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The Sevenars concert hall known as The Academy, South Worthington,
MA.
Sevenars Summer Concerts 2024
World Renowned Artists -- Prizewinning Newcomers Welcome to our 56th Anniversary! Live Concerts start July 14
and continue each Sunday at 4pm through August 18
Reservations are not required or taken. All are welcome on first-come-first-served basis. There is,
as ever, no required admission cost, however donations are welcome at the door by cash or check. ($20 per person is suggested
to help defray expenses). A Bit of Sevenars History Sevenars Concerts, established in 1968, was selected one of the six best
small music festivals in the USA by Time Magazine. Founded by internationally known pianist Robert Schrade and his celebrated
composer/songwriter/pianist wife Rolande Young Schrade, it all began with "Family Concerts" starting in 1968 in
the small Methodist Church of the idyllic town of South Worthington, Massachusetts, a village now listed on the National Register
of Historic Places. Robert and Rolande included in their concerts their five young pianist children, Robelyn, Rhonda Lee,
Rolisa, Randolph, and Rorianne (hence the name "Sevenars" as all seven performers had names starting with the letter
"R"), and concerts drew growing crowds that spilled out of the church. A larger space was needed! In 1976, the concerts moved across the little street to the historic Academy
building, established in 1895 by Russell Conwell, founder of Temple University and author of the famous "Acres of
Diamonds" lecture. Sevenars was incorporated as Sevenars Concerts, Inc. and was then able to branch out, becoming an
official non-profit organization under IRS Code 509(A)(1), Section 501(c)(3). In the years that followed Sevenars was able
to present over 300 guest artists, both world-renowned performers and prizewinning newcomers. Enrichment programs for schoolchildren
and arts and crafts exhibits have also been presented, but the concerts were "a natural" - partly due
to the in the landmark Academy's miraculous acoustics. In
1978, Robelyn Schrade, already garnering raves following her sold-out New York recitals, married outstanding New Zealand pianist,
David James, and the concerts became "Schrade-James family" concerts. All the young musicians started accumulating
accolades in New York and elsewhere, and 1980 saw the New York Lincoln Center Debut of this "Remarkable Assemblage of
Pianists" (Allen Hughes, New York Times). The Schrade-James daughter, Lynelle James, arrived in 1985 and
joined the concerts at age five (appearing in New York with the family's 25th anniversary Lincoln Center concert), and son
Christopher arrived in 1990, also joining the concerts at age five (and appearing in the year 2000 at Lincoln Center). Though all family members are kept busy with individual concerts, recording,
teaching, conducting, and other pursuits (with Christopher James becoming the family's first dedicated cellist!), Sevenars
is still run by Schrades and Jameses, with love and devotion. Despite the severe blows of losing beloved Robelyn Schrade-James
in 2014, founders Robert and Rolande Schrade in 2015, Randolph Schrade in 2022, and David James in 2024, just this May,
we are determined to continue the beautiful legacy they created with us all - and with you, our most wonderful and loyal audiences! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We look forward to sharing great music with you! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A Word of Thanks Sevenars is deeply grateful to many loyal friends, individual donors, and volunteers. It is sustained, as ever, by
the volunteer efforts of its Directors. This
2024 season in particular is made possible in part by the LCC's (Local Cultural Councils) of the following towns: Chesterfield, Gardner, Huntington, Lee, Montgomery, Northern Berkshire, Russell, Westford, West Springfield, Wilmington, and Worthington. These LCC's are local
agencies which are funded in part by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency, and the National Endowment for the Arts. We are deeply grateful!  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Massachusetts Cultural Council
Sevenars Contact and Other Info Sevenars Concerts, Inc. is a non-profit organization under IRS Code
509(A)(1), Section 501 (c)(3) and registered as a Public Charity in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. To reach by phone,
call (413) 238-5854 ~ Send emails to: sevenars@aol.com Live Concerts are held at the Academy, 15 Ireland Street just off of Rte. 112, Worthington, MA 01098
Mailing address: Sevenars, 80 East End Avenue, Ste. 3G, New York, N.Y. 10028
Directions and Info
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