Marcella Sembrich was one of the great sopranos of the Golden Age of opera. Born in Poland in 1858, she conquered the stages of Europe and the Metropolitan Opera, became one of the first artists to record for the Victor Talking Machine Company, and after retiring from performance in 1909, founded voice programs at both the Curtis Institute of Music and the Juilliard Graduate School. When she needed a retreat from the intensity of musical life, she came to Lake George.
Her teaching studio and woodland retreat in Bolton Landing is now The Sembrich — a museum, performance venue, and cultural institution that has been open to the public since 1937. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the property sits directly on the lake, and its summer festival transforms this intimate, historically resonant space into one of the most distinctive classical music venues in the Adirondack region.
The 2026 Season
The Sembrich opens May 23, 2026, and runs through early September. The summer festival features concerts, films, studio talks, and other events presented by working concert artists and musical scholars. The programming explores the intersection of Sembrich’s legacy, the broader history of opera and classical music, and the work of contemporary performers who carry that tradition forward.
The intimate scale is the point. This is not a festival where you sit in the thirtieth row of an amphitheater. The Sembrich’s performance spaces are small enough that the distance between audience and artist collapses, creating the kind of connection that large venues sacrifice for capacity. A concert at The Sembrich feels less like attending an event and more like being invited into someone’s home — which, in a sense, is exactly what it is.
The Place
Bolton Landing sits on the western shore of Lake George, and The Sembrich’s property makes full use of the waterfront setting. The grounds are beautiful in the way that Lake George properties built a century ago tend to be — mature trees, manicured gardens, and a relationship to the lake that predates the era of jet skis and tourist traps. The museum houses Sembrich’s personal collection, including costumes, manuscripts, and artifacts from a career that spanned the most important opera houses in the world.
The Sembrich’s administrative office remains open year-round; the museum and grounds close for the winter and reopen in May. Visit thesembrich.org for the 2026 concert schedule and ticket information. If you love classical music, opera, or the history of performance, this is one of the Capital Region’s hidden treasures.