Opera Meets Hollywood at Ventfort Hall

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LENOX, Mass. — A closing reception for Prima Music Foundation's last concert of the summer series, where old opera Hollywood takes center stage, is at Ventfort Hall on Thursday, Aug. 29 at 4 pm. 
 
Light refreshments will be served and there will be a cash bar for wine.
 
"Opera Meets Hollywood," will feature tenors David Guzman and Alexander Dedik, alongside soprano Alexandra Lushtak. Elle Gurevich, the foundation's young artist, and the recipient of the George Cuker Award, will also perform with these renowned talents. Accompanied by pianist Anastasia Dedik, the concert will showcase opera arias that have been prominently featured in movies and on screen. This captivating blend of opera and cinema will be narrated by George Michael.
 
Dr. David Guzman has combined a career as a performer and an educator, with his research passion in Latin American music. As a recitalist he dedicates his efforts to the revival and dissemination of forgotten Latin-American Art songs. He is an Assistant Professor of Music in Voice at Boston University since 2020.
 
Alexander Dedik was a prize-winner at both Tchaikovsky's and Glinka's International Competitions in 1970. He was invited to be a leading dramatic tenor at internationally famous opera house Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg, Russia. He has since performed at Metropolitan Opera, Boston Opera House, Covent Garden, and Teatro Del Liceu.
 
Alexandra Lushtak, a New York based soprano, is a passionate and captivating singer. She has been lauded for her "tawny-rich tone," vocal agility, and the ability to transport audiences with refined, exquisite musicality.
 
Elle (Gabriel) Gurevich has been a musician for as long as she can remember, singing and staging musical numbers on playmates as a toddler, even before starting piano and dance lessons at 5. Now 15, she has composed a piano suite, a fantasie for four hands, a series of three concert etudes dedicated to her piano teacher, a string quartet, and most recently Saltwater, a contemporary piano jazz piece premiered at Accademia Musicale Chigiana in June 2024.
 
Anastasia Dedik, born in St. Petersburg into a family of distinguished musicians, holds degrees and honors from the St. Petersburg Conservatory, Oberlin Conservatory, and The Juilliard School. Anastasia's transformative experience at Oberlin as a female Russian immigrant inspired the creation of the Prima Music Foundation—a non-profit dedicated to nurturing and showcasing talented pianists.
 
Tickets are $45 general admission. Reservations are required as seats are limited. For reservations visit https://gildedage.org/pages/calendar or call (413) 637-3206. Please note that all tickets are nonrefundable and non-exchangeable. The historical mansion is located at 104 Walker Street in Lenox.
 
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Ventfort Hall: Making New England Movies

LENOX, Mass. — Jay Craven, American film director, screenwriter, and former film professor at Marlboro College, will present his talk "New England Movies: How and Why" on Sunday, March 1 at Ventfort Hall at 3:30 pm. 
 
Craven will tell the story of his adventures and experiences, developing a sustained filmmaking career in the unlikely settings of Vermont and Massachusetts. A tea will follow his presentation.
 
He will describe working with a wide range of actors, including Rip Torn, Tantoo Cardinal, Kris Kristofferson, Martin Sheen, Ernie Hudson, and Michael J. Fox.  He'll share the satisfactions and challenges that come from immersion into place-based narrative filmmaking. 
 
According to a press release:
 
Craven's work grew out of years of working as a teacher and arts activist whose mission has been the advancement of community and culture in the region.  For four decades he has written, produced, and directed character-driven films deeply rooted in Vermont and New England, including five "Vermont Westerns" based on the works of award-winning Northeast Kingdom writer, Howard Frank Mosher. His latest film, Lost Nation, digs into the parallel Revolutionary War era stories of Ethan Allen and the pioneering Black Guilford poet, Lucy Terry Prince.  His other films have adapted stories by Jack London, Guy du Maupassant, George Bernard Shaw, Craig Nova and, currently, Henrik Ibsen and Dashiell Hammett. Craven also made the regional Emmy-winning comedy series, Windy Acres, for public television and seven documentaries.
 
Craven's films have played festivals and special screenings including Sundance, South by Southwest, The American Film Institute, Lincoln Center, Cinematheque Francaise, the Constitutional Court of Johannesburg, and Cinemateca Nacional de Venezuela. Awards include the Vermont Governor's Award for Excellence in the Arts, the Producer's Guild of America's NOVA Award, and the National Endowment for the Arts American Masterpieces program. His film Where the Rivers Flow North was a named finalist for Critics Week at the Cannes Film Festival.
 
Tickets are $45. Members receive $5 off with their discount code. Ticket pricing includes access to the mansion throughout the day of this event from 10 am to 4 pm. Reservations are strongly encouraged as seats are limited. Walk-ins accommodated as space allows. For reservations visit https://gildedage.org/pages/calendar or call (413) 637-3206. All tickets are nonrefundable and non-exchangeable. The historical mansion is located at 104 Walker St. in Lenox.
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