Caramoor announces 2026 summer season

Pianist Yuja Wang makes her Caramoor debut on July 23. Julia Wesely photo

Caramoor has announced its 81st summer season, a seven-week celebration of music, nature, and community. Running from June 20 to Aug. 2, the season features more than 30 performances set across the estate’s 81 acres of historic gardens and woodlands, utilizing iconic venues ranging from the Venetian Theater to the Sunken Garden. 

The season begins with an Opening Night & Summer Gala on June 20, featuring Tony Award-winner Kelli O’Hara. Joined by the Orchestra of St. Luke’s and conducted by Rob Fisher, O’Hara will perform American Songbook gems and Broadway favorites. Another highlight follows on July 23, when pianist Yuja Wang makes her Caramoor debut in a collaboration with Latin music supergroup People of Earth for a journey through the sounds of the Caribbean, composed and under the musical direction of Cuban pianist Ahmed Alom. The Mark Morris Dance Group returns July 30 with its signature blend of wit, grace, and profound musicality. 

Opera lovers will find two significant productions this year. On July 17, Baroque superstars William Christie and Les Arts Florissants present Charpentier’s Les Arts Florissants and La Descente d’Orphée aux enfers featuring soloists from Le Jardin des Voix. On July 26, the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra returns with a semi-staged production of Handel’s “Tolomeo,” led by Peter Whelan and featuring countertenor Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen and soprano Lauren Snouffer. Lovers of Baroque music can also look forward to the Grammy-winning Apollo’s Fire on July 12, directed by Jeannette Sorrell, featuring double concertos by Bach and Vivaldi. 

Classical programming also includes pianists Hélène Grimaud, Conor Hanick, and Aristo Sham, the Verona and Poiesis quartets, and the season concludes Aug. 2 with Gil Shaham and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s under the baton of Xian Zhang. Shaham, who first appeared at Caramoor in 1994, returns for the first time in over a decade for Barber’s Violin Concerto, a work he has long championed. The program also includes Mozart’s “Jupiter” Symphony. Caramoor’s all-day festivals remain a central draw for audiences of all ages. The American Roots Music Festival on June 27, presented in collaboration with City Winery, will fill the grounds with performances by Deadgrass, Southern Avenue, Caleb Caudle, and more. 

On July 25, the Jazz Festival, produced in collaboration with Jazz at Lincoln Center, offers a day of improvisation and discovery, with evening headliner Emmet Cohen Trio and additional artists to be announced soon. Other contemporary highlights include the string band Punch Brothers on July 18, singer-songwriter Patty Griffin on July 11, and a performance by Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers on Aug. 1,.

Commitment to community and identity is woven throughout the schedule. On June 21, Caramoor celebrates Juneteenth with a free performance by Dedicated Men of Zion, whose sacred soul tradition honors the resilience and joy of the holiday. Pride Month is marked on June 26 by entertainment icon Isaac Mizrahi, who will lead an evening of storytelling and jazz. 

The summer’s second free event is the world premiere of Christopher Cerrone’s “The Only Way is Through” performed by Sandbox Percussion and the Young People’s Chorus of New York City on July 19. 

Families and young listeners have much to look forward to with the return of the Dancing at Dusk series on Friends Field. This year’s lineup includes WindSync’s interactive Peter and the Wolf on July 8, Flor Bromley’s Latin-inspired Fiesta Global on July 15, and the high-spirited “urban cowboy” music.  

“Each summer, we invite audiences to experience the extraordinary intersection of music and nature,” said Caramoor President and CEO Gillian Fox. “I am especially delighted to welcome back Dancing at Dusk to help spark a lifelong connection to the arts here at Caramoor.”

The season also includes the festive Pops, Patriots, and Fireworks celebration on July 4, marking America’s 250th anniversary, and the Music and Meditation in the Garden series on select Saturday mornings. 

Caramoor is located at 149 Girdle Ridge Road, Katonah. For tickets and more information, visit caramoor.org.