"Diva" is the word of the day now and located on Lake George is the summer home of one of the first divas of the Metropolitan Opera, Marcella Sembrich.  The Marcella Sembrich Museum sits on scenic Lake George in Bolton Landing and has been open to the public since 1937.   Marcella Sembrich (1858-1935) performed at the Metropolitan Opera in its first year, 1883, and later from 1898-1909.

Sembrich summered in Bolton Landing from 1922-1934, where she had a summer home and
studio.   In addition to performing, she taught at Julliard, Curtis Institute, and at her Bolton studio.   She was instrumental in showcasing new composers of her day and is credited with developing the format for professional recitals that is still used today. 

After her death, a group approached her daughter-in-law, Juliette de Coppet Stengel, with a desire to create a memorial to Ms. Sembrich.  This resulted in her studio opening as a museum 1937. It is opened annually from June 15-September 15.  There you can visit the grounds, her studio, and view the many costumes in which she performed, her personal belongings, furnishings, as well as paintings and photographs of Sembrich and her contemporaries.

In 2001, the museum completed restoration of the main museum building, which included replacement of supports and flooring, interior plaster and painting, ventilation, roofing shingles, and gutter replacements.   Two smaller rooms still need work, addressing humidity problems and venting in order to preserve the collection.  Donations to help finish with the renovations are welcomed.

The Marcella Sembrich Opera Museum has recently been added to the National Register of Historic Places.

MUSEUM HOURS

Open June 15-Sept. 15, 2003
Daily:  10 am - 12:30 pm & 2 - 5:30 pm
www.operamuseum.org