News from the Members
06.04.2017
The Wagner Society of New York - 40 years and counting
We would like to thank our members (from many states and countries) for making these four decades possible. Help us make the next forty as rewarding as the first forty have been. Why join a Wagner society, in this digital age of instant access to performances and news around the world?
Here are a few reasons:
- Meeting and sharing experiences with people who share your special interests.
- Free attendance at regular programs; reduced fees for special events.
- Subscription to Wagner Notes, a bimonthly newsletter which includes reviews of domestic and international operas, books, and other new releases: your connection to the entire world of Wagner.
- An active website: entry to all facets of the Society and other links.
- Catalogue, with member discounts on many Wagner-related books, videos,Wagneriana, and CDs of popular lectures.
- Discounted tickets and group sales for selected Wagner functions and Ring cycles.
- Tickets for the Bayreuth Festival and other festivals.
The development and progress of organizations such as ours is much more complicated than in 1977: think of the technological changes: social media, desktop publishing, email reporting (and some people don’t even open their emails!).
Please share your expertise, time, and enthusiasm. Volunteer to get involved in making everything happen: programming, publishing, promotion, technology.
We hope you will participate in the following upcoming activities to the fullest:
We hope you will participate in the following upcoming activities to the fullest:
- Sunday April 3 from noon to 3pm Dutchman luncheon cruise on the yacht Cloud Nine IV. The entire cast of Der fliegende Holländer at the Met will be invited. Incomparable views of the harbor and the Statue of Liberty. The best way to reserve is via the WSNY website.
- May 20 (Sat.), 6:00–9:00 pm. Recital featuring outstanding WSNY grantees, followed by a gala reception and buffet. It’s Wagner’s 204th birthday and WSNY’s 40th. Catering by Openskies Hospitality at the Liederkranz. Their catering for the recent Special Contributors Reception was superb. Enjoy a great musical and social evening. Flyer to be mailed shortly.
- June 14 (Wed.), 7:30 pm. Lecture by Prof. Simon Williams: “Wagner and Nietzsche: The Unique Vision of Parsifal.” At the Liederkranz. Prof. Williams (UC Santa Barbara) was our Bayreuth lecturer from 1998–2000, and is a writer and lecturer on Wagner and other opera topics. Prepare for Parsifal at the Met in Feb. 2018. It will be the topic of our Seminar next season.
Kit Gill, Sept. 2, 1939 (Far Rockaway, NY)–March 20, 2017 (New York, NY), our beloved vice president and a friend to all, including many international artists and conductors, was a Board member, then vice president, from 1990 until her passing. It is impossible to describe all the ways in which she helped the Society. She was indefatigable in organizing and developing plans for many events. Kit also hosted many memorable Special Contributor receptions in her home. Donations in her memory may be made by check to the WSNY Singers Fund or other designations, payable to the Wagner Society of New York (see address below).
Sydny Kirshnit, Aug. 20, 1919 (New Britain, CT)–March 1, 2017 (New York), had been a member of the Society since 1989. He established the Robert Lauch Memorial Fund, an endowed fund, in memory of his late partner in 1992, and also established the Robert Lauch Matching Fund. Both of these funds have grown greatly over the years since they were established and they supplement the contributions made by our special contributor members. Syd was devoted to assisting young singers realize their potential.
Wagner Society of New York
P.O. Box 230949, Ansonia Station, New York, NY 10023-0949
phone: 212-749-4561 fax: 212-749-1542 wagnerring@aol.com www.wagnersocietyny.org