Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Caramoor
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East elevation of Rosen House, 2008
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 Location in New York
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| Location | Katonah, New York |
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| Nearest city | White Plains |
| Area | 81 acres (33 ha) |
| Built | 1929–39 |
| Architect | Christian Rosborg, Mott B. Schmidt |
| Architectural style | Renaissance Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 01000548 |
| Added to NRHP | March 25, 2001 |
Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts is a special place near Katonah, New York. It's about 50 miles north of New York City. Once, it was a private home and large property. Today, it's a famous spot for live music. You can hear symphonies, opera, jazz, and American roots music here.
The estate and its beautiful home were created by Walter and Lucie Rosen. They were the original owners. The Caramoor Summer Music Festival happens here every summer. Caramoor also offers fun educational programs. People can even rent the space for events like weddings or meetings.
The Rosens built their home, a Tuscan-style villa, in the 1930s. They brought many unique items from Europe. They started hosting small music shows in 1945. These shows grew into Caramoor's current music events. The Rosens also collected amazing Renaissance and Chinese artworks. You can see these rare pieces all over the estate. Lucie Rosen later gave the property to a private group. This group runs Caramoor today. In 2001, Caramoor was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's a special historic site.
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Exploring Caramoor: Buildings and Gardens
Caramoor covers 81 acres (about 33 hectares). It's located on Girdle Ridge Road, near Katonah. The area has many large homes and wooded spaces. The John Jay Homestead State Historic Site is also nearby.
Caramoor became an arts and music center after the Rosens' son died in World War II. The couple gave the property in his memory. It quickly became a popular summer festival. The estate has 12 important historic features. These include seven buildings, one site, and four structures. The Venetian Theater was built later, after Caramoor became a music center.
The Rosen House: A Historic Home
A winding driveway leads to the Rosen House. This beautiful building sits on a small hill. It's made of stucco and has a red tile roof. The roof has different shapes, like gables and hips. A high curved wall connects to the servants' living area. A terrace with a stone railing extends from the dining room. Another terrace is off the main bedroom.
The Spanish Courtyard is at the center of the house. It's surrounded by a cloister (a covered walkway). This cloister has columns from the 12th century. A large stone archway leads into the courtyard. The courtyard is the main entrance to the house. It has a big fountain in the middle. A clock is on the second floor. When used for concerts, the courtyard can seat 500 people.
Most rooms are entered from the courtyard or narrow hallways. They have stucco walls and coved ceilings. Much of the furniture and decorations came from Europe. The Rosens brought entire rooms from England, France, Italy, and Spain. The second floor has bedrooms and is also mostly original.
Some rooms have very special items:
- The Burgundian Library has a blue vaulted ceiling. It's decorated with 13 Bible scenes. There are also 65 other paintings on the doors and walls.
- The Cabinet Room has lacquered panels. These were made for a palace in Turin, Italy, in the 1700s.
- The dining room has Chinese wallpaper from the 1700s. It also has a rare Chinese jade folding screen. This screen shows the Taoist Hills of Immortality. It has 40 panels and a gilded teak frame. The red lacquered chairs were made for a Spanish castle.
- The Reception Room also has Chinese wallpaper. Its furniture came from a dress shop in Venice.
- The master bedroom has a gilded bed. This bed once belonged to Cardinal Maffeo Barberini, who later became Pope Urban VIII.
The Music Room is the largest room. It's 40 by 80 feet (12 by 24 meters) with a 30-foot (9-meter) high ceiling. It was originally the living room. Now, it has movable seating and a large stage. It seats 172 people and hosts music events all year. Its art includes a 16th-century Florentine cassapanca (a large chest). There's also a collection of Urbino majolica (decorated pottery). You can see a 13th-century head of Guan Yin and a painting by Lucas Cranach the Elder.
Outdoor Spaces: Gardens and Venues
The servants' quarters are connected to the Rosen House. This two-story building looks similar to the main house. Today, it holds Caramoor's offices.
The Venetian Theater is the second-largest building. It's along the main entrance drive. It was added in the late 1950s. It has a brick stage and a colonnade (row of columns). A large tent roof covers the audience. This theater seats 1,546 people. It's the main place for big music shows.
Near the theater is the Sunken Garden. This garden was planted around 1912. It's the oldest part of the estate. Stucco walls surround it on three sides. Stairs and walkways lead to its flower beds. The "Medieval Mount" at the back has concrete benches.
The Venetian Circle is east of the garden. It has two 17th-century Swiss gates. These gates have Pegasus heads sculpted by Malvina Hoffman. Two paths lead to other gardens. The Juliet Gate, from 17th-century Italy, leads to the Cedar Walk. This path goes through the Woodland Garden. It has tall eastern and western cedars. The path leads to the Italian Pavilion. This pavilion was once a viewing area for a tennis court.
The Butterfly Garden is also here. It's based on a Filippo Brunelleschi design. It has plants that help butterflies grow. The Cutting Garden is next to the greenhouse. Caramoor's gardeners grow cut flowers here. A longer path goes through the Theater Garden. It leads to a large Victorian urn.
A former dovecote (a small house for doves) was moved. It's now a fountain. This fountain is the center of the Sense Circle. This garden is designed for people who can't see well. The fountain makes nice sounds. The plants appeal to other senses, and some are even edible.
Other buildings include a stable, two cottages, garages, and a storage shed. They were built in the 1930s and look like the Rosen House. The beautiful landscaping is also part of Caramoor's historic listing.
Caramoor's Story: From Home to Music Center
Walter Rosen was born in Berlin. He moved to the United States when he was 10. He loved music and art. He went to Harvard and became a lawyer. In 1901, he joined the Ladenburg Thalmann bank. He worked there for the rest of his life.
In 1914, Walter married Lucie Bigelow Dodge. She also loved music and art. They collected many artworks during their trips to Europe. These are now at Caramoor.
They bought the property in 1928. Walter's former law partner told them about his mother's estate. It was called Caramoor, named after Caroline Moore Hoyt. The Rosens loved the Sunken Garden and its cedars. They reminded them of Italy.
The Rosens first planned to tear down most of the old buildings. They wanted to build a grand Italian-style palace. But the Great Depression changed their plans. Instead, they slowly remodeled the existing farm buildings. By 1939, the work was finished. Architect Christian Rosborg designed the estate. The Rosens watched the work closely.
In 1940, they started hosting music shows for friends in the Music Room. In 1944, their only son, Walter, died in World War II. He was serving in the Royal Canadian Air Force. The Rosens decided to dedicate their lives to music at Caramoor. They started the Caramoor Center in 1946. Then, they opened performances to the public.
After Walter Rosen died in 1951, the concerts became very popular. In 1958, they added the Venetian Theater. This was near the Sunken Garden. The house opened for public tours in 1970, two years after Lucie Rosen died. Architect Mott B. Schmidt designed a new wing in 1974. This wing held rooms from the Rosens' New York City apartment. It also expanded the art collection.
The tent roof and floor were added to the Venetian Theater later. This allowed shows even in bad weather. The Sense Circle was created in the late 1980s. This happened after the dovecote was moved. Few other big changes have happened to the buildings and gardens.
Lucie Rosen and Her Amazing Theremin
Caramoor founder Lucie Bigelow Rosen (1890-1968) was a talented musician. She heard a futuristic electronic instrument called the theremin. She called it "a new sound in the world." The theremin was named after its inventor, Leon Theremin. Lucie loved it and became one of its first supporters. She performed with it all over Europe and the United States.
Walter and Lucie Rosen met Leon Theremin in 1929. They were very impressed by him and his instrument. The theremin is a wooden box with two metal antennas. You play it by moving your hands through its invisible fields. You don't even touch it!
The Rosens let Professor Theremin use one of their homes in New York. Lucie Rosen worked hard to master the instrument. She became one of Theremin's best students. She was also his helper and friend. Her first performance was in 1930. By 1932, Lucie was performing often in New York. In 1935, she had her official New York debut. Critics loved her performances. They said she played the theremin with great skill and musical knowledge.
In 1935, Lucie Rosen also had a successful concert in London. She decided to go on a big European tour the next year. She played to excited crowds in many cities. These included Naples, Rome, Zurich, and Paris. Lucie also kept performing in the United States. She gave many concerts in New York City and the Northeast.
By late 1938, Walter Rosen was worried about Leon Theremin. Theremin had problems with taxes and his personal life. He was also behind on rent. Walter Rosen politely asked Theremin to leave their home.
Just before Leon Theremin left the country, he finished a new instrument for Lucie. She named it the September Theremin. It was the most advanced instrument he ever built. The September Theremin is on display at Caramoor's Rosen House. Lucie made sure she knew every detail of the instrument. She wanted to be able to fix it herself. Her detailed "Theremin Notebook" has diagrams and part numbers. Many spare parts are still at the Rosen House.
During the 1930s, the theremin became very popular. Lucie kept a busy performance schedule. Other theremin players liked classical music. But Lucie encouraged composers to write new music just for the theremin. She asked many composers to create pieces for it. Much of this original music is in Caramoor's archives.
In 1950, the Rosens went on Lucie's third and last European tour. She performed in London, Amsterdam, Rome, and Vienna. Her last concert was in 1953. After being held in Soviet camps, Theremin tried to contact Lucie. He wanted to visit her again. But it didn't happen before she died in 1968. After her husband Walter died in 1951, Lucie focused on the Caramoor Music Festival. She wanted it to grow and succeed. Caramoor is still a place for theremin experts. They find Lucie's letters and music very helpful for their research.
Caramoor's Programs: Music and Learning
Caramoor mainly offers classical music and opera. The Orchestra of St. Luke's has been playing there since 1979. During the Caramoor Summer Music Festival, from June to August, you can also hear jazz, bluegrass, and popular artists. Concerts happen year-round in the Music Room. In 2005, the festival featured a special piece called "First Airphonic Suite." Lydia Kavina, the great-niece of theremin inventor Leon Theremin, played the theremin. Caramoor has some of Lucie Rosen's theremins. This includes a very advanced one Theremin gave her.
Caramoor also has many educational programs. Since 1986, about 5,000 students have learned through these programs. They teach schoolchildren about music, Renaissance culture, and Chinese art. Programs for musicians include mentoring from famous artists. There's also a special program for string quartets.
Visitors can enjoy picnic lunches before a performance. The grounds are perfect for wandering. Caramoor can be rented for events like company meetings or photo shoots. Weddings are very popular here. The Knot, a wedding planning company, named Caramoor one of its favorite places for weddings.
