Editor's pick: Arts under the Stars leads off with a Celtic wonder

Eileen Ivers comes to Terrace Stage at Bethel Woods

WHEN: Wednesday, July 9. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for an 8:00 p.m. performance.

WHERE: The Terrace Stage at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts in Bethel, NY.

COST: $25. Parking is free.

CONTACT: BethelWoodsCenter.org.

BETHEL, NY — Among the innovations at Bethel Woods this year are two new stages that provide a more intimate experience than the huge Pavilion venue, the 300-seat indoor Events Gallery at the Museum at Bethel Woods, and The Terrace Stage, which can accommodate 1,000 audience members. The Terrace Stage will experience its inaugural performance this coming Wednesday, when Celtic sensation Eileen Ivers will kick off the center’s new Arts Under the Stars series.

Fiddler Ivers has established herself as the pre-eminent exponent of the Irish fiddle in the world today.

“It is a rare and select grade of spectacular artists whose work is so boldly imaginative and clearly virtuosic that it alters the medium. It has been said that the task of respectfully exploring the traditions and progression of the Celtic fiddle is quite literally on Eileen Ivers’ shoulders,” said The Washington Post. “She suggests the future of the Celtic fiddle.”

She’s been called a “sensation” by Billboard magazine and “the Jimi Hendrix of the violin” by The New York Times. “She electrifies the crowd with a dazzling show of virtuoso playing,” said The Irish Times.

The daughter of Irish immigrants, Ivers grew up in the culturally diverse neighborhood of the Bronx. Rooted in Irish traditional music since the age of eight, she proceeded to win nine All-Ireland fiddle championships, a 10th on tenor banjo and over 30 championship medals, making her one of the most awarded persons ever to compete in these prestigious competitions.

Eileen Ivers & Immigrant Soul, founded in 1999, is an eclectic mix of African and Latin percussion and bass, Irish instrumentalists and American soulful vocals. The group headlines major performing arts centers, guest stars with numerous symphonies, performs at major festivals worldwide and has appeared on national and international television.

The Terrace Stage, which will host the entire Arts Under the Stars series, is designed in the style of a roman amphitheater, and located adjacent to The Museum at Bethel Woods. The series is designed to bring the community together in an open-air setting for a high-quality, affordable and primarily mid-week arts series.

The debut season of Arts Under the Stars will be presented by The Chapin Estate. Additional Terrace Stage shows will include The Klezmatics, Chanticleer and Terrance Simien & The Zydeco Experience.