall of Philosophy, Hall of Philosophy
Carol McKiernan grew up at Chautauqua and says that her love of mystical practices began here on the grounds. She was formally introduced to meditation many years ago at an off-season yoga and meditation retreat led by Subagh Singh Khalsa and has been practicing Centering Prayer daily ever since. She has attended many seminars, workshops, and retreats offered by Contemplative Outreach, founded by the late Father Thomas Keating, a Trappist Monk who was instrumental in the creation of Centering Prayer. Carol practices Centering Prayer with weekly groups in Campus Ministry at Villanova University and at St. David’s Episcopal Church outside of Philadelphia. She has led and participated in many Centering Prayer workshops and groups in the areas surrounding her hometown of Philadelphia. She is a member of the Augustinian Affiliates, the lay order of the Augustinian Friars and volunteers for the Friars in the Villanova Province. Carol is a past board member and treasurer of the Chautauqua Catholic Community.

Shabbat Service, Rabbi Zalman Vilenken
2026-07-11 09:30, 2026-07-18 09:30, 2026-07-25 09:30 | Chabad Jewish House

Kids Kickball - Playground Fundraiser
2026-07-11 10:00 | Sharpe Field, Sharpe Field

School of Music: Piano Program Masterclass with Alexander Gavrylyuk
2026-07-11 16:00 | Elizabeth S. Lenna Hall, Elizabeth S. Lenna Hall

Catholic Mass
2026-07-11 17:00, 2026-07-18 17:00, 2026-07-25 17:00 | Hall of Philosophy, Hall of Philosophy

Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra with Troupe Vertigo
2026-07-11 20:00 | Amphitheater, Amphitheater
Fusing together elements of cirque acrobatics, classical dance and contemporary theater, Troupe Vertigo brings audiences on a spellbinding journey through the world of artistic movement. Consisting of world-class aerial artists, contortionists, and ballet dancers, the Los Angeles based company was founded in 2009 by Artistic Director Aloysia Gavre, formerly of the internationally renowned Cirque du Soleil, and Technical Director Rex Camphuis, whose background is with the fabled Pickle Family Circus. Troupe Vertigo, whose “dizzying acts defy gravity and leave its lucky audiences in awe” (Los Angeles Times) has performed with major orchestras across North America.
Troupe Vertigo’s 2025-2026 season includes performances at Cincinnati Pops, National Symphony Orchestra with Steve Reineke, Dallas Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Colorado Symphony, Florida Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, Rochester Philharmonic, Des Moines Symphony, and National Arts Center Orchestra in Canada among others. Notable conductors that Troupe Vertigo has performed with include Jack Everly, Jeff Tyzik, Enrico Lopez-Yañez, Stuart Chafetz, Byron Stripling, Michelle Merrill, Sarah Hicks, Daniel Meyer, Nicholas Hersh, and Norman Huynh.
Troupe Vertigo’s recent seasons have brought them to the San Francisco Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, San Diego Symphony, Kansas City Symphony, Nashville Symphony, Oregon Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, Tucson Symphony, Utah Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Phoenix Symphony, Pacific Symphony, Fort Worth Symphony, and Vancouver Symphony in Canada. The company is known for their collaborative custom thematic programs with symphony orchestras from Cirque Espana, Cirque Noir, Cirque Goes to Broadway, Cirque Goes to Hollywood, Cirque Dances featuring The Firebird to complete cirque- ballet presentation of The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, and Cinderella. Their unique perspective on the circus arts have led to a variety of speaking engagements including with The Center Theater Group Los Angeles, Directors Lab West, TEDx Talk and The Chicago Contemporary Circus Festival. As well in publications for the cover story of Dance Teacher Magazine {August 2016} and in the book Ordinary Acrobat.
The ensemble premiered its first offering, Big Top for a New Generation, in 2010 at the Ford Amphitheater and has gone on to present Nighthawks: A Film Noir Circus, inspired by American jazz, Edward Hopper paintings, and crime novels. In 2016, they brought Tableaux, featuring five women grappling with the constrictions of society, to life at the Bootleg Theater in Los Angeles. Husband and wife team, Aloysia and Rex, frequently bring their gifts and knowledge to the film
and television industry, most notably with Rebel Wilson’s aerial performance in Pitch Perfect 2 and with Reese Witherspoon and Christoph Waltz in the film Water for Elephants.
Troupe Vertigo’s facility is also home to Cirque School Los Angeles, which inspires an appreciation for the circus arts for “Anybody with Any Body.” Cirque School uses training, performance, and community outreach to foster passion for the circus arts in a supportive, non-competitive environment. Encompassing over 50 weekly classes to the public, student performances, team building workshops, pre-professional intensives and television and film projects, Cirque School thrives as the premiere cirque training program in Los Angeles.

Song, Prayer, Communion & Meditation
2026-07-12 08:30, 2026-07-19 08:30, 2026-07-26 08:30 | Hurlbut Church sanctuary, Hurlbut Church sanctuary

United Church of Christ Worship Service
2026-07-12 09:00, 2026-07-19 09:00, 2026-07-26 09:00 | Randell Chapel, UCC Headquarters

Quaker Worship Service
2026-07-12 09:30, 2026-07-26 09:30 | Quaker House

Unity Service
2026-07-12 09:30, 2026-07-19 09:30, 2026-07-26 09:30 | Hall of Missions, Hall of Missions

Unitarian Universalist Service
2026-07-12 09:30, 2026-07-19 09:30, 2026-07-26 09:30 | Hall of Philosophy, Hall of Philosophy

Michael Chan
2026-07-12 10:45, 2026-07-13 09:15, 2026-07-14 09:15, 2026-07-15 09:15 | Amphitheater, Amphitheater
Dr. Michael Chan joined the Concordia College community in June 2022 as the executive director for faith and learning. Prior to that, he was associate professor of Old Testament at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. He joined Luther Seminary after completing his Ph.D. at Emory University and a year of research and teaching at the University of Helsinki. He is a graduate of Luther Seminary (M.A. in biblical theology) and Pacific Lutheran University (B.A. in elementary education). Dr. Chan provides leadership and support for the Campus Ministry team; the Dovre Center for Faith and Learning; and the Lorentzsen Center for Faith and Work.

Troupe Vertigo
2026-07-12 15:00 | Amphitheater, Amphitheater

Sony Ton-Aime and Lauren Francis-Sharma
2026-07-12 15:30 | Hall of Philosophy, Hall of Philosophy
Chautauqua Writers’ Center Faculty Reading — Featuring Sony Ton-Aime (Poetry) and Lauren Francis-Sharma (Prose)
Sony Ton-Aime is a Haitian poet, essayist, translator, and Executive Director of Pittsburgh Arts and Lectures. He is the author of the poetry collection, Konbit (2026, CMU Press), the chapbook, LaWomann (2019), the Haitian Creole translation of Olympic Hero: The Lennox Kilgour’s Story, and co-founding editor of ID13. His work has appeared and is forthcoming in Artful Dodge, Cream City Review, Idaho Review, Hunger Mountain Review, and Cleveland Review of Books, Consequence Forum, among others.
A child of Trinidadian immigrants, Lauren Francis-Sharma is the author of the critically acclaimed novels ’Til the Well Runs Dry (Picador, 2014), and Book of the Little Axe (Grove Atlantic, 2020), which was the 2020 American Library Association’s “Libraries Transform Book Pick” and finalist for the Hurston/Wright Award in Fiction. Casualties of Truth (Grove Atlantic, 2025), her most recent book, is a riveting literary novel with the sharp edges of a thriller about the abuses of history and the costs of revenge, set between Washington, D.C., and Johannesburg, South Africa.
Francis-Sharma was a MacDowell fellow and is the Assistant Director of Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference at Middlebury College. She holds a BA from UPENN, a J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School, and an MFA from the MFA Program for Writers at Warren Wilson College. She resides near Washington, DC, with her family.

Church of the Wild with Kriss Miller
2026-07-12 16:00, 2026-07-19 16:00, 2026-07-26 16:00 | Outdoor Classroom
Kriss Young Miller and her husband Gary manage the Quaker House. Kriss is a 2022 graduate of Earlham School of Religion with her Master of Arts in Peace and Social Transformation. Kriss is currently a student of Victoria Loorz in the Seminary of the Wild Earth at the Center for Wild Spirituality. She has completed Wild Church Leadership training and is deeply grateful for the opportunity to work to build connections with Chautauquans in the sacred wild.

New Visitors Orientation
2026-07-12 16:00, 2026-07-19 16:00, 2026-07-26 16:00 | Hultquist 101, Hultquist 101
Join us for lemonade and cookies at the Orientation for new Chautauquans, where we warmly welcome you to our vibrant community. This event is designed to introduce you to the rich history, diverse programs, and unique experiences that Chautauqua offers. Meet fellow newcomers, engage with staff, and learn about the array of cultural, educational, and recreational opportunities available. Whether you’re here for a day, a week, or the entire season, this orientation will help you make the most of your visit and feel right at home.

Newcomers Reception
2026-07-12 17:00, 2026-07-19 17:00, 2026-07-26 17:00 | 3 Taps
Join us for the Newcomers Reception, a welcoming gathering open to all first-time and new visitors to Chautauqua Institution. This lovely event is a chance to meet fellow newcomers, connect with members of the community, and learn more about all that Chautauqua has to offer. Guests will enjoy light refreshments while taking in the beautiful lake views, making it a perfect way to begin your Chautauqua experience. We look forward to welcoming you!

Blessing of the Animals (weather permitting)
2026-07-12 17:15, 2026-07-19 17:15, 2026-07-26 17:15 | Hall of Philosophy Grove

Hebrew Congregation, Shirley Lazarus Sunday Evening Lecture Series: Dr. Robert Wilson-Black
2026-07-12 19:00 | Smith Wilkes Hall, Smith Wilkes Hall

Palestine Park Tour
2026-07-12 19:00, 2026-07-19 19:00, 2026-07-26 19:00 | Palestine Park, Palestine Park

Sacred Song Service
2026-07-12 20:00, 2026-07-19 20:00, 2026-07-26 20:00 | Amphitheater, Amphitheater

CHQ Mystic Heart- Cantor Julie Newman, Jewish Mindfulness Meditation
2026-07-13 07:45, 2026-07-14 07:45, 2026-07-15 07:45, 2026-07-16 07:45, 2026-07-17 07:45 | Presbyterian House, Presbyterian House
Cantor Julie Newman founded and serves as President of the Tiferet Project. Tiferet has been a source for Jewish spiritual practices in Pittsburgh such as twice weekly Jewish mindfulness meditation groups. She has been crafting and leading innovative Jewish worship services in the Pittsburgh area for 25 years. Passionate about heart-opening Jewish contemplative practices, she has been an active participant, worship leader, yoga teacher, and consultant with the Institute for Jewish Spirituality since 2004. She received Cantorial ordination and earned a Master of Jewish Education from Hebrew College in Boston in 2017. She is a member of the New Community Chevra Kadisha of Pittsburgh. Raised in Southern California, Julie originally came to Pittsburgh for graduate school where she received her MBA from the Tepper School of Business in 1982 and met her husband of 37 years, Bill Klingensmith (a 3rd generation Chautauquan.) They raised their kids, Jake (31) and Ben (25) in Pittsburgh where Julie & Bill still live with their rescued greyhound, Yogi.

School of Music: Opera Conservatory Masterclass with Jonathan Beyer
2026-07-13 10:00, 2026-07-17 10:00, 2026-07-22 10:00 | McKnight Hall, McKnight Hall

Marcela Escobari and Charles Lane
2026-07-13 10:45 | Amphitheater, Amphitheater
Marcela Escobari and Charles Lane are two of the nation’s leading experts in immigration, migration and asylum policy. The pair will present in tandem, building on the Chautauqua Lecture Series theme of “The 2026 Election: What’s at Stake?,” with an examination of our national dialogue on immigration as the election approaches — and, ultimately, the impact of immigration politics and policies on real people. The program opens a five-part weeklong series presented at Chautauqua in partnership with the American Enterprise Institute and Brookings Institution, each program featuring experts from both organizations.
Marcela Escobari is a senior fellow in the Global Economy and Development program at Brookings. She has been twice confirmed by the U.S. Senate under Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, and most recently served in the White House National Security Council as special assistant to the president and coordinator for the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection. In this role, Escobari led efforts to promote safe, orderly and humane migration and advance a collaborative, regional response to the displacement of more than 8 million people across Latin America and the Caribbean. This regional response contributed to a more-than-70% decrease in irregular migration at the U.S. border in 2024, helping stabilize and integrate over 4.5 million migrants and refugees within Latin America.
From 2021 to 2024, Escobari was assistant administrator for the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean, a position she also held from 2016 to 2017 as the first woman to serve in this role. Previously, as a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, she launched the Workforce of the Future initiative focused on identifying policies to restore opportunity and enable inclusive growth in U.S. cities and states in the wake of globalization and COVID-19.
Before joining government, Escobari was the executive director of Harvard’s Center for International Development. Her honors include Freedom House’s 2024 Mark Palmer Prize for diplomats and civil servants whose work has advanced democracy and human rights.
Charles Lane is a nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where he focuses on American politics, American culture, and asylum policy. He also serves as a columnist for The Free Press. Before joining AEI, Lane held several positions at The Washington Post, where he was a staff writer covering the United States Supreme Court, an editorial board member and columnist, and the deputy opinion editor. He was previously the editor of The New Republic and the Berlin bureau chief, the general editor, and a San Salvador-based correspondent for Newsweek.
Lane’s writing has appeared extensively in the popular press, including in Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, City Journal, National Affairs, The Atlantic, Los Angeles Times and The Wall Street Journal. He is also the author of Freedom’s Detective: The Secret Service, the Ku Klux Klan and the Man Who Masterminded America’s First War on Terror; Stay of Execution: Saving the Death Penalty from Itself; and The Day Freedom Died: The Colfax Massacre, the Supreme Court, and the Betrayal of Reconstruction.
Lane has a master’s degree in law from Yale University and a bachelor’s degree in social studies from Harvard University.

Play CHQ: Rainbow Fish Weaving
2026-07-13 12:00 | Bestor Plaza, Bestor Plaza

Masters Series Masterclass: The Art of Listening with Rossen Milanov - Week 3
2026-07-13 12:30 | Fletcher Music Hall, Fletcher Music Hall
Maestro Rossen Milanov, music director of the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra, will teach participants to develop an understanding of how to actively listen to music and answer important musical questions. Join Maestro Milanov on this musical journey, exploring works from the CSO’s repertoire — no prior musical knowledge required.

Guided Kayak Eco Tour
2026-07-13 12:45, 2026-07-20 12:45, 2026-07-27 12:45 | Sports Club, Waterfront
Enjoy paddling while learning about ecological info along the shores of Chautauqua Institution during this hour-long guided kayak tour. The tour begins and ends at the Sports Club. The cost is for rental of single or tandem kayak plus $12 per person for the tour guide. Limited spots so please reserve one day before the event. For more info, please contact sportsclub@chq.org.

Conversations with Kyle
2026-07-13 13:00, 2026-07-27 13:00 | Smith Wilkes Hall, Smith Wilkes Hall
Join us for “Conversations with Kyle”, an open, drop in conversation for members of the entire community. These informal gatherings offer the opportunity to ask questions and engage directly with Interim President Kyle Keogh. All are welcome.

Randall Balmer
2026-07-13 14:00 | Hall of Philosophy, Hall of Philosophy
Randall Balmer, an Episcopal priest, is the John Phillips Professor in Religion at Dartmouth College. A prize-winning historian and Emmy Award nominee, he has published eighteen books, including Bad Faith: Race and the Rise of the Religious Right, Redeemer: The Life of Jimmy Carter and The New York Times bestseller, America’s Best Idea: The Separation of Church and State.
His second book, Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory: A Journey into the Evangelical Subculture in America, now in its fifth edition, was made into a three-part documentary for PBS. His commentaries on religion in America appear in newspapers across the country, including The Los Angeles Times, The Santa Fe New Mexican, The Concord Monitor, and The Des Moines Register.

Programming Blackout
2026-07-13 15:30, 2026-07-14 15:30, 2026-07-16 15:30, 2026-07-20 15:30, 2026-07-21 15:30, 2026-07-23 15:30 | Hall of Philosophy, Hall of Philosophy

Chautauqua Chamber Music: WindSync
2026-07-13 16:00 | Elizabeth S. Lenna Hall, Elizabeth S. Lenna Hall
Dynamic wind quintet WindSync returns to Chautauqua for an unforgettable afternoon of energetic and engaging chamber music. Celebrated for their virtuosity, warmth, and creative programming, WindSync performs everything from classical masterpieces to newly commissioned works. Their interactive style and seamless ensemble playing create a vibrant connection with audiences of all ages. Experience why WindSync is hailed as one of the most exciting and original wind ensembles performing today.

Play CHQ: Vegetable Print
2026-07-13 16:00 | Heinz Beach, Heinz Beach

Music School Festival Orchestra
2026-07-13 20:00, 2026-07-20 20:00 | Amphitheater, Amphitheater
Comprised of top-tier students from conservatories and universities in the U.S. and abroad, Music School Festival Orchestra members participate in a variety of musical activities during their summers at Chautauqua including chamber music and private lessons along with their meticulous orchestral training. Alumni from the MSFO can be heard in many of the world’s top orchestras and chamber ensembles and can be found on music faculties worldwide. The MSFO is led by Artistic Director Timothy Muffitt, who serves as Music Director of the Lansing Symphony Orchestra and Music Director Laureate of the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra.

Chautauqua Opera Conservatory Late-Night Cabaret
2026-07-13 22:00 | Roe Green Theater Center
Step into a different side of opera training with an evening of crossover favorites featuring jazz standards, Broadway classics, and beloved American songs performed by the singers of the Chautauqua Opera Conservatory. In a relaxed cabaret setting inspired by downtown New York nightlife, this performance offers audiences a rare chance to hear classically trained singers explore music beyond the opera stage. Warm, funny, touching, and spontaneous, the evening celebrates storytelling, personality, and the joy of live performance.

Chautauqua Science Group Weekly Lecture. JD Stillwater: One Song: The Science of Oneness
2026-07-14 09:15 | Hurlbut Church sanctuary, Hurlbut Church sanctuary
JD Stillwater moves and inspires thousands of people all over North America and the globe with science-centered messages of awe and deep kinship, from Chautauqua Institution to a Sinai and Synapses Fellowship to The Parliament of the World’s Religions to academic conferences and civic clubs.
With a gift for making difficult science concepts graspable for average people, JD continues his decades-long career as a science educator, sharing insights from mainstream conventional science as a source of unifying inspiration, from stages, webinars, pulpits, and workshops. He offers insights from how nature works that help us discern who we are and our place in the world.

School of Music Masterclass: WindSync
2026-07-14 10:00 | Elizabeth S. Lenna Hall, Elizabeth S. Lenna Hall

James C. Capretta and Matthew Fiedler
2026-07-14 10:45 | Amphitheater, Amphitheater
The Chautauqua Lecture Series continues its theme dedicated to “The 2026 Election: What’s at Stake?” with scholars James Capretta and Matthew Fiedler in conversation, sharing their expertise on the state of health care and health policy in the United States. The program is the second in a five-part weeklong series presented at Chautauqua in partnership with the American Enterprise Institute and Brookings Institution, each featuring experts from both organizations.
James C. Capretta is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute where he studies and comments on U.S. health care, entitlement, and fiscal policy. He also serves as a senior adviser to the Bipartisan Policy Center. He previously held senior staff positions at the Office of Management and Budget and in Congress, primarily at the Senate Budget Committee. He is the author of US Health Policy and Market Reforms: An Introduction, published by AEI Press in 2022, along with numerous other book chapters, papers, and articles.
Matthew Fiedler is the Joseph A. Pechman Senior Fellow in Economic Studies and a senior fellow with the Center on Health Policy at Brookings. His research examines a range of topics in health care economics and health care policy. Prior to joining the Brookings Institution in January 2017, Fiedler served as Chief Economist for the Council of Economic Advisers, where he oversaw the Council’s work on health care policy, including implementation of the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance and health care payment reforms. Fiedler holds a Ph.D. in economics from Harvard University and a B.A. in mathematics and economics from Swarthmore College.

Play CHQ: Paper Bag Puppets
2026-07-14 12:00 | Bestor Plaza, Bestor Plaza

Bob Jeffrey: Architecture of the 2026 House and Garden Tour
2026-07-14 12:30 | Smith Wilkes Hall, Smith Wilkes Hall
Bird, Tree & Garden Club lunchtime lecture series
Bob Jeffrey is an Historic Preservationist who redevelops historic properties in Florida, New York, and Pennsylvania. He holds an undergraduate degree in architecture from Miami University of Ohio and a master’s degree of architecture from Kent State University. He is a lifelong Chautauquan who started coming back for the full season in 2007. He has served on the Board of Trustees and chaired the Architectural Review Board. He currently sits on the Athenaeum Hotel Board. In St. Petersburg he sits on the Community Planning and Preservation Board. Bob’s hobbies include watercolor painting and gardening.

CHQ Mystic Heart -Cantor Julie Newman, Jewish Mindfulness Meditation
2026-07-14 12:30, 2026-07-16 12:30 | Hall of Missions, Hall of Missions

Najeeba Syeed
2026-07-14 14:00 | Hall of Philosophy, Hall of Philosophy
El-Hibri Endowed Chair and executive director of the Interfaith Institute, Augsburg University
2:00 p.m. Tuesday, July 14, 2026 · Hall of Philosophy
Najeeba Syeed is the Inaugural El-Bibri endowed chair and executive director of the Interfaith Institute and is a tenured and full professor of religion at Augsburg University. She is also a senior fellow at the Oxford Interfaith Forum.
Syeed has served as a visiting professor at Yale and Mercer University. She is an expert on Muslim-Jewish relations and has worked extensively on Evangelical Christian and Muslim relations throughout the country. She served as associate professor of interreligious education and director of the Center for Global Peacebuilding at Claremont School of Theology from 2010-2020.
Syeed also brings significant executive experience with organizations as an executive director focused on conflict resolution in community, higher education and government settings, including the Western Justice Center Foundation and the Asian Pacific American Dispute Resolution Center. In 2021, she served as chief of staff to an elected member of the Los Angeles City Council. She holds a law degree from Indiana University.

School of Music Piano Faculty Recital: Ilya Itin
2026-07-14 16:00 | Elizabeth S. Lenna Hall, Elizabeth S. Lenna Hall
Audiences throughout the world revere Ilya Itin’s unique artistry. Playing to sold out houses in Japan and in the US, he is known for his extraordinary range, power, quality of sound, and command of the piano. His Princeton recital was singled out by the Philadelphia Inquirer as a “top ten musical moment of the year” and The New York Times critic described him as “…a brilliantly insightful pianist who offered a superb recital.” Since capturing the gold medal, BBC Audience Award, and Contemporary Music Prize at the 1996 Leeds International Piano Competition, Itin has performed throughout the world bringing his powerful musical imagination and mastery to wide ranging repertoire.

Play CHQ: Bird Feeders
2026-07-14 16:00, 2026-07-21 16:00, 2026-07-22 16:00 | Miller Park, Miller Park

Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra: An Evening of Brahms
2026-07-14 20:00 | Amphitheater, Amphitheater
Rossen Milanov, conductor
Sharon Roffman, violin
Jolyon Pegis, cello
An Evening of Brahms brings together two of the composer’s most expressive works, pairing the lyrical intimacy of the Double Concerto with the concentrated power of Symphony No. 3. Written late in Brahms’s career, the Double Concerto unfolds as a rich conversation between violin and cello, as CSO concertmaster Sharon Roffman and principal cellist Jolyon Pegis share the spotlight. The program concludes with Brahms’s Third Symphony, a work of striking emotional depth. Together, these works reveal Brahms at his most personal and compelling.
Program:
Brahms Concerto for Violin and Cello
Brahms Symphony No. 3

School of Music: Opera Conservatory Masterclass with Rachel Calloway
2026-07-15 10:00 | McKnight Hall, McKnight Hall

Ben Harris and James Pethokoukis
2026-07-15 10:45 | Amphitheater, Amphitheater
The Chautauqua Lecture Series continues a weeklong exploration of “The 2026 Election: What’s at Stake?” with scholars Ben Harris and James Pethokoukis, sharing their expertise on the state of the economy and economic policy in the United States. The program is the third in a five-part weeklong series presented at Chautauqua in partnership with the American Enterprise Institute and Brookings Institution, each featuring experts from both organizations.
Ben Harris is the vice president and director of Economic Studies at the Brookings Institution, where he also holds the Bruce and Virginia MacLaury Chair. As a scholar, Harris focuses on public finance and macroeconomics, and is widely published in academic journals, policy outlets and the popular press — including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Washington Post — and is a regular guest on cable television. With Martin Baily, he is the author of the book The Retirement Challenge: What’s Wrong with America’s System and a Sensible Way to Fix It.
Harris has extensive experience in senior public sector roles. Most recently, he was assistant secretary for economic policy and chief economist at the Treasury Department, chief economist and economic adviser to the Vice President of the United States, and a senior economist with the Council of Economic Advisers during the Obama administration. Harris was also the senior economist with the U.S. House of Representatives Budget Committee.
In addition to his public service, Harris has worked extensively in think tanks, academia and the private sector. He holds a Ph.D. in economics from George Washington University, a Master’s degree in economics from Cornell University, a master’s degree in quantitative methods from Columbia University, and a bachelor’s degree from Tufts University. He was also a Fulbright Scholar to Namibia in 2000. For his Treasury Department service, Harris was awarded the prestigious Alexander Hamilton Award by Secretary Janet Yellen.
James Pethokoukis is a senior fellow and the DeWitt Wallace Chair at the American Enterprise Institute, where he analyzes U.S. economic policy, writes and edits the “AEIdeas” blog, and hosts AEI’s “Political Economy” podcast. He is also a contributor to CNBC and writes the “Faster, Please!” newsletter on Substack. Before joining AEI, Pethokoukis was the Washington columnist for “Breakingviews,” the opinion and commentary wing of Thomson Reuters. Earlier, he was the business editor and economics columnist for U.S. News & World Report.
Pethokoukis is the author of The Conservative Futurist: How to Create the Sci-Fi World We Were Promised. He has also written for many publications, including The Atlantic, Commentary, Financial Times, Investor’s Business Daily, National Review, the New York Post, The New York Times, USA Today and The Week. His numerous broadcast appearances include CNBC, CNN, Fox Business, Fox News, MSNBC, and PBS.
A graduate of Northwestern University and the Medill School of Journalism, Pethokoukis is a 2002 Jeopardy! champion.

Imagining a Future Beyond Climate Change: Lessons from the Haitian Revolution, with Sony Ton-Aime
2026-07-15 12:30 | Smith Wilkes Hall, Smith Wilkes Hall
Poet, author and former director of literary arts at Chautauqua, Sony discusses and reads from his debut poetry collection Konbit, accompanied by vivid imagery and music.
The title of Ton-Aim’s book comes from Haitian Creole, where ‘konbit’ is a communal labor practice in which neighbors gather to plant, harvest, rebuild, or respond to sudden need. The poems braid the Haitian revolution with contemporary migration and ecological collapse linked to climate change, drawing parallels between a people who could only imagine a world beyond slavery but who nonetheless persevered until they achieved a better future, and people today who must imagine a better world beyond climate change.
In this program Ton-Aime will explore three questions: (1) What does a better world beyond climate change look like? (2) What will it take to get there? And (3) what can each individual do to advance toward that future?

Terrence Johnson
2026-07-15 14:00 | Hall of Philosophy, Hall of Philosophy
Terrence L. Johnson is Charles G. Adams Professor of African American Religious Studies, professor of African and African American studies, and director of religion and public life at Harvard Divinity School. He is also a faculty associate of the Edmond & Lily Safra Center for Ethics at Harvard and a member of the Corporation at Haverford College. His research interests include African American political thought, ethics, American religions and the role of religion in public life. Johnson’s interdisciplinary research agenda is historical, critical and constructive. He weaves together African American religions, political theory and American history to paint broad conceptual schemes for imagining religion, democracy, ethics, liberalism, justice and freedom.
In 2024-25, he was an inaugural Steven M. Polan Fellow in constitutional law and history at the Brennan Center for Justice, a nonpartisan law and policy institute. The Polan Fellows program provides a platform for debates on the meaning and promise of the U.S. constitution.
He is the co-author of Blacks and Jews in America: An Invitation to Dialogue, winner of the 2023 Outstanding Book award by the Association for Ethnic Studies; We Testify with Our Lives: How Religion Transformed Radical Thought from Black Power to Black Lives Matter; and Tragic Soul-Life: W.E.B. Du Bois and the Moral Crisis Facing American Democracy. He also serves as co-editor of the Duke University Press Series “Religious Cultures of African and African Diaspora People.” He is currently completing a manuscript entitled Torn Asunder: Race and Religion in the Shadow of Law and Justice, which is under contract with Columbia University Press. He is also co-writing a book on ethics and law with M. Cathleen Kaveny tentatively entitled Christian Ethics and the Trump Court.
A graduate of Morehouse College, Johnson received his M.Div. from Harvard Divinity School and Ph.D. in Religious Studies from Brown University.

UU Cultural Ethics Series: Dr. Elías Ortega, President and Professor of Religion, Ethics, and Leadership, Meadville Lombard Theological School
2026-07-15 15:30 | Hall of Philosophy, Hall of Philosophy

Play CHQ: Parachute Challenge
2026-07-15 16:00 | Miller Park, Miller Park

CVA Lecture Series: Stephanie Pierce, School of Art Faculty
2026-07-15 18:30 | Hultquist 101, Hultquist 101
The Chautauqua School of Art proudly welcomes Stephanie Pierce as a member of our 2026 visiting faculty. Stephanie Pierce will participate in the School’s Summer Lecture Series, sharing insights and practices with our artistic community.
Stephanie Pierce’s paintings explore relationships between light, time, and perception as it is reconsidered over time. Her work has been exhibited at The Henry Art Gallery, Seattle; The Staten Island Museum, NY; and Asheville Art Museum, NC. Her work is represented by Jupiter Contemporary in New York City and Miami, Alpha Gallery in Boston, and Steven Harvey Fine Art Projects in NYC. Stephanie received a Peter S. Reed Foundation Grant in 2018 and a Joan Mitchell Foundation Painters and Sculptors Grant in 2014. Her work has been published in the New Yorker Magazine, Harper’s Magazine, and is included in the collections of William Dreyfus, The Boston Public Library, and The Museum of Fine Arts Boston among others. Stephanie is an Associate Professor of Painting at the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC. She lives and works in Brooklyn, NY.

School of Music: Vocal Chamber Concert
2026-07-15 18:30 | Elizabeth S. Lenna Hall, Elizabeth S. Lenna Hall

Alexander Gavrylyuk, piano
2026-07-15 20:00 | Amphitheater, Amphitheater
A stunningly virtuosic pianist, Alexander is internationally recognised for his electrifying and poetic performances. His performance of Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No.3 at the BBC Proms was described as “revelatory” by The Times and “electrifying” by Limelight. Alexander was Artist-in-Residence at Wigmore Hall for the 23/24 season.
Highlights of the 2025-26 season include debuts with Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, Tonkünstler Orchestra, Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Opera North orchestra and i Solisti di Pavia. Alexander will also return to the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and Auckland Philharmonia. Recent highlights also include Hamburger Symphoniker, Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liege, Australian Chamber Orchestra, Estonian National Symphony, Phil Zuid, Enescu Philharmonic and Taiwan National Symphony. This season also sees returns to Baerum Kulturhaus and the Piano Masters Series in Stoke-on-Trent as a recital artist along with his recital debut at Theater Heerlen.
Alexander collaborates regularly with conductors including Rafael Payer, Thomas Sondergard, Kirill Karabit, Edward Gardner, Sir Donald Runnicles, Juraj Valcuha and Gustavo Gimeno.
Born in Ukraine in 1984 and holding Australian citizenship, Alexander began his piano studies at the age of seven and gave his first concerto performance when he was nine years old. At the age of 13, Alexander moved to Sydney where he lived until 2006. He won First Prize and Gold Medal at the Horowitz International Piano Competition (1999), First Prize at the Hamamatsu International Piano Competition (2000), and Gold Medal at the Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Masters Competition (2005).
As a recitalist Alexander has performed at the Musikverein in Vienna, Tonhalle Zurich, Victoria Hall Geneva, Southbank Centre’s International Piano Series, Wigmore Hall, Concertgebouw Master Pianists Series, Suntory Hall, Tokyo Opera City Hall, Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory, Cologne Philharmonie, Tokyo City Concert Hall, San Francisco, City Recital Hall in Sydney and Melbourne Recital Centre. Gavrylyuk has appeared at many of the world’s foremost festivals, including the Hollywood Bowl, Bravo! Vail Colorado, Mostly Mozart, the Ruhr Festival and the Kissinger Sommer International Music Festival. Alexander is currently Artist in Residence at Chautauqua Institution.

Michael Chan
2026-07-16 09:15 | Hall of Philosophy, Hall of Philosophy

E.J. Dionne, Jr. and Christine Emba
2026-07-16 10:45 | Amphitheater, Amphitheater
Leading the fourth installment of a five-part weeklong deep dive into “The 2026 Election: What’s at Stake?,” renowned scholars E.J. Dionne, Jr. and Christine Emba join in conversation for a deeper look into the role of culture in American public and political life, particularly addressing the generational differences and divides that show up in these deeply intertwined components of our national dialogue. The program is presented at Chautauqua in partnership with the American Enterprise Institute and Brookings Institution, each featuring experts from both organizations.
Later in the day at 2:00 p.m., Dionne will be speaking at the Hall of Philosophy for the Interfaith Lecture Series.
E.J. Dionne, Jr. is a senior fellow and the W. Averell Harriman Chair in American Governance in the Governance Studies program at Brookings. He is also a Distinguished University Professor in the Foundations of Democracy and Culture at Georgetown University, affiliated with the McCourt School of Public Policy, and a contributing columnist to The New York Times.
Dionne began his career with The New York Times, reporting on state and local government, national politics, and from around the world, including stints in Paris, Rome, and Beirut. In 1990, Dionne joined The Washington Post as a reporter covering national politics, and was a columnist for The Post from 1993 to 2025, when he became a Times contributor. He was an NPR commentator for two decades.
His 1991 best-selling book, Why Americans Hate Politics, won The Los Angeles Times book prize, and was a National Book Award nominee. He is the author and co-author of eight other books, editor and co-editor of six volumes published by the Brookings Institution Press and co-editor of a collection of the speeches made by Barack Obama.
Dionne has received numerous awards, including the American Political Science Association’s Carey McWilliams Award, Volunteers of America Empathy Award, the National Human Services Assembly’s Award for Excellence by a Member of the Media and the Sidney Hillman Foundation’s Hillman Award for Career Achievement. He has been named among the 25 most influential Washington journalists by the National Journal and among the capital city’s top 50 journalists by the Washingtonian magazine. He was elected as a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Dionne grew up in Fall River, Mass. He graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. from Harvard University and received his doctorate from Oxford University, where he was a Rhodes Scholar.
Christine Emba is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where her work focuses on gender and sexuality, feminism, masculinity, youth culture and social norms. She is concurrently a contributing writer at The New York Times and a senior fellow at the Georgetown University Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life.
Emba is a contributing editor at Comment Magazine, a board member at the American Institute for Boys and Men and an editor-at-large at Wisdom of Crowds. She is the author of Rethinking Sex: A Provocation.
Before joining AEI, Emba was a staff writer at The Atlantic, a columnist and editor at The Washington Post, a Hilton Kramer Fellow in Criticism at The New Criterion and a deputy editor at The Economist Intelligence Unit.
Emba has a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University. She was named one of the world’s top-50 thinkers by Prospect Magazine in 2022 and received the National Press Club’s Nell Minow Award for Cultural Criticism in 2024.

Play CHQ: News Paper Construction
2026-07-16 12:00 | Bestor Plaza, Bestor Plaza

CTC Theater Chats
2026-07-16 12:15 | Women’s Club

E.J. Dionne, Jr.
2026-07-16 14:00 | Hall of Philosophy, Hall of Philosophy
Dionne is a senior fellow and the W. Averell Harriman Chair in American Governance in the Governance Studies program at Brookings. He is also a Distinguished University Professor in the Foundations of Democracy and Culture at Georgetown University, affiliated with the McCourt School of Public Policy, and a contributing columnist to The New York Times.
Dionne began his career with The New York Times, reporting on state and local government, national politics, and from around the world, including stints in Paris, Rome, and Beirut. In 1990, Dionne joined The Washington Post as a reporter covering national politics, and was a columnist for The Post from 1993 to 2025, when he became a Times contributor. He was an NPR commentator for two decades.
His 1991 best-selling book, Why Americans Hate Politics, won The Los Angeles Times book prize, and was a National Book Award nominee. He is the author and co-author of eight other books, editor and co-editor of six volumes published by the Brookings Institution Press and co-editor of a collection of the speeches made by Barack Obama.
Dionne has received numerous awards, including the American Political Science Association’s Carey McWilliams Award, Volunteers of America Empathy Award, the National Human Services Assembly’s Award for Excellence by a Member of the Media and the Sidney Hillman Foundation’s Hillman Award for Career Achievement. He has been named among the 25 most influential Washington journalists by the National Journal and among the capital city’s top 50 journalists by the Washingtonian magazine. He was elected as a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Dionne grew up in Fall River, Mass. He graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. from Harvard University and received his doctorate from Oxford University, where he was a Rhodes Scholar.
He will also be speaking at the 10:45 a.m. Chautauqua Lecture Series platform earlier the same day.

Chautauqua Opera Company Presents: An Afternoon of Song
2026-07-16 15:15, 2026-07-23 15:15 | Fletcher Music Hall, Fletcher Music Hall
Join us for an afternoon of song, featuring our 2026 Young Artists.

Piano Faculty Master Class: Alexander Kobrin
2026-07-16 16:00 | Sherwood-Marsh 101

Play CHQ: Paper Chain Challenge
2026-07-16 16:00 | Heinz Beach, Heinz Beach

Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra with Mak Grgic, guitar
2026-07-16 20:00 | Amphitheater, Amphitheater
Rossen Milanov, conductor
Mak Grgic, guitar
The Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra is thrilled to welcome guitarist Mak Grgic in an evening of symphonic storytelling. Stravinsky’s “Song of the Nightengale” opens the program with visceral motion, bringing to life the enchanting world of Hans Christian Anderson’s fairy tale. Grgic then takes the stage in a powerful work that explores the deepest personal struggles of an artist. The evening concludes with the charm of Poulenc’s “Les Biches” Suite, brimming with wit and Parisian flair.
Program:
Stravinsky: Song of the Nightingale
Abels: Borders
Poulence: Suite from “Les Biches”

Chautauqua County Day
2026-07-17 07:00 | Chautauqua Institution
Explore locally and come to Chautauqua Institution on Chautauqua County Day. Residents of Chautauqua County have free admission and parking from 7 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Our Chautauqua County Day includes access to all events in the Amphitheater and Hall of Philosophy that day, beaches, and so much more!
Please bring proof of residency for entry. Youth 12 and under are always free at Chautauqua!
Chautauqua County Day: Featured Events
9:15 a.m. (Hall of Philosophy) Morning Worship: Ecumenical Communion Service
10:45 a.m. (Amphitheater) Morning Lecture: Kevin R. Kosar and Kathryn Dunn Tenpas (Brookings Institution)
2 p.m. (Hall of Philosophy) CLSC Author Presentation: Maria Arana (2026 Chautauqua County Book Read Selection)
3:30 p.m. (Fletcher) School of Music Open Recital
3:30 p.m. (Hall of Christ) Department of Religion: Islam 101 Khalid and Sabeeha Rehman
8:00 p.m. (Amphitheater) Evening Program: Harry Connick Jr. **Admission to this event requires purchase of a separate ticket, available at tickets.chq.org
Tickets are available starting June 1, 2026 by calling the Chautauqua Institution Ticket Office at 716-357-6250.
Parking is complimentary for Chautauqua County Day when tickets are purchased in advance—online, by phone, or in person before July 17. On the day of the event, a credit card will be required for parking lot entry. Guests wishing to pay with cash should proceed to the Main Gate before entering the parking lot.

Ecumenical Communion Service
2026-07-17 09:15 | Hall of Philosophy, Hall of Philosophy

Kevin R. Kosar and Kathryn Dunn Tenpas
2026-07-17 10:45 | Amphitheater, Amphitheater
Kevin R. Kosar and Kathryn Dunn Tenpas, two of the nation’s leading experts in the workings of the U.S. federal government, governance, and interbranch relations, will present in tandem on the state of the federal government, federalism and U.S. elections. The program concludes the Chautauqua Lecture Series weeklong exploration of “The 2026 Election: What’s at Stake?,” a five-part series at Chautauqua in partnership with the American Enterprise Institute and Brookings Institution, with each program featuring experts from both organizations.
Kathryn Dunn Tenpas is a visiting fellow in Governance Studies and director of the Initiative on Improving Interbranch Relations and Government. She also serves as a practitioner senior fellow at the University of Virginia’s Miller Center and on the Advisory Board of the White House Transition Project. Tenpas’ research addresses the intersection between the presidency and politics, focusing on presidential personnel, Senate-confirmed appointments, transitions, re-election campaigns and trends in presidential travel and polling. Her studies of White House staffing include an original database that tracks turnover rates among senior staffers. In addition, she has written or coauthored pieces on key units within the White House (Office of Political Affairs, Staff Secretary, Counsel’s Office, Faith-based and Community Initiatives and the Office of the First Lady).
Tenpas is author of Presidents as Candidates: Inside the White House for the Presidential Campaign, and has published articles, book chapters, blog posts, op-eds and papers on a variety of presidency-related topics. Her insights on the presidency have been quoted in major newspapers, and she has appeared on numerous television and radio outlets in the United States and abroad.
Tenpas’ academic positions have included the directorship of the University of Pennsylvania’s Washington Semester Program, senior fellow at the Weidenbaum Center at Washington University in St. Louis, and an associate professorship in the Department of Government and International Affairs at the University of South Florida. While there, she won an undergraduate teaching award, directed the Political Science Honors Program and the Washington, D.C. internship program. Tenpas earned her bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University in 1985, and her master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Virginia.
Kevin R. Kosar is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where he studies the U.S. Congress, the administrative state, American politics, election reform, and the U.S. Postal Service. He edits UnderstandingCongress.org and hosts the “Understanding Congress” podcast. Before joining AEI, Kosar was at the R Street Institute, where he served as vice president of policy, vice president of research partnerships, and senior fellow and director of the Governance Project. He also cofounded the Legislative Branch Capacity Working Group, a transpartisan project to strengthen the legislative branch.
Earlier, Kosar spent more than a decade working for the Congressional Research Service, where he focused on a wide range of public administration issues. He has also taught public policy at New York University and lectured on public administration at Metropolitan College of New York. His books include Congress Overwhelmed: The Decline in Congressional Capacity and Prospects for Reform; Unleashing Opportunity: Policy Reforms for an Accountable Administrative State; Moonshine: A Global History; Ronald Reagan and Education Policy; Whiskey: A Global History; Failing Grades: The Federal Politics of Education Standards; and Bridging the Gap: Higher Education and Career-Centered Welfare Reform. He also wrote the prefaces to the recently republished The Unheavenly City Revisited and Government Project by Edward C. Banfield.
Kosar has testified before Congress and has been widely published in scholarly journals; his articles and opinion pieces have appeared in a number of popular press outlets and he has made a number of broadcast appearances. He earned a doctorate and a master’s in politics from New York University and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Ohio State University.

Marie Arana
2026-07-17 14:00 | Hall of Philosophy, Hall of Philosophy
Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle — LatinoLand: A Portrait of America’s Largest and Least Understood Minority by Marie Arana
LatinoLand is an exceptional, all-encompassing overview of Hispanic America based on personal interviews, deep research, and Marie Arana’s life experience as a Latina. At present, Latinos comprise twenty percent of the US population, a number that is growing. By 2050, census reports project that one in every three Americans will claim Latino heritage.
But Latinos are not a monolith. They do not represent a single group. The largest groups are Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Salvadorans, and Cubans. Each has a different cultural and political background. As LatinoLand shows, Latinos were some of the earliest immigrants to what is now the US—some of them arriving in the 1500s. They are racially diverse—a random infusion of white, Black, indigenous, and Asian. Once overwhelmingly Catholic, they are becoming increasingly Protestant and Evangelical. They range from domestic workers and day laborers to successful artists, corporate CEOs, and US senators. Formerly solidly Democratic, they now vote Republican in growing numbers. They are as culturally varied as any immigrants from Europe or Asia.
Marie Arana draws on her own experience as the daughter of an American mother and Peruvian father who came to the US at age nine, straddling two worlds, as many Latinos do. “Thorough, accessible, and necessary” (Ms. magazine), LatinoLand unabashedly celebrates Latino resilience and character and shows us why we must understand the fastest-growing minority in America.
Marie Arana was born in Lima, Peru. She is the author of the memoir American Chica, a finalist for the National Book Award; two novels, Cellophane and Lima Nights; the prizewinning biography Bolivar; Silver, Sword, and Stone, a narrative history of Latin America; The Writing Life, a collection from her well-known column for The Washington Post; and LatinoLand, an exceptional, all-encompassing overview of Hispanic Americans. She is the inaugural Literary Director of the Library of Congress and lives in Washington, DC, and Lima, Peru.

The Extraordinary Caterpillar documentary film
2026-07-17 16:30 | Chautauqua Cinema, Chautauqua Cinema
A peek into the dazzling world of nature’s tiniest and mightiest superheros, with post film discussion. Sponsored by the Chautauqua Bird, Tree and Garden Club.

Harry Connick Jr.
2026-07-17 20:00 | Amphitheater, Amphitheater
A consummate performer, Harry Connick, Jr. has exemplified excellence in the entertainment world for decades—be it music, film, television or Broadway. His prodigious talent has earned him Grammy, Emmy and Tony recognition, plus album sales in excess of 30 million and sold-out concerts around the world.
Backed by his stellar band, this special concert will showcase the full breadth of Connick’s artistry—from jazz standards and New Orleans classics to his masterful originals and career-defining hits.

Piano Program Student Recital
2026-07-18 13:00 | Sherwood-Marsh 101

Chautauqua Opera Conservatory: Mozart's Die Zauberflöte
2026-07-18 14:00, 2026-07-21 17:00 | Norton Hall, Norton Hall
Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Librettist: Original text by Emanuel Schickaneder, English dialogue translation by Nathan Troup
Stage Director: Nathan Troup
Conductor: Stephen Hargreaves
In Mozart’s comic opera The Magic Flute, Prince Tamino embarks on a journey to rescue Pamina, only to discover that the true battle isn’t between people, but between ignorance and understanding. Guided by elements both mystical and spiritual—and joined by the ever-hopeful, always-hungry, bird-catching Papageno as their trusty sidekick—Tamino and Pamina undergo trials of courage, integrity, and resilience. As the Queen of the Night spreads fear and misinformation, the wise Sarastro champions reason, compassion, and community. In a world that often feels divided by noise and uncertainty, The Magic Flute resonates as a timeless and timely tale of seeking truth, choosing empathy over fear, and finding harmony through connection.
Sung in German (with English supertitles) and spoken English dialogue.

Chautauqua Theater Company Presents Best for Baby (Pick-Your-Price)
2026-07-18 17:00 | Bratton Theater, Bratton Theater
WORLD PREMIERE
By Sharyn Rothstein
Directed by Oliver Butler
Bratton Theater
Best for Baby and its devilishly funny emcee takes audiences inside Johnson & Johnson’s decades-long and still evolving baby powder scandal. A Big American Play ripped straight from the headlines, this world premiere is equal parts showbiz spectacle and intimate human storytelling, brought to you by a sensational comedic ensemble of professional guest artists — led by Broadway actors George Abud and Crystal Dickinson — alongside members of CTC’s beloved conservatory.
Best for Baby is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra: Holst's The Planets
2026-07-18 20:00 | Amphitheater, Amphitheater
Rossen Milanov, conductor
Embark on a thrilling musical journey across galaxies with the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra. The evening opens with John Williams’ iconic “Main Theme” from the Star Wars Suite filled with energy, heroism, and familiar melodies. Holst follows with “The Planets”, a monumental suite exploring Roman gods and goddesses through sound. From Mars’ ferocious ostinato to Neptune’s mysterious beauty, the orchestra will explore a full range of characters. Together, these pieces bring exhilarating celestial energy to the amphitheater.
Program:
Williams: Star Wars, “Main Theme”
Holst: The Planets

Unscripted! An Evening of Musical Improv
2026-07-18 22:00, 2026-07-20 22:00 | Roe Green Theater Center
Unscripted! An Evening of Musical Improv features a collection of improv comedians and singers from Brooklyn, New York. By day, they are the Chautauqua Institution Young Playwrights Project’s Lead Teaching Artists, teaching in public schools throughout Chautauqua County. By night, they grace the stages of New York City’s premiere comedy venues.

Cantor Olivia Brodsky
2026-07-19 10:45, 2026-07-20 09:15, 2026-07-21 09:15, 2026-07-22 09:15 | Amphitheater, Amphitheater
Cantor Olivia Brodsky serves as Cantor and Co-Clergy of East End Temple in Manhattan, alongside Rabbi Joshua Stanton. She is a vocalist dedicated to preserving Jewish culture and tradition while making it evermore applicable to daily life and accessible for people of all generations. Brodsky is passionate about engaging a diverse community of people with varying backgrounds and levels of religious and cultural observance, herself having been raised in the Conservative movement and now dually affiliated with both the Reform movement’s American Conference of Cantors and the Conservative movement’s Cantor’s Assembly.
Brodsky is deeply engaged in Jewish education, global Jewish travel, and interfaith
dialogue. In reaction to divisive politics plaguing both the US and the world at large, she founded an Adult Education series entitled “Complex Conversations with the Cantor,” where she facilitates respectful dialogue between people with a diverse array of views on controversial issues.
As an outspoken advocate for the Jewish community and a published writer, Brodsky contributes op-ed commentary to a variety of news outlets addressing Jewish identity, the Arab-Israeli Conflict, Zionism, and antisemitism. She brings a nuanced understanding of Jewish history, culture, Abrahamic faith traditions, Middle Eastern politics, social justice, and ethics to her ministry. Brodsky strives to create relevant, inclusive, intellectually engaging Jewish experiences for her community.
Brodsky attended a dual-degree program at Tufts University and the New England Conservatory of Music (NEC), earning a B.A. in Judaic Studies and studying Classical Vocal Performance. She received her Master of Sacred Music and Cantorial Ordination from the Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music at Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion.

The Great American Picnic
2026-07-19 12:00 | Literary Arts Grove

School of Dance: Student Gala I
2026-07-19 15:00 | Amphitheater, Amphitheater
Chautauqua School of Dance presents an outstanding mixed repertoire matinee of new and established works featuring the most exceptional young talent in the country. Under the leadership of Sasha Janes,
Bonnefoux McBride Artistic Director of Chautauqua School of Dance, the school continues its long tradition of excellence as a top-tier summer training program focused on bringing the next generation of dance stars from the studio to the stage.

Angela May and Mary Alice Monroe
2026-07-19 15:30 | Hall of Philosophy, Hall of Philosophy
Chautauqua Writers’ Center Faculty Reading & CLSC Young Readers Author Presentation — Angela May (Children’s Literature) and Mary Alice Monroe (Prose)
Angela May is the co-author of The Islanders, a New York Times bestselling series created with Mary Alice Monroe. All three books in their middle grade series are rooted in the magic of nature and set on a remote barrier island off the coast of South Carolina. The first book in the series, The Islanders, earned several honors, including the South Carolina Children’s Book Award nominee and the Triple Crown Award.
Angela is a South Carolina Lowcountry native and a graduate of the University of South Carolina with a degree in broadcast journalism. Prior to her career in the book publishing industry, she worked as an award-winning reporter, producer, and news anchor.
She lives in Mount Pleasant with her husband, who is an educator, and their two children. You can connect with her at www.angelamaybooks.com.
Based in Charleston, South Carolina, is the New York Times best-selling author of thirty books–and counting, Mary Alice Monroe. Richly layered and rooted to place her Lowcountry-set novels defy literary labels. More than feel-good escapism or traditional beach reads, her engrossing stories deftly explore the intersections and parallels between Mother Nature and human nature, hooking readers emotionally and introducing them to characters and causes that live in their hearts and minds. Her robust library of work–from the popular Beach House series to her compelling fiction, to her newer middle grade series, The Islanders–engages readers across generational lines, inspiring them to take a harder look at the environment–and our impact on it. To ask the important questions. To seek answers. To create connections–both with nature and in our personal lives.

Hebrew Congregation, Shirley Lazarus Sunday Evening Lecture Series- Kristen McMahon
2026-07-19 19:00 | Smith Wilkes Hall, Smith Wilkes Hall

Chautauqua Theater Company Presents Best for Baby
2026-07-19 19:30, 2026-07-21 19:30, 2026-07-22 18:00, 2026-07-23 14:00, 2026-07-23 19:30, 2026-07-24 16:00, 2026-07-26 14:00, 2026-07-26 19:30 | Bratton Theater, Bratton Theater

CHQ Mystic Heart - Bhante Chipamong Chowdhury, Theravada Buddhism / Mindfulness Meditation
2026-07-20 07:45, 2026-07-21 07:45, 2026-07-22 07:45, 2026-07-23 07:45, 2026-07-24 07:45 | Presbyterian House, Presbyterian House
Originally from Chittagong Hill Tracts (Bangladesh), Bhante (Chipamong Chowdhury) is a contemplative teacher, researcher, storyteller and monastic activist. He became a monk at the age of 6 and received traditional Buddhist education, monastic training and meditation in Sri Lanka and Myanmar (1998-2006). He also studied at the University of Toronto Canada, Naropa University Colorado, Arizona State University, and was a Fellow at the Columbia University NY. He taught courses on Contemporary Buddhism Universities in Europe and US. He is a co-editor of the book: Human Dignity: Practices, Discourses, and Transformations. His essays and writings have appeared in the Harvard Divinity Bulletin, Journal of Contemporary Buddhism, Buddhist Studies Reviews, and Journal of Religion and Popular Culture, among other publications. Defining himself as a nomad monk or/ a global citizen, he travels extensively in North America, Europe and Asia, teaching nomad mindfulness, inner resources, active care, and human dignity. Bringing his experience as a Theravāda/nomad monk in South and Southeast Asia, besides daily mindfulness meditation, Bhante will be offering various aspects of Theravāda Dhamma reflecting on empathy, hopes, loves, forgiveness, healings, emotional intimacy, anger, and compassionate actions, among other topics.

School of Music: Opera Conservatory Masterclass with Dominic Armstrong
2026-07-20 10:00 | McKnight Hall, McKnight Hall

David Wallace-Wells
2026-07-20 10:45 | Amphitheater, Amphitheater
David Wallace-Wells is an acclaimed columnist and staff writer for The New York Times. Neither a scientist nor an environmental activist per se, Wallace-Wells is a celebrated climate change speaker and journalist who uses the power of storytelling to move the needle on climate action. He also writes a weekly newsletter on climate change, technology and the future of the planet, themes that will frame his lecture opening Chautauqua’s Week Four theme, “Wasted: Our Era of Disposability.”
Wallace-Wells is the author of The New York Times bestselling book about the consequences of global warming, The Uninhabitable Earth. His book looks beyond what needs to be done, to consider what the world will actually look like if we don’t move fast. It predicted much of the dizzying, disorienting situation we’re in now — not just the growth of pandemics, but the cascading way that multiple climate-fueled crises undermine our ability to respond effectively to any single one. He highlights that stabilizing the world’s climate is the underlying solution that also can achieve prosperity, justice and equality of all kinds.
He has also written widely on the Covid-19 pandemic, bringing vital reporting and analysis to science and policy coverage. Wallace-Wells was previously the deputy editor at New York magazine, where he wrote a column on climate change, and where his viral cover story “The Uninhabitable Earth” was met with widespread acclaim, paving the way for his book. Formerly the deputy editor of The Paris Review, and a National Fellow at the New America Foundation, he was the co-host of the podcast “2038,” which interrogated predictions about the next two decades.

Moving Beyond Our Era of Disposability: How a Reuse Economy Benefits People, Planet, and Profit.
2026-07-20 12:15 | Smith Wilkes Hall, Smith Wilkes Hall
Hear from three Western New York innovators about how we move beyond an economy based on waste to one based on reusing what we’ve already produced. Panel discussion with Dr. John Atkinson, chair in engineering sustainability at University at Buffalo; Diane Cohen, CEO of Finger Lakes Reuse; and Kenneth Omeruo, creator of UpcycleCHQ.
This program is presented in collaboration with the Western New York Sustainable Business Roundtable.

Bill McKibben
2026-07-20 14:00 | Hall of Philosophy, Hall of Philosophy
Bill McKibben is a contributing writer to The New Yorker and a founder of Third Act, which organizes people over the age of 60 to work on climate and racial justice. He founded the first global grassroots climate campaign, 350, and serves as the Schumann Distinguished Professor in Residence at Middlebury College in Vermont.
He has written more than twenty books about the environment including, The End of Nature and The Flag, the Cross, and the Station Wagon: A Graying American Looks Back at his Suburban Boyhood and Wonders What the Hell Happened. His latest book is titled Here Comes the Sun.
In 2014, he was awarded the Right Livelihood Prize, sometimes called the “alternative Nobel,” in the Swedish Parliament. He also won the Gandhi Peace Award and honorary degrees from 19 colleges and universities.

Chautauqua Chamber Music: Del Sol Quartet
2026-07-20 16:00 | Elizabeth S. Lenna Hall, Elizabeth S. Lenna Hall
Experience the adventurous Del Sol Quartet in a powerful concert that explores how generational knowledge helps us heal our world. Known for their bold artistry and commitment to diverse voices, Del Sol presents a brand-new quartet, Moananuiākea by composer Leilehua Lanzilotti, a work that honors the vast Pacific Ocean and the interconnectedness of all who cross it. The program highlights the quartet’s signature blend of innovation, beauty, and cultural storytelling. Join us for a performance that expands the boundaries of the string quartet tradition.

Concessions Community Listening Session
2026-07-20 16:00 | Smith Wilkes Hall, Smith Wilkes Hall
Join us for an opportunity to connect with the team working to bring concessions to Chautauqua and share your thoughts. Stop by to ask questions, offer feedback, and let us know how your experience has been so far this summer. We’d love to hear from you and continue shaping this effort together.

Play CHQ: Bird Feeders
2026-07-20 16:00, 2026-07-23 16:00, 2026-07-27 16:00 | Heinz Beach, Heinz Beach

Dr. John Atkinson: “Are Technical Improvements Actually Improving Recycling?”
2026-07-21 09:15 | Hurlbut Church sanctuary, Hurlbut Church sanctuary
Chautauqua Science Group Weekly Lecture
John D. Atkinson is an environmental engineering professor at the University at Buffalo, where he created the University’s most popular study abroad course and has been recognized as an Early Career Teacher of the Year, Outstanding Director, Experiential Learning Faculty Fellow, and Best Undergraduate Mentor.
His work is driven by an overarching desire to more sustainably produce and consume, resulting in a diverse portfolio of publications and seminars. With on-going funding from New York State and the U.S. National Science Foundation, as well as local industry, he is currently researching within the broad field of waste management, using life cycle analysis tools to investigate plastics and tire recycling, waste disposal options, and energy recovery. His work targets real-world problems that impact everyday life, aiming to make engineering more thoughtful and accessible.
Atkinson emboldens lifestyle changes that promote sustainability. He encourages his students to expand their comfort zones, holistically problem solve, and embrace their creativity through engineering design.​
He received a BS in Chemistry from the University of Illinois in 2007, a MS in Environmental Engineering in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois in 2009 and a Ph.D in Environmental Engineering in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois (UIUC) in 2013.

Aja Barber
2026-07-21 10:45 | Amphitheater, Amphitheater
Aja Barber is a writer and sustainability consultant focusing on the intersections of sustainability, fashion, and the textile industry. Her work explores the traditions of privilege, wealth inequality, racism, feminism, colonialism, and how these systems of power affect our buying habits.
Consumed is her debut book, a treatise on the state of fashion, climate change, and social justice. The book reveals the endemic injustices in our consumer industries, the uncomfortable history of the textile industry, and how oppressive systems help create a lack of diversity and equality in the fashion industry. Independent booksellers across the UK and Ireland voted to include Consumed on the non-fiction shortlist for the Indie Book Awards 2023.
Barber has written for The Guardian, CNN, Selfridges, Eco-Age, and a host of other sites. She contributed to “No Offence But…” by Gina Martin. She is currently working on a novel acquired by Brazen Books. Originally from Reston, Virginia, Barber currently lives in South East London. In addition to her other work, Barber is a contributing editor for Elle UK. Her Patreon newsletter has been going since 2018 and was the first slow fashion newsletter of this type.

Rachael Zoe Miller, Rozalia Project to Save Our Seas: Decision-making in the Age of Plastics, Kitchens Edition
2026-07-21 12:30 | Smith Wilkes Hall, Smith Wilkes Hall
Bird, Tree & Garden Club lunchtime lecture series
Rachael Zoe Miller is a National Geographic Explorer, inventor, author and Explorers Club Fellow working to protect the ocean through expedition-based science, conservation and storytelling.
She is the founder of Rozalia Project for a Clean Ocean, a nonprofit addressing marine debris; co-inventor of the Cora Ball, the world’s first microfiber-catching laundry ball; creator of CSI for the Ocean, a global citizen science microplastic mapping and monitoring program; and author of “Decision-Making in the Age of Plastics.”
Miller leads teams on expeditions whose scientific results are published in peer-reviewed journals and education programs that inspire thousands of all ages.
She is a Visiting Scientist with National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions, joining expeditions to investigate microplastic and microfiber in the Arctic and Southern Oceans.
She’s presented at myriad events, including TedX, MIT’s Water Summit, World Ocean Forum, at the Chautauqua Institution and in multiple countries as part of the U.S. State Department’s International Speaker Program.
Miller captained the 60’ sailing research vessel, American Promise; trained Navy SEALS to use underwater robots; mentors young scientists at the New York Harbor School and is an ambassador for the Scottish Seabird Centre.
She grew up in the lakes and rivers of upstate New York, lives in Vermont and loves human and wind-powered water sports.

CHQ Mystic Heart - Bhante Chipamong Chowdhury, Theravada Buddhism / Mindfulness Meditation
2026-07-21 12:30 | Hall of Missions, Hall of Missions

School of Music Piano Faculty Recital: José Ramón Méndez
2026-07-21 16:00 | Elizabeth S. Lenna Hall, Elizabeth S. Lenna Hall
Described as “an artist with a polished sound and tremendous constructive power” and hailed by the Hoja del Lunes de Madrid, as “the Spanish pianist of his generation,” José Ramón Méndez is one of the most exciting Spanish pianists of today.
Recent performances include Chopin’s first piano concerto with the Cuban National Symphony Orchestra and Manuel de Falla’s Nights in the Gardens of Spain with the Nittany Valley Symphony, as well as numerous solo and chamber music performances in the United States, Europe, and Asia. His playing has been featured on WQXR’s “Performance Today” and on Classical KMFA. He has been a guest performer at many music festivals, including the Caramoor Festival, Barge Music Series, Festival Internacional de Piano de las Islas Canarias, Music at Penn’s Woods, Amalfi Coast International Music Festival, “Tocando el Cielo,” Musica en Compostela, the Stony Brook International Piano Festival, and the Santander International Music Festival, among many others. As a chamber musician, Méndez has collaborated with such distinguished artists as Karl Leister, Itzhak Perlman, Michael Tree, Pascual Martinez-Nieto, and Pinchas Zukerman.

Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra: Beethoven's "Eroica"
2026-07-21 20:00 | Amphitheater, Amphitheater
Timothy Muffitt, conductor
Under the baton of Timothy Muffitt, the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra opens with Christopher Theofanidis’s Rainbow Body, a luminous work inspired by one of Hildegard von Bingen’s medieval chants. Closing out the night is Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3, “Eroica”, an evolutionary masterpiece that ushered in an era of new symphonic music. Equally expansive and bold, the Eroica transforms personal struggle into heroic expression.
Program:
Christopher Theofanidis: Rainbow Body
Beethoven: Symphony #3 “Eroica”

Ron Gonen
2026-07-22 10:45 | Amphitheater, Amphitheater
Ron Gonen is the founder and CEO of Closed Loop Partners, a firm at the forefront of building the circular economy. Closed Loop Partners is comprised of an asset management business, innovation center and operating group that builds and operates circular economy infrastructure, including the largest privately held recycling company in the U.S. It is this work that will inform his presentation during Week Four of the Chautauqua Lecture Series, themed “Wasted: Our Era of Disposability,” with thoughts on how industry can embrace sustainability to chart a path for a healthier planet — and immense business opportunity.
Gonen is the author of the book, The Waste Free World: How the Circular Economy Will Take Less, Make More, and Save the Planet, in addition to several technology and environmental science patents. Prior to founding Closed Loop Partners, he served as the deputy commissioner for sanitation, recycling and sustainability in New York City during the Bloomberg administration. In this role, he oversaw the collection and processing of paper, metal, glass, plastic, textile waste, electronic waste, organics and hazardous waste, as well as public policy. During his tenure, he was recognized by the Natural Resources Defense Council/Earth Day NY as the Public Official of the Year.
Gonen founded his first recycling company in 2002. The companies he has led have been recognized as innovators in sustainable business practices. Awards include The Conference of Mayors Public/Private Partnership of the Year, Technology Pioneer from the World Economic Forum and The Wall Street Journal’s No. 1 Venture Backed Cleantech Company of The Year. He earned an MBA from Columbia Business School and later served as an adjunct professor.

Rita Nakashima Brock
2026-07-22 14:00 | Hall of Philosophy, Hall of Philosophy
Rita Nakashima Brock is a scholar, editor and writer. From 2017-2025, she was senior vice president and director of the Shay Moral Injury Center at Volunteers of America and the co-author of Soul Repair: Recovering from the Moral Injury after War with Gabriella Lettini.
In 2012 she co-founded, with Col. (Chaplain) Herman Keizer, Jr., and directed the Soul Repair Center at Brite Divinity School. She is the co-author, with Rebecca Ann Parker, of Proverbs of Ashes: Violence, Redemptive Suffering and the Search for What Saves Us and Saving Paradise: How Christianity Traded Love of This World for Crucifixion and Empire.
From 2005-2008, she was senior editor in religion at The New Press book publisher in New York. Her first book is Journeys By Heart: A Christology of Erotic Power and her second, with Susan Thistlethwaite, is Casting Stones: Prostitution and Liberation in Asia and the U.S. She is also author of many essays and blogs.

UU Cultural Ethics Series: J. D. Stillwater, President of Religious Naturalists Unitarian Universalists
2026-07-22 15:30 | Hall of Philosophy, Hall of Philosophy

Chautauqua Opera Company Operalogue: The Music Shop / A.E. Reverie / Ida by Lamplight
2026-07-22 17:00 | Smith Wilkes Hall, Smith Wilkes Hall

CVA Lecture Series: Elizabeth Mooney, School of Art Faculty
2026-07-22 18:30 | Hultquist 101, Hultquist 101
Elizabeth Mooney is a visual artist that explores the construct of landscape through painting, printmaking, and kinetic sculpture. She received her MFA in Painting and Drawing from California College of the Arts, and her BFA from the Art Institute of Boston. Elizabeth was a Visual Artist Fellow at the Provincetown Fine Arts Work Center, and has received grants from the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council, the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, the Sustainable Arts Foundation, and the Massachusetts Cultural Council. Elizabeth is currently an Associate Professor at Massachusetts College of Art and Design, where she teaches painting and printmaking.

Chautauqua Opera Company presents: The Music Shop / A.E. Reverie / Ida by Lamplight
2026-07-22 20:00 | Amphitheater, Amphitheater
THE MUSIC SHOP / A.E. REVERIE / IDA BY LAMPLIGHT
Three operas light up the Amphitheater stage on July 22, bringing both side-splitting laughter and heart-melting nostalgia. In Richard Wargo’s zany one-act The Music Shop (last seen at Chautauqua where it premiered in 1993) Dmitri and Masha try to help the hapless Ivan remember the title of the song his wife must sing at a royal wedding, while visions of her haunt and strike fear in him. This four-character, 60-minute farce promises a lively romp in the Amphitheater! Two installments from The Summer Place round out the evening. A.E. Reverie, which received its world premiere at Chautauqua in 2024, reflects on Amelia Earhart’s 1929 lecture at the Amphitheater, and how it inspired another young woman’s dream of flight. To close out the evening, the world premiere of Ida by Lamplight takes us back to the Chautauqua Literary and Science Circle’s early years, celebrating Ida Tarbell and Kate Kimball, whose pioneering work galvanized Chautauqua Institution’s mission. Commissioned by Chautauqua Opera Company, Ida by Lamplight celebrates the 150th anniversary of The Chautauquan Daily in 2026. Stage Director Ned Canty (The Mikado, Don Giovanni, and Love and Longing by the Lake) brings everything to life in a celebration of Chautauqua which you will not want to miss.

Cantor Olivia Brodsky
2026-07-23 09:15 | Hall of Philosophy, Hall of Philosophy

Katharine K. Wilkinson
2026-07-23 10:45 | Amphitheater, Amphitheater
Katharine K. Wilkinson is a human on Earth. As a bestselling writer, teacher and climate expert, she has inspired hundreds of thousands of climate journeys through transformational projects that shift our cultural narratives about what’s possible and nurture engagement in renewing our world. Her books include Climate Wayfinding — called “invaluable” by frequent Chautauqua lecturer Bill McKibben — the bestselling anthology All We Can Save and the New York Times bestseller Drawdown. Her remarks contributing to Chautauqua’s exploration of “Our Era of Disposability” will draw from Climate Wayfinding, which was released in May 2026.
Wilkinson co-founded and leads The All We Can Save Project, where she shaped the much-beloved programs All We Can Save Circles and Climate Wayfinding. She also co-hosts the podcast “A Matter of Degrees” and writes the newsletter “Human on Earth.” Previously, Wilkinson was the principal writer and editor-in-chief at Project Drawdown. With a singular blend of warmth and rigor, she facilitates and speaks widely — including a TED Talk with more than 2 million views — and periodically teaches as a visiting professor.
Wilkinson holds a Ph.D. in geography and environment from the University of Oxford, where she was a Rhodes Scholar, and a B.A. in religion from Sewanee: The University of the South. In 2019, Time Magazine named her one of fifteen “Women Who Will Save the World.”

What's In Our Waters?
2026-07-23 12:30 | Heinz Beach, Heinz Beach
Join Nat Geo Explorer Rachael Zoe Miller and leading microplastics researcher Dr. Sam Mason for a fun workshop about trash in our waters and what we can do about it.

CHQ Mystic Heart - Bhante Chipamong Chowdhury, Theravada Buddhism / Mindfulness Meditation
2026-07-23 12:30 | Hall of Missions, Hall of Missions

Leah Naomi Green
2026-07-23 14:00 | Hall of Philosophy, Hall of Philosophy
Leah Naomi Green is writer-in-residence at Washington and Lee University. She is the author of The More Extravagant Feast, selected by Li-Young Lee for the Walt Whitman Award of the Academy of American Poets and named “one of the best books of 2020” by The Boston Globe. Green teaches English and environmental studies at Washington and Lee University as well as online creative writing workshops for Orion Magazine.
Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in The Paris Review, The Nation, Tin House, The Kenyon Review, “Poem-a-Day,” VQR, The Southern Review, Orion, The Georgia Review and Ecotone, among other journals.
Green has been featured on NPR’s “All Things Considered” and supported by fellowships and awards from the Civitella Ranieri Foundation, the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, the Sewanee Writers’ Conference, the Guilford College Sherwood Anderson Visiting Writer Program and the Lucille Clifton Legacy Award for compassion, courage, truth-telling and commitment to justice.

Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra: Hovhaness and Shostakovich
2026-07-23 20:00 | Amphitheater, Amphitheater
Rossen Milanov, conductor
The Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra presents two notable symphonies of the twentieth century. Hovhaness’s Symphony No. 2, “Mysterious Mountain,” unfolds as a meditation on nature, drawing listeners into a sound world of serenity, chant-like melody, and rich expression. In contrast, Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 12 is a work of momentum and scale, depicting history through bold orchestral force and intensity. Together, these symphonies highlight two distinct approaches to the symphonic form-one inward and contemplative, the other outward and declarative.
Program:
Hovhaness: Symphony No. 2 “Mysterious Mountain”
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 12, “The Year 1917”

Rainn Wilson
2026-07-24 10:45 | Amphitheater, Amphitheater
Drawing on his experience as a cultural commentator and advocate for spiritual renewal, Rainn Wilson closes Chautauqua’s Week Four theme “Wasted: Our Era of Disposability” in conversation, weaving humor with a sense of moral urgency to discuss how disposability affects not only our environment but also erodes our sense of meaning, relationships and community.
Wilson is an Emmy-nominated and SAG Award-winning actor best known for playing Dwight Schrute on NBC’s “The Office.” A longtime environmental activist, Wilson co-founded Climate Basecamp in 2022. With the organization, he has been working on climate communications and serves as a member on the advisory board.
On his podcast, “Soul Boom,” Wilson hosts a series of intimate conversations with some of the most brilliant and heart-felt artists, thinkers and doers to bring the listener toward transformation on both a personal and spiritual level. In 2009, he founded the digital media company Soul Pancake. He is the author of four books including The Bassoon King, SoulPancake: Chew on Life’s Big Questions, Soul Boom: Why We Need a Spiritual Revolution, and Soul Boom Workbook: Spiritual Tools for Modern Living.
Wilson is also known for “Lessons in Chemistry”; the unscripted travel series “Rainn Wilson and the Geography of Bliss”; “Jerry & Marge Go Large”; “Utopia”; Roger Michell’s “Blackbird”; “The Meg”; “Star Trek: Discovery”; “Hesher”; “Super”; “Cooties”; “Juno”; “Galaxy Quest”; and “Almost Famous.” He has an MFA from New York University. On Broadway, Wilson was in The Tempest” and the Tony nominated “London Assurance.” He performed “Thom Pain (Based on Nothing)” at The Geffen and was the lead role in the political farce “The Doppelganger” at Steppenwolf Theater.
Later that afternoon, Wilson will host a Masters Series workshop engaging the Chautauqua community with his journal-style Soul Boom Workbook: Spiritual Tools for Modern Living — based on his New York Times bestselling book and hit podcast Soul Boom: Why We Need a Spiritual Revolution.

Mary Alice Monroe
2026-07-24 14:00 | Hall of Philosophy, Hall of Philosophy
Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle — Where the Rivers Merge: A Novel by Mary Alice Monroe
From the New York Times bestselling author, the first of two epic and triumphant novels celebrating one intrepid woman’s life across multiple generations in the American South.
1908: The Lowcountry of South Carolina is at the cusp of change. Mayfield, the grand estate held for generations by the Rivers family, is the treasured home of young Eliza. A free spirit, she refuses to be confined by societal norms and spends her days exploring the vast property, observing wildlife, and riding horses. But the Great War, coastal storms, and family turmoil bring unexpected challenges to Eliza, putting her on a collision course with the patriarchal traditions of a bygone era.
1988: At 88, Eliza is the scion of the Rivers/DeLancey family. She’s fought a lifetime to save her beloved Mayfield and is too independent and committed to quietly retire and leave the fate of the estate to her greedy son. She must make decisions that will assure the future of the land and her family—or watch them both be split apart.
Set against the evocative landscape of the twentieth-century Lowcountry, Where the Rivers Merge is a dramatic and sweeping multigenerational family story of unyielding love, lessons learned, profound sacrifices, and the indomitable spirit of a woman determined to persevere in the face of change in order to protect her family legacy and the land she loves.
Based in Charleston, South Carolina, is the New York Times best-selling author of thirty books–and counting, Mary Alice Monroe. Richly layered and rooted to place her Lowcountry-set novels defy literary labels. More than feel-good escapism or traditional beach reads, her engrossing stories deftly explore the intersections and parallels between Mother Nature and human nature, hooking readers emotionally and introducing them to characters and causes that live in their hearts and minds. Her robust library of work–from the popular Beach House series to her compelling fiction, to her newer middle grade series, The Islanders–engages readers across generational lines, inspiring them to take a harder look at the environment–and our impact on it. To ask the important questions. To seek answers. To create connections–both with nature and in our personal lives.

Chautauqua Theater Company Presents FutureNow New Play Lab 2: ERASERS: A Bloodthirsty Comedy
2026-07-24 14:00, 2026-07-25 14:00, 2026-07-25 18:00, 2026-07-26 18:00 | Roe Green Theater Center
In a world that looks remarkably like ours, the National Agency of Literary Advisors gives writers “gentle advice” about what kinds of stories the world wants to see. And then, the advice gets less gentle. ERASERS is a bloodthirsty comedy about office supplies and fascism.

Masters Series Masterclass: A Dialogue with Rainn Wilson
2026-07-24 15:30 | Norton Hall, Norton Hall
Chautauqua Lecture Series keynote speaker Rainn Wilson hosts a workshop engaging the Chautauqua community with his journal-style Soul Boom Workbook: Spiritual Tools for Modern Living—written in collaboration with Wilson’s SoulPancake co-founder and writer Shabnam Mogharabi. It is filled with hands-on prompts, inspired reflections, and ingenious creative activities. The session delves deeper into the indispensable companion book, based on his New York Times bestselling book—now a hit podcast—Soul Boom: Why We Need a Spiritual Revolution. Wilson’s approach to spirituality is relatable and applies to people of all beliefs, even the skeptics. The journal enables readers to find more purpose, meaning, and spirituality in their hectic lives as they seek out practical and transformative answers to life’s biggest questions. Wilson posits that a “Soul Boom” is the potential for a spiritual revolution to instigate transformations, both individually and collectively. It’s the healing balm that our world needs in our contemporary mental health crisis.

School of Music: Violin Masterclass with Ilya Kaler
2026-07-24 15:30 | Fletcher Music Hall, Fletcher Music Hall

Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas with special guest Theo Lawrence
2026-07-24 19:30 | Amphitheater, Amphitheater
For nearly four decades, Alison Krauss & Union Station have upheld their legacy as one of the most influential and widely celebrated acts in bluegrass and roots music. Known for an immaculately crafted but endlessly surprising sound that transcends the boundaries of roots, country, rock & roll, and pop, Alison Krauss & Union Station released their highly anticipated new album, Arcadia, in 2025. This marked their first studio album since the 2011 masterpiece Paper Airplane—a critically lauded, multiple Grammy Award winning LP that debuted at #1 on the Billboard Country, Bluegrass, and Folk Album charts. Over the years, Alison Krauss & Union Station have brought their phenomenal live show to sold-out performances at famed venues like Red Rocks Amphitheatre, The Greek Theatre, Radio City Music Hall, and London’s Royal Festival Hall, in addition to supporting Paul Simon in Hyde Park for his 2012 Graceland reunion. They now continue the celebration of their new music with the Arcadia 2026 Tour.
The players – Alison Krauss (fiddle, lead vocal), Jerry Douglas (Dobro, lap steel, vocals), Ron Block (banjo, guitar, vocals), Barry Bales (bass, vocals), and highly acclaimed and celebrated tenor vocalist Russell Moore (guitar, mandolin, lead vocal) – are five distinct personalities, each of whom enjoys a flourishing solo career. But when they come together, they transform into a peerless group of musicians who share a singular focus.

Chautauqua Theater Company Presents Conservatory Improv Night!
2026-07-24 22:00 | Roe Green Theater Center

Chautauqua Theater Company Presents Best for Baby (Live Audio Descriptions & Pick-Your-Price)
2026-07-25 16:00 | Bratton Theater, Bratton Theater

Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra: Carmina Burana
2026-07-25 20:00 | Amphitheater, Amphitheater
Rossen Milanov, conductor
The Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus joins the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra for a captivating performance of the iconic Carmina Burana. Carl Orff’s masterpiece is drawn from medieval texts exploring fate, love, and the unpredictability of fortune. Best known for its electrifying opening, O Fortuna, the piece unfolds as a series of vivid scenes propelled by driving rhythms and striking orchestration. Immediate and powerful, Carmina Burana captures the raw intensity of human experience.
Program:
Orff: Carmina Burana

The Rev. Zina Jacque
2026-07-26 10:45, 2026-07-27 09:15 | Amphitheater, Amphitheater
The Rev. Zina Jacque serves as President and Chair of the Board of National Senior Communities, overseeing the largest not-for-profit network of continuing-care retirement communities in the nation. Across two distinguished careers in higher education and ministry, she has worked to lift people, strengthen communities, and send good into the world. She continues to guide nonprofit boards and faith-based organizations nationwide.
For two decades, Jacque shaped the student experience at several leading universities. After transitioning to ministry, Jacque’s pastoral path has taken her from small urban parishes to historic pulpits, notably as the lead minister for the Villages of Alfred Street at the renowned Alfred Street Baptist Church.
Extending her service well beyond church walls, Jacque was the first executive director of the Boston Ten Point Coalition — a violence reduction initiative credited with nearly two homicide-free years among Boston’s youth under 21. Later, she founded the Pastoral Counseling Center at Trinity Church Boston. Jacque also co-founded Courageous Conversations, a national dialogue series fostering belonging and understanding in a polarized age.
Jacque’s impact has been recognized with numerous honors, including the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Boston University School of Theology, the 2022 Citizen of the Year Award from Barrington, Ill. and the Women of Distinction Award from the Barrington Chamber of Commerce. Jacque’s most recent work, “A Sacred Pause,” is a collection of meditations, journals, and reflections which has drawn a growing online following for its mix of stillness, wisdom, and grace.
Jacque holds a Bachelor of Arts from Northwestern University, Master of Arts from Columbia University, Master of Divinity and Ph.D. in Theology from Boston University.

"Cutwork" Exhibition: July 26–August 25
2026-07-26 13:00 | Strohl Art Center: Main Galleries
“Cutwork” exhibition runs July 26-August 25. “Cutwork” is a broad exploration of work using methods of cutting into or removing material. Featuring hand-cut paper, metal, fibers, and ceramics, these artists explore the weight and gravity of their material and subject matter. Layered and lacy textures reveal what is built and what is left behind. This exhibition is generously sponsored by Brenda and Larry Thompson. Curated by Erika Diamond.
Artists: Elizabeth Alexander, Teresa Faris, Piper Shephard, Justin Stewart, Lydia C. Thompson, and Michael Velliquette.

"A Different Light: Landscapes by Gwen Norton" Exhibition: July 26–August 25
2026-07-26 13:00 | Strohl Art Center 2nd Floor
“A Different Light: Landscapes by Gwen Norton” exhibition – July 26-August 25. Gwen Norton is currently in her thesis year of the MFA program at the School of Visual Arts in Photography, Video, and Related Media Department. Her work has been exhibited solo, two-person, and group shows in New York City and Martha’s Vineyard and is included in the collection of the Whitney Museum of Art Library. This exhibition is generously sponsored by the Friends of CVA. Curated by Judy Barie, the Susan & John Turben Director of CVA Galleries.

"Cutwork" Opening Reception
2026-07-26 15:00 | Strohl Art Center: Main Galleries
“Cutwork” opening reception. Exhibition runs July 26-August 25. “Cutwork” is a broad exploration of work using methods of cutting into or removing material. Featuring hand-cut paper, metal, fibers, and ceramics, these artists explore the weight and gravity of their material and subject matter. Layered and lacy textures reveal what is built and what is left behind. This exhibition is generously sponsored by Brenda and Larry thompson. Curated by Erika Diamond.
Artists: Elizabeth Alexander, Teresa Faris, Piper Shephard, Justin Stewart, Lydia C. Thompson, and Michael Velliquette.

"A Different Light: Landscapes by Gwen Norton" Exhibition Opening Reception
2026-07-26 15:00 | Strohl Art Center 2nd Floor
“A Different Light: Landscapes by Gwen Norton” opening reception. Exhibition runs July 26-August 25. Gwen Norton is currently in her thesis year of the MFA program at the School of Visual Arts in Photography, Video, and Related Media Department. Her work has been exhibited solo, two-person, and group shows in New York City and Martha’s Vineyard and is included in the collection of the Whitney Museum of Art Library. This exhibition is generously sponsored by the Friends of CVA. Curated by Judy Barie, the Susan & John Turben Director of CVA Galleries.

School of Music: Piano Program Showcase
2026-07-26 15:00 | Amphitheater, Amphitheater
Nicola Melville, Chair
Alexander Kobrin, 2026 Heintzelman Family Artistic Advisor
Pianists from the Chautauqua School of Music present a dazzling program of works for one and two pianos, with repertoire drawn from virtuoso works of the great classical composers and arrangements of popular and familiar tunes. Don’t miss your chance to see the next generation of talent on the Amphitheater stage today!
The Chautauqua Piano Program is a highly selective and dynamic five-week program for 20 pianists, ages 18–28. Combining a world-class roster of resident and guest faculty with unmatched practice and performance facilities, the program is designed to inspire young pianists from all over the globe. Students have solo and chamber music performance opportunities, plentiful private lessons, faculty-led discussions and master classes focused on advanced pianistic growth and building a career path.

Jim Daniels and Kristin Kovacic
2026-07-26 15:30 | Hall of Philosophy, Hall of Philosophy
Chautauqua Writers’ Center Faculty Reading — Featuring Jim Daniels (Poetry) and Kristin Kovacic (Prose)
Jim Daniels is the recipient of the 2025-26 Michigan Author Award for lifetime achievement from the Library of Michigan and the Michigan Center for the Book. His new book, Late Invocation for Magic: New and Selected Poems, was published in January. He has authored over thirty collections of poetry, seven collections of fiction, four produced screenplays, and one collection of essays, An Ignorance of Trees, published in 2025. He has also edited many anthologies, including RESPECT: The Poetry of Detroit Music. He is a recipient of two National Endowment for the Arts Fellowships and two from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. Other writing awards include the Brittingham Prize, the Blue Lynx Prize, the Tillie Olsen Creative Writing Award, the Milton Kessler Award, and three Gold Medals in the Independent Publisher Book Awards, and his films have won awards in film festivals around the world. His work has been published in The Best American Poetry and Pushcart Prize volumes. A native of Detroit, he lives in Pittsburgh, where he is the Thomas Stockham Baker University Professor Emeritus of English at Carnegie Mellon University. He currently teaches in the Alma College low-residency MFA Program.
Kristin Kovacic’s essays have won the Pushcart Prize, the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts Fellowship, and the Orison Books Prize for Best Spiritual Writing, among other awards. Her work has appeared recently in Slate, Belt, The Coachella Review, Chautauqua, Table Magazine, The Iowa Review, and other publications. She is the author of the essay collection History of My Breath, the poetry chapbook, House of Women, and co-editor (with Lynne Barrett) of Birth: A Literary Companion. She has taught nonfiction writing at every level, including at Winchester Thurston School, the Pittsburgh High School for the Creative and Performing Arts, and in the graduate programs of Carlow University and Chatham University. She lives and works in a deconsecrated Catholic Church on the South Side of Pittsburgh.

Hebrew Congregation, Shirley Lazarus Sunday Evening Lecture Series- Cantors Jodi Sufrin and Roy Einhorn
2026-07-26 19:00 | Smith Wilkes Hall, Smith Wilkes Hall

CHQ Mystic Heart - Mateo Mortellarto, Tibetan Meditation
2026-07-27 07:45, 2026-07-28 07:45 | Presbyterian House, Presbyterian House
Taking a general and non-sectarian approach to Buddhism, Mateo Mortellaro (Konchok Tsering Tengye) has years of experience leading meditation and teaching Buddhist philosophy. Mateo started his spiritual journey early in life practicing Zen Buddhism, eventually shifting focus to the Tibetan tradition, primarily within the Drikung ,Kagyu and Sakya schools.
Mateo’s main teacher is His Eminence Garchen Rinpoche, the world-renowned Buddhist master and Yogi. While his main practice and personal approach is of the Buddhist tradition, Mateo also follows the rich and eclectic teachings of Baba Ram Dass, giving instructions using language and methods that are accessible to Western students of all levels of experience.
Mateo has been fortunate to receive teachings and instructions directly from masters such as H.H the Sakya Gongma Trichen Rinpoche,H.E Garchen Rinpoche, H.E Bardor Tulku Rinpoche, and Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche. Other influential teachers include His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Ven. Thich Nhat Hanh, and Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche.
Mateo is also the founder of KTT Dharma, which is aimed at making spiritual teachings available to those interested through media sharing, interviews, his writing, and teachings.

The Crossover Panel with Kwame Alexander, Candrice Jones, Christopher Jackson and Jade King Carroll
2026-07-27 10:45 | Amphitheater, Amphitheater
The highly anticipated musical adaptation of Kwame Alexander’s Newbery medal-winning novel, The Crossover, was commissioned and is being developed for the stage by the Chautauqua Theater Company. Hosted by Jade King Carroll, the producing artistic director of the Chautauqua Theater Company and director of The Crossover musical, the dynamic creative team behind the musical will gather on the Amphitheater stage for a conversation about the creative process, collaboration and what it means to be generative artists. The musical adaptation is being developed and workshopped both in Chautauqua and New York City, with Tony Award-winner Thomas Kail as creative consultant.
Kwame Alexander is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of 45 books, including Why Fathers Cry at Night; The Mighty Macy; Black Star, a Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book; J vs. K, an illustrated novel he penned with Jerry Craft; the motivational primer for graduates, creatives and professionals entitled Say Yes; and The Crossover, his Newbery Medal-winning novel turned Emmy Award-winning Disney+ TV series and forthcoming musical. Alexander is a 2026 Sine 250+ Fellow at American University and the founder of the literacy non-profit One Word at a Time.
He is also the co-creator and executive producer of the Emmy-nominated “Acoustic Rooster and His Barnyard Band and Acoustic Rooster: Jazzy Jams,” a PBS KIDS special and series of shorts produced by GBH Kids based on his beloved children’s book of the same name.
Alexander regularly shares his passion for literacy, books and the craft of writing around the world, including Ghana, West Africa, where he opened the Barbara E. Alexander Memorial Library and Health Clinic. He is the recipient of the 2025 NAACP Image Award.
Candrice Jones is a playwright and educator from Dermott, Arkansas. As a rising voice in American theater, she brings her poetic sensibility and powerful storytelling to the adaptation of The Crossover. She serves as a board member and educational outreach specialist of The Weekend Theater as well as Ozark Living Newspaper.
Jones’ primary goal as a writer is to write love letters for and to women of the American South. She is best known for writing “FLEX,” a play developed while she was a resident at the Voices of Our Nations Arts Foundation (VONA) Playwrights Festival, Ground Floor. FLEX premiered at Lincoln Center Theater in New York and Penumbra Theatre in St. Paul, Minnesota. Jones is also the author of the full-length play, “Crackbaby.” She has received virtual commissions from the People’s Light and Actors Theatre of Louisville.
Jones is a CalArts Critical Studies MFA recipient. She was a fellow at Callaloo for poetry at Brown University. She was also a former resident at MacDowell’s Colony of the Arts.
Christopher Jackson is a Tony Award- nominated actor, as well as a Grammy and Emmy Award-winning songwriter/composer best known for starring as George Washington in the critically acclaimed, award-winning musical “Hamilton” on Broadway and Disney+. As the creator of “The Crossover” musical score, he incorporates high-energy jazz and hip-hop to reflect the world full of dreams, melodies and rhythms.
In 2021, Jackson starred in Freestyle Love Supreme on Broadway alongside Lin-Manuel Miranda. His other Broadway credits include Holler if Ya Hear Me, After Midnight, The Bronx Bombers, In the Heights, Memphis and The Lion King. Off Broadway credits include Bronx Bombers, The Jammer, In the Heights, Cotton Club Parade, and Lonely, I’m Not.
Jackson’s TV and film credits include “And Just Like That,” “Bull,” “Freestyle Love Supreme,” “Person of Interest,” “A Gifted Man,” “Fringe,” “Gossip Girl,” “Tracers,” “Afterlife” and the 2021 film adaptation of “In the Heights.” Jackson voiced “Where You Are” for the Disney film “Moana,” and served as composer/songwriter for “Sesame Street,” garnering seven Emmy nominations and one win. He was also the co-music supervisor and writer for “The Electric Company” on PBS.
In 2018, “One Last Time (44 Remix)” was released which featured Jackson alongside President Barack Obama and BeBe Winans. Jackson won an Emmy Award for his song with Will.I.Am, “What I Am.”
Jackson has performed sold-out concerts all over the United States, including Carnegie Hall and Kennedy Center, and a command performance at the White House in 2023.
Jade King Carroll is a distinguished director specializing in new play development, and the Producing Artistic Director of Chautauqua Theater Company (CTC).
She has directed over 60 classical and contemporary productions nationwide at renowned venues. Most recently, she directed Chisa Hutchinson’s “Amerikin” at Primary Stages. Notable credits include “Proof of Love,” “Detroit ’67,” “Having Our Say,” “Red Velvet,” and multiple productions of August Wilson’s work—she is one of the few directors to have worked on every play in Wilson’s Century Cycle.
At CTC, Carroll is programming innovative new works, including the world premieres of “tiny father” by Mike Lew (a co-production with Barrington Stage Company) and commissioned pieces, “The Light and The Dark (the Life and Times of Artemisia Gentileschi)” by Kate Hamill (co-produced with off-Broadway’s Primary Stages in NYC) and the world premiere of “The Witnesses” by C.A. Johnson. Under her leadership, CTC has secured three NYSCA grants and partnered with the Telsey Office for casting and the Drama League to expand its directing fellows’ program, with the new addition of playwrighting fellows in 2026.
As a director of audio plays, Carroll’s work can be found with Audible, Marvel, and Broadway Podcast Network. She is also an educator that has guest lectured and directed at Juilliard, Rutgers, NYU, Princeton, and many more schools. She has an award from the August Wilson Estate as well as from her alma mater, SUNY New Paltz.

Peter Lawson Jones
2026-07-27 14:00 | Hall of Philosophy, Hall of Philosophy
Peter Lawson Jones is a professional actor, former elected official, acting instructor, master of ceremonies and dramatist.
Jones, a member of SAG-AFTRA and Actor’s Equity, can be seen later this year playing the lead in the feature-length indie, “The Last Shop on Walnut.” Jones has appeared in well over twenty films including “A Man Called Otto,” “White Boy Rick,” “Alex Cross,” “The Assassin’s Code” and “Starve.” On network television he can be seen on NBC’s “Chicago Fire” and ABC’s “Detroit 1-8-7.” He received the 2025 Hard Faith Fest NYC Best Actor Award for his performance in the short film, “Unexpected,” and the 2016 Indie Gathering International Film Festival Best Ohio Supporting Actor Award for his work in the feature-length film, “How to Change the World.” He has also been inducted into the Karamu House Hall of Fame, the oldest multicultural theatre in the country.
From February 2002, through December 2010, Jones was a member of the Board of Cuyahoga County Commissioners, and its president for three of those years. He previously served two and one-half terms in the Ohio House of Representatives, where he was the ranking member of the House Finance and Appropriations Committee and second vice president of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus. Jones was formerly the vice mayor and a councilman in the City of Shaker Heights, Ohio.
Jones’s play, The Bloodless Jungle, enjoyed a regional premiere last year at the Black Repertory Group Theater in Berkeley, California and two full productions at The Ensemble Theatre in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. The drama has enjoyed staged readings at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Dallas Convention Center, the National Black Theatre Festival, Duquesne University and in Harlem. Jones’s most recent play, The Phoenix Society, enjoyed its world premiere in 2022 at Playwrights Local in Cleveland, Ohio. Jones is a graduate of Harvard College with a degree in government, and Harvard Law School.

The 22nd Annual Robert H. Jackson Lecture on the Supreme Court of the United States — Michael R. Dreeben
2026-07-27 15:30 | Hall of Philosophy, Hall of Philosophy

Chautauqua Chamber Music: Verona Quartet
2026-07-27 16:00 | Elizabeth S. Lenna Hall, Elizabeth S. Lenna Hall
Join the acclaimed Verona Quartet for an afternoon of expressive performances and dynamic ensemble artistry. Hailed for their “sensational” playing and deep musical insight, the Verona Quartet brings passion and precision to every work they perform. Their program showcases a vibrant mix of classical masterpieces and contemporary voices, reflecting their commitment to storytelling through sound. Experience the emotional power and refined elegance of one of today’s leading string quartets.

Film & Filmmaker Talk: Emmy Award-Winning "Troubled Waters" with Rory Fielding and panel of experts.
2026-07-27 16:30 | Chautauqua Cinema, Chautauqua Cinema
Exploring the impact of human behavior on our environment from the perspective of one of South Florida’s most beloved and fragile underwater creatures: the sea turtle. A critical look at the effects of global warming, water pollution, and our “throw-away” plastic lifestyle on this keystone species…and inevitably ourselves.
Post film discussion led by Rory and Courtney Fielding featuring a panel of experts featured in the film, joining by Zoom: Whitney Crowder, Turtle Rehab Manager; John Hocevar, Ocean Director Greenpeace USA; Maria Chatham, veterinarian (sea turtles); and Dave Anderson, Sea Turtle Director Gumbo Limbo Nature Center.
Rory Fielding is an Emmy Award–winning director and producer and the Executive Producer of Rory Fielding Films. His environmental documentaries have earned nine Emmy nominations and four wins. Rory Fielding Films creates films to the highest production and journalistic standards that inform and inspire. Their mission is to tell stories that matter, crafted with excellence and purpose to help shape a better world.

Chautauqua Opera Conservatory with the Music School Festival Orchestra "L’Enfant Prodigue & Les Mamelles de Tiresias"
2026-07-27 20:00 | Amphitheater, Amphitheater
Music by: Claude Debussy & Francis Poulenc
Librettist: Édouard Guinand & Guillaume Apollinaire
Stage Director: Emma Griffin
Conductor: Timothy Muffitt
Two masters of French music share the stage in a sparkling double bill. Francis Poulenc’s Les Mamelles de Tirésias (1945) bursts with surreal satire, flipping gender norms topsy-turvy in a wildly imaginative romp of music and mischief. It’s paired with Claude Debussy’s luminous early masterpiece L’enfant prodigue (1884), a one-act cantata suffused with longing, redemption, and sumptuous lyricism. Together, these works deliver an evening of operatic drama and delight.
The Chautauqua Opera Conservatory is a premier, immersive summer program offering the highest caliber of training for young singers ages 18 and older. Under the leadership of Director Jonathan Beyer, participants join a select community of singers who study, coach, and perform in the inspiring and idyllic setting of the Chautauqua Institution in western New York State.
Our program combines rigorous artistic preparation with a warm, encouraging environment that puts each singer’s growth and well-being first. Voice lessons, role study, vocal coachings, and masterclasses are led by a distinguished full-time faculty of voice teachers, coaches, and stage directors, alongside renowned guest artists from the world’s leading opera houses and conservatories. Students explore and perform repertoire spanning Opera, Art Song, Oratorio, Chamber Music, and Crossover styles.
Comprised of top-tier students from conservatories and universities in the U.S. and abroad, Music School Festival Orchestra members participate in a variety of musical activities during their summers at Chautauqua including chamber music and private lessons along with their meticulous orchestral training. Alumni from the MSFO can be heard in many of the world’s top orchestras and chamber ensembles and can be found on music faculties worldwide. The MSFO is led by Artistic Director Timothy Muffitt, who serves as Music Director of the Lansing Symphony Orchestra and Music Director Laureate of the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra.

Mike Thornton & The Midnight Quartet
2026-07-27 22:00 | Roe Green Theater Center
Mike Thornton, jazz vocalist of grit and sophistication, takes center stage with The Midnight Quartet in a performance charged with high-octane energy and deep blues soul. Blending hard-swinging standards with electrifying improvisation, Thornton’s commanding voice rides effortlessly over the band’s tight, driving rhythms. Each tune ignites with hot, explosive solos, delivering a night where smoky storytelling meets virtuosic fire—classic jazz reborn with urgency, swagger, and unmistakable style.
