Festival Stories

The Festival is launching a brand new web store featuring Festival merchandise, in partnership with Campus Customs. Continuing our effort to be more conscious of our environmental footprint, the Festival web store features 100% certified organic cotton grocery totes and recycled fleece full-zip hoodies, as well as vintage Festival T-shirt designs and washed contrast stitch caps.

Click here to browse for Festival Merchandise online.
Order Festival merchandise now, and wear the Festival logo this spring as we count down to June 12 (less that three months away!) Check back often for new items.

The deadline to apply for the Noon to Night Weekend Showcase is Monday, April 5. If you are selected, we will notify you by the beginning of May.

Philip Glass, The Rouse Effect: The Next Generation, The Four Nations Ensemble, The Palestrina Choir, and Space Panorama have just been added to the Festival Members pre-sale.

Festival Members can purchase tickets to these events online with a
Member password, in person at the Shubert Theater Box Office (247
College Street, New Haven), or by phone at 203-562-5666 or
888-736-2663.

Join the Festival at the $125 level to receive a variety of great benefits, including the chance to purchase tickets to all Festival events before they go on sale to the general public on April 6, 2010. Members enjoy...

The Blind Boys of Alabama, La Excelencia, and Dan Zanes & Friends will be the featured artists performing free concerts on the Elm Street Stage of the New Haven Green during the International Festival of Arts & Ideas. Click on the links to view preview videos.

Reserve your seat at the front of the stage - become a Member! A new benefit this year for Festival Fans at the $250 Membership level is four (4) passes to the NewAlliance Bank Hospitality Tent for one (1) headlining performance on the Green, which includes reserved seating and complimentary refreshments. Purchase a Membership today to...

Keep the spirit and accessibility of the Festival alive by becoming a Festival Impresario. Impresarios help raise funds to cover the performance costs of Festival programs, and help keep ticket prices low. Expenses include artist fees, venue and production costs, and marketing and administration. You can currently become an Impresario for Susurrus, Moby Dick or Dance by making a gift at a specific level, and asking others to support your cause. You and your group will enjoy the benefits and rewards for Impresarios, including insider news about the artists and their work, reserved seats,...

Festival Members can now make reservations for specific time slots for the very limited capacity event Susurrus before tickets go on sale to the general public on April 6. Up to six people will be able to start out on the Susurrus path every half hour from Noon to 6pm, Tuesday through Sunday, throughout the Festival (June 12-26, 2010). Members can purchase discounted $25 tickets to Susurrus in person at the Shubert Theater Box Office (247 College Street, New Haven), and by phone at 203-562-5666 or 888-736-2663. Festival Members enjoy exchange privileges through April 5.

Want to be certain you...

Festival Members can now purchase discounted $25 tickets to all Festival events online with their Member password. Tickets are also now available to Festival Members in person at the Shubert Theater Box Office (247 College Street, New Haven), and by phone at 203-562-5666 or 888-736-2663. Festival Members enjoy ticket exchange privileges through April 5, 2010.

Click here to purchase a 2010 Festival Membership online. You can also purchase a Membership by calling the Festival office at 203-498-3758 or 888-ART-IDEA.

If you make a contribution to the Festival of $1,000 or more, you can enjoy...

Tune in at Noon today to FOXBusiness.com to watch Festival Executive Director Mary Lou Aleskie's interview with Tracy Byrnes and Chris Cotter. Ms. Aleskie's interview will be preceded by segments with Michael Rubino, CEO of Rubino Financial Group; Drew Kessler, Director of Sales at Rand Mortgage; Matt McCall, President of Penn Financial Group; and Mitch Free , CEO of MFG.com.

The International Festival of Arts & Ideas has just added a new benefit for all 2010 Members: a 20% discount on tickets to Fishamble: The New Play Company's production of "Forgotten" at the Donaghy Theatre – Irish Arts Center, located at 553 West 51st Street (between 10th and 11th Avenue) in New York City. Dublin's award-winning Fishamble: The New Play Company returns to New York for this special limited engagement from February 17 to March 7, 2010.

Pat Kinevane's captivating portrayal of four vibrant elderly characters on the fringe of society is a unique collage of Kabuki dance and Irish...

Are you following the Festival on Twitter yet?

Follow the Festival at twitter.com/artideaWe are currently celebrating all of the performances that the Festival has presented over the past 14 years - next week we will begin focusing on the 1999 Festival. And then during the 15th annual Festival (June 12-26, 2010), you'll get up to the minute updates about what's happening.

Click here to read Allan Kozinn's review in the New York Times of last night's world premiere performance of Christopher Rouse's "Odna Zhizn (A Life)" by the New York Philharmonic.

The Calder Quartet will perform the world premiere of Christopher Rouse's String Quartet No. 3 at the Festival on June 18. Click here to see a preview video.

Members of the Festival can purchase tickets to this concert before the general public. Click here to become a Member.

"Her strategic thinking, coupled with passion and a willingness to dream was an amazing combination" said Mary Lou Aleskie, Executive Director of the International Festival of Arts & Ideas. "She was always involved, committed and full of hope. She was such an inspiring visionary, especially to women in leadership. She was out there well before any of us could even imagine what our opportunities would be. When I think about her and all that she did in her life, she made it all possible".

"Jean contributed her energy and thoughtfulness to all that the Board of the Festival dealt with," said...