NEWSLETTER
Discussions precede select New York City Ballet and Philadelphia Orchestra Performances on the Charles R. Wood Stage and are free to ticket holders
Guests include Tiler Peck, Taylor Stanley, Daniel Ulbricht, Marin Alsop, Daniele Rustioni, and more
Saratoga Springs, NY (June 18, 2026) –Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) has announced the return of its popular pre-performance talk series with the launch of Setting the Stage, a series of engaging conversations presented in advance of select New York City Ballet and Philadelphia Orchestra performances.
Returning for the first time since 2019, the series has been reimagined for SPAC’s 60th anniversary season and will now take place outdoors on the Charles R. Wood Stage, creating a more open and accessible experience for audiences. Free to ticket holders, the 30-minute conversations begin approximately one hour prior to performances and feature artists, conductors, choreographers, scholars, and cultural voices offering insight into the works and performances audiences will experience later that evening or afternoon.
“We are thrilled to bring back pre-performance talks after a six-year hiatus,” said Christopher Shiley, President of Saratoga Performing Arts Center. “Setting the Stage will reimagine these talks in a way that makes them more accessible to audiences. By moving these conversations outdoors and offering them free to ticket holders, we are creating even greater opportunities for the community to connect directly with the artists and deepen their experience of the performances they are about to see.”
The 2026 series brings audiences into close conversation with some of the leading voices in the performing arts, offering a rare opportunity to hear directly from the artists shaping today’s classical landscape. Featured guests include New York City Ballet Principal Dancer and choreographer Tiler Peck, NYCB Principal Dancers Taylor Stanley and Daniel Ulbricht, NYCB and School of American Ballet Artistic Director Jonathan Stafford, NYCB Associate Artistic Director Wendy Whelan, Metropolitan Opera House Principal Guest Conductor Daniele Rustioni, Producer and Host of the Mahler Hour Morten Solvik, Assistant Conductor Naomi Woo, and Philadelphia Orchestra Principal Bass Joseph Conyers.
Highlighting the series on August 7 is a special discussion co-presented with Caffè Lena featuring Philadelphia Orchestra Principal Guest Conductor Marin Alsop alongside singer, author and activist Janis Ian. The conversation will explore the profound influence Leonard Bernstein had on both artists’ lives and careers, including his early championing of Ian’s “Society’s Child” and his inspirational impact on Alsop as a young aspiring conductor. Together, they will reflect on mentorship, artistic courage, and the barriers they have broken in their respective fields.
Throughout the series, audiences will experience first-hand stories, artistic perspectives, and insights that illuminate the evening’s performance and the creative process behind it. Setting the Stage events are rain or shine and are free to ticket holders. Visit spac.org for details.
The full schedule is as follows:
July 8 | 6:30pm
Jonathan Stafford (Artistic Director of New York City Ballet and the School of American Ballet)
Moderated by Jay Rogoff
July 9 | 6:30pm
Taylor Stanley and Daniel Ulbricht (NYCB Principal Dancers)
Moderated by Jay Rogoff
July 10 | 12:45pm
Tiler Peck (NYCB Principal Dancer and Choreographer)
Moderated by Jay Rogoff
July 11 | 6:30pm
Wendy Whelan (Associate Artistic Director of NYCB)
Moderated by Jay Rogoff
August 6 | 6:30pm
Morten Solvik (Music Scholar with Mahler Foundation)
Lecture Style
August 7 | 6:15pm
Marin Alsop (Principal Guest Conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra)
Moderated by Songwriter, Author, and Activist Janis Ian
Co-presented with Caffè Lena
August 12 | 6:15pm
Daniele Rustioni (Principal Guest Conductor of the Metropolitan Opera House)
Moderated by WMHT Host Rob Brown
August 13 | 6:30pm
Naomi Woo (Philadelphia Orchestra Assistant Conductor)
Moderated by WMHT Host Rob Brown
August 20 | 6:30pm
Joseph Conyers (Philadelphia Orchestra Principal Bass)
Moderated by SPAC CEO Elizabeth Sobol
Setting the Stage is made possible in part with generous support from Russell Sage College.
SPAC’s 60th anniversary is being celebrated throughout 2026 with a series of special performances, events, and initiatives that honor its legacy as a home for world-class artists while highlighting its continued evolution as a year-round cultural destination. To follow along and be the first to receive updates, visit spac.org and follow Saratoga Performing Arts Center on social media.
Saratoga Performing Arts Center
Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC), located in the historic resort town of Saratoga Springs in upstate New York, is one of America’s most prestigious outdoor amphitheaters. Its exquisite setting in a 2,400-acre park preserve surrounded by hiking trails, geysers, and natural mineral springs draws lovers of arts, culture and nature for performances by resident companies New York City Ballet, The Philadelphia Orchestra, The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the Saratoga Jazz Festival, and concerts by Live Nation. SPAC also hosts imaginative programming such as Caffè Lena @ SPAC and initiatives in culinary, literary, healing and visual arts.
SPAC is a 501c3 charitable organization. Donations and proceeds from fundraising events benefit the Center’s thriving education program, community outreach efforts, and the vibrancy of its programming. For more information visit spac.org.
Photo: Setting the Stage before BalletX on June 11 | © NUA Photography