Chautauqua Institution: March Community Newsletter
Volume #2 • Edition #3 • June 2026
June 17, 2026
Dear Chautauquans,
We are three months from the start of the Chautauqua season, and we look forward to welcoming you back to our beloved grounds! When the Board of Trustees met in February, we reviewed our progress toward delivering a sustainable 2027 budget and then dove deep into our beautiful place — specifically the Athenaeum rehabilitation, patron housing and lake conservation.
The board approved a revised Athenaeum Hotel rehabilitation that honors its history, reduces the investment required, and focuses first on shared spaces (Chautauqua is the porchiest place in America). We also explored patron housing options that would responsibly expand our community within the grounds, and we plan to share with the community shortly for your input and feedback.
We reaffirmed our commitment to Chautauqua Lake by continuing research and partnerships that protect and restore this essential natural resource, while also encouraging us to partner with other entities around Chautauqua Lake.
I’m also pleased to say that we finalized and signed a new three-year collective bargaining agreement with the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra. This is an important milestone that reflects our shared commitment to artistic excellence.
And I am incredibly excited about this summer’s program. Highlights include Grammy Award-winning icons Melissa Etheridge and Wynonna Judd kicking off the season; Henry Louis Gates Jr. on Aug. 26; Paula Kerger, president and CEO of PBS, on July 9; and Natalie Merchant performing a family-friendly concert with our incredible Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra on Aug. 2.
As part of our staff housing plan, more private housing inventory is available for the 2026 season. While Week Six, “America at 250,” remains in high demand, rental options are still available for most weeks of the season, including at the Athenaeum Hotel. In addition, our CI-Plus service offers first-time visitors personalized assistance with planning, lodging and ticketing. More information on CI-Plus is included below.
Thank you for all the ways you support Chautauqua. I look forward to welcoming you back to the grounds very soon.
With gratitude,
Kyle F. Keogh
Interim Chief Executive
Board of Trustees Meeting Update: February 2026
The Chautauqua Institution Board of Trustees met in February for two days of discussion focused on financial performance, long-term sustainability and the future of the Chautauqua experience. Board leadership shares key themes from those conversations, including campus stewardship, housing and planning for the years ahead.
Chautauqua Institution announced the 2026 season of its resident Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra, alongside a new three-year collective bargaining agreement with the orchestra’s musicians and a shared commitment to raising endowment funds for the orchestra.
The three-year agreement, covering 2026 through 2028, maintains musician compensation while supporting the Institution's focus on long-term financial sustainability and audience development.
Continuing Our Amphitheater Pilot in 2026 with Sam Nelson, Director of Business Development
Last fall, I shared an update with all of you outlining both the successes and lessons learned from our first shoulder‑season concert and our initial attempt to pilot Amphitheater concessions during the Bonnie Raitt show.
Today, I’m writing to share how that experience is shaping our plans for 2026. With the Board of Trustees’ approval, we will continue exploring Amphitheater concessions and shoulder‑season concerts this summer, alongside several operational improvements on and around Odland Plaza. This is all with the goal of improving the overall patron experience while remaining thoughtful stewards of the grounds.
For more than 150 years, the Chautauqua Institution Summer Assembly has brought world-class performances, inspiring speakers, and meaningful programs to audiences from across the country. Sponsoring the season connects your organization with this vibrant tradition while offering valuable visibility among one of the region’s most engaged and influential audiences.
Summer sponsorships offer opportunities to:
Showcase your brand through unique on-site and programmatic recognition
Engage an audience that values culture, education and community impact
Provide memorable experiences for clients, employees and partners
Support regional cultural tourism and enriching family experiences
Interested in becoming a sponsor?
Contact Ariel Vilardo, Grants & Sponsorship Manager, to learn more about partnership opportunities.
The Board of Trustees has approved the installation and naming of a new garden to be installed in Lincoln Park prior to the opening of the 2026 Summer Assembly.
Designed to be a welcoming space for the enjoyment of all members of the community, it will be located on the south side of the park along Janes Avenue. The garden will sit among three trees, including a large maple that borders the grassy area where neighborhood children often play. This new space will create a cozy, inviting retreat within the larger more open areas of the park.
The Buildings and Grounds Committee of the Board of Trustees held several meetings to discuss the design, location and size of the garden. In these meetings, they sought input from community members, who were overwhelmingly in favor of the garden. The Committee was struck by how often Chautauquans reflected on Lincoln Park’s role in their childhoods and the memories it holds for several generations.
The garden will be fully endowed by the Elise S. Jamison Garden Fund, which has received contributions from over 165 donors to date.
It will feature a rich mix of flowering native perennials and ornamental grasses. The selection will include lavender, little bluestem grass, ladies’ mantle, catmint, black-eyed Susans, Japanese anemones, coneflowers, peonies, yarrow, bee balm, astilbe, as well as other complementary plants. The garden will provide blooms from Spring through Fall, an essential habitat for native pollinators. The plantings, and seating areas which face into the park, create a small “outdoor room” where people can pause and enjoy a quieter moment or watch the children at play.
Sacred Music Leadership Update
Joshua Stafford has stepped down as Director of Sacred Music at Chautauqua following several years of service. He began his tenure in 2020 as Director of Sacred Music and the Jared Jacobsen Chair for the Organist, with responsibilities that included planning daily worship and leading the Chautauqua Community Choir and Motet Choir. During his time at Chautauqua, the choirs continued to develop in artistic excellence and played a central role in the Institution’s worship life. Stafford also appeared as a soloist with the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra, contributed to Old First Night celebrations, and presented live improvisations for silent films in the Amphitheater.
Sonya Subbayya Sutton will serve as Interim Director of Sacred Music for the 2026 summer season.
If you’re welcoming someone to Chautauqua for the first time this season, CI-Plus offers a simple, thoughtful way to help them feel at home from the start.
Through personalized, one-on-one support, your guest is connected with a knowledgeable team member who can assist with tickets, gate passes, parking, classes and overall planning.
Available by referral, CI-Plus provides support before arrival and throughout the season, including pre-season appointments and daily assistance at the Main Gate Welcome Center.
To refer a guest, simply connect them with the CI-Plus team at ci-plus@chq.org.
Don’t forget your subscription to The Chautauquan Daily!
Avoid the lines and subscribe early to The Chautauquan Daily for news and insights during the 2026 Summer Assembly. Get your subscription now to stay informed from day one.
You’ll need to call or visit the ticket office to subscribe; subscriptions cannot be purchased online. This season, PDFs of the Daily will not be available on the Daily’s website for download day of publication. They will be posted to our website 3-5 business days after publication. Like years past select articles will be published on our website day of publication.
During your visit single copies can also be purchased in-person at select locations around the Grounds (The Daily office, The Bookstore and The Main Gate Welcome Center).
Call or visit the ticket office today! 716-357-6250 (option 5) Monday–Thursday (Closed Holidays).
A Reminder About YouTube Membership Changes
Chautauqua Institution’s YouTube channel is designed to meet viewers where they are — whether you watch live, catch up later, or explore past programs at your own pace. Our tiered options offer a variety of ways to engage with us online and ensure you have the access that fits your viewing habits best. Sharing these programs with a high standard of quality requires thoughtful production and ongoing investment — and your membership directly supports that work.
How you watch online matters more than ever this season, and our updated membership options let you choose a tier that matches your viewing habits.
Explore More & Sustain – $19.99/month: Full access to livestreams and in-season on-demand viewing all year long. This sustaining level provides essential support for the continued capture and sharing of Chautauqua’s programs.
Explore More – $9.99/month: Access to livestreamed programming during the summer season, with full on-demand access to the complete season beginning September 1.
Explore – $4.99/month: Access to Chautauqua’s growing video archive, with monthly releases of the most recent season from September through May.
It is important to note that the former $2.99/month tier — once known as CHQ Assembly and currently labeled as The Archive Collection — will be discontinued on June 1. To continue accessing programs after that date, viewers will need to select a different membership tier. We encourage you to consider upgrading to the Explore More & Sustain level to help preserve this resource and to ensure you have the most unrestricted access to our channel’s programs this season. Remember, you can change between the membership tiers at any time.
If you have not explored our YouTube channel yet, new members are always welcome to join and select the tier that’s right for them. (Please note: additional fees may apply when joining through Apple devices.)
Your continued support helps ensure Chautauqua’s programs remain available online, wherever you are and whenever, or whenever, you’re able to watch.
