Pandemics and peak experiences aren’t usually mentioned in the same breath. But I had something resembling one in May 2021 when I attended a concert at The Mount, Edith Wharton’s stately home in Lenox, Massachusetts. The performers were Soprano Sonja Tengblad and contralto Emily Marvosh, with Joseph Turvessi on the piano.
The spectrum of classical music in these parts is extremely wide and varied. Art critic Lloyd Schwartz shares his list broken down by category of the notable musical performances he's looking forward to.
Massachusetts residents have the first glimpse of the toll air pollution is taking on their city or town. Wayland, Amherst and Sherborn have some of the lowest rates, while some towns on Cape Cod and near Pittsfield are among the highest.
Last year, Close Encounters With Music shifted its musical offerings to the screen; this summer, the musical organization â now in its 29th year â plans to bring live music to the Berkshires again.
Close Encounters With Music will present the 12th Berkshire High Peaks Festival for advanced piano, string and vocal participants virtually again this summer, with an expanded faculty and new jazz and improvisation offerings. An outdoor season will start on May 23 and June 13 at Edith Whartonâs The Mount in Lenox with two programs titled âWine & Song,â featuring vocalists Emily Marvosh, Sonja Tengblad, pianist Joseph Turbessi and the a cappella jazz ensemble West Side Five. On Sept. 18, Close Encounters will present the saxophone quartet, the Prism, at TurnPark Art Space in West Stockbridge, one of several programs being planned there.