Clark Art Hosts Outdoor Classical Concert and Family Concert

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Over Labor Day weekend, The Knights orchestra returns to the Clark Art Institute to present two free concerts.

The first is an outdoor concert on Saturday, Aug. 31 at 4 pm on the Fernández Terrace by the Clark's reflecting pool. The second is a family-friendly concert on Sunday, Sept. 1 at noon in the Clark's auditorium, located in the Manton Research Center.

Outdoor Concert
Saturday, Aug. 31, 4 pm
Focused on its string section, The Knights celebrate the Clark's major summer exhibition by playing a double violin concerto, Symphonie Concertante in G Major, by Joseph Bologne, the Chevalier de Saint-George, a contemporary of painter Guillaume Lethière, the subject of the Clark's major summer exhibition. The afternoon's program includes the world premiere of a new composition by Kyle Sanna, Undone Landscape, featuring renowned Syrian clarinetist Kinan Azmeh as guest soloist. Azmeh's own composition, “Wedding” from Suite for Improviser and Orchestra and Gabriela Ortiz's La Calaca round out the program.

Bring a picnic and your own seating. Rain moves the performance to Sept. 1.

Family Concert
Sunday, September 1, 12 pm
Music lovers of all ages will delight in a family-friendly concert that complements the Guillaume Lethière exhibition in an engaging, interactive setting. The Knights perform excerpts from Symphonie Concertante in G Major by a contemporary of Lethière, Joseph Bologne, the Chevalier de Saint-George. Geared to introduce young children to orchestral music, the Knights provide a highly interactive concert showcasing the way instruments can tell a story. In this accessible afternoon event, children and their adults discover the limitless imaginative possibilities of classical music.

Based in New York City, The Knights are a collective of musicians dedicated to transforming the orchestral experience and eliminating barriers between audience and music. Led by an open-minded spirit of camaraderie and collaboration, they seek to engage with contemporary culture through vibrant performances that honor the classical tradition and their passion for musical discovery.

Both concerts are free. For accessibility concerns, call 413 458 0524. For more information, visit clarkart.edu/events.

These performances are presented through the support of the Sea Island Foundation.

Lanesborough Officials Review Schools' Budgets

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
05:49AM / Thursday, April 09, 2026

Mount Greylock Superintendent Joseph Bergeron, left, addresses the Lanesborough Select Board and Finance Committee as School Committee member Curtis Elfenbein looks at the projection of a slide in the district's budget presentation.

LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — Town officials Monday appeared generally receptive to the fiscal year 2027 spending plans for the two public school districts that serve the town.

 

Superintendents from the Northern Berkshire Vocational Regional School District (McCann Technical School) and Mount Greylock Regional School District presented their respective FY27 budgets to a joint meeting of the town's Finance Committee and Select Board.

 

Both districts are sending significantly higher assessments for approval at Lanesborough's annual town meeting in June.

 

McCann Tech, which constituted a $317,109 expenditure for the town in the current fiscal year, is seeking $463,978 for the fiscal year that begins on July 1 even though the school's operating budget is up just 3.2 percent year to year.

 

The 46 percent increase in Lanesborough's share of McCann Tech's budget is is due to two factors: a rise in enrollment of town residents at the vocational school from 20 in 2025 to 29 in this school year and a capital assessment for the first round of payments — for interest only — for a roof and window replacement project on the North Adams campus.

 

The Mount Greylock assessment, a much larger component of Lanesborough's property tax bill, is up 10.99 percent from FY26 to FY27, from $6.8 million to $7.6 million.

 

Mount Greylock Superintendent Joseph Bergeron gave a budget presentation similar to one he has delivered twice to the district's School Committee and again last month to the Williamstown Finance Committee, explaining that while the FY27 budget maintains level services to students with a net reduction of three positions, a series of factors are driving much larger assessments to Mount Greylock's two member towns.