Opera Meets Hollywood at Ventfort Hall

LENOX, Mass. — The Prima Music Foundation's returns to Ventfort Hall with their popular Opera Meets Hollywood concert on Thursday, Aug. 21 at 5:30 pm.

This special evening at Ventfort Hall, presented by Anastasia Dedik Prima Music Foundation Artistic Director, features a blend of opera, musical theater, and iconic piano works from film.

Anastasia Dedik founded the Prima Music Foundation, Prima Music Academy, and the Prima Music Institute & Festival Summer Camp that is held every summer in Berkshires. Her students have performed at Carnegie Hall and won top national and international awards. She is an internationally acclaimed pianist

Dedik welcomes soprano Jeanne Gérard, a special guest from Paris, France, reuniting with pianist Anastasia Dedik, her longtime collaborator from their years at The Juilliard School and the Manhattan School of Music.

This concert also marks the Prima Music Foundation debut of soprano Sadiyah Babatunde.

PMF and Artistic Director Anastasia Dedik present young pianists from the Foundation; Artois Sancho, Opal Garg and Dylan Conuel, who recently participated in the 2025 Prima Music Institute and Festival held at the Berkshire Music School. 

Tickets are $45 general admission. Reservations are required as seats are limited. For reservations visit https://gildedage.org/pages/calendar or call (413) 637-3206. Note that all tickets are nonrefundable and non-exchangeable. The historical mansion is located at 104 Walker Street in Lenox.

Great Barrington Fire, Police Respond to Chimney Fire

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
02:48PM / Tuesday, February 17, 2026

Fire Chief Scott Turner called for mutual aid as soon as he saw flames. 

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Firefighters made quick work of a chimney fire on Tuesday afternoon and two police officers aided the occupant in escaping the building. 

 

Fire Chief Scott Turner said the blaze at 205 North St. was reported about 12:38 p.m.

 

"When I arrived on scene, we had a small amount of flames coming out of the eaves of the roof over by the chimney for the wood stove, and then we had light smoke conditions on the second floor," he said. 

 

Police Officers Andres Huertas and Elias Casey were first on the scene and immediately entered the single-family home to find the occupant was on the second floor. 

 

They helped her out of the building, Turner said, "they did a great job."

 

The chimney is a metal chimney and burn marks could been seen where it meets the eaves on the side of the building. 

 

North Street is a narrow residential way and firetrucks from Alford, Egremont, Monterey, Richmond, Stockbridge and West Stockbridge were parked along nearby streets. Scene support was provided by police, Southern Berkshire Ambulance, and National Grid.