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The Sembrich Marks 100 Years With Its Bolton Landing Music Fest

Summer 2024 Festival: June 5 - August 31

On the shores of Lake George in Bolton Landing sits a hidden gem: The Sembrich. Part museum, part historic site, part nature preserve, The Sembrich dazzles art and culture lovers every year with their classic Bolton Landing music festival, and they are going all out for their 2024 centennial celebration.

man on accordian on the left, singers or actors on the right

Keep reading to find out what's in store for this year's epic festival, and learn more about the history of the incredible woman behind the festival and the opera museum.

The 2024 Festival Schedule: Music, Film, Theater & More

woman with violin, and two groups of musicians with instruments

The Sembrich's summer festival is made up of a series of concerts, film screenings, and one children's opera - where else are you going to be able to bring your children to a kid-appropriate opera?

Some of the film screenings are free, as is the children's opera. And, some of the performances are categorized with similar productions as a "series" - if you purchase one of these mini series subscriptions, you can save money and get access to three performances.

children's opera performance of the three bears

You'll notice that The Sembrich works with other area artists, musicians, and organizations to collaborate with some of these performances, like Opera Saratoga, the Seagle Festival, and even the Philadelphia Orchestra!

Here's the full lineup for this summer:

Whether you're a seasoned symphony-goer or you're just starting to explore classical and other types of music, The Sembrich's summer festival has something for everyone.

Get tickets or make reservations today - even if you're interested in one of the free events, you'll want to make sure to save your spot!

Buy tickets or secure reservations >>

trees by water

Not only does The Sembrich expose Lake George visitors and residents to world-class music and arts, but you cannot beat their Bolton Landing location on the shores of Lake George. In fact, several of the events are wrapped up with a lakeside reception.

The Story Behind the Legend

From Polish Poverty to Global Star

At its core, The Sembrich is a museum that honors the life of Polish musical legend Marcella Sembrich, who rose to fame at a young age during the mid-1800s, and eventually launched an international operatic career.

portrait of marcella sembrich, side view profile

Marcella Sembrich rose from poverty in Poland as a young violinist and pianist star in the mid-1800s, showing talent as a child, and making her operatic debut at the age of 17 at the Warsaw Opera in Athens in 1877. She married her mentor Wilhelm Stengel that same year, and they went on to have two sons together.

From there, her notable milestones include:

  • Joining the Metropolitan Opera Company 
  • Singing 466 performances with the Metropolitan Opera
  • Touring and performing across the US and Europe for over 30 years
woman sitting inside a glass window porch

Sembrich decided to leave Europe at the start of the first World War to settle in the United States. Although she and her family initially landed in New York City, they, like so many others, found solitude, peace, and beauty in the Adirondacks.

A Teaching Studio in Lake George

While living in New York City during the early 1900s, Sembrich and her family spent summers in Lake Placid. Sembrich officially retired after the death of her husband in 1917.

She became a US citizen in 1920, although stayed tied to her Polish roots, having founded the American Polish Relief Committee to raise money and supplies for those in her home country affected by the war.

marcella sembrich and other women on the porch of the teaching studio

Sembrich continued to spend summers in the Adirondacks following the death of her husband, and purchased a 55-acre estate on Lake George in 1922 that she turned into a teaching studio in 1924.

She went on to be named Director of the Julliard Graduate School and Curtis Institute of Music, and she recruited students from both programs to study at her Bolton Landing teaching studio from 1924 to 1934. She passed in 1935.

mracella sembrich stands by a flowering tree

While much of Sembrich's life consisted of entertaining audiences across the world, her teaching years in retirement allowed her talent to significantly influence musical culture in the US, that continues to this day.

Today, The Sembrich maintains 4.5 acres of the original estate, including the teaching studio. 

exterior of modern day marcella sembrich museum

The Sembrich: Part Museum, Part Historic Site, Part Nature Preserve

The Sembrich is such a unique cultural experience because the facility itself is an opera and history museum. This special place is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and it's also a nature preserve with walking trails that go by the lake.

Museum

room in sembrich museum with piano

Each year, The Sembrich switches up their exhibitions in the museum to correlate with the theme of the summer festival. Some items are part of their permanent collection, while others are on loans from other institutions.

Museum treasures include:

  • Photographs
  • Recital programs
  • Periodicals
  • Annotated speeches
  • Handwritten notes
  • Historic recordings
  • Costumes and textiles
  • Sheet music
  • And more!

The Sembrich collection includes hundreds of photographs from Sembrich's professional and personal life. Lake George photographer Fred Thatcher, who passed in 1969, is credited with many of Sembrich's photographs.

Historic Place

marcella sembrich teaching studio sign, 1924 to 1934, opened to visitors 1937

Following Sembrich's death in 1935, her daughter-in-law Juliette de Coppet kept up the 4.5-acre parcel with the studio, turning it into a memorial for her mother-in-law that opened to the public in 1937.

The Marcella Sembrich Association was formed in 1940 to preserve the studio and grounds, and to honor and continue Sembrich's legacy. The museum has been in continuous operation ever since, with various figures serving on the Board of Directors and helping to maintain the organization and grounds.

The Sembrich was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. In the mid-1990s the Association took on its first Administrative Director, Anita Richards, who worked to expand program offerings at The Sembrich. She founded the annual Young Performers Showcase, which continues today through the festival.

Nature Preserve

three images of a nature preserve

As if the rich history and culture that The Sembrich brings to the Lake George region wasn't enough, the property sits on a nature preserve with walking trails.

The walking paths at The Sembrich go by the lake and through their wooded property, and the main trail is accessible for wheelchairs and strollers, and brings you to a scenic viewpoint.

The museum is open during the season from 10am to 5pm daily, while closing from 12:30pm to 2pm each day. The grounds remain open during that full 10am to 5pm timeframe.

festival performances with singing and acting

Buy Tickets Today for the 2024 Summer Festival

The 2024 summer music festival at The Sembrich in Bolton Landing kicks off Wednesday, June 5. With the centennial celebration in full swing, this is the optimal time to experience all that The Sembrich has to offer!

Get tickets now >>

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