If you want a reason to put on something nice and drive up to Katonah this fall, I have one. On Friday, November 6 at 7:30 PM, pianist Aaron Diehl takes over the Music Room at Caramoor’s Rosen House, and it is exactly the kind of night I love having practically in our backyard.
Here is what makes it special. Caramoor’s Rosen House Concert Series is small on purpose. The concerts happen inside the Music Room of the 1939 Mediterranean-style villa, the same room where Walter and Lucie Rosen once entertained their friends. Think Renaissance furniture, stained glass and a ceiling that soars, with an audience close enough to hear the pianist breathe. After a summer of tents and lawns, this is Caramoor in its most intimate form, and the series runs October through May, so it is a lovely winter-season habit to get into.
Who is Aaron Diehl? He is a GRAMMY-nominated pianist who has spent his career blurring the line between jazz and classical. He has worked with Wynton Marsalis, Cécile McLorin Salvant and Philip Glass, plays as a soloist with orchestras like the New York Philharmonic and the Cleveland Orchestra, and is the Artistic Director of the Jazz in July Festival at 92NY. The New York Times has praised his “melodic precision, harmonic erudition, and elegant restraint.”
He is also no stranger to Caramoor. He recorded his debut solo album, Live at Caramoor, right here in 2008, and he came back most recently for Mary Lou Williams’ Zodiac Suite with The Knights. So this is a homecoming of sorts. The evening is presented in collaboration with Jazz at Lincoln Center.
The details, so you can plan:
- What: Aaron Diehl, piano, in Caramoor’s Rosen House Music Room
- When: Friday, November 6, 2026, 7:30 PM
- Where: Caramoor, 149 Girdle Ridge Road, Katonah, NY
- Tickets: from $55 at caramoor.org
- Box office: 914-232-1252 (phone only, Tuesday to Friday, 10 AM to 4 PM) or boxoffice@caramoor.org
- Bonus: a complimentary wine and cheese reception in the Summer Dining Room at the Rosen House, one hour before the concert
My insider tips: get there for the reception, since it is an easy way to settle in and soak up the house before the music starts. Only covered beverages are allowed in the Music Room, so finish your glass or bring a lidded one in. Make a night of it with dinner nearby in Katonah or Bedford before or after.
A room like this makes a pianist sound even better. Come see for yourself.
Photo: Maria Jarzyna, courtesy of Caramoor.
