The Sembrich has opened its studio museum and historic lakeside grounds for the 2024 season. Visitors can explore the rich artistic history of our region and learn about one of the Gilded Age’s most popular international celebrities through the museum’s exhibitions and events.

Built in 1924, The Sembrich’s lakeside studio museum was once a vocal studio belonging to its namesake Polish soprano Marcella Sembrich (1858-1935). Sembrich was internationally famous as an opera and concert singer, appearing across Europe and the United States between 1878 and 1917. She toured and performed in over 30 states, from Maine to California, and was one of the first commercial recording artists with the Victor Talking Machine Company. 

In 1924, the same year the studio was built, she was named the first director of the voice faculties at the Juilliard School in New York City, and the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. During the summer months, she would bring her students to her Lake George estate, teaching daily lessons in the studio and arranging benefit concerts for local charities. Two years after her death, her daughter-in-law preserved the studio and surrounding four-acre grounds as a museum. The institution has been in continuous operation since, offering exhibitions and performance programming throughout the summer months.

The Sembrich’s 2024 summer festival “A Century of Sembrich” celebrates Marcella Sembrich’s 100-year legacy on Lake George and features a selection of today’s finest concert artists and ensembles. The 2024 festival starts on June 5 with an exclusive season preview by Opera Saratoga, held in the historic studio museum. 

Other performers and guest artists include composer Anthony Davis, whose opera X – The Life and Times of Malcolm X, premiered at the Metropolitan Opera in the fall of 2023; Vincent Caruso, the host of Sirius XM’s Symphony Hall; the cutting-edge wind quintet WindSync; acclaimed Polish violinist Kinga Augustyn; and more. The summer festival offers over 20 events and concludes with a candlelit salon concert by pianist Christopher Johnson and featuring an all-Chopin program.

The museum’s 2024 special exhibition “MASTERING MOZART” explores the four operatic roles by Mozart that launched Marcella Sembrich to enduring international stardom. The exhibition features original costumes worn by Sembrich, photographs, and firsthand accounts of her performances. The exhibition is on view until mid-October.

The centerpiece of the exhibition is Marcella Sembrich’s iconic couture Queen of the Night costume worn for the Met Opera’s first production of Mozart’s The Magic Flute in 1900. The museum recently raised over $70,000 to fund the conservation of this rare piece of musical history, which will be unveiled at a special benefit program “A Night at the Museum” on July 11. In addition to the iconic costume, this narrated one-night-only event will also showcase Sembrich’s collection of jewelry, fine art, and other prized possessions. 

For hours, visitor information, and a full schedule of events and exhibitions visit: TheSembrich.org/ 

About The Sembrich

Experience music, history, and nature at The Sembrich in Bolton Landing. The Sembrich features museum exhibitions and an annual summer festival with an exciting mix of world-class musicians, noted musical scholars, a free film series, and the opportunity to enjoy it all on the beautiful shores of Lake George. Listed on the National Historic Register, The Sembrich was once the teaching studio of Polish soprano Marcella Sembrich, one of the most famous musicians at the turn of the 20th century. Visitors can discover her storied legacy, which includes over 400 performances at the Metropolitan Opera and faculty positions at both the Juilliard Graduate School and the Curtis Institute of Music. With a treasured museum, performance series, and over four wooded acres of nature paths to explore, The Sembrich is truly a unique cultural experience!

The Sembrich’s museum & grounds will be open daily from May 24 – October 14, 2024.

The Sembrich’s programs are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

To connect with us on social media, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube, or use #TheSembrich to tag your posts, photos, and videos. 

2024 Summer Festival Schedule

June 5, 7:00 PM – Festival Artists from Opera Saratoga
June 9, 2:00 PM – 2024 Young Performers Showcase
June 15, 2:00 PM – An Afternoon with Vincent Caruso (Studio Talk)
June 19, 7:00 PM – A Juneteenth Celebration with Anthony Davis (Studio Talk)
June 24, 7:30 PM – FILM: The Magic Flute (1975)
June 26, 2:00 PM – Seagle Festival Season Preview

July 6, 7:00 PM – Classical Splendor
July 8, 7:30 PM – FILM: The Opera House (2017)
July 11, 7:00 PM – A Night at the Museum
July 13, 7:00 PM – Chopin… and all that Jazz
July 17, 2:00 PM – Harmonia Ensemble
July 25, 11:00 AM – Peter and the Wolf by WindSync
July 27, 7:00 PM – WindSync Woodwind Quintet
July 28, 7:30 PM – FILM: Fitzcarraldo (1983)

August 1, 10:00 AM – Seagle Festival: Dragon’s Breath (Children’s Opera)
August 2, 7:00 PM – From Steam Launch to Stucco: The Story of The Sembrich Studio (Studio Talk)August 4, 7:00 PM – Composers Sembrich Knew
August 7, 2:00 PM – Jomion and The Uklos
August 12, 7:30 PM – FILM: Veselka(2024)
August 17, 7:00 PM – Violinist Kinga Augustyn
August 21, 7:00 PM – ArcoStrum
August 24, 7:00 PM – At That Hour, Act One (World Premiere)
August 25, 2:00 PM – At That Hour, Act One (Encore Matinee)
August 26, 7:30 PM – FILM: Falling for Figaro (2021)
August 28, 2:00 PM – Cantrip
August 31, 6:00 PM – Chopin by Candlelight

Banned From Utopia featuring legendary Frank Zappa alumni Ray White, Bobby Martin and Scott Thunes, will be touring North America with The Paul Green Rock Academy this summer starting in July! The We Love Zappa Tour celebrates the music of Frank Zappa from all eras!

Banned From Utopia was formed in 1994 to keep the true spirit of Frank Zappa’s music alive. Covering a variety of Zappa songs, the ensemble lovingly recreates the eclectic virtuoso approach of their former band leader. 

Tour Dates

7/4 – Lyndhurst NJ – Town Square Bandshell
7/5 – Hudson Falls NY – The Strand Theatre
7/6 – Cleveland OH – Beachland Ballroom
7/10 – St. Louis MO – City Winery St. Louis
7/11 – Milwaukee WI – Shank Hall
7/12 – Chicago IL – Martyr’s
7/13 – Ft. Wayne IN – Sweetwater HQ
7/14 – Cincinnati OH – Ludlow Garage
7/16 – Pittsburgh PA – City Winery Pittsburgh
7/17 – Asheville NC – The Grey Eagle
7/19 – Nashville TN – City Winery Nashville
7/20 – Charlotte NC – Visulite Theater
7/21 – Atlanta GA – City Winery Atlanta
7/23 – Lansing WV – Burrito Bar at Breeze Hill
7/25 – Rutherford NJ – Williams Center for the Arts
7/26 – New Haven CT – Toad’s Place
7/27 – Pawtucket RI – Met Café
7/28 – Pawling NY – Daryl’s House
7/30 – Montgomery NY – City Winery Montgomery
8/1 – Westport CT – Westport Library
8/2 – Boston MA – City Winery Boston
8/3 – Brattleboro VT – Stone Church
8/4 – Ardmore PA – Ardmore Music Hall

Banned From Utopia:
Ray White – vocals, guitar     

One of the most powerful and distinctive voices that ever graced a Zappa vocal, Ray White. Ray White’s distinctive, powerful voice was first heard interpreting Zappa’s music in 1976. From that beginning, he became an integral member of Frank’s band through 1984, and can be seen on the DVD recorded the summer of that year in New York, “Does Humor Belong In Music?” A former member of the Edwin Hawkins Singers gospel group, he also brings a solid R&B guitar style to the blend, both as a rhythm player and as a soloist. Looking towards future creative endeavors with Banned From Utopia, Ray is also a gifted writer and lyricist  

Robert Martin – vocals, keyboards, saxophone, French horn

Keyboards, horns, and of course, the voice that always made Frank smile, Robert Martin brings it all. Robert (Bobby) Martin joined Frank Zappa in 1981 and sang and played various instruments on every tour from then on, through the final tour in 1988. In addition to the diverse sonic palette Robert brought to the band with his multi-instrumental skills, Zappa relied heavily on Robert’s unique vocal power and range to enhance the variety of musical styles Frank explored in all his performances. In any moment, Frank might switch from heavy metal to classic Doo Wop, or anything in between, and Robert would be right there.

Scott Thunes – guitar, vocals                      

Scott Thunes played with Zappa’s band from 1981 to 1988, and plays on such albums as “The Man From Utopia”, “Them or Us,” “Broadway the Hard Way,” “You Can’t Do That on Stage Anymore,” “Does Humor Belong In Music?,” “The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life,” “Frank Zappa Meets the Mothers of Prevention,” “Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch,” “Make a Jazz Noise Here,” and “Guitar,” a double-album compilation of Zappa’s live guitar solos. His most prominent bass performance can be heard on Frank Zappa’s “Valley Girl,” which peaked at #32 on the Billboard Hot 100. 

Robbie Mangano – guitar, vocals        

Robbie has performed with Zappa Tribute band Project/Object, playing bass and guitar with members of Frank Zappa’s band, and embarked on his first tour and first overseas gigs through that ensemble. Soon after he would begin touring with more Zappa alumni in The Grandmothers Of Invention. Most recently he has toured with Sean Lennon & Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger.

Jamie Kime – guitar  

Jamie Kime has performed and recorded with Dweezil Zappa’s Zappa Plays Zappa project from 2006 until 2012. More recently, he did a European tour with The Banned From Utopia. Earlier this year, Jamie Kime recorded his very first solo album: “Alleys.” Some standout moments include gigs w/ The Boneshakers (feat. Texas blues/soul legend Malford Milligan), Jewel, the original lineup of a Zappa Plays Zappa – with whom he collected a Grammy Award in 2009, the Los Angeles Philharmonic for the World Premiere of Frank Zappa’s 200 Motels Orchestral Suites in 2013, and rock legend Dr. John. The Jamie Kime Group performs on the first Monday of every month at the world-famous Baked Potato in Studio City, CA.

Joel Taylor – drums

Joel Taylor has toured or recorded with artists such as Greg Howe, Brian Bromberg, Mike Garson, Al Di Meola, Frank Gambale, Allan Holdsworth, Banned From Utopia, and appears on Yanni’s live concert video Tribute.

The Paul Green Rock Academy
The Paul Green Rock Academy (PGRA) is the latest music program from School of Rock founder Paul Green. From the very beginning of his teaching career Paul has taught the music of Frank Zappa, calling it “one stop shopping for musical education.”

While co-headlong the German Zappa festival Zappanale in 2023 Paul and his students got to see Banned From Utopia in action, and vice versa, and an instant bond was formed between the acts.

Watch The Paul Green Rock Academy plays Zappa at Zappanale! https://youtu.be/yRtjUgb-MRc

The students of PGRA are honored to be going on this tour with BFU and will learn so much from the experience, while also thrilling audiences with their own fiery renditions of Zappa classics and deep cuts.

For more information: www.bannedfromutopia.com