Rites of Spring Music Festival is celebrating their 10th anniversary by paying homage to the organization’s birthplace: the North Fork.
Paolo Bartolani, founder of the festival, titled this year’s spring and summer performance calendar, “Rhythms of the Terroir: music, stories, practices.”
The April to September schedule features 15 events, each at different venues across the East End.
“People like to come, because first of all the quality of music, the concert, the program,” says Bartolani. “But at the same time, people love to discover new places on the North Fork.”
One new program the organization is putting on during in 2025 is an end-of-the-season performance, celebrating Latin American culture.
“I challenge myself every year to do something new and different,” says Bartolani. “This is not a job, this is a passion and a profession and connection with the community.”
On Sept. 13 at the North Fork Arts Center (211 Front St., Greenport) Toomai String Quintet will play music from Ernesto Lecuona, Manuel Ponce, Paquito D’Rivera and Amadeo Roldán in a performance titled, “Energía internacional!”
Another program original to the 2025 season is the Piano Rites series, set for August 9, 15 and 17, where music lovers can enjoy piano focused performances.
Consistent with the Rites of Spring theme, on June 16, the organization hosted a show at The Suffolk (118 E. Main St., Riverhead) titled “Celebrating the North Fork.” This performance spotlighted music by the Long Island Concert Orchestra, accompanied by tastings from McCall Wines and Borghese Vineyard & Winery.
Bartolani began the festival as a vehicle to bring Italian tradition from his home city of Rome to Long Island, when he moved 10 years ago.
“It’s not just bringing music, it’s not just bringing entertainment,” says Bartolani. “For me, it’s like being an ambassador. It’s bringing culture, bringing social connections.”
At its start, the Rites of Spring Music Festival had just four shows.
Quickly, the small-scale festival doubled in size and now has nearly quadrupled.
With the organization’s growing following, Bartolani loves giving festival goers that come from all over Long Island, lots to look forward to.
“That means that our audience, our subscribers, our followers, they know that there’s something happening every two weeks,” says Bartolani.
The next show, titled “New Ways of Looking at old Things” is scheduled for July 5, at 5 p.m. at Landcraft Garden Foundation (4342 Grand Ave., Mattituck).
Overlook Quartet will play music from Gabriela Smith, Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson, Shanan Estreicher, Trevor Weston, Eleonor Alberga in the gardens of the Mattituck location.
As for the rest of the season, the festival will host shows at the Custer Astronomical Observatory in Southold, the Village Green in Cutchogue, the Historic Barn at McCall Wines in Cutchogue and Poquatuck Hall in Orient.
To buy tickets to upcoming performances or to get involved with the festival visit ritesmusic.org.
