FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Great Barrington, Mass.— Grammy Award-winning opera and concert star Renée Fleming will perform an intimate recital of beloved songs and arias at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center’s 2022 Gala on Saturday, July 30 at 8 p.m.
“Renee Fleming has a voice so lush you can practically sink into it,” says Mahaiwe Executive Director Janis Martinson. “I am beyond thrilled we’re bringing a performer of her caliber to audiences in the Berkshires. Whether she is singing an aria or a familiar tune, she finds such vocal color and nuance in a melody that all the emotion is laid bare. Hearing her in an intimate space like the Mahaiwe will be an unforgettable experience.”
Renée Fleming is one of the most highly acclaimed singers of our time, performing on the stages of the world’s greatest opera houses and concert halls. Honored with four Grammy awards and the National Medal of Arts, she has sung on momentous occasions from the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony to the Diamond Jubilee Concert for Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace. In 2014, Renée became the first classical artist ever to sing “The Star-Spangled Banner” at the Super Bowl.
Gala
This annual event is an important source of revenue for the non-profit which relies on contributions to maintain its historic theater and to offer approximately 140 programs for 35,000 patrons every year.
In addition to show-only tickets, patrons can choose to attend a dinner, catered by Peter Platt of Old Inn on the Green, under a tent on Memorial Field. Music at the dinner will be provided by The Michael Junkins Group. The “Mahaiwe Marquee,” a custom Cultural Cocktail created in partnership with Berkshire Mountain Distillers to celebrate their 15th anniversary in our community, will be served at this special event. Floral arrangements will be provided by Erica Darling Floral Design.
Gala Committee
The Mahaiwe 2022 Gala Committee is co-chaired by Pat and Larry Rutkowski.
“The Mahaiwe shines all year long, but this Gala will have an extra sparkle,” notes Mahaiwe board member Larry Rutkowski. “Once a year, we celebrate not only the great performances that happen on the Mahaiwe stage, but also the broad community support that makes it all possible. This year we honor The 1916 Foundation.”
The committee also includes Sandy and Ron Ashendorf, Craig Bailey and Shawn Mahoney, Donna A. Bernstein, Maggie Buchwald, Debbi and Jim Buslik, Jessy Calderón, Sharon Casdin, Charles Coe, Alexandra Cosgrove and Blake Williams, Margaret Deutsch, Debi R. Feinman, Susan and Richard Grausman, Linda Hensel, Merle D. and Leo G. Kailas, Fernando A. León, Sue and Danny Lipson, Ranakdevi and John Londoner, Andrea Marks and David Warmflash, John D. Miller, Rick Miramontez and Jamie DuMont, Lizzie Olesker, Roger Persell, Cheryl Raifstanger, Karen Richards, Debbie and Eric Ruder, Sari Scheer and Sam Kopel, Liz Schneider and Ben Liptzin, Andrew Traines and Marc Siegel, Mandy Victor-Pieczarka, Bianca Walker, and Allison and Jeff Wintner.
Tickets
Show-only tickets go on sale to Mahaiwe Members on Wednesday, May 18 at noon, and to the public on Wednesday, May 25 at noon. Show-only tickets are $100 to $150 and can be purchased at mahaiwe.org or 413-528-0100 during Box Office hours, Wednesday through Saturday, from noon to 4 p.m.
For gala packages that include cocktails and dinner under a tent before the show, contact Mahaiwe Director of Advancement Diane Wortis at diane@mahaiwe.org or 413-644-9040, ext. 123.
See mahaiwe.org/update for current safety protocols.
About Renée Fleming
Renée’s concert schedule this year has taken her to Berlin, Paris, Vienna, Copenhagen, New York City, and Houston. During the pandemic, she performed in streamed virtual concerts for the Metropolitan Opera, the Kennedy Center, and Lyric Opera of Chicago. In 2019, Renée appeared opposite Ben Whishaw in Norma Jean Baker of Troy to open The Shed in New York City. That summer, she starred in the London premiere of The Light in the Piazza, later bringing the acclaimed production to Los Angeles and Chicago. Renée earned a Tony Award nomination for her performance in the 2018 Broadway production of Carousel.
With 17 Grammy nominations, Renée has recorded everything from complete operas to soundtracks for Best Picture Oscar winners The Shape of Water and The Lord of the Rings. Her latest album is Voice of Nature: The Anthropocene, with Yannick Nézet-Seguin as pianist. A collection of classical songs and specially commissioned world premieres, the album focuses on nature as both inspiration and casualty of humans.
In recent years, Renée has become known as a leading advocate for research at the intersection of arts, health, and neuroscience, giving presentations with scientists and practitioners around the world. Music and Mind LIVE, her weekly web show exploring the connections between arts, human health, and the brain, amassed nearly 700,000 views, from 70 countries.
Artistic Advisor-at-Large to the Kennedy Center, Renée also leads SongStudio at Carnegie Hall, and she is Advisor for Special Projects at LA Opera and Co-Director of the Aspen Opera Center. Among her other notable awards are the Fulbright Lifetime Achievement Medal, Germany’s Cross of the Order of Merit, and France’s Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur.
About the Mahaiwe
Located in downtown Great Barrington, Mass., the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center is the year-round presenter of world-class music, dance, theater, classic films, Live in HD broadcasts, and arts education programs for the southern Berkshires and neighboring regions. The intimate jewel box of a theater opened in 1905. Since 2005, the performing arts center has hosted over 1,500 events and welcomed over half a million people through its doors. More than 22,000 students from 73 different schools have benefited from the Mahaiwe’s school-time performances and residencies. For more information, see mahaiwe.org.
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