Concert Under the Tent

Last evening I spent a mesmerizing hour of chamber music under an elegant white marquee at Boscobel in Beacon, New York. The Rising Artists program not only celebrated the 65th anniversary of Boscobel, a museum house and gardens, but it was also a preview of the upcoming music festival in September. I visited this lovely oasis on the Hudson several years ago for the inaugural Palm Beach Chamber Music summer program. Memories of that trip lingered: the buzzy energy of the live music, the sweeping views of the river, and the walkways lined with blooming apple trees. This time the program featured promising young artists accompanying their mentors, Artistic Director Arnaud Sussmann and acclaimed violinist Chad Hoopes, performing Viennese and Classical masterworks. The audience was comprised mostly of local folk dressed in casual attire, children seated in laps, nestled in their parents’ arms, all mesmerized by the magical strains of the musical performances. Everyone, including myself, listened in a rapt silence, broken only by the eruption of applause at the end. It was an incredible hour, and I encourage anyone who finds themselves back east this September to attend one of the Boscobel concerts.