2006-2007
was the first season of the Treetops Chamber
Music Society (Treetops CMS), bringing a second
life to what once was the Art Studio of Louis Schanker, best known for his WPA
mural which remains at the studios of WNYC in New
York City. “Lou’s two loves were music
and art, so this new use of the studio seems very
appropriate,” says Lou Siegel, nephew of the
artist. The Art Studio of Louis Schanker, now
known as The Treetops Studio, is part of the
Treetops estate, where former owner, torch singer
Libby Holman, once held glamorous parties that
attracted celebrities such as Elizabeth Taylor,
Montgomery Clift and Truman Capote. Ms. Holman
was an avid supporter of the civil rights
movement and hosted Dr. Martin Luther King and
his wife Coretta Scott King at Treetops in the
1960’s. Louis Schanker was the late husband
of Libby Holman.
Bringing a second life to Louis Schanker’s
art studio has proven rewarding: the concert
space has outstanding chamber music acoustics and
the intimate setting is incomparable for the
creative and friendly atmosphere found at
Treetops CMS. Many new friendships have emerged
at Treetops CMS over great concerts and the wine
and conversations that follow the music.
To raise funds for various causes in the
community, Libby Holman founded the Treetops
Daffodil Festivals in the 1950’s, which
became a tradition for many generations and are
still vivid in the memory of many today. Some of
the adults that attend Treetops CMS concerts used
to come to Treetops as children to see the
daffodils. Treetops CMS brings music and
nature together by inviting its audiences to
enjoy the beautiful nature of Treetops at the
pre-concert walks and through its outreach
program for children “Music and Nature at
Treetops”.
Libby Holman’s final wish was that Treetops
be used as parkland and a cultural center.
However, after she passed away in 1971 the estate
moved from hand to hand, facing imminent
residential development in the late 1990s.
Treetops was finally protected as parkland thanks
to efforts from a broad coalition of
conservationists, while Libby Holman’s
mansion, the art studio and the daffodil gardens
remained private property. Thanks to the
generosity of its owners, the art studio is now
home to the Treetops Chamber Music Society and
concertgoers can once again enjoy the daffodil
gardens and the beautiful nature of the Treetops
grounds.
The Treetops Studio offers access for persons
with disabilities, free parking and, while a few
feet away from Greenwich, it is just ten minutes
away from downtown Stamford. Maximum capacity is
80. All concerts are presented twice: on
Saturday at 6 pm and on Sunday at 4 pm. The
Young Artists Concert on April 12 is a
Saturday-only concert. |
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| Libby Holman with
Gerald Cook at the piano |
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Louis Schanker's studio in
the 70's
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Treetops CMS since 2006
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