The Roundtable

BSO principal flutist, Elizabeth Rowe, joined the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 2004 and holds the Walter Piston Principal Flute Chair. Prior to joining the BSO, Ms. Rowe held titled positions with the orchestras of Fort Wayne, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C., and was a member of the New World Symphony in Miami Beach, Florida.  

On Monday evening August 13th, Maureen O'Flynn and John Cheek - leading singers from the Metropolitan Opera - will be among the performers in the first performance of a new opera "Pearl" which is a modern retelling of The Scarlet Letter from the viewpoint of the daughter of Hester Prynne.

From Jamie Bernstein and Michael Barrett comes We are Women: A Bernstein Cabaret. Devised from many of Bernstein's songs for or about women, evolves the story of a mother and daughter who navigate the tricky terrain of their love lives, and, along the way, learn to accept themselves and delight in the love of others. 



We’re deep into summer reading, and there’s nothing better than immersing ourselves in a great novel that takes us away to another place with characters we can relate to. Author Elin Hilderbrand is a pro at this, and in her novel Summerland, we’re brought back to Nantucket as she tackles something new by splitting her narrators between the parents and their teenage children to tell a story of heartbreak and forgiveness.

It is never too early to celebrate the region’s Independent Book Stores and have them bring us to new places. Connie Brooks of Battenkill Books in Cambridge, NY is here with some wonderful suggestions.

The Light Between Oceans
ML Stedman

Tigers in Red Weather
Liza Klaussmann

When We Were the Kennedys: A Memoir from Mexico, Maine
Monica Wood

It’s almost time for Americans to choose their representatives for the next Congress. In today’s Congressional Corner, Bob Dieterich – the Republican candidate for New York’s new 20th district seat currently held by Democrat Paul Tonko — tells WAMC’s Alan Chartock that federal spending must be curtailed.

Chris Cillizza is the Managing Editor of The Washington Post’s political section, and the author of The Fix, a leading blog on politics covering the White House, Congress, campaigns, polls and more. He is also an MSNBC contributor and political analyst and appears regularly on the network in addition to NBC, PBS and NPR’s Diane Rehm Show, among others.

The Hall of Springs offers a seasonal restaurant during the classical performance series here at SPAC in the summer. The Saratoga Wine and Food and Fall Ferrari Festival is SPAC’s largest fundraiser and the fastest growing food and wine festival in the northeast. This year’s festival is just over a month from now - September 7, 8 & 9th. We are joined by Capital Region restaurateur, caterer, and hospitality expert extraordinaire - Angelo Mazzone of Mazzone Hospitality and Shelia Burke, the Wine Director for Mazzone Hospitality.

The Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College opened in October of 2000. There is always a lot going on at The Tang – for instance - in July they opened Dance/Draw – an exhibition that explores how developments in visual art and dance began, and how they have shaped the art of today. It will be on display through December 30th. Ian Berry is out guest - he is the Associate Director for Curatorial Affairs and Curator at The Tang.

Johannes Moser is a German-Canadian cellist who has performed with many of the world's leading orchestras and will be making his SPAC debut this weekend with two performances.