Steiner retiring from Tannery
Christian Steiner is retiring from his position as artistic director of Tannery Pond Concerts, the summer series he founded more than 30 years ago.
The announcement came from Derek Delaney, artistic director of Capital Regional Classical, which presents a chamber music series at Union College in Schenectady and at other venues. Capital Region Classical will take on administrative duties working in collaboration with the Tannery Pond board of trustees and Delaney will serve as artistic director curating the annual lineup of artists.
Accompanying the announcement of Steiner’s retirement was the schedule of 2022 concerts for Tannery Pond as well as the full 2022/23 season for Capital Region Classical.
“While planning my retirement I could not think of anyone better than Derek to plan the future concerts at Tannery Pond. He has the vision, the savvy and the taste that a concert venue requires, and I am very happy for Tannery and its audience to have him as my successor,” said Steiner in a statement.
Steiner is widely known as a photographer who specializes in working with top classical artist for portraits and record covers. His Manhattan studio was most active during the LP and
early CD eras when he photographed classical music legends like Maria Callas, Leonard Bernstein and Herbert von Karajan, among many others. He is also a skilled pianist who occasionally appeared alongside guest artists at Tannery Pond.
The series has a unique home, a Shaker barn built in 1834 that is now part of the campus of the Darrow School in New Lebanon. Over the years Steiner drew on his many contacts in the music business to bring illustrious artists to the remote venue. Among them are
pianists Emanual Ax and Jean-Yves Thibaudet, and singers Jessye Norman and Susan Graham. The series typically runs from late spring to early fall and Delaney says the number of concerts will remain at six per season.
“I’m truly honored that Christian and the Tannery board have entrusted me with continuing its legacy of artistic excellence,” Delaney says.
The new Tannery season starts on May 28 with a concert by violinist Geneva Lewis and pianist Evren Ozel and concludes on Sept. 10 with a mixed ensemble
playing an all-Ravel program. There will also be piano recitals by Aaron Diehl and Haochen Zhang, and an evening in tribute to Steiner.
The next season of Capital Regional Classical concerts, which will run through April 23, 2023, will begin at the Union College Memorial Chapel on Oct. 9 with the return of pianist Jonathan Biss. Another sought-after pianist, Mitsuko Uchida, is also returning in an all-Beethoven program on Feb. 17. Other highlights include a Vivaldi program from the eight-member
Jupiter Ensemble, an early music group and one of the largest ensembles to appear in the series in recent years.
Reflecting a new emphasis on diversity within the field, “The World of Samuel Coleridge Taylor” on April 3 will be a tribute to the English mixed-race composer who died in 1912. The 20-concert season also includes one event at Hudson Hall in Hudson and two concerts at the Massry Center in Albany.