SPAC Announces Virtual Beethoven 2020 Festival

SARATOGA SPRINGS – Saratoga Performing Arts Center’s “Reimagined” series continues with a virtual Beethoven 2020 festival, which will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the composer’s birth. 

Highlighting the virtual festival are special events including an exclusive Beethoven recital with pianist Jonathan Biss on Aug. 21, the World Premiere of Testament on Aug. 22, a theatrical production in collaboration with Saratoga Shakespeare Company, and a Caffè Lena “Stay Home Sessions” concert with Philadelphia Orchestra musicians on Aug. 15. 

“SPAC’s planned presentation of the complete Beethoven symphony cycle with The Philadelphia Orchestra and Yannick Nézet-Séguin was slated to be some of our most important programming of the season. Instead, we are honoring the great composer with a season long virtual festival and a completely new online platform with all nine symphonies, an exclusive concert with Jonathan Biss, a special lecture series, our gorgeous SPAC REIMAGINED ballet shorts set to his music and much more. It is our hope that this curated collection will still provide a profound and deeply moving musical experience — just in a new format,” said Elizabeth Sobol, SPAC President & CEO, in a statement. 

The reimagined 2020 season also includes previously announced community events such as SPAC’s partnership with COESA to present the healing arts with Tai Chi and guided Meditation classes, the SPAC Reimagined ballet shorts featuring New York City Ballet, The Philadelphia Orchestra and Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the virtual Freihofer’s Jazz Fest Stay Home Sessions and the on-going SPAC Learning Library. In addition, the Center has opened up its campus to various arts-related activities for children and young people. 

All Beethoven festival events are free and will be accessible virtually on SPACBeethoven.org. Select events will also be screened on SPAC’s grounds to members only (limited to 50 people). Visit spac.org for additional details. 

For a full schedule and more information visit spac.org.