Performing & Visual Arts
Mission Statement
The Arts at Chautauqua: exploring the best in human values and the enrichment of life
Our mission is to expand the lives of our audience within and beyond the Institution’s gates through the power of the performing and visual arts.
We seek to serve the purposes of the Institution by inspiring, educating, entertaining and engaging a diverse and growing audience; by serving as an integral part of the Chautauqua community; by exemplifying artistic excellence in presenting programs that celebrate both tradition and innovation; and by demonstrating sound financial stewardship.
Entertainment and Concerts
Our Amphitheater events feature a dynamic mix of artists, musicians, comedians entertainers and speakers, and attract enthusiastic crowds to our 4,400-seat, open-air Amphitheater.
Dance
The Chautauqua Dance program, formed by artistic director Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux in 1989, includes performances by internationally acclaimed ballet and modern dance companies and the renowned School of Dance.
Chautauqua Chamber Music
Chautauqua Chamber Music offers a variety of chamber music experiences each season with a diverse selection of guest and resident ensembles comprised of both instrumental and vocal music.
Galleries
The Chautauqua Visual Arts (CVA) includes the School of Art, the galleries of the Strohl Art Center, the Fowler-Kellogg Art Center, the Melvin Johnson Sculpture Garden and the visual arts lecture series.
Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra
Performing 22 concerts including two accompanying visiting dance companies, our resident professional orchestra also provides musicians that perform for Chautauqua Opera.
Chautauqua Theater Company
Internationally known actors, directors, designers and writers join 19 emerging artists drawn from top training programs to produce a vibrant body of work in the historic Bratton Theater.
Chautauqua Opera Company
Chautauqua Opera is the oldest continuously producing summer opera company in the U.S. as well as the fourth-oldest American opera company overall.