MISSION STATEMENT
The Marcella Sembrich Memorial Association honors international opera singer Marcella Sembrich at her former teaching studio and woodland retreat on Lake George. Our mission is to:
- Preserve and protect the museum collection, historical significance, and legacy of Marcella Sembrich;
- Present performances and exhibitions that foster an appreciation for music, including opera, and the arts;
- Provide educational opportunities for the study of classical music.
Constructed in 1924, The Sembrich is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and was once part of the lakeside estate of Marcella Sembrich, a leading singer at the Metropolitan Opera during its 1883-84 inaugural season and from 1889-1909. Her voice was among the first recorded live on the historic Mapleson Cylinders and she was one of the first commercial recording artists, creating over 95 early recordings from 1903-19 for the Victor Talking Machine Co. and Columbia Records. Sembrich was considered one of the finest musicians of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and she later founded the vocal programs at the Juilliard Graduate School and the Curtis Institute of Music. The lakeside studio that now houses the organization’s museum once hosted Sembrich’s students, who would travel to the Adirondacks each summer to study with their renowned teacher.
In 1937, two years after her death, Sembrich’s teaching studio was opened to the public as a museum commemorating her legacy by her daughter-in-law Juliette de Coppet-Stengel. In 1940, Juliette founded the Marcella Sembrich Memorial Association and conveyed to the organization the bulk of the museum’s collection, the teaching studio, and the 4.5-acre lakeside property. The organization was granted a charter as a museum and given non-profit status in 1964 and has since been overseen by a volunteer board of professionals.
Our permanent and rotating exhibitions document the legacy of Polish soprano Marcella Sembrich (1858-1935). The Sembrich Collection contains memorabilia from Sembrich’s career, including accolades from Brahms, Puccini, and Rachmaninoff. On display are original opera costumes, fine art, photographs, and other personal effects. Free tours are offered to enrich and to broaden understandings of classical music, local history, and historic preservation. In addition to the historic studio museum, the surrounding lakeside grounds – which command some of the finest panoramic views of Lake George – offer a pristine setting with walking paths for visitors to enjoy.
Presenting more than 25 events annually, including concerts, films, and lectures, The Sembrich actively contributes to the cultural landscape of the Town of Bolton and the Lower Adirondack and greater Capital Regions. Notable performers who have appeared in concert at the museum include the Canadian Brass, mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe, the Villa Lobos Brothers, and members of The Philadelphia Orchestra, among many others.
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