The Caroga Arts Collective – reimagining the Adirondack experience through the power of the arts – has recently announced a new advisory council, aimed at strengthening their mission.

Founder Kyle Barrett Price had a vision in 2012 to bring his family and friends together to create accessible music in The Adirondacks by putting on the first-ever Caroga Lake Music Festival. Since then, it has flourished into a diverse community, where artists can come together to collaborate across fields and genres and present innovative art. They provide a humble and intimate atmosphere for their artists and audiences while also presenting a precise and challenging repertoire of music.

The Caroga Arts Collective strengthens the local culture, business, and life by bringing people from within and outside of Caroga and allowing them to experience diverse and cultural educational experiences that deepen their appreciation for the area and the exceptional music presented. The Caroga Arts Collective fosters a family feel with every event that they put on, building special connections with the artists and communities and opening endless doors of creative possibilities.

Throughout the year, Caroga Arts Collective presents over fifty performances and community events featuring world-class artists from various styles of arts and entertainment in the Southern Adirondacks. Caroga Arts presents the Caroga Lake Music Festival, Your Body is Your Strad, InterArts Symposium, Myhil Film Series, Artist Residencies, and other projects.
Caroga Arts Collective has recently introduced its International Artistic Advisory Council, chaired by Deborah Barrett Price. The council consists of renowned leaders in their artistic fields with the goal of elevating their visibility, reach, and mission.

A 2018 MacArthur Fellow, Matthew Aucoin is an American composer, conductor, writer, pianist. His music has been performed by artists ranging from Yo-Yo Ma to the Philadelphia Orchestra, and commissioned by institutions including the Metropolitan Opera, Carnegie Hall, and the Ojai Music Festival. Aucoin is a co-founder of the American Modern Opera Company and author of the book “The Impossible Art: Adventures in Opera”.

Hailed by Jon Batiste as “one of the world’s most important saxophonists,” Eddie Barbash was a founding member of the house band for the Late Show With Stephen Colbert and currently tours the world with Cory Wong and the Wongnotes. His unmistakable sound is featured on the Oscar and Grammy-winning soundtrack of Disney’s film Soul.

Mike Block is a multi-style cello player, composer, singer, and educator, hailed by Yo- Yo Ma as the ideal musician of the 21st-Century. Since 2005, Mike has been a member of the Silk Road Ensemble, founded by Yo-Yo Ma, with which he earned a 2017 Grammy® Award. As an innovator, Mike was among the first wave of cellists to use a strap to stand and move while performing. Using his own patented design, The Block Strap, Mike was the first standing cellist to perform at Carnegie Hall.

Jeff Haydon, President & CEO of Ravinia Festival, brings extensive experience in the nonprofit and music festival sectors. His leadership background includes serving as CEO of the Caramoor Festival in Katonah, New York, and as Executive Director of the Ojai Music Festival.

Ayane Kozasa is the violist of the renowned Kronos Quartet and a founding member of the award-winning Aizuri Quartet. A winner of the Primrose International Viola Competition, she has commissioned multiple new works featuring the viola. Active in mentoring young musicians, she is on the viola faculty of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, and has been guest faculty at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and Northwestern University.

Kevin Kwan Loucks, CEO, Chamber Music America, is a Juilliard-trained Korean-American concert pianist, educator, and arts entrepreneur with more than 15 years of experience in the performing arts industry. He has worked with numerous arts organizations to promote collaboration and innovation within the classical music community.

Tommy Mesa is a Cuban-American cellist who has established himself as one of the most charismatic, innovative, and engaging performers of his generation. The recipient of the Sphinx Organization’s 2023 Medal of Excellence, its highest honor, Mesa has appeared as soloist at the Supreme Court of the United States on four occasions and with major orchestras.

Violist Deborah Barrett Price is the founder and artistic director of the Chamber Music Connection, Inc., a nationally recognized program providing education, service and performance opportunities to students of all ages and skill levels. In recognition of her work as a chamber music entrepreneur, pedagogue, and performer, Debbie has received numerous awards, including the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Award for Extraordinary Service to Chamber Music. In addition to chairing this council, Debbie currently serves as Artistic Advisor for Caroga Arts.

Cole Randolph, a Posse Foundation Leadership scholar, is a cellist in the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Throughout his collegiate studies, Randolph participated in a myriad of musical and non-musical activities, including the unique opportunity to participate in the Leadership Alliance program at the University of Chicago conducting mathematics research.

Jim Rosenthal is a partner in the law firm Cohen Rosenthal & Kramer LLP and a lifelong music lover. He serves as the Chair Emeritus for the Grammy award winning baroque ensemble Apollo’s Fire.

Cara Samantha is a Grammy award winning background vocalist, American Idol alum and graduate of the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music who infuses jazzy soul into her unique pop stylings. She is a prominent voiceover artist who was featured as the singing voices of Adele, Elsa, Ellie Goulding, Madonna, and more. Cara has been a Guest and Resident Artist at Caroga Arts since 2014.

Originally from Gloversville, Renée Schine Crown spent her childhood summers at MyHil in Caroga Lake. Based in Chicago, she is a founding member and former president of the Women’s Board of Northwestern University and a life director of the Multiple Sclerosis Society. She serves on the Boards of WTTW/Channel 11 Public Television, Boys and Girls Clubs of Chicago, the Chicago Lyric Opera, The Field Museum, the Joffrey Ballet, and has been Honorary Chair of the Board of the Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation, to name just a few of her important endeavors.

Uri Vardi is a cellist and Feldenkrais Practitioner based in Madison, WI. As Professor Emeritus of Cello at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, he has mentored generations of musicians, including Caroga Arts Collective Founder and Artistic Director Kyle Price. A celebrated performer, Vardi has appeared as a soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician worldwide, holding prominent roles such as Assistant Principal Cellist of the Israel Chamber Orchestra, Principal Cellist of the Israel Sinfonietta, and founding member of the Sol-La-Re String Quartet.

Cory Wong is a Grammy-nominated guitarist, producer, variety show host, and podcast host. He is best known for his funky guitar work and touring worldwide playing his original music to sold out crowds on the biggest stages. In addition to his skyrocketing solo career, he is also a member of Vulfpeck & Fearless Flyers.
Learn more about Caroga Arts Advisory Council and the events put on by the Collective at their website.
Comments are closed.