Monte Thompson was a professional dancer, and also spent years as a restauranteur. His life was spent on his feet. Now retired, he is interested in continuing to be able to move easily and gracefully while using breathing and stretching techniques to help quiet his mind and prepare him to face each day with purpose...
Join Chautauqua's StoryCorps Ambassador Nancy Stanley for a cup of your favorite morning beverage to discuss the process of capturing your StoryCorps conversation for Chautauqua's 150th Anniversary StoryCorps Archive.
Rabbi Jonathan Roos is the Senior Rabbi at Temple Sinai in Washington, DC. Jonathan believes that being part of the congregation should change a person’s life. He strives to make a difference through teaching and learning with students of all ages, audacious social justice work, pastoral care, and meaningful worship. Jonathan was ordained at Hebrew Union...
Enjoy watching master voice teachers at work as they mentor Opera Conservatory students.
The founder of the Sphinx Organization and the Institute for Poetjournalism, Aaron Dworkin is a social entrepreneur, celebrated author and artist. In a presentation titled “Lessons in Gratitude: Excellence, Representation, and the Transformative Power of the Arts,” Dworkin returns to the Amphitheater stage as part of the Chautauqua Lecture Series’ Week Six to discuss the...
Play CHQ invites families to explore together through games, crafts, STEM activities and more throughout the 2024 season. You can join the fun at pop-up locations across the grounds! In case of inclement weather, all Play CHQ events will be held at Sheldon Hall of Education, Room 202.
Wednesdays at 12:15 p.m. on the Porch of the Literary Arts Center at Alumni Hall will now feature the CLSC Young Readers Book Discussion, geared toward educators, librarians, parents, and children’s literature enthusiasts, immediately followed by a Play CHQ event on the lawn of Alumni Hall for kids of all ages.
Miller-Edison Cottage Shipman Garden Tour and Q&A: Hosted by the Bird, Tree and Garden Club of Chautauqua, with support from Betsy Burgeson, Supervisor of Gardens at Chautauqua, these weekly tours of the Ellen Biddle Shipman garden at the historic Miller-Edison Cottage are a favorite summertime experience. The cottage was the home of Chautauqua co-founder Lewis...
Enjoy paddling while learning about historic sites along the shores of Chautauqua Institution during this hour-long guided kayak tour. The tour begins and ends at the Sports Club. The cost is for rental of single or tandem kayak plus $10 per person for the tour guide. Limited spots so please reserve one day before the...
Joshua Seftel is an Oscar-nominated filmmaker known for directing the Emmy-winning landmark series Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, the feature film War, Inc. starring John Cusack, Marisa Tomei and Ben Kingsley, and his regular appearances on CBS Sunday Morning where he interviews his 87-year-old mother, Pat. Their conversations were recently described by The New York Times as "unwavering positivity even...
Tammy L. Kernodle currently holds the rank of University Distinguished Professor of Music at Miami University of Ohio. She is a recognized musician and scholar whose research focuses on African American music, gender studies in music, and race in American popular culture. Her scholarship has appeared in numerous journals, reference books, and anthologies, and has...
Play CHQ invites families to explore together through games, crafts, STEM activities and more throughout the 2024 season. You can join the fun at pop-up locations across the grounds! In case of inclement weather, all Play CHQ events will be held at Sheldon Hall of Education, Room 202.
Therapeutic Gong Meditation
CVA Gala: Art in the Quad
Programmed by Unity of Chautauqua
150th Anniversary StoryCorps Archive: The Cohen Multimedia Studio is available for recording your StoryCorps conversation for inclusion in Chautauqua's 150th Anniversary Archive. Book your recording time online here. Available times will be highlighted on each day’s schedule with a white box. Each recording session is designed for two people to be in conversation. Think of...
Fabulation or, The Re-Education of Undine By Lynn Nottage Previews: July 27-28 Performance Dates: July 30- Aug. 4 Undine is a powerful and successful business owner basking in the glory of all her accomplishments. She has everything from wealth to love and a fabulous wardrobe to match, but life has a wicked sense of humor....
YAC Dance for 12-17 year old Chautauquans. Admission is $5.
Gina Gibney, a nationally recognized leader and entrepreneur in the field of arts and social justice, is the Founder, Director, and CEO of Gibney, a New York City-based arts organization dedicated to dance and social action. Gina Gibney is known for pioneering innovative new programs which connect the arts with the broader community. Her work...
Explore locally and come to Chautauqua Institution on Chautauqua County Day. Residents of Chautauqua County have free admission and parking* all day. Our Chautauqua County Day includes access to all events in the Amphitheater and Hall of Philosophy that day, beaches, and so much more! • Morning Worship (9:15 a.m., Amphitheater): Rabbi Jonathan Roos, Senior...
Rabbi Jonathan Roos is the Senior Rabbi at Temple Sinai in Washington, DC. Jonathan believes that being part of the congregation should change a person’s life. He strives to make a difference through teaching and learning with students of all ages, audacious social justice work, pastoral care, and meaningful worship. Jonathan was ordained at Hebrew Union...
For nearly 30 years, Harmony Project founder and creative director David Brown has created original programming, concerts and events that unite participants and audiences to give back to their communities. Since 2009, Brown has grown Harmony Project, in Columbus, Ohio, into a national model for building community and redefining equity and accessibility through performances, programming...
Play CHQ is stepping back in time to celebrate Chautauqua's 150th Anniversary. Join us for a session of Victorian style play with traditional games, toys, and activities! Play CHQ invites families to explore together through games, crafts, STEM activities and more throughout the 2024 season. You can join the fun at pop-up locations across the...
Theater Chats (formerly known as Brown Bags) On selected Thursdays at 12:15 p.m., bring lunch to Smith Wilkes Hall and join special guests, including actors, designers, playwrights and more, for a look at our upcoming productions and discussions on the craft of theater-making. Free and open to the public.
Leader: David Gluck (Hindu Meditation)
Don't have a partner? One will be provided. Game managed by Shelley Dahlie. $10/person.
Play CHQ Premium invites families to explore together with our activities. Access to Play CHQ Premium can be purchased online at learn.chq.org. The Premium play pass grants access to 4 events for the week it is purchased for. Play CHQ Premium pass is available online for $25. Individual events can be purchased at the start...
Miller Cottage Tours: Join Clara Miller for a 30-minute tour of the first floor of the historic Miller-Edison Cottage. The cottage was built in 1875 for the co-founder and first president of the Institution, Lewis Miller, an inventor and businessman from Akron, Ohio. President Ulysses S. Grant visited the property that year. Miller’s daughter, Mina,...
Dr. Jolene Rickard is an enrolled citizen of the Skarù·ręʔ - Tuscarora Nation, Turtle Clan, and associate professor of Indigenous Art in History of Art and Visual Culture at Cornell University where she also holds affiliations with American Studies, American Indian and Indigenous Studies, and Art and Performance and Media Studies. Recent contributions include an...
We are excited to invite you to CVA Open Studios, occurring prior to the annual Resident Group Exhibition. Celebrate the work our resident artists have created during their time at Chautauqua Visual Arts. This event is free and open to the public.
This performance of Fabulation has been selected to be sensory-friendly. To better accommodate neurodiverse audiences, patrons should expect dimmed house lights, creating a more calming environment with softer and less intense lighting and reduced sound levels to minimize sudden loud noises or jarring sounds. Audience members are permitted to move around, vocalize, or express themselves...
CVA is honored to share our annual Resident Group Exhibition. Please join us to celebrate our resident artists at the CVA School of Art Gallery on the Art Quad. Join us to see the work our residents have created during their time at Chautauqua Visual Arts. This event is free and open to the public.
Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle and CLSC Young Readers Presentation — Apple: Skin to the Core, by Eric Gansworth The term "Apple" is a slur in Native communities across the country. It's for someone supposedly "red on the outside, white on the inside." In his poetic memoir, Apple: Skin to the Core, Eric Gansworth tells his...
Boys' and Girls' Club Groupers return to the Amphitheater for our annual Air Band competition!
Chautauqua Theater Company invites you to a special benefit reading of Harold Pinter’s classic OLD TIMES starring former CTC artistic directors Vivienne Benesch, Andrew Borba, and Rebecca Guy, directed by Katherine McGerr. Throughout CTC’s history, these visionaries have trained generations of theater artists, graced our stages, and presented unforgettable productions, shaping CTC and contributing to...
Rossen Milanov, conductor Alexander Kobrin, piano Embark on a journey of profound emotion and musical mastery with pianist Alexander Kobrin and the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra under the baton of music director Rossen Milanov. The evening begins with Johannes Brahms' majestic Piano Concerto No. 1, a monumental work that showcases Kobrin's virtuosity and interpretive depth. The...
Enjoy the beauty of the lake during our sunrise paddle. This is not a guided tour but an opportunity to rent a kayak, SUP or canoe for an enjoyable hour at sunrise. Reservations accepted one day in advance at the Sports Club. Contact sportsclub@chq.org with questions.
Monte Thompson was a professional dancer, and also spent years as a restauranteur. His life was spent on his feet. Now retired, he is interested in continuing to be able to move easily and gracefully while using breathing and stretching techniques to help quiet his mind and prepare him to face each day with purpose...
Rabbi Jonathan Roos is the Senior Rabbi at Temple Sinai in Washington, DC. Jonathan believes that being part of the congregation should change a person’s life. He strives to make a difference through teaching and learning with students of all ages, audacious social justice work, pastoral care, and meaningful worship. Jonathan was ordained at Hebrew Union...
Aniruddh “Ani” Patel is a Professor of Psychology at Tufts University, where he studies the cognitive, neural, and evolutionary foundations of musicality. He is the author of Music, Language and the Brain, and contributed a chapter on evolution and animal responses to music to Renée Fleming's Music and the Mind: Harnessing The Arts for Health...
Each Friday at 12:15 p.m. on the Porch of the Literary Arts Center at Alumni Hall, the Chautauqua Community Poem, curated by Kwame Alexander from entries by our fellow Chautauquans, will be shared and spotlight reader from each of the Chautauqua Writers' Center workshops will share their work, introduced by each week's Writers' Center Faculty....
Jumu'ah introduction for visitors is at 12:30 PM. Jumu'ah Service is at 1:05 PM
Dave Young Kim was born and raised in the city of Los Angeles. His artistic journey began at the University of California, Davis, where he earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art. He pursued an MFA in Studio Art at Mills College in Oakland, California. During his time at Mills, Dave had the...
or, The Re-Education of Undine By Lynn Nottage Previews: July 27-28 Performance Dates: July 30- Aug. 4 Undine is a powerful and successful business owner basking in the glory of all her accomplishments. She has everything from wealth to love and a fabulous wardrobe to match, but life has a wicked sense of humor. The...
Twenty years of life, music, and brotherhood have only enlivened, enhanced, and enriched Il Divo. Like a fine wine bettered by time, the group’s individual notes, accents, and signatures have fully bloomed over the course of a storied career. Now, the iconic quartet—Urs Bühler (tenor) of Switzerland, Sébastien Izambard (tenor) of France, David Miller (tenor)...
The Sports Club is hosting the popular 48th Annual Old First Night Run/Walk Race and Kids Fun Runs. The OFN 2.75 mile chip-timed race follows the perimeter of Chautauqua's beautiful grounds. This year we will also host two kids races - a 1 mile non-chip timed race and little kids short fun run. Kids hats...
Kiddush to follow at 12:15pm
Amy Herman, a lawyer, art historian, and president of The Art of Perception, uses works of art to sharpen observation, analysis and communication skills. By showing people how to look closely at painting, sculpture and photography, she helps them hone their visual intelligence to recognize the most pertinent and useful information as well as recognize...
Fabulation or, The Re-Education of Undine By Lynn Nottage Previews: July 27-28 Performance Dates: July 30- Aug. 4 Undine is a powerful and successful business owner basking in the glory of all her accomplishments. She has everything from wealth to love and a fabulous wardrobe to match, but life has a wicked sense of humor....
A Recital for Piano(s) and Very Many Hands M&M: Martin Dubé and Kanae Matsumoto Giampietro Porch Ensemble: Julius Abraham, Donna Gill, Bénédicte Jourdois and Jinhee Park Since their sensational debut performance of Ravel’s La Valse in the summer of 2019, M&M Piano Duo has been entertaining Chautauqua audiences each summer since with a variety of...
The Drama League’s FutureNow Stage Directing Fellows take over Bratton Stage for a one-night-only event of one-act plays featuring the talents of our 2024 design fellows and acting conservatory.  
Stuart Chafetz, conductor Called “two parts Frank Sinatra and one part Billy Joel,” the triple-threat singer/pianist/songwriter Tony DeSare takes on the legend of Ol’ Blue Eyes himself. From jazz clubs to Carnegie Hall to headlining with major symphony orchestras, Tony DeSare delivers a fresh take on old school class in an outstanding, critically-acclaimed tribute to...
Discover the Beauty and Charm of Chautauqua Every Sunday! Experience the serene beauty and cultural richness of Chautauqua at no cost on Free Sundays! This is the perfect opportunity for families, friends, and solo adventurers to explore everything Chautauqua Institution has to offer. Parking is free until 2 p.m., every Sunday. Avoid the lines by...
Episcopal Holy Eucharist
United Church of Christ Worship Service
Unitarian Universalist Service
Weekly Sunday School Program for Ages 3-11. Children of all faiths and no faith are welcome.
The Most Rev. Michael Bruce Curry is presiding bishop and primate of The Episcopal Church. At the church’s 78th General Convention in June 2015, he was elected to a nine-year term in this role and installed in November of that year; he serves as The Episcopal Church’s chief pastor, spokesperson, and president and chief executive...
Hosted by the Friends of CVA, Art in the Park is an open art fair with 70+ vendors held in Miller Park, showcasing art by members of the Chautauqua community, artists-in-residence from the School of Art, and artisans from the region around Chautauqua Institution. Items for sale include ceramics, paintings, prints, Chautauqua-themed trinkets, pieces made...
Play CHQ invites families to explore together through games, crafts, STEM activities and more throughout the 2024 season. You can join the fun at pop-up locations across the grounds!
The Earliest Chautauquans: A Re-enactment What was it like to be a Chautauquan in the 1870's? Join us for a re-enactment at the 1870's era tent on Miller Park to meet some Chautauquans from that era and learn about the lives of the earliest Chautauquans. Refreshments will be available. Rain Location: Jessica Trapasso Pavilion, Children's...
Children's School is open for free play! We would like to extend a special invitation to our families with children under 2 years old for this special afternoon play session but welcome all to join! Children are required to be accompanied by an adult or caregiver (16+) for this event. On Sundays from 1-2 p.m.,...
150th Anniversary StoryCorps Archive: The Cohen Multimedia Studio is available for recording your StoryCorps conversation for inclusion in Chautauqua's 150th Anniversary Archive. Book your recording time online here. Available times will be highlighted on each day’s schedule with a white box. Each recording session is designed for two people to be in conversation. Think of...
Squonk creates joyful, boisterous outdoor spectacles by fusing fantastical visual design, playful staging, and high-energy original music. Led by Co-Artistic Directors Jackie Dempsey and Steve O’Hearn, Squonk presents Brouhaha, a riotous romp featuring the Squonkcordion, an enormous musical instrument the audience gets to play. The New York Times called Squonk “ingenious, hallucinatory and hypnotic.” Experience...
Fabulation or, The Re-Education of Undine By Lynn Nottage Previews: July 27-28 Performance Dates: July 30- Aug. 4 Undine is a powerful and successful business owner basking in the glory of all her accomplishments. She has everything from wealth to love and a fabulous wardrobe to match, but life has a wicked sense of humor....
Kriss Miller
"A Journey Through the Holy Land in the times of Jesus" (weather permitting)
Monte Thompson was a professional dancer, and also spent years as a restauranteur. His life was spent on his feet. Now retired, he is interested in continuing to be able to move easily and gracefully while using breathing and stretching techniques to help quiet his mind and prepare him to face each day with purpose...
The Most Rev. Michael Bruce Curry is presiding bishop and primate of The Episcopal Church. At the church’s 78th General Convention in June 2015, he was elected to a nine-year term in this role and installed in November of that year; he serves as The Episcopal Church’s chief pastor, spokesperson, and president and chief executive...
Dacher Keltner’s research focuses on the biological and evolutionary origins of compassion, awe, love and beauty; and power, social class and inequality. A professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, and director of the Berkeley Social Interaction Lab, he is a leading scholar in the study of emotion and the author of Awe:...
Play CHQ invites families to explore together through games, crafts, STEM activities and more throughout the 2024 season. You can join the fun at pop-up locations across the grounds! In case of inclement weather, all Play CHQ events will be held at Sheldon Hall of Education, Room 202.
Come by Bestor Plaza for a street puppet-making workshop led by Squonk. Then, bring your street puppet to Squonk’s 7:30pm performance on Tuesday, August 6, and you can be a part of the parade that kicks off the show! All ages welcome; no prior experience necessary.
Presenters Fred Zirm and Margaret Edwards will lead a community discussion on our Week Seven CLSC selection, World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments, by Aimee Nezhukumatathil
Enjoy learning more about the lake and water-shed conservation efforts while paddling along during this hour-long guided kayak tour. The tour begins and ends at the Sports Club. The cost is for rental of single or tandem kayak plus $10 per person for the tour guide. Limited spots so please reserve one day before the...
Presenters Stephine Hunt and Anne Pekrul will lead a community discussion on our Week Seven CLSC selection, Mexican WhiteBoy, by Matt de la Peña.
Pastor Amy Butler believes deeply that courageous communities of people who live with tenacious love can change the world. She currently serves as Designated Pastor at the Community Church of Honolulu and lives in Hawai’i, where she grew up. Before that, Amy served for five years as the seventh Senior Minister and first woman at...
Pillar Talks: Reflections on 150 Years of Chautauqua Programs, featuring Maureen Rovegno, former Director of Religion
Celebrate Chautauqua's 150th Anniversary with the Play CHQ team. In this session, you will have the opportunity to build models showing your dreams for Chautauqua's next 150 years. Play CHQ invites families to explore together through games, crafts, STEM activities and more throughout the 2024 season. You can join the fun at pop-up locations across...
The Ivalas Quartet, founded in 2017 at the University of Michigan, champions BIPOC voices in classical music by spotlighting composers like Jessie Montgomery and Samuel Coleridge-Taylor. Notable performances include Carnegie Hall, where they premiered George Walker's Lyric for Strings, and collaborations with Lara Downes for Carlos Simon's Warmth From Other Suns. Through the Sphinx Organization,...
Sound Meditation from An Artist and Poet
Clear Day Thunder: Rescuing the American Chestnut
Join Kwame for an evening of poetry and storytelling about his time in the UK and beyond.
150th Anniversary StoryCorps Archive: The Cohen Multimedia Studio is available for recording your StoryCorps conversation for inclusion in Chautauqua's 150th Anniversary Archive. Book your recording time online here. Available times will be highlighted on each day’s schedule with a white box. Each recording session is designed for two people to be in conversation. Think of...
"A Journey Through the Holy Land in the times of Jesus" (weather permitting)
Comprised of top-tier students from conservatories and universities in the U.S. and abroad, Music School Festival Orchestra members participate in a variety of musical activities during their summers at Chautauqua including chamber music and private lessons along with their meticulous orchestral training. Alumni from the MSFO can be heard in many of the world’s top...
Fill out the form below to save your trip. You will receive a link to your saved list via email.
Fill out the form below to save your favorites. You will receive a link to your favorites list via email.
"*" indicates required fields
You have now entered the season. Some website content may differ depending on the current season we are in: Summer or Fall/Winter/Spring. You can toggle between the two season options at any time.