About Us

The Sag Harbor Song Festival, the vision of Lena Kaplan, made its successful debut in September 2022, in collaboration with The Church, a spectacular cultural venue in Sag Harbor founded by April Gornik and Eric Fischl. Its subsequent two seasons, in 2023 and 2024, have proven to be as enthusiastically received as its inaugural outing. All three Festivals to date have been sold out!

Audiences are welcomed into a unique and special "salon" setting of brilliant music in three performances on consecutive days. The singers are all rising young stars. Each year the Festival aims to present the audience with a wide range of music from operatic repertory, operetta, lieder, song and musical theatre. Demonstrating that wonderful breadth, more than 80 composers have been featured in the first three seasons.

The Festival is led by Brad Woolbright, Artistic Director, who served for 43 years at the world-renowned Santa Fe Opera and Robert Tweten, Music Director, whose skill and musical prowess are well celebrated.

We are now turning our attention to the 2025 Festival which will be held September 19-21, 2025. More details will be coming in the spring. We very much look forward to sharing yet another special and wonderful Festival with devoted music aficionados - and those who are just beginning to dip their toes into the magic of music.

Click the arrow below to enjoy some highlights of the 2024 Festival:

Our Team

Founder, Lena Kaplan
Artistic Director, Brad Woolbright
Music Director, Robert Tweten

Board and Officers of Sag Harbor Song Festival, Inc. 

Lena Kaplan
Dinah Nissen
David Frye

Brad Woolbright (Treasurer)
Danielle St. Marie (Secretary)

Testimonials

  • “In its third season, Sag Harbor Song Festival has already become one of the greatest music festivals in the country, and there is good reason for that. Everyone at SHSF welcomed us singers with open arms. This warm, welcoming environment is ideal for an artist to really flourish to their fullest potential. Thank you SHSF for your warmth and generosity. You will hold a special place in my heart.”

    Duke Kim, tenor | SHSF 2024

  • “The Sag Harbor Song Festival was a truly invigorating week of music and artistry. It was very special to make music in a space that celebrates humanity through all genres of art and shares it with an audience so welcoming and appreciative of it. It was equally exciting to be given a platform to sing such a wide range of repertoire and share it with singers of such a high calibre. A heartfelt thank you to the entire team who made this dream a reality. ”

    Erika Baikoff, soprano | SHSF 2024

  • “It was such a great joy to be a part of the Sag Harbor Song Festival 2024 this past September! It is rare to encounter such an engaged and generous audience, and the intimate setting made for a truly special series of concerts. The performances from my colleagues were truly transcendent, and each concert was truly special with a unique presentation of opera, art song and musical theatre.”

    Lydia Grindatto, soprano | SHSF 2024

  • “I had such a wonderful time at the Sag Harbor Song Festival this past September 2024! Making music with my dear mentor, colleague, and friend, Bob Tweten, is always a privilege. Every time we collaborate, I learn something new and feel inspired. Art song has been a passion of mine since my student days, and I’ve missed performing these pieces. Grateful for the opportunity the Festival gave me to return to this repertoire and dive back into music that means so much to me."

    William Guanbo Su, bass | SHSF 2024

  • “Singing in the inaugural season of the Sag Harbor Song Festival felt so much like we were preparing this marvelous jewel to release into the world. I had a wonderful, uplifting experience, collaborating with superb artists and friends. Sharing incredible music and palpable energy with an audience so close to us in that beautiful acoustic space was extraordinary.”

    Anna Christy, soprano | SHSF 2022

  • “My time at the Sag Harbor Song Festival was a highlight of my year. Not only did the organization care for their artists, but they gave us the most beautiful opportunity to make art in a gorgeous setting. My fellow singers were incredibly talented and our pianist Robert Tweten helped to make it an incredibly rewarding artistic experience. I’d recommend this experience to any singer and I know audiences would love anything that Sag Harbor Song Festival puts on!”

    Sarah Coit, mezzo-soprano | SHSF 2022

  • “Performing in the inaugural year of the Sag Harbor Song Festival still holds a special place in my heart. I cherish the opportunity SHSF created to make music with stellar artists, now friends, in a one of a kind space like The Church. Collaborating each day in the heart of Sag Harbor was lovely in that you really felt like a part of community for a short, beautifully intense period of time. When the hall filled with people is when things really became special. Seeing the same faces night after night smiling back at us made me feel as though we were performing for our own friends and family, an experience I will not soon forget. Thank you, Sag Harbor. ”

    Jarrett Ott, baritone | SHSF 2022

  • “Sag Harbor Song Festival 2022 was one of those truly great experiences that every singer longs for. Each singer was absolutely world-class, each collaboration was a true pleasure, and every day felt jam-packed without being overwhelming. Often, leaving a busy gig like this, I would have felt the need to take a couple days off, but, on the contrary, this experience was so moving that I left and absolutely couldn't wait to get to my next gig. Because of the nature of the Festival, I also had the opportunity to watch colleagues perform, and it was striking the extent to which everyone was just able to do their very best, most genuine work in this context: singers I've known for a decade clearly felt comfortable being their authentic selves in a room full of total strangers, which speaks to the miraculous nature of a Festival like this. The team of Brad Woolbright and Bob Tweten is absolutely unmatched, and I would gladly have bought a ticket for any event that they put together, but this surpassed even those very high expectations.”

    David Leigh, bass | SHSF 2022