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MOUNT KISCO, N.Y.—Copland House at Merestead kicks off its concert season Saturday by celebrating the work of legendary Broadway composer Leonard Bernstein in "Bernstein in Black and White."
Copland House Artistic and Executive Director Michael Boriskin and Emmy-award winning composer John Musto will play two-piano versions of songs from Bernstein's "West Side Story," "Candide" and "Wonderful Town,” along with some rarities from Bernstein's early days as a composer.
Boriskin says Merestead presents "so many wonderful pieces of music by past and present American composers that are so little heard. We think that every concert offers all kinds of discoveries for our audiences.”
Additional concerts this season include a program of music inspired by outer space, a holiday concert of African spirituals and hymns, and works inspired by the words of Emily Dickinson, Walt Whitman and Shakespeare.
Once the country home of William Sloane who founded the Sloane Furniture Company, Merestead is a 26-room Georgian Revival, part of a 130-acre former dairy farm located at 455 Byram Lake Road. It features two separate musical venues: a large living room and an airy barn, spaces that Boriskin believes help facilitate the open and relaxed atmosphere prized by Merestead audiences.
“We really strive to re-imagine what concerts are all about in terms of the music that we present, in terms of the more casual way we present them, in terms of the social aspect that we bring to these concerts,” said Boriskin, noting that Merestead regularly holds meet-the-artists receptions and interactive Q and A sessions after performances.
Tickets to Bernstein in Black and White are $50 and include an opening night wine and hors d’oeuvres reception with the artists. Proceeds will go to support the Copland House's musical and educational programs.
For a full schedule of this season's performances, go to the Copland House website. For ticket information, call (914) 788-4659 or e-mail office@coplandhouse.org.
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