Chautauqua Institution today announced that Amit Taneja will assume additional responsibilities as Senior Vice President of Community Relations & Chief IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Accessibility) Officer. Reporting directly to Chautauqua President Michael E. Hill, Ed.D., Taneja will continue to drive key initiatives that make Chautauqua Institution a more diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible community while also deepening its engagement with community organizations. In his expanded role, Taneja will lead efforts to strengthen community relations, acting as the principal executive liaison between the Institution and various community groups, including the Chautauqua Property Owners Association (CPOA). He will support volunteer appreciation...
Each summer, friends and families gather to live, learn, and laugh on the shores of Chautauqua Lake. With a unique blend of thought-provoking lectures, powerful performances, invigorating classes and diverse recreational opportunities—from golfing on our four-star rated courses to sailing on our beloved lake—there’s something for everyone to enjoy. So come for the day, or opt. for a summer-long stay; this unforgettable experience can be found in only one place — Chautauqua Institution. Chautauqua is your ultimate vacation destination, and in 2025, we invite you to experience a summer filled with respite, community and personal growth. Whether you’re visiting as...
Chautauqua Institution Director of Religion Programs Rafia Amina Khader has been named to Interfaith America’s 2024–25 Interfaith Innovation Fellowship Cohort. Khader is among the cohort’s 11 outstanding interfaith leaders who will convene over the next year to leverage their collective knowledge toward shared action as they seek to meet a felt need in their community through an interfaith lens. According to the Interfaith America release, the Innovation Fellows were selected from Interfaith America’s Emerging Leaders Network because of their proven commitment to constructive interfaith cooperation and demonstrated ability to make meaningful and longstanding impact in their communities. In her role as a fellow, Khader...
The Forum Dialogues proved to be a constructive endeavor and provided the leadership of the Institution with feedback and ideas on several operational issues. This report summarizes the recommendations received and their status in terms of our current thinking. In the report below, we have organized our work to reflect four distinct categories: As mentioned in previous reports, we received a large amount of feedback, and it became clearer to us via the dialogues that different community members have different focus areas for their Chautauqua experience. That is one of the things that makes Chautauqua unique and meaningful for our...
A reminder to those who are spending the holidays at Chautauqua, there are some special events happening on the grounds for you to consider.
Chautauqua Opera Company and Conservatory, the resident opera company and conservatory of Chautauqua Institution, announced today its 2025 season. Chautauqua Opera Company For its 2025 season, Chautauqua Opera continues its 95-year history of producing opera at Chautauqua Institution while also strengthening its commitment to developing new opera. Alongside a production of Puccini’s La bohème in Chautauqua’s Amphitheater, the company will conduct workshops of three new operas. Ranging from chamber operas to large-scale pieces, these workshops will feature Chautauqua Opera Company’s 16 Young Artists collaborating with celebrated composers and librettists. Chautauqua audiences will have the exclusive opportunity to experience these new...
Happy Sustainable Holidays! Growing up in the 70s in a large Irish Catholic family that was just one generation removed from the deprivations of the Great Depression, Christmas was a time to make up for the lean times and boy did we go big! One day wasn’t enough to open all the presents, and so we started with stockings the night before. Christmas morning was a frenzied blur of wrapping paper flying in all directions as my siblings, cousins and I tore through present after present, barely pausing to appreciate any individual gift. Americans spend over half a billion dollars...
The 2024–25 school year has brought exciting growth in the Chautauqua Arts Education School Residency program, Feelin’ the Beat. This program was created for students with disabilities to support social emotional learning goals and to develop musical expression through drumming. Over time, the program has expanded to support students who have different kinds of learning challenges, many of whom were impacted by the effect of the pandemic on their learning experience. This program has been offered since 2014 when it started by serving two schools. Fast forward 10 years and the program will be in 15 schools this year —...
Dear Chautauquans, As the autumn leaves finish their descent onto Bestor Plaza, it signifies our annual ritual of Thanksgiving in the United States. This year feels especially momentous, as we remember the events celebrating the 150th anniversary of our beloved Chautauqua Institution. For a century and a half, Chautauqua has been a place where minds and hearts converge, where intellectual curiosity, artistic brilliance, and spiritual growth come together. This milestone reminds us of the enduring strength of our community—built on a legacy of connection, learning, and shared purpose. For that and so much more, we are grateful. It strikes me...
Chautauqua Institution is celebrating a major investment by New York State in the science-based conservation of Chautauqua Lake. A $4.7 million grant to Chautauqua Institution from the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation (NYSEFC) will sustain scientific research and related infrastructure investments in Chautauqua Lake through May 2027. Institution President Michael E. Hill, says this investment from New York State represents a milestone in the multiyear vision for Chautauqua Lake conservation named in Chautauqua Institution’s strategic plan, 150 Forward. “When our Board of Trustees in 2019 named the development of science-based solutions for the conservation of Chautauqua Lake as one...
