We’ve been spending time combing through the Lane Series archives to amass a collection to share with our patrons as part of our 70th year celebration next season.

What fun! The old brochures, though the design is anything but slick, are a treasure trove of information and detail on seasons past. I am simply amazed at the breadth and strength of Lane Series programming over the past seven decades. Live since '55!

For example, as we get ready to present another crop of Van Cliburn International Piano Competition winners this year, I see that Van the Man himself performed on Lane in 1962 – just 4 years after the Tchaikovsky competition in Moscow that catapulted him to fame. In 1962 he was perhaps one of the most well-known performers on the planet, and he played for a sell-out crowd of 3,000 people at the Memorial Auditorium. (Apparently, Lane Director Jack Trevithick and Cliburn’s manager crossed signals, so no one picked him up at the airport for his gig. He had to take a cab!) 

And there are so many presentations of artists who were not yet household names, but would go on to major careers, like the 28-year-old Yo-Yo Ma, 21-year-old Joan Baez, 26-year-old Paul Simon, and 13-year-old Julian Lage.

And the established stars! Dizzy Gillespie, Andrès Segovia, Dave Brubeck, Tina Turner, Mahalia Jackson, Isaac Stern, Martha Graham, Robert Frost…In every single genre, the list goes on and on. I’m still trying to wrap my brain around the fact that you could see Sir John Gielgud perform on the Lane Series at Memorial Auditorium in Burlington VT, in 1958!

You can feel the striving. The sense of, “Damn it, we (meaning the early Lane Directors, Board, involved students, and UVM Administration) are going to make this little city into someplace culturally significant, and a place where we want to live.” This was going on all over America in the 1950’s; the Lane Series isn’t unique. But the intelligence and diversity of the programming, the loyalty of the audience who always seemed willing to try something new, and sheer friendliness and camaraderie of the Lane Series experience has given us remarkable staying power.

And now…onward! Hopefully for another 70 years (at least). We're updating our logo, have added new content to our website (including a full list of shows back to the first season in 1955), and will be rolling out many more opportunities for you to interact with us. You can expect your mailed print brochure by mid-July, and our website goes live for orders on July 16.  In it, you’ll see many old favorites and make some fresh new discoveries. Like the folks who got to experience Joan Baez – in 1962!

Hope to see you at the hall,

P.S. While Lane Series is dark over the summer, our friends at the Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival are presenting Mozartiana: The Creative Phenomenon from August 16th - 24th. The Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival is known for its outstanding musicians, innovative programming, and educational activities under the leadership of Artistic Directors Gloria Chien, Soovin Kim, and Composer-in-Residence David Serkin Ludwig. You can find more information and get tickets here.