GENEVA \u2014 After several weeks of extraordinary performances bringing world-class musicians to Geneva, the Geneva Music Festival enters its final stretch with a vibrant stretch of concerts celebrating this year\u2019s theme, \u201cAmerica the Beautiful: Finger Lakes Edition.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cE Pluribus Unum,\u201d which was held June 4-5 in the Gearan Center, explored how American music has been shaped by voices arriving from around the world, each carrying stories of exile, resilience, and reinvention. Their music blends into a richer whole, embodying the idea that out of many, an evolving cultural identity emerges.<\/p>\n
Cellist Camden Shaw of the Dover Quartet performed alongside pianist Anna Petrova, Festival Artistic Director and violinist Geoffrey Herd, and several other artists-in-residence, including acclaimed cellist Hannah Collins, violist James Thompson, and violinists Eliot Heaton and Clara Lyon.<\/p>\n
The Festival\u2019s \u201cAmerica the Beautiful\u201d story deepened with \u201cCollide\u201d June 6. The concert highlighted works by four prominent American composers who serve as faculty at Hobart and William Smith Colleges\u2019 Composer\u2019s Sandbox. It was performed by GMF artists-in-residence, who were joined by Society for New Music. The evening showcased contemporary creative voices flourishing in the Finger Lakes region today.<\/p>\n
A free community concert will be offered June 10 at 5:30 p.m. at the Geneva Public Library, offering audiences an early taste of \u201cThe Pursuit of Happiness,\u201d the Festival\u2019s final artists-in-residence concert of the season. In this intimate preview performance, selections by Mozart and Schumann will be performed alongside music by Pulitzer Prize-winning contemporary composer Caroline Shaw. The program explores artistic expression and the universal search for fulfillment, reflecting the American ideal of the pursuit of happiness.<\/p>\n
The full \u201cPursuit of Happiness\u201d program will be presented June 12 at 7:30 p.m. at the Gearan Center, featuring Grammy Award-winning violist Masumi Rostad alongside Shaw, Petrova, and Herd.<\/p>\n
On June 11 at 7:30 p.m., Grammy Award-winning ensemble Eighth Blackbird brings its groundbreaking approach to contemporary chamber music to the Gearan Center. Known internationally for championing living composers and redefining the concert experience, the ensemble will deliver a powerful evening of innovative new music.<\/p>\n
Prior to several concerts, audiences can enjoy exhibitions featuring works by local artists in the Gearan Center lobby, along with complementary wine tastings, bringing together music, visual art, and regional flavors in a uniquely Finger Lakes experience.<\/p>\n
The 2026 season concludes with a sold-out show June 14 at 4 p.m. at Geneva On The Lake with Grammy Award-winning bluegrass and fiddle duo Mark and Maggie O\u2019Connor. Performed outdoors, the energetic concert of American roots music will provide a joyful, foot-stomping finale to the Festival season.<\/p>\n