Calendar of Events
Markets at Round Lake Book Market Preview Day
Markets at Round Lake
Book Market
The Round Lake Libraries annual sale featuring more than 15,000 used and some rare books!
Preview day
Friday from 5pm - 7pm
Hardcovers $2, Paperbacks $1
Weekend Hours
Saturday from 9am - 5pm
Sunday from 10am - 4pm
Hardcovers $1, Paperbacks 50¢
Markets at Round Lake Book Market (Copy)
Markets at Round Lake
Book Market
The Round Lake Libraries annual sale featuring more than 15,000 used and some rare books!
Preview day
Friday from 5pm - 7pm
Hardcovers $2, Paperbacks $1
Weekend Hours
Saturday from 9am - 5pm
Sunday from 10am - 4pm
Hardcovers $1, Paperbacks 50¢
Markets at Round Lake Book Market (Copy)
Markets at Round Lake
Book Market
The Round Lake Libraries annual sale featuring more than 15,000 used and some rare books!
Preview day
Friday from 5pm - 7pm
Hardcovers $2, Paperbacks $1
Weekend Hours
Saturday from 9am - 5pm
Sunday from 10am - 4pm
Hardcovers $1, Paperbacks 50¢
Tour & Tea at the Auditorium
Water Color Art by : Sarah Straight
Thursdays in June & August
Meet at the Auditorium for a tour, a sip of tea, and an organ demonstration on the Davis-Ferris Tracker Organ, a National Historic Landmark. There even may be a peek at the pipes!
Vinyl Only Dance Party
Put your dance shoes on and get ready to dance!
VINYL ONLY DANCE PARTY
SOUL ✷ FUNK ✷ DISCO
◉ SELECTORS ◉
$10.00 at the Door | 21+
Tour & Tea at the Auditorium
Water Color Art by : Sarah Straight
Thursdays in June & August
Meet at the Auditorium for a tour, a sip of tea, and an organ demonstration on the Davis-Ferris Tracker Organ, a National Historic Landmark. There even may be a peek at the pipes!
Noise of Summer
The Noise of Summer is a seasonal Capital District, NY-based vocal band that specializes in performing contemporary a cappella music.
Founded in 2022, the group is a mix of upper and lower voices who share a passion for a cappella music and performance. The majority of the group's members are professionally trained musicians with affiliations to some of the Northeast's most notable names in contemporary a cappella, including Hyannis Sound, the Buffalo Chips, and the Potsdam Pitches.
This family-friendly performance will feature a cappella pop and rock covers of artists such as Stevie Wonder, Paramore, Dua Lipa, and The Killers.
Open Mic - August
Perform at our Open Mic nights!
Show off your talent! Prepare and perform a 5min act. If you are a musician, bring your instrument to plug in or mic up to our sound system. Poets, we want to hear what you have written! If you are a dance crew, we can cue up a song for your act.
Plan to arrive early to sign-up. Your order in the show will be determined by the time you arrive.
All ages are welcome to perform!
Hosted by Scott Rigney
Tour & Tea at the Auditorium
Water Color Art by : Sarah Straight
Thursdays in June & August
Meet at the Auditorium for a tour, a sip of tea, and an organ demonstration on the Davis-Ferris Tracker Organ, a National Historic Landmark. There even may be a peek at the pipes!
Balky Boyz
The Balky Boyz hail from New York’s Capital Region, crafting an energetic yet nostalgic ode to folk rock with their own unique twist—what they call Mountain Rock. Rooted in the lost art of storytelling, their music blends tradition with fresh sounds, pulling listeners into a world of vivid characters and unforgettable tales.
Their debut, Welcome to the Mountain, showcases this energy and obsession with discovery—layering harmonica, mandolin, 12-string guitar, and more into inventive arrangements that hook listeners and keep them coming back for the next chapter. With new music already in the works and live shows that guarantee involuntary foot-stomping, the Balky Boyz are ready to take you on one hell of a ride—straight back to the mountain.
Craig Williams | Organist
About Craig Williams
Craig S. Williams is Craig S. Williams is Organist and Choirmaster of the Cadet Chapel, United States Military Academy West Point, where he plays the world’s largest church all-pipe organ and directs the Cadet Chapel Choir. He is only the fourth organist to hold that position since the present Cadet Chapel building was erected in 1910.
At West Point, Mr. Williams oversees the music programs of five chapels, in which are given well over 400 services, concerts and various other functions annually. Personally, Mr. Williams performs at approximately 200 of these chapel functions, including worship services, weddings, funerals, class reunion memorial services, recitals, choir concerts and VIP organ demonstrations performing for royalty, cabinet members, generals, members of Congress and many other international government and military figures. He has been featured on television numerous times including his recent appearance on Fox News’ West Point Holiday Special which received over 2,000,000 views, and he also appears as organist on the West Point Glee Club’s DVD Stand Ye Steady.
Mr. Williams has performed on both organ and piano for over 40 years and continues to perform nationwide. His organ credits include performances at Carnegie Hall with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, several appearances at Avery Fisher Hall in Lincoln Center, and at Segerstrom Hall in Orange County, CA with the Pacific Chorale. His most recent appearance at Segerstrom Hall was in a concert, Superstar Organ Virtuosos, where he shared the stage with Paul Jacobs, Frederick Swann, Christoph Bull and members of the Pacific Symphony. Mr. Williams has also played on the summer series at the Riverside Church in New York, the Crystal Cathedral, and Ocean Grove Auditorium; and he continues to give numerous recitals and workshops for prominent cathedrals and churches on both coasts. In 2021, he played a recital in Usurbil, Spain, as guest artist in the Quincena Musical de San Sebastián. In 2023, he performed two recitals in Italy, at the Pantheon in Rome, and at the Basilica of San Gaudenzio in Novara.
Mr. Williams is an Associate of the American Guild of Organists and served as dean of the Central Hudson Valley chapter from 2012 to 2016. In the early 90’s, he served as dean of the Brooklyn Chapter. Also, he has been a featured performer for conventions held by the AGO and the American Institute of Organbuilders.
Mr. Williams received the masters in organ performance from Westminster Choir College where he was one of three of the first Currin Scholars, a full graduate level scholarship, studying with Eugene Roan. His piano performance degrees include the masters from the Juilliard School, studying with Martin Canin, where he performed with the Juilliard Symphony at Lincoln Center; and the bachelors from the University of Southern California, studying with Daniel Pollack.
In addition to his duties at West Point, he served as adjunct professor of organ at Nyack College (Nyack, NY) and conservatory faculty at Westminster Choir College (Princeton, NJ) for 19 years. Mr. Williams performs under the management of Seven Eight Artists.
Watch
Craig Williams at the Round Lake Auditorium in 2018
Tom Dressler | Organist
About Tom Dressler
Thomas Dressler is known for exciting, passionate performances on the organ and harpsichord which combine warm musicality with historic techniques. He has been performing for more than thirty years, often on historic instruments, including some of America's oldest and most historic organs.
He has appeared on local television in NY, the Poconos, and Philadelphia. His playing at the opening concert of the 150th anniversary celebration of the Round Lake organ was described by audience members as "riveting" and "stunningly elegant." In August of 2001 he recorded the 1847 Ferris organ at Round Lake, NY, and the CD was released in 2003; it received a feature review in The American Organist magazine. In 2012, he released a CD recorded on the Paul Fritts organ at Princeton Theological Seminary, which was featured on Pipedreams on National Public Radio. Officers of the Central New Jersey chapter of the American Guild of Organists have said, "Mr. Dressler is an organist with solid technique, well known for his exquisite rendering of Renaissance and Baroque music."
But he does not only specialize in "early" music. He also spends much time exploring performance practices of the 19th century, trying to uncover possible modern misconceptions about this music and present it in a manner the composers would have recognized. As a teenager, Mr. Dressler studied organ with James Boeringer and practiced on an 1894 Felgemaker organ. During this time he developed a strong interest in historic "tracker action" organs. He also began to have an interest in historic performing practices (using the information available in old treatises to attempt to play music in a way similar to how the composers may have originally heard it.) When historic fingerings and articulations are matched with the music being played, it is possible to infuse it with a degree of emotion and excitement not possible using purely modern techniques. He pursued these techniques throughout his college years, earning a Bachelor of Music in Organ Performance, cum laude, from Susquehanna University, and a Master of Music in Performance, with honors, from Westminster Choir College. At Westminster, he studied organ with Mark Brombaugh and Joan Lippincott.
Mr. Dressler has held large church positions in Philadelphia and New Jersey. He has also been a featured lecturer in various venues in addition to lecturing at Warren County Community College (NJ), speaking on topics such as Performance Practices of the Baroque Era, various topics in music history and appreciation, and Music and Holistic Health. His special abilities to communicate, both as a speaker and performer, are combined in his performances, where he discusses much of the music he performs. Audiences respond enthusiastically. A reporter from a local newspaper in Pennsylvania has said, "Dressler interacts with the audience on a very personal level, appealing to young and old alike. One comes away from each program knowing they have learned something."
Open Mic - September
Perform at our Open Mic nights!
Show off your talent! Prepare and perform a 5min act. If you are a musician, bring your instrument to plug in or mic up to our sound system. Poets, we want to hear what you have written! If you are a dance crew, we can cue up a song for your act.
Plan to arrive early to sign-up. Your order in the show will be determined by the time you arrive.
All ages are welcome to perform!
Hosted by Scott Rigney
Upstate
It takes good soil and good seasons to bear good fruit, and Upstate has had its plenty. The band sprang up in New York’s legendary Hudson Valley, set in the middle of a thick American musical heritage. To their inland West was the Ashokan reservoir folk tradition, and across the river to the East the legacy of Pete Seeger and the Clearwater. Just north of them was Woodstock and Big Pink, and all the treasured inheritance of Bob Dylan and the Band. Just south was Tony Falco’s famed venue, the Falcon, a refuge and respite for some of the most venerable jazz legends like Sonny Rollins or Joe Lovano. From the first, Upstate drew liberally from everything each corner had to offer.
With their first record, A Remedy, they were known for three-part female vocal arrangements recalling “not only the serpentine sibling harmonies of the Roches, but of the Andrews and Boswell sisters.” They were otherwise known for an eclectic arrangement of instruments weaving together upright bass, mandolin, cajon, and baritone saxophone. By their second record, Healing, they were likened to Lake Street Dive and “Manhattan Transfer meets Loretta Lynn.” For their third, You Only Get a Few, they drew comparisons to the sound of Laurel Canyon, another American musical landmark on the other side of the continent. This time they had shed the eclectic instrumentation in favor of traditional drums and guitars.
After 15 years, three records, nearly a dozen former members, and one name change, Upstate could almost seem unrecognizable were it not for the constancy of their songs. Original members Melanie Glenn, Harry D’Agostino, and Mary Webster have been writing and playing music together throughout all the upheavals in the band and their lives. It’s their shared dedication to writing songs of lasting value that has persisted across all the changes to their sound. When Dylan McKinstry finally joined the band during the COVID pandemic, his enthusiasm for the commitment made it a lasting cornerstone of the band.
On their upcoming Abalone, Upstate draws on the best of what has marked the band in all its many eras. They showcase a broad range of sounds and styles from across America’s musical landmarks, from the Hudson Valley to Laurel Canyon and back again (with a few detours to Muscle Shoals). They revive their noted three-part harmonies, this time with McKinstry adding a male voice to the mix. And most importantly, they bring an even more seasoned dedication to writing and performing songs of lasting value.
Learn More: upstatelovesyou.com
Gail Archer | Organist
International concert organist, recording artist, choral conductor and lecturer
Gail Archer is an international concert organist, recording artist, choral conductor and lecturer who draws attention to composer anniversaries or musical themes with her annual recital series in New York City. These include a Bulgarian Celebration, a Slavic Celebration, Max Reger, The Muse’s Voice, An American Idyll, Liszt, Bach, Mendelssohn and Messiaen. Archer was the first American woman to play the complete works of Olivier Messiaen for the centennial of the composer’s birth in 2008: Time Out New York recognized the Messiaen cycle as “Best of 2008” in classical music and opera. In spring 2024, Archer received grants from the Harriman Institute, Columbia University and Vassar College to record a new CD of Bulgarian organ literature in the Concert Hall in Dobrich, Bulgaria; the CD, Dobrich A Bulgarian Odyssey was released on April 8, 2025. Her previous recordings include the 2022 Polish release, Cantius, and Chernivtsi, A Russian Journey, The Muse’s Voice, Franz Liszt: A Hungarian Rhapsody, Bach: The Transcendent Genius, an American Idyll, A Mystic in the Making (Meyer Media), and The Orpheus of Amsterdam: Sweelinck and his Pupils (CALA Records). Ms. Archer’s 2025 European tour took her to the Slovak Republic, Norway, Sweden, Poland, Germany, Italy and the island of Sardegna. Highlights include the Oliwa Cathedral, Gdansk, Poland, St. Martin’s Cathedral, Bratislava, the Slovak Republic, the Lambertus Basilica, Dusseldorf, Germany, Herforder Munster, Herford, Germany, the Basilica Concattedrale of San Maurizio, Imperia, Italy, and the Basilika Steinfeld, Steinfeld, Germany. The historic organ in the Steinfeld monastery church was built in 1727 by Balthasar Konig.
She is the founder of Musforum, www.musforum.org an international network for women organists to promote and affirm their work. Ms. Archer is college organist at Vassar College, director of the music program at Barnard College, Columbia University, where she conducts the Barnard-Columbia Chorus and Chamber Singers and a faculty member of the Harriman Institute, Columbia University. For the next two years, she will serve as the Co-Deputy Director of the East Central European Center in the Harriman Institute. She is artistic director of the artist and young artist organ recital series at historic Central Synagogue, New York City.
Learn More: GailArcher.com
Carpe Diem Theater | Cabaret
FREE EVENT | Carpe Diem's favorite night of the year!
Our campers will dazzle you as they perform solos, group numbers, and showcase their many dynamic talents! Free to attend, we encourage you to bring friends and family alike to this one-of-a-kind performance!
Carpe PM: Benefit Concert with Natalie Weiss
CDT is thrilled to welcome the one and only Natalie Weiss to the area for our biggest celebration of the year! This year’s annual benefit concert will include a celebratory 15th Anniversary ribbon cutting with local representatives, food trucks, raffles, and more. With a limited number of reserved seats*, we encourage you to join us and secure yours today!
Natalie will perform on a program with our entire Carpe Diem Theater company, including the incredible Nick Martiniano, who starred as Fagin to great acclaim in our recent production of Oliver!, as well as our 2026 Showcase artists, and our camper casts of Once Upon A Mattress and The Jungle Book 🌿
Performance begins at 7 pm, but the festivities start at 4:30 pm with:
Dine to Donate food trucks out back
Raffle baskets
50/50 drawing
A joyful pre‑show celebration with our CDT community
Stop by for dinner even if you can’t attend the performance — your meal supports CDT!
*If your child is performing in the program, they can sit on the sides of the auditorium without a ticket. If you would like a reserved seat for them to sit with your family, a ticket should be purchased in their name.
ROOTS: Directing Workshop with Carson Crow
ROOTS: Realizations On & Off The Stage presents students with critical information about making theater as well as the roles and responsibilities of theater makers themselves. Teaching artists from Broadway, Off-Broadway, international touring companies, and beyond, bring their experiences to the Round Lake Auditorium for Carpe Diem Theater's free workshop series. These workshops are open to all ages, but are geared towards teens and beyond. All community members are welcome!
ABOUT THE TEACHING ARTIST
Most recently, Carson Crow served as the Associate Director on Gypsy on Broadway. He has also assisted George C. Wolfe on the Netflix feature-film Rustin. Recently he has directed Tomorrow (The Players Theatre) The General (The Chain Theatre) Admissions (International Human Rights Arts Festival ) Showcase: A Rehearsal Musical (The Green Room 42). He has produced Torn Out Theater's production of Antigonick by Anne Carson (The Center at West Park), directed and edited the short film Between Here and Where We Are (Digital Dramatists), and directed Daybreak, a new musical reading. Other directing credits include: Phaedra's Love by Sarah Kane and John and Jen by Andrew Lippa and Tom Greenwald at Ball State University, PA's for Ghost Lights: Reclaiming Theatre in the Age of AIDS (a six-part filmed docuseries). He has worked as an Administrative Coordinator and Apprentice in the Juilliard School's Drama Division and was the Artistic and International Intern at the Theatre Communication Group. Bachelor of Science in Direction from Ball State University.
Saratoga Arts made this program possible through the Community Arts Regrant Program, funded by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
ROOTS: Interpreting Song & Monologue Workshop with Erin J. Reifler and Carson Crow
ROOTS: Realizations On & Off The Stage presents students with critical information about making theater as well as the roles and responsibilities of theater makers themselves. Teaching artists from Broadway, Off-Broadway, international touring companies, and beyond, bring their experiences to the Round Lake Auditorium for Carpe Diem Theater's free workshop series. These workshops are open to all ages, but are geared towards teens and beyond. All community members are welcome!
ABOUT THE TEACHING ARTISTS
Erin J. Reifler (she/her) is a New York-based composer/lyricist, conductor, and copyist. With collaborator Zonia Tsang, Dramatists Guild Fellowship Finalists, New Voices Project Merit Award Winners in collaboration with Disney Imagineering, Civilians R&D Group Finalists, Moxie Arts Incubator Finalists. Showcase: A Rehearsal Musical with collaborator Kevin Renn played a sold-out concert at the Green Room 42 and is available for licensing. She was the first Music Supervisor for the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center’s National Music Theater Conference. Selected music team credits include The Great Gatsby (Broadway, West End, Seoul), Shucked (Broadway, National Tour), Paradise Square (Broadway), Where the Mountain Meets the Sea (MTC), Oratorio for Living Things (Ars Nova), and Cyrano (Daryl Roth Theatre). BA: Brown University. MFA: NYU Tisch Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program. @erinjreifler www.erinjreifler.com
Most recently, Carson Crow served as the Associate Director on Gypsy on Broadway. He has also assisted George C. Wolfe on the Netflix feature-film Rustin. Recently he has directed Tomorrow (The Players Theatre) The General (The Chain Theatre) Admissions (International Human Rights Arts Festival ) Showcase: A Rehearsal Musical (The Green Room 42). He has produced Torn Out Theater's production of Antigonick by Anne Carson (The Center at West Park), directed and edited the short film Between Here and Where We Are (Digital Dramatists), and directed Daybreak, a new musical reading. Other directing credits include: Phaedra's Love by Sarah Kane and John and Jen by Andrew Lippa and Tom Greenwald at Ball State University, PA's for Ghost Lights: Reclaiming Theatre in the Age of AIDS (a six-part filmed docuseries). He has worked as an Administrative Coordinator and Apprentice in the Juilliard School's Drama Division and was the Artistic and International Intern at the Theatre Communication Group. Bachelor of Science in Direction from Ball State University.
Saratoga Arts made this program possible through the Community Arts Regrant Program, funded by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
ROOTS: Creating Your Own Path: A Moderated Conversation
ROOTS: Realizations On & Off The Stage presents students with critical information about making theater as well as the roles and responsibilities of theater makers themselves. Teaching artists from Broadway, Off-Broadway, international touring companies, and beyond, bring their experiences to the Round Lake Auditorium for Carpe Diem Theater's free workshop series. These workshops are open to all ages, but are geared towards teens and beyond. All community members are welcome!
Saratoga Arts made this program possible through the Community Arts Regrant Program, funded by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
ROOTS: Audition Workshop with Chloe Kostman
ROOTS: Realizations On & Off The Stage presents students with critical information about making theater as well as the roles and responsibilities of theater makers themselves. Teaching artists from Broadway, Off-Broadway, international touring companies, and beyond, bring their experiences to the Round Lake Auditorium for Carpe Diem Theater's free workshop series. These workshops are open to all ages, but are geared towards teens and beyond. All community members are welcome!
Chloe's workshop will focus on the fundamentals of auditioning. Participants should come prepared with a song they typically use for auditions. They will perform for the group as if they auditioning, and will receive feedback from Chloe.
ABOUT THE TEACHING ARTIST
Chloe Kostman is a Brooklyn native actor, singer, dancer, songwriter and all-around creative human. Her career has consisted of lots of theatre in and around New York City. She’s passionate about new musicals, originating new roles and making the arts a more equitable and inclusive space for all. Off the stage she hikes and travels a whole lot, teaches yoga and is in a folk Americana band called the Oshy Anna’s.
Saratoga Arts made this program possible through the Community Arts Regrant Program, funded by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
Open Mic - July
Perform at our Open Mic nights!
Show off your talent! Prepare and perform a 5min act. If you are a musician, bring your instrument to plug in or mic up to our sound system. Poets, we want to hear what you have written! If you are a dance crew, we can cue up a song for your act.
Plan to arrive early to sign-up. Your order in the show will be determined by the time you arrive.
All ages are welcome to perform!
Hosted by Scott Rigney
Carpe Diem Showcase
June 29-July 3, 2026 | SHOWCASE is a one-week theater intensive and performance opportunity open to students ages 16-22 years old.
Our mission is to provide an immersive and collaborative production experience to promote artistic autonomy, in-depth scene study, and build confidence in advanced theater makers. Over the course of the week, the material is coached to highlight each performer at their best and to access new skills and perspectives. The culminating performance takes place at the Round Lake Auditorium on Friday, July 3.
2 weeks after the initial performance in Round Lake, the cast of Showcase will make their NYC debuts on Saturday, July 18, at an intimate matinee performance presented by The Green Room 42.
Movie Night
Movie Night!
Friday June 26 | 8:00PM
It’s everything you ever want,
It’s everything you want to be,
It’s here right in front of you,
Round Lake Auditorium is where you want to be!
Lola Torch
Lola Torch Presents
A Lakeside Summer Solstice Cabaret
Round Lake native Lola Torch presents an unforgettable evening of live music, dazzling burlesque, and drag/comedy!
As the sun sets and the summer magic begins, immerse yourself in a vibrant cabaret experience filled with glamour, artistry, laughter, and high-energy entertainment. Join us for a night of celebration, self-expression, and scintillating performances that will light up the solstice night.
Featuring performances by:
Lola Torch (Tucson, AZ) & The Slow Burn Band (Capital Region, NY)
Ruby Lead (Hot Springs, AR)
Danielle St. Velvet (Ithaca, NY)
Tessa Trueheart (Ithaca, NY)
Dizzy DeScretion (Ithaca, NY)
Learn More: mslolatorch.com
Tour & Tea at the Auditorium
Water Color Art by : Sarah Straight
Thursdays in June & August
Meet at the Auditorium for a tour, a sip of tea, and an organ demonstration on the Davis-Ferris Tracker Organ, a National Historic Landmark. There even may be a peek at the pipes!
Vinyl Only Dance Party
Put your dance shoes on and get ready to dance!
VINYL ONLY DANCE PARTY
SOUL ✷ FUNK ✷ DISCO
◉ SELECTORS ◉
$10.00 at the Door | 21+
Open Mic - June
Perform at our Open Mic nights!
Show off your talent! Prepare and perform a 5min act. If you are a musician, bring your instrument to plug in or mic up to our sound system. Poets, we want to hear what you have written! If you are a dance crew, we can cue up a song for your act.
Plan to arrive early to sign-up. Your order in the show will be determined by the time you arrive.
All ages are welcome to perform!
Hosted by Scott Rigney
Tour & Tea at the Auditorium
Water Color Art by : Sarah Straight
Thursdays in June & August
Meet at the Auditorium for a tour, a sip of tea, and an organ demonstration on the Davis-Ferris Tracker Organ, a National Historic Landmark. There even may be a peek at the pipes!
Tour & Tea at the Auditorium
Water Color Art by : Sarah Straight
Thursdays in June & August
Meet at the Auditorium for a tour, a sip of tea, and an organ demonstration on the Davis-Ferris Tracker Organ, a National Historic Landmark. There even may be a peek at the pipes!
The Golem Trilogy | Nathan Meltz
Nathan Meltz has developed a three-part stop-motion animation project called “The Golem Trilogy”. This narrative animation project is about technology, colonialism, and peace-making. This project will have a live musical accompaniment.
Open Mic - September
Perform at our Open Mic nights!
Show off your talent! Prepare and perform a 5min act. If you are a musician, bring your instrument to plug in or mic up to our sound system. Poets, we want to hear what you have written! If you are a dance crew, we can cue up a song for your act.
Plan to arrive early to sign-up. Your order in the show will be determined by the time you arrive.
All ages are welcome to perform!
Hosted by Scott Rigney
Gail Archer | Organist
International concert organist, recording artist, choral conductor and lecturer
Gail Archer is an international concert organist, recording artist, choral conductor and lecturer who draws attention to composer anniversaries or musical themes with her annual recital series in New York City. These include a Bulgarian Celebration, a Slavic Celebration, Max Reger, The Muse’s Voice, An American Idyll, Liszt, Bach, Mendelssohn and Messiaen. Archer was the first American woman to play the complete works of Olivier Messiaen for the centennial of the composer’s birth in 2008: Time Out New York recognized the Messiaen cycle as “Best of 2008” in classical music and opera. In spring 2024, Archer received grants from the Harriman Institute, Columbia University and Vassar College to record a new CD of Bulgarian organ literature in the Concert Hall in Dobrich, Bulgaria; the CD, Dobrich A Bulgarian Odyssey was released on April 8, 2025. Her previous recordings include the 2022 Polish release, Cantius, and Chernivtsi, A Russian Journey, The Muse’s Voice, Franz Liszt: A Hungarian Rhapsody, Bach: The Transcendent Genius, an American Idyll, A Mystic in the Making (Meyer Media), and The Orpheus of Amsterdam: Sweelinck and his Pupils (CALA Records). Ms. Archer’s 2025 European tour took her to the Slovak Republic, Norway, Sweden, Poland, Germany, Italy and the island of Sardegna. Highlights include the Oliwa Cathedral, Gdansk, Poland, St. Martin’s Cathedral, Bratislava, the Slovak Republic, the Lambertus Basilica, Dusseldorf, Germany, Herforder Munster, Herford, Germany, the Basilica Concattedrale of San Maurizio, Imperia, Italy, and the Basilika Steinfeld, Steinfeld, Germany. The historic organ in the Steinfeld monastery church was built in 1727 by Balthasar Konig.
She is the founder of Musforum, www.musforum.org an international network for women organists to promote and affirm their work. Ms. Archer is college organist at Vassar College, director of the music program at Barnard College, Columbia University, where she conducts the Barnard-Columbia Chorus and Chamber Singers and a faculty member of the Harriman Institute, Columbia University. For the next two years, she will serve as the Co-Deputy Director of the East Central European Center in the Harriman Institute. She is artistic director of the artist and young artist organ recital series at historic Central Synagogue, New York City.
Learn More: GailArcher.com
Swooping Shapes | Silent Movie
Musical Accompaniment to several short animations presented by Swooping Shapes.
Swooping Shapes is…
Becca Pasley is a multi-genre bassist and improviser coming from a background in free jazz, classical, rock, and noise, which has led them to a wide variety of musical projects across the Northeast. Their love for improvisation and the experimental goes hand in hand with a dream of revelatory collective liberation.
Brian Dewan is a musician and visual artist who engages in filmstrip making and instrument building. He writes songs and collects songs from earlier generations.
Elizabeth Karp is a musician who combines analog and digital instrumentation, tape collage, field recordings, and percussion to perform sound collage music. Elizabeth is also a visual artist and co-curator of Moonbow, a performance series held at The Shaker Heritage Site.
The music of Puerto Rican guitarist and composer Federico Balducci can be described as a mixture of classical and ambient music with unusually intricate harmonies. Federico Balducci has a Bachelor’s Degree in Film Scoring from the prestigious Berklee College of Music. Currently, Federico mostly works on film scores for short films and documentaries.
Tom Dressler | Organist
About Tom Dressler
Thomas Dressler is known for exciting, passionate performances on the organ and harpsichord which combine warm musicality with historic techniques. He has been performing for more than thirty years, often on historic instruments, including some of America's oldest and most historic organs.
He has appeared on local television in NY, the Poconos, and Philadelphia. His playing at the opening concert of the 150th anniversary celebration of the Round Lake organ was described by audience members as "riveting" and "stunningly elegant." In August of 2001 he recorded the 1847 Ferris organ at Round Lake, NY, and the CD was released in 2003; it received a feature review in The American Organist magazine. In 2012, he released a CD recorded on the Paul Fritts organ at Princeton Theological Seminary, which was featured on Pipedreams on National Public Radio. Officers of the Central New Jersey chapter of the American Guild of Organists have said, "Mr. Dressler is an organist with solid technique, well known for his exquisite rendering of Renaissance and Baroque music."
But he does not only specialize in "early" music. He also spends much time exploring performance practices of the 19th century, trying to uncover possible modern misconceptions about this music and present it in a manner the composers would have recognized. As a teenager, Mr. Dressler studied organ with James Boeringer and practiced on an 1894 Felgemaker organ. During this time he developed a strong interest in historic "tracker action" organs. He also began to have an interest in historic performing practices (using the information available in old treatises to attempt to play music in a way similar to how the composers may have originally heard it.) When historic fingerings and articulations are matched with the music being played, it is possible to infuse it with a degree of emotion and excitement not possible using purely modern techniques. He pursued these techniques throughout his college years, earning a Bachelor of Music in Organ Performance, cum laude, from Susquehanna University, and a Master of Music in Performance, with honors, from Westminster Choir College. At Westminster, he studied organ with Mark Brombaugh and Joan Lippincott.
Mr. Dressler has held large church positions in Philadelphia and New Jersey. He has also been a featured lecturer in various venues in addition to lecturing at Warren County Community College (NJ), speaking on topics such as Performance Practices of the Baroque Era, various topics in music history and appreciation, and Music and Holistic Health. His special abilities to communicate, both as a speaker and performer, are combined in his performances, where he discusses much of the music he performs. Audiences respond enthusiastically. A reporter from a local newspaper in Pennsylvania has said, "Dressler interacts with the audience on a very personal level, appealing to young and old alike. One comes away from each program knowing they have learned something."
Tour & Tea at the Auditorium
Water Color Art by : Sarah Straight
Thursdays in June & August
Meet at the Auditorium for a tour, a sip of tea, and an organ demonstration on the Davis-Ferris Tracker Organ, a National Historic Landmark. There even may be a peek at the pipes!