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About the Program
Institution to welcome Diversity Fellows through new Cincinnati partnerships
Chautauqua Institution is pleased to announce the establishment of the Chautauqua Diversity Fellows Program, an expansion of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music’s (CCM) groundbreaking Diversity Fellowship Program for pre-professional underrepresented musicians. Through the new partnership, up to five fellows will be selected each year from within the Cincinnati Diversity Fellowship Program to participate in an eight-week summer residency at Chautauqua, beginning with the 2018 season.
“Inclusiveness — of race, gender, sexuality, ideas — is the Chautauqua ideal. We aim to be a leading force in evolving the field of symphony orchestras by diversifying the makeup of the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra and investing in inclusion,” said Deborah Sunya Moore, vice president of performing and visual arts at Chautauqua Institution. “By making it a priority to help musicians from underrepresented communities early in their careers, the Institution hopes to be instrumental in their ability to compete for and win jobs in American orchestras. Diversity in the arts changes lives not only for the artist but also for audiences.”
Launched in 2015 with a grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Cincinnati Diversity Fellowship Program is open to violin, viola, cello and double bass players from populations that are historically underrepresented in classical music. Fellows perform the equivalent of five weeks per season with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra while enrolled in a two-year Master of Music or Artist Diploma degree program at CCM. Each class of fellows is selected through a rigorous series of auditions by hundreds of graduate-level musicians for CCM faculty members.
As many as five Cincinnati Diversity Fellows will be selected annually to participate in the summer residency with the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra, with frequent performance opportunities in the Institution’s 4,400-seat Amphitheater. The fellows will be mentored by the orchestra’s professional musicians, who come to Chautauqua each summer from a variety of home ensembles around the world. In addition, fellows will mentor minority student musicians in Chautauqua’s Music School Festival Orchestra, and offer performances designed to engage the broader Chautauqua community. Chautauqua Diversity Fellows will be provided housing and receive a stipend to offset their expenses.
“The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and CCM are determined to advance diversity on orchestra stages and this new partnership will provide a significant boost to efforts both here and at the Chautauqua Institution,” said Jonathan Martin, president of the orchestra. “We are so pleased to now be working together with them in addition to CCM, on this important initiative.”
According to CCM Interim Dean bruce mcclung, “The Chautauqua Institution partnership provides the opportunity for our fellows to continue playing alongside and being mentored by professional musicians during the summer months, thereby enhancing the experience-based education that is at the heart of the Cincinnati Diversity Fellowship program.”
A multi-faceted musician, Ian Saunders enjoys an exciting career as a sought-after bassist and educator. The Virginia native began his studies with Christopher White, principal bassist of the Virginia Symphony, in his hometown of Norfolk. Within a year he received his first major scholarship from R&B legend Ben E. King. Saunders completed his bachelor’s degree under the tutelage of renowned bassist Robert Nairn at the Pennsylvania State University. As an undergraduate, he took part in several world premieres by the prolific Finnish composer Teppo Hauto-Aho.
Born in Daqing, China, Weiyi Shao began studying the violin at age five. She attended the Middle School of the Shenyang Conservatory of Music, where she was concertmaster of the school orchestra as a student of Professor Tong Mu. She came to the U.S. in 2011 with a full scholarship to the Texas Christian University (TCU), where she earned a bachelor of music degree in violin performance under the tutelage of Curt Thompson, Swang Lin and Michael Shih.
Emilio Carlo is a native of the Bronx, New York, and currently resides in Washington D.C. He is a first-year Artist Diploma student at CCM and recently graduated from the conservatory with a Bachelor of Music degree in Viola Performance. He previously studied with Catharine Carroll-Lees and Masao Kawasaki and is currently under the tutelage of Jan Grüning of the Ariel Quartet.
Cellist Diana Flores has performed extensively throughout the United States, Canada, Brazil, China and her home country of Costa Rica. At age nine, she started playing cello at the Instituto Nacional de Musica in San José. Ten years later, Flores moved to Boston to complete her undergraduate studies at the Longy School of Music, where she studied under Mihail Jojatu.
Born in Macau, China, Vijeta Sathyaraj began violin studies in the Philippines at the age of 3. By age 6, she was featured on the Philippine National Broadcast and was studying with Basilio Manalo. She went on to study with Fan Ting at the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts, and later took lessons from Dennis Kim. Sathyaraj graduated from Idyllwild Arts Academy, where she studied with Vesna Gruppman. She later earned her Bachelor of Music degree from Oberlin Conservatory and her Master of Music degree from Lynn Conservatory.
February 2, 2018
Dear Chautauquans,
We write to share information about efforts underway to repair the console, the control desk, of the 1907 Massey Memorial Organ. The console was damaged recently due to a leak caused by ice and snowmelt at the Amphitheater. Knowing that many members of the Chautauqua community and, indeed, generations of families cherish the sounds of our iconic organ as a centerpiece of their Chautauqua experience, we share the following information to both inform you of the problem and assure you of our collaborative work plan to address it.
While any threat to a resource such as this is troubling, we are confident in the team that is working toward the repair of the console and will continue to keep you informed of the progress as steps proceed this spring. Thankfully, the beloved Massey Organ, its pipework and the essential systems contained within the organ chamber itself, is completely unaffected. The damage, and the focus of this update, is to the console (keyboard and housing).
With best regards and gratitude for your attention, understanding and support,
Michael E. Hill
President
Jared Jacobsen
Organist and Coordinator of Worship and Sacred Music
Massey Organ Console Damage Report and Restoration Plan
During a routine inspection in late January, Chautauqua Institution personnel discovered water damage to the console of the Massey Memorial Organ, apparently caused by a leak from snowmelt during a stretch of warmer temperatures following a period of heavy snow, freezing and sub-zero temperatures. (The console is the unit with keys and stops that the organist plays from the stage.) As is our usual practice, the organ console was stored for the winter in its backstage Amphitheater compartment, with power maintained to its internal computers and moisture-removing damp chasers, under a protective covering (not waterproof, to prevent condensation). Between routine inspections, the most recent occurring one week prior, meltwater leaked into the compartment, permeating the protective covering into the console and its four keyboards.
At the time of discovery, Chautauqua staff removed the console from its compartment and immediately notified Paul Fischer of the Fischer Organ Company. Paul along with his son, Mark, led the Erie, Pennsylvania-based team who restored the entire 1907 instrument in the early 1990s. The pair has guided the organ's maintenance since. Following an on-site inspection, Paul Fischer reported extensive damage to the console's ivory keyboards and to the combination pistons and drawknob stop controls. The cherrywood and walnut console is largely the result of the early-’90s organ restoration; the keyboards date to 1972 and were incorporated into the current unit. The Massey is the largest of the four outdoor pipe organs extant around the world.
In consultation with the Fischers and longtime organist Jared Jacobsen, Chautauqua Institution is taking the following steps with the goal of returning the restored and fully functional console to the Amphitheater in time for the launch of the 2018 season:
- The manual keyboards will be removed and restored by specialists in that field. Since ivory is no longer used in such restorations, a suitable alternative material (now regarded among industry standards) will be installed. The Fischers and Jared Jacobson will oversee this process.
- The console itself, including the state-of-the-art computers and electronics it houses, which we believe to be unharmed, will be evaluated and serviced by the company helmed by Mark Fischer.
Chautauqua personnel, in consultation with building and design contractors, are investigating the cause of the leak and will implement solutions as well as additional electronic monitoring and inspection protocols to prevent such damage from happening again or elsewhere in the facility. We have confirmed this is an isolated problem and no other parts of the facility have experienced ice or water damage.
The timeline for this plan calls for the restored console to be returned the Amphitheater no later than mid- June. With the guidance of Paul and Mark Fischer and Jared Jacobsen, we are investigating temporary organ solutions should the repairs take longer than projected.
The costs for the restoration are not yet determined, but we expect they will be covered by a combination of insurance and the Institution's capital maintenance budget.
We will provide subsequent updates as information becomes available through the pre-season period via email and at this page on Chautauqua Institution's website. Should you have questions about this message, please send an email to the address above right and we will do our best to provide a response as soon as possible. In addition, from these questions and answers, we will curate a Frequently Asked Questions and Answers list that will be posted to this page.
As a community whose origins span nearly a century and a half, Chautauqua Institution welcomes to its historic grounds thousands of returning and new guests (referred to as Chautauquans) each year. Time-honored traditions and an endearing “shorthand” of our own contribute to the distinctive character of the Chautauqua experience. Below is a brief guide to help new visitors navigate their Chautauqua experience.
The Amp: Short for the open-air Amphitheater, our biggest venue and stage for worship, lectures, shows and performances, and community gatherings. The Amp has a total capacity of 6,000, with seating for 4,500 on traditional wooden benches (consider bringing a seat cushion!).
Bestor Plaza: Chautauqua’s front lawn and town square, a popular free-form public space for family picnics, conversation, games and leisure.
Brick walk: The primary pedestrian artery for navigating the Chautauqua grounds. Most of the Institution’s primary performance venues and community gathering spaces fall along these paths. If you’re on a brick walk, chances are you’ll find your destination.
Chautauquan (sha-TAW-quin): How we refer to one another, whether your family has owned property and visited Chautauqua every year since its founding, or you are experiencing Chautauqua for the first time.
Club: Short for Boys’ and Girls’ Club, our popular day camp for children entering grades 2–10.
CSO: Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra
The Daily: Short for The Chautauquan Daily, the official daily newspaper of Chautauqua Institution. The Daily is essential for navigating the dozens of programs offered each day.
The grounds: How we refer to Chautauqua Institution’s lakeside campus.
Hall of Philosophy: A Parthenon-like outdoor venue and unique space to take part in a lecture or worship service. Capacity under the roof is limited, so attendees often bring a blanket or chair to sit and listen from the adjacent grove.
Old First Night: Chautauqua’s birthday, celebrated each year on the first Tuesday in August to honor the start date of the first Chautauqua assembly in 1874. All-day festivities include a traditional evening ceremony, family-friendly entertainment, and cake — plus a popular annual 2.7-mile road race the preceding Saturday,
Q-and-A: A hallmark of Chautauqua programs. Nearly all public lectures end with an extended audience question-and-answer session with the presenter(s). Ushers will provide paper notepads for questions in the Amp, or submit questions on Twitter #CHQ2018.
Weeks and themes: Chautauqua’s nine-week summer season is divided by week into nine separate themes framing topics for deep discussion. Those staying for extended periods often refer to weeks by their number within the season (Week Four, etc.).
The YAC: Short for Youth Activities Center, a popular gathering place for young Chautauquans for food, games and YACtivities.
Register via app
- On your smartphone, download the Mambo App (DotheMambo — no spaces) from the App Store or Google Play
- We recommend that you allow notifications from this app
- Register by entering CHQ in the box labeled “Community”
- Enter your email address and a password
- You will receive an email asking you to confirm your registration, and you will be asked to provide your name and some additional information.
- You can then login using your username (email address) and password
Register via computer
- Type chq.dothemambo.com into your internet browser
- Click “sign in” then click “Register”
- You will be asked to provide an email address and password. You will then receive an email confirmation asking for additional information.
- You can then log into your account online.
- Download the Mambo App (DotheMambo – no spaces) on your smartphone and login using the email and password you used to register
After you login, you will see a notifications window and then a link to the full site. Bulletins and program updates of interest to you will appear in the notifications window each day based on the categories you choose to follow.
The Chautauqua Regional Youth Ballet presents an exclusive preview performance of their Spring Gala for area students in the Chautauqua Institution Amphitheater. Come watch one of the premier ballet training companies in Western New York, and learn about the art of ballet. Students of any age are welcome to attend this performance, and registration is on a first-come, first-served basis.
CRYB Field Trip Teacher's Guide
To learn more about the Chautauqua Regional Youth Ballet, please visit www.cryb.net.