Rising stars on stage; rising stars in the seats. Three concerts on Caramoor’s upcoming calendar, all of which feature young performers, will include a free student ticket offer for visitors aged 18 and under.

“It’s important for our audiences to see themselves reflected from the stage,” says Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts Director Ed Lewis III. “Providing this concert free to audiences of 18 and under offers greater access to our younger patrons and their families, and the opportunity for this audience to see artists closer to their age.”

Two of these concerts (February 12 and April 16) will be performed by the organization’s current string quartet-in-residence, Ivalas Quartet, a group that dedicates itself to spotlighting Black and Indigenous composers.

On March 12, the Schwab Vocal Rising Stars will present a concert titled, Mediterranean. According to the concert description, the program will take listeners on “a musical voyage around the Mediterranean Sea, with stops in Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Israel, Lebanon, Egypt and Tunisia.”  The program is the culmination of a week-long mentorship residency for which Artistic Director Steven Blier selects four young singers and a pianist to participate in coaching, rehearsals, workshops and more – all of which leads up to this final performance.

Says Lewis: “The Schwab Vocal Rising Stars program is part of Caramoor’s mission to mentor emerging professional musicians. It’s our responsibility to help build the future of the arts through nurturing and presenting these young artists.”

He adds of the young audience members: “Hopefully, they will be inspired by the experience and leave with a deeper connection to and appreciation of live classical music performance.”