Bethel Woods announces details of summer season

A mix of classical music, jazz and more

BETHEL, NY — The Gerry Foundation has kicked off the long-awaited promotional effort for the opening of the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts this summer.

It has long been know that the New York Philharmonic would perform on opening day, but in the first official press release regarding the talent line up for the season, the center released new details. Performing with the orchestra will be pianist Lang Land and soprano Audra McDonald. Bramwell Tovey will conduct the performance, which will take place at the Bethel Woods summer pavilion.

The philharmonic will perform at 7:00 p.m. on July 1. The program will feature a rendition of the Gershwin song “Strike Up the Band,” the Polovtsian Dances from Borodin’s Prince Igor, Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini by Rachmaninoff with Lang Lang as soloist, selected songs by Gershwin and Bernstein sung by Audra McDonald, and Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture.

Following the performance, the opening night celebration will continue with a spectacular fireworks display by Grucci.

The center also announced the inaugural season will include a Jazz Festival weekend hosted by four-time Grammy Award winner Dianne Reeves beginning July 22, and a two-day Woodstock anniversary concert the weekend of August 12. Additional artists and acts will be announced in the coming weeks.

Tickets for upcoming shows at Bethel Woods are available at www.bethelwoodslive.org or through Ticketmaster at ticketmaster.com or 845/454-3388.