GEOFFREY HERD, DIRECTOR

2017

WWW.GENEVAMUSICFESTIVAL.COM

Annual ReportG E N E V A

SKANEATELES

A U B U R N

CANANDAIGUA

Photographs by Paul Ciaccia, Kathy Kennedy and David Soderlund

September 11, 2017

Dear GMF Friends and Supporters,

We hope you’ve had a wonderful summer. For us, there was no better way for it to begin than with diverse, world-class musical performances in the beautiful Finger Lakes Region.

The 2017 Season of the Geneva Music Festival had a record 1,150 people in at-tendance. We presented a total of 14 concerts over the course of 18 days, at venues in Geneva, Auburn, Canandaigua and Skaneateles. Concerts took place in Froelich Hall of the Gearan Center for the Performing Arts, Hobart and William Smith Col-leges, as well as in the region’s beautiful churches, Willard Memorial Chapel, Ravine’s Winery and, for the first time, at Geneva On The Lake. Acclaimed artists presented a wide range of musical genres, including chamber, classical, organ masterpieces, bluegrass, and a two-concert celebration of jazz.

Time and again when we speak with the artists who join us at the Geneva Music Festival, we’re told what fantastic audiences we have in this region, how warm and enthusiastic they are, and what a wonderful experience it is to perform here. We couldn’t agree more!

On behalf of the artists and the GMF Board, I want to express my deepest gratitude to all of you who made our seventh year one of the best yet—those of you behind the scenes, on the stage and in the audience. We are also grateful to the generous supporters who make the festival possible each year. This year, this included public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts’ Decentralization Program, administered locally by Finger Lakes Community Arts Grants and CNY Arts, Roch-ester Area Community Foundation, Wyckoff Family Foundation, Geneva Rotary Club, the City of Geneva, Williams Family Foundation, Sands Family Supporting Foundation, Nelson B. Delavan Foundation, Brenda and Dave Rickey Foundation and the Spring Hill Fund.

At the end of our 2017 Sea-son, we were also honored to announce the receipt of an Art Works grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, our first-ever from the NEA.

Artistic Production

60%Marketing

18%

Operations 16%

Administration 6%

2017 GMF Expenses

Grants62%Individual

Contributions 11%

Corporate Contributions

3%

Fundraising Events

7%

Ticket Sales 17%

2017 GMF Revenue

A Successful Seventh SeasonThe 2017 Season of the GMF took place from June 1 through 18. The Cavani String Quartet, the Quartet-in-Resi-

dence at the Cleveland Institute of Mu-sic, opened the 2017 Season of the GMF with a concert at the Gearan Center for Performing Arts. Violist Eric Wong joined Cavani earlier this year and intro-duced these wonderful artists to the Festi-val. Winner of the Naumberg Chamber Music Award, the quartet has been de-scribed by The Washington Post as “com-pletely engrossing, powerful and elegant.”

On June 3 and 4, critically-acclaimed vio-linist Jinjoo Cho joined other GMF art-ists-in-residence to present “Jinjoo Cho and Friends: America the Beautiful.” GMF Director and violinist Geoffrey Herd and Wong met Cho at the Cleve-land Institute of Music. This concert was the first time in many years these art-ists had the opportunity to share a stage. Concerts took place in Skaneateles and Geneva and featured the music of im-migrant Americans as well as the father of American sound, Antonin Dvořák.

The following week, Herd and other art-ists presented “Music from the Heart,”

celebrating two of today’s most glorified composers, John Corigliano and Jennifer Higdon, both Grammy Award and Pu-litzer Prize winners. Also featured were two of the most beloved composers of the past, Schubert and Saint-Saëns. Pianist Cahill Smith, who serves on the piano faculty at Lee University in Cleve-land, Tennessee, joined the Festival for the second week, taking part in this and other concerts. “Music from the Heart” was presented in Auburn and Geneva on June 8 and 10, respectively.

During the third week of the season, pia-nist Esther Park joined GMF, showcas-ing her talent and experience as a soloist with orchestras and in recitals across the United States as well as Asia and major European cities.

Celebration of JazzThis year featured a two-concert celebra-tion of jazz, which opened on Friday, June 9 with La Voz De Tres at the Gear-an Center for Performing Arts. Chilean vocalist Natalia Bernal, keyboardist Mike Eckroth, and seven-string gui-tarist Jason Ennis blended the infec-tious rhythms and nuanced songwriting traditions of Latin America, original

25

SponsorsThe Geneva Music Festival would like to extend its thanks to its major 2017 Corpo-rate and Foundation Sponsors:Auburn CitizenBank of the Finger Lakes Billsboro WineryC. S. Burrall & Son, Inc.Community BankDr. Peter Grace, DDSDr. Rodney Littlejohn, DDS Finger Lakes Times Flying Whale Studios Geneva Community Center Geneva Electric Supply Geneva Light Opera Grateful DentalHeaton & Venuti, LLP Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard

Jan Regan PhotographyLyons National Bank Messenger Post Media Midas Muffler-Geneva North Street PharmacyPalmisano-Mull Funeral Home, LLC Phelps SungasPrindle Family Dentistry Ravines WineryRylie J’sSkaneateles PressThe Eye Care Center The UPS StoreUncle Joe’s PizzeriaWCNY/WEOS/WXXI/WRVO/ WGVA/WSKG

Government and Foundation Grants:Brenda and Dave Rickey Foundation City of GenevaCNY Arts GrantsFinger Lakes Community Arts Grants Geneva Rotary Club Hobart and William Smith CollegesThe National Endowment for the Arts

Nelson B. Delavan FoundationRochester Area Community FoundationSands Family Supporting Foundation of the Rochester Community FoundationSpring Hill FundWilliams Family Foundation Wyckoff Family Foundation

Hospitality Sponsors:Belhurst CastleBuena Vista Bed & Breakfast

Geneva On The Lake Rose Petal Inn

compositions and picks from the Great American Songbook into a surpris-ing improvisational texture. They also presented interpretations of the music from their recent album “Sueños y De-lirios (Dreams and Deliria).” The focus on jazz continued with drinks and hors d'oeuvres on the terrace of Geneva On The Lake on the afternoon of June 10. The Thomas Bergeron Quartet and a string quartet of GMF artists presented a jazz-chamber fusion from Bergeron’s latest album, new jazz interpretations of the music of Rachmaninoff, Liszt, Take-mitsu and Scriabin and some original compositions and jazz standards. Multi-instrumentalist Paul McCandless was a special guest for both concerts.

Organ RecitalsOn June 13, 14 and 15, Raymond Nagem, associate music director at

the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in NYC, showcased the majestic organs of the Presbyterian Church in Geneva, the United Church of Canandaigua,

and Auburn’s Westminster Presbyte-rian Church. Nagem performed his own transcription of Prokofiev's witty “Mu-sic for Children,” as well as music by J. S. Bach, Felix Mendelssohn, Max Reger, and Louis Vierne.

Contemporary MusicNew Morse Code, comprised of Han-nah Collins and Michael Compitello,

returned to the Geneva Music Festival on June 14 to perform the culmination of their project “Language of Land-scapes" with composer Chris Stark in this long-awaited conclusion. In a bold and engaging performance, they acti-vated the unexpected range and unique sonic world of cello and percussion to catalyze and champion the compelling works of young composers.

Wrapping up, two waysIn the season’s chamber music finale, world-renowned artists and GMF favor-ites cellist Clive Greensmith and violin-ist Ani Kavafian returned to both Ge-neva and Skaneateles to perform some of the most exciting works of chamber music with GMF founding artists Herd,

43

Collins and Eliot Heaton. The audience enjoyed chamber favorites that included Dvořák’s Piano Quintet and Shostakov-ich’s Octet.

Additionally, a free Father’s Day blue-grass concert was held for a full house at Ravines Winery.

Continuing our strong relationship with the communityJust prior to the start of the 2017 Sea-son, GMF returned to the region to

work with local school children and community members. The Festival has conducted community outreach since its inception. Among the activities that took place this year were performances at Auburn High School, Ferris Hills at West Lake, Geneva Rotary, North Street School, St. Peter's Community Arts

Academy, YMCA of Geneva, and Vil-lage Landing in Skaneateles.

On Saturday, March 11, the GMF held its 2017 Spring Benefit Gala in Froelich Hall of the Gearan Center for Performing Arts. The event included a performance by Herd, Wong, Max Geissler on cello, and Cahill Smith on piano. The more than 100 attendees also spent time with the artists and enjoyed delicious fare.

Looking forwardFounded in 2011 with the mission of entertaining, inspiring and nurturing a lifelong love of music in the commu-nity, the Festival annually presents artists whose work will appeal to audiences of a variety of ages and musical tastes. Plan-ning is already underway for the 2018 Season, which will highlight talent and diversity with multicultural artists, music and composers, and include a week-long celebration of the cultural achievements of the African-American community.

GMF artists are also looking forward to returning to the community to perform for, and alongside, Geneva’s youngest musicians. Watch for announcements about the 2018 Season at genevamusic-festival.com, where you can also sign up to receive festival news via email as soon as it is posted online.

– Geoffrey Herd, GMF Director

compositions and picks from the Great American Songbook into a surpris-ing improvisational texture. They also presented interpretations of the music from their recent album “Sueños y De-lirios (Dreams and Deliria).” The focus on jazz continued with drinks and hors d'oeuvres on the terrace of Geneva On The Lake on the afternoon of June 10. The Thomas Bergeron Quartet and a string quartet of GMF artists presented a jazz-chamber fusion from Bergeron’s latest album, new jazz interpretations of the music of Rachmaninoff, Liszt, Take-mitsu and Scriabin and some original compositions and jazz standards. Multi-instrumentalist Paul McCandless was a special guest for both concerts.

Organ RecitalsOn June 13, 14 and 15, Raymond Nagem, associate music director at

the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in NYC, showcased the majestic organs of the Presbyterian Church in Geneva, the United Church of Canandaigua,

and Auburn’s Westminster Presbyte-rian Church. Nagem performed his own transcription of Prokofiev's witty “Mu-sic for Children,” as well as music by J. S. Bach, Felix Mendelssohn, Max Reger, and Louis Vierne.

Contemporary MusicNew Morse Code, comprised of Han-nah Collins and Michael Compitello,

returned to the Geneva Music Festival on June 14 to perform the culmination of their project “Language of Land-scapes" with composer Chris Stark in this long-awaited conclusion. In a bold and engaging performance, they acti-vated the unexpected range and unique sonic world of cello and percussion to catalyze and champion the compelling works of young composers.

Wrapping up, two waysIn the season’s chamber music finale, world-renowned artists and GMF favor-ites cellist Clive Greensmith and violin-ist Ani Kavafian returned to both Ge-neva and Skaneateles to perform some of the most exciting works of chamber music with GMF founding artists Herd,

43

Collins and Eliot Heaton. The audience enjoyed chamber favorites that included Dvořák’s Piano Quintet and Shostakov-ich’s Octet.

Additionally, a free Father’s Day blue-grass concert was held for a full house at Ravines Winery.

Continuing our strong relationship with the communityJust prior to the start of the 2017 Sea-son, GMF returned to the region to

work with local school children and community members. The Festival has conducted community outreach since its inception. Among the activities that took place this year were performances at Auburn High School, Ferris Hills at West Lake, Geneva Rotary, North Street School, St. Peter's Community Arts

Academy, YMCA of Geneva, and Vil-lage Landing in Skaneateles.

On Saturday, March 11, the GMF held its 2017 Spring Benefit Gala in Froelich Hall of the Gearan Center for Performing Arts. The event included a performance by Herd, Wong, Max Geissler on cello, and Cahill Smith on piano. The more than 100 attendees also spent time with the artists and enjoyed delicious fare.

Looking forwardFounded in 2011 with the mission of entertaining, inspiring and nurturing a lifelong love of music in the commu-nity, the Festival annually presents artists whose work will appeal to audiences of a variety of ages and musical tastes. Plan-ning is already underway for the 2018 Season, which will highlight talent and diversity with multicultural artists, music and composers, and include a week-long celebration of the cultural achievements of the African-American community.

GMF artists are also looking forward to returning to the community to perform for, and alongside, Geneva’s youngest musicians. Watch for announcements about the 2018 Season at genevamusic-festival.com, where you can also sign up to receive festival news via email as soon as it is posted online.

– Geoffrey Herd, GMF Director

A Successful Seventh SeasonThe 2017 Season of the GMF took place from June 1 through 18. The Cavani String Quartet, the Quartet-in-Resi-

dence at the Cleveland Institute of Mu-sic, opened the 2017 Season of the GMF with a concert at the Gearan Center for Performing Arts. Violist Eric Wong joined Cavani earlier this year and intro-duced these wonderful artists to the Festi-val. Winner of the Naumberg Chamber Music Award, the quartet has been de-scribed by The Washington Post as “com-pletely engrossing, powerful and elegant.”

On June 3 and 4, critically-acclaimed vio-linist Jinjoo Cho joined other GMF art-ists-in-residence to present “Jinjoo Cho and Friends: America the Beautiful.” GMF Director and violinist Geoffrey Herd and Wong met Cho at the Cleve-land Institute of Music. This concert was the first time in many years these art-ists had the opportunity to share a stage. Concerts took place in Skaneateles and Geneva and featured the music of im-migrant Americans as well as the father of American sound, Antonin Dvořák.

The following week, Herd and other art-ists presented “Music from the Heart,”

celebrating two of today’s most glorified composers, John Corigliano and Jennifer Higdon, both Grammy Award and Pu-litzer Prize winners. Also featured were two of the most beloved composers of the past, Schubert and Saint-Saëns. Pianist Cahill Smith, who serves on the piano faculty at Lee University in Cleve-land, Tennessee, joined the Festival for the second week, taking part in this and other concerts. “Music from the Heart” was presented in Auburn and Geneva on June 8 and 10, respectively.

During the third week of the season, pia-nist Esther Park joined GMF, showcas-ing her talent and experience as a soloist with orchestras and in recitals across the United States as well as Asia and major European cities.

Celebration of JazzThis year featured a two-concert celebra-tion of jazz, which opened on Friday, June 9 with La Voz De Tres at the Gear-an Center for Performing Arts. Chilean vocalist Natalia Bernal, keyboardist Mike Eckroth, and seven-string gui-tarist Jason Ennis blended the infec-tious rhythms and nuanced songwriting traditions of Latin America, original

25

SponsorsThe Geneva Music Festival would like to extend its thanks to its major 2017 Corpo-rate and Foundation Sponsors:Auburn CitizenBank of the Finger Lakes Billsboro WineryC. S. Burrall & Son, Inc.Community BankDr. Peter Grace, DDSDr. Rodney Littlejohn, DDS Finger Lakes Times Flying Whale Studios Geneva Community Center Geneva Electric Supply Geneva Light Opera Grateful DentalHeaton & Venuti, LLP Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard

Jan Regan PhotographyLyons National Bank Messenger Post Media Midas Muffler-Geneva North Street PharmacyPalmisano-Mull Funeral Home, LLC Phelps SungasPrindle Family Dentistry Ravines WineryRylie J’sSkaneateles PressThe Eye Care Center The UPS StoreUncle Joe’s PizzeriaWCNY/WEOS/WXXI/WRVO/ WGVA/WSKG

Government and Foundation Grants:Brenda and Dave Rickey Foundation City of GenevaCNY Arts GrantsFinger Lakes Community Arts Grants Geneva Rotary Club Hobart and William Smith CollegesThe National Endowment for the Arts

Nelson B. Delavan FoundationRochester Area Community FoundationSands Family Supporting Foundation of the Rochester Community FoundationSpring Hill FundWilliams Family Foundation Wyckoff Family Foundation

Hospitality Sponsors:Belhurst CastleBuena Vista Bed & Breakfast

Geneva On The Lake Rose Petal Inn

September 11, 2017

Dear GMF Friends and Supporters,

We hope you’ve had a wonderful summer. For us, there was no better way for it to begin than with diverse, world-class musical performances in the beautiful Finger Lakes Region.

The 2017 Season of the Geneva Music Festival had a record 1,150 people in at-tendance. We presented a total of 14 concerts over the course of 18 days, at venues in Geneva, Auburn, Canandaigua and Skaneateles. Concerts took place in Froelich Hall of the Gearan Center for the Performing Arts, Hobart and William Smith Col-leges, as well as in the region’s beautiful churches, Willard Memorial Chapel, Ravine’s Winery and, for the first time, at Geneva On The Lake. Acclaimed artists presented a wide range of musical genres, including chamber, classical, organ masterpieces, bluegrass, and a two-concert celebration of jazz.

Time and again when we speak with the artists who join us at the Geneva Music Festival, we’re told what fantastic audiences we have in this region, how warm and enthusiastic they are, and what a wonderful experience it is to perform here. We couldn’t agree more!

On behalf of the artists and the GMF Board, I want to express my deepest gratitude to all of you who made our seventh year one of the best yet—those of you behind the scenes, on the stage and in the audience. We are also grateful to the generous supporters who make the festival possible each year. This year, this included public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts’ Decentralization Program, administered locally by Finger Lakes Community Arts Grants and CNY Arts, Roch-ester Area Community Foundation, Wyckoff Family Foundation, Geneva Rotary Club, the City of Geneva, Williams Family Foundation, Sands Family Supporting Foundation, Nelson B. Delavan Foundation, Brenda and Dave Rickey Foundation and the Spring Hill Fund.

At the end of our 2017 Sea-son, we were also honored to announce the receipt of an Art Works grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, our first-ever from the NEA.

Artistic Production

60%Marketing

18%

Operations 16%

Administration 6%

2017 GMF Expenses

Grants62%Individual

Contributions 11%

Corporate Contributions

3%

Fundraising Events

7%

Ticket Sales 17%

2017 GMF Revenue

GEOFFREY HERD, DIRECTOR

2017

WWW.GENEVAMUSICFESTIVAL.COM

Annual ReportG E N E V A

SKANEATELES

A U B U R N

CANANDAIGUA

Photographs by Paul Ciaccia, Kathy Kennedy and David Soderlund