As summer comes to an end, Chautauqua Institution is proud to announce the program lineup for Week Nine of its 2017 season. The week, which begins today and concludes Sunday, features presentations by renowned guests such as Chef Jacques Pepin, Professor Marion Nestle, Chef Bryant Terry, celebrated author Ann Patchett and Homeboy Industries founder Fr. Greg Boyle.

The usual Chautauqua programming will be supplemented by a weeklong food festival on Bestor Plaza, the Institution’s picturesque town square. The themes for each day are:

Today: “Family BBQ Picnic”

Monday: “The Ultimate Chef Experience”

Tuesday: “A Taste of Chautauqua”

Wednesday: “Larkinville Food Truck Pop-up”

Thursday: “The Ultimate Wine and Beer Tasting”

Friday: “Homesteading and Artisanal Market”

For more information, visit chq.org/foodfestival.

ı ı ı

Chautauqua Institution’s nine-week summer season features morning and afternoon lectures focusing on weekly cultural themes. The morning lecture series will take place at 10:45 a.m. Monday through Friday in the Amphitheater. This week the Institution presents “At the Table: Our Changing Relationship with Food.” Led by world-renowned chefs, leading food journalists and other experts, lectures this examine will examine our changing relationship with food – ranging from fast food to farm-to-table.

The Interfaith Lecture Series, at 2 p.m. weekdays in the Hall of Philosophy, will focus on “Food and Faith” this week. Lecturers this week will explore the different religious practices involving food and eating and how these various rituals help to form a communal identity.

The Rev. Suzan Johnson Cook will serve as the ecumenical guest chaplain today though Saturday. She served as the third U.S. Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom from April 2011 to October 2013, integrating religious freedom into foreign policy and national security priorities and representing the United States in more than 25 countries and at more than a hundred diplomatic engagements. Known as the “Leader of Leaders,” she was the first and only female president of the Hampton’s Minister Conference, one of the world’s largest gatherings of clergy, representing more than 12,000 clergy leaders and over 2 million constituents. She was also the first female senior pastor in the 200-year history of the American Baptist Churches USA and served three New York congregations.

The Rev. Robert M. Franklin Jr. will serve as the ecumenical chaplain on Sunday, the season’s final Sunday. He currently serves as senior adviser to the president at Emory University, the James T. and Berta R. Laney Professor of Moral Leadership at Emory University and director of the Religion Department at Chautauqua Institution. In 2013 he was a visiting scholar in residence at Stanford University’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute. He is also president emeritus of Morehouse College where he served as the 10th president of the nation’s largest private, four-year liberal arts college for men from 2007 to 2012.

Monday

Morning: Jacques Pepin is “the original Iron Chef.” He has published more than 25 cookbooks, hosted 14 highly acclaimed public television shows and taught millions of Americans — plus an entire generation of chefs — how to cook. His innovative approach to the kitchen begins with technique and ends with creation, believing that every meal should be a celebration. After a meteoric rise through the ranks, Pepin became the personal chef for three French heads of state, including Charles de Gaulle. Upon moving to the United States, Pepin turned down the position of White House chef to direct research and development at Howard Johnson’s, where he helped revolutionize food chemistry, mass production techniques and American food tastes. Pepin also shared the spotlight with the iconic Julia Child on the award-winning “Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home,” which won a Daytime Emmy and the James Beard Foundation’s award for Best National Cooking Show. His many honors include France’s highest recognition, the LÈgion d’honneur.

Afternoon: Norman Wirzba is a professor of theology and ecology at Duke University, where he is also senior fellow for the Kenan Institute for Ethics. He is the author of several books, including the award-winning “Food and Faith: A Theology of Eating,” a book widely used in courses on food and spirituality. Most recently he has published “Way of Love: Recovering the Heart of Christianity and From Nature to Creation.”

Tuesday

Morning: Michael Ruhlman is the author of more than 20 books – mostly about food and cooking — the most recent of which is “Grocery: The Buying and Selling of Food in America.” For Ruhlman’s second book, “The Making of a Chef,” he enrolled in the Culinary Institute of America, completing the course, to produce a first-person account — of the techniques, personalities and mindsets – of culinary education at the prestigious chef’s school. The success of this book produced two follow-ups, “The Soul of a Chef,” and “The Reach of a Chef.” Ruhlman has also collaborated with Chef Thomas Keller to produce the cookbooks “The French Laundry Cookbook” and “Bouchon.” Among his multiple TV appearances, Ruhlman has acted as a judge on the PBS reality show “Cooking Under Fire” and on “The Next Iron Chef.” He has also made several appearances in shows hosted by Anthony Bourdain.

Ann Patchett is the author of seven novels and three books of nonfiction, including “Bel Canto” and “State of Wonder.” Her most recent book, “Commonwealth,” is a Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle selection for Week Nine. Patchett’s first published work appeared in The Paris Review, where she published a story before she graduated from Sarah Lawrence College. Her writing has appeared in numerous publications, including The New York Times Magazine, The Washington Post, ELLE, GQ and Vogue. In 2006 she was the editor of the annual anthology “The Best American Short Stories.” Her work has received numerous awards, including the PEN/Faulkner Award for “Bel Canto,” which was also a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award.

Patchett will interview Ruhlman for this lecture.

Afternoon: Rabbi Jonathan Brumberg-Kraus is a professor of religion and a coordinator of Jewish studies at Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts. His research focuses on meals and religion, especially on the cognitive, sensory and communal dimensions of meal rituals. He has published numerous articles on ancient, medieval and modern Jewish food in the “Proceedings of the Oxford Symposium on Food and Cookery,” “Studies in Jewish Civilization,” “Meals in Early Judaism: Social Formation at the Table” and “Writing Food History: A Global Perspective,” as well as in numerous encyclopedias and journals. His newest book on Jewish food and identity, “Culinary Midrash: Making Jewish Food, Making Food ‘Jewish'” is coming soon.He also translated Rabbenu Bahya ben Asher’s 14th-century Hebrew mystical manual on food, “Shulhan Shel Arba” (Table of Four) into English.

Wednesday

Morning: Anne Blythe Lappe, with her mother Frances Lappe, is a founding principal of the Small Planet Institute and the Small Planet Fund. She currently serves as the head of the Real Food Media Project, a new initiative to spread the story of the power of sustainable food using creative movies, an online action center and grassroots events. She is the co-author or author of three books and has served as the contributing author to 10 others. Her most recent book is “Diet for a Hot Planet: The Climate Crisis at the End of Your Fork and What You Can Do About It.” She is also the co-host of the public television series, “The Endless Feast,” and she appears as a featured expert on PBS’s “Need to Know,” the Sundance Channel’s “Big Ideas for a Small Planet” and the PBS documentary “Nourish.”

Afternoon: Zahra N. Jamal is associate director at Rice University’s Boniuk Institute for Religious Tolerance. She was previously on the faculty at Harvard, MIT, the University of Chicago, Michigan State University and Palmer Trinity. She has consulted for the United Nations, the U.S. State Department, the Aga Khan Development Network, the Swiss Development Cooperation and the Aspen Institute.

Thursday

Morning: Marion Nestle is the Paulette Goddard Professor in the Department of Nutrition, Food Studies and Public Health at New York University, a department she chaired from 1988 to 2003. She is also a professor of sociology at NYU and a visiting professor of nutritional sciences at Cornell. Her research examines scientific and socioeconomic influences on food choice, obesity and food safety, emphasizing the role of food marketing. Nestle is the author of six books, including “Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health,” “Safe Food: The Politics of Food Safety,” “What to Eat” and “Soda Politics: Taking on Big Soda (and Winning),” which won literary awards from the James Beard Foundation and the International Association of Culinary Professionals.

Afternoon: Vasudha Narayanan is Distinguished Professor in the Department of Religion at the University of Florida. From 2001 to 2002, she served as a president of the American Academy of Religion. She is the author or editor of seven books and numerous articles, chapters in books and encyclopedia entries. She also serves as the associate editor of the five-volume Brill’s Encyclopedia of Hinduism. Her research has been supported by grants and fellowships from several organizations, including the Center for Khmer Studies, the American Council of Learned Societies, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation, the American Institute of Indian Studies and the Social Science Research Council. She was the president of the Society for Hindu-Christian Studies from 1996 to 1998.

Friday

Morning: Bryant Terry is a 2015 James Beard Foundation Leadership Award-winning chef, educator and author renowned for his activism in creating a healthy, just and sustainable food system. Currently the inaugural chef in residence at the Museum of the African Diaspora in San Francisco, Terry is the author of four books, including”Grub: Ideas for an Urban Organic Kitchen,” co-authored with Anna Blythe Lappe. His most recent book is “Afro-Vegan: Farm-Fresh African, Caribbean, and Southern Flavors Remixed,” which was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work. He has served as host of the web series “Urban Organic” and co-host of the public television series “The Endless Feast.” He is the founder of b-healthy (Build Healthy Eating and Lifestyles to Help Youth), a multi-year initiative in New York City designed to empower youth to be more active in fighting for a more sustainable food system.

Afternoon: The Rev. Gregory J. Boyle, S.J., is the founder of Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles. From 1986 to 1992, he served as pastor of Dolores Mission Church, then the poorest Catholic parish in Los Angeles, located between two large public housing projects with the highest concentration of gang activity in the city. Homeboy Industries is the largest gang intervention, rehabilitation and re-entry program in the world. Homeboy employs and trains former gang members in a range of social enterprise, and provides critical services to the 10,000 men and women who walk through its doors every year seeking a better life. Boyle is the author of the 2010 New York Times best-seller “Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion.” He has received the California Peace Prize and been inducted into the California Hall of Fame. In 2014 the White House named Boyle a Champion of Change.

Father Boyle is the recipient of the University of Notre Dame’s 2017 Laetare Medal, the oldest and most prestigious honor given to American Catholics.

Additional Lectures

3:30 p.m. Thursday, Hall of Philosophy:Ann Patchett is the author of seven novels and three books of nonfiction, including “Bel Canto” and “State of Wonder.” Patchett’s first published work appeared in The Paris Review, where she published a story before she graduated from Sarah Lawrence College. Her writing has appeared in numerous publications, including The New York Times Magazine, The Washington Post, ELLE, GQ and Vogue. In 2006 she was the editor of the annual anthology “The Best American Short Stories.” Her work has received numerous awards, including the PEN/Faulkner Award for “Bel Canto,” which was also a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award.

Jane Hamilton is the author of seven books, including the novels “The Book of Ruth,” winner of the PEN/Hemingway Award for first fiction, Great Lakes College Association New Writers Award, and the Wisconsin Library Association Banta Book Award; and “A Map of the World,” a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. Her novel “The Short History of a Prince” was shortlisted for the 1999 Orange Prize. In 2000 Hamilton was named a Notable Wisconsin Author by the Wisconsin Library Association.

Patchett and Hamilton visit Chautauqua this week to discuss their books “Commonwealth” and “The Excellent Lombards,” the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle selections for the week.

Amphitheater Entertainment

Aside from the daily lectures, Week Nine features a variety of evening entertainment programs at the Amphitheater.

The Barbershop Harmony Parade performs at 2:30 p.m. today. For over 60 years, they have filled the Amphitheater with a cappella quartet singing at its finest. Enjoy a collection of ensembles as they perform songs from this rousing, uniquely American art form.

“An Evening with Chris Botti” takes place Monday at 8:15 p.m. For over two decades, Botti’s mesmerizing performances with a stunning array of legends such as Sting, Barbra Streisand, Tony Bennett, Yo-Yo Ma, Frank Sinatra, Paul Simon and Andrea Bocelli have cemented his place as one of the most brilliant and inspiring forces of the contemporary music scene. Tickets are $43-73.

The Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra’s “Season Finale” takes place at 8:15 p.m. Tuesday. Milanov serves as the conductor and Augustin Hadelich as the guest violinist. The evening’s program features John Stafford Smith’s “The Star-Spangled Banner,” Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in D major, op. 35, and Johannes Brahms’ Symphony No. 1 in C minor, op. 68. As part of a series of Community Appreciation Nights, tickets are $20. A pre-performance lecture will take place at 6:45 p.m. in Hurlbut Sanctuary.

The Irene RodrÌguez CompaeÌa performs at 8:15 p.m., Wednesday. Led by the Cuban dancer and choreographer Irene RodrÌguez Lopez, this company features six dancers and four live flamenco Cuban musicians. Tickets are $43. A Cuban-themed feast will be held at the Athenaeum Hotel in honor of the Irene RodrÌguez CompaeÌa from 4:30-9 p.m.

At 8:15 p.m., Thursday, the Joey Alexander Trio performs. Born in 2003 on the island of Bali, pianist Joey Alexander has performed with his trio across the United States and around the globe, including tour dates in Tel Aviv, Montreal, Abu Dhabi, Singapore, Bern, Prague and Vienna. Joey’s popularity has been fueled by appearances on “The Today Show,” “60 Minutes” and CNN, just to name a few. Tickets are $43-73. Preferred seating is available.

The Texas Tenors perform at 8:15 p.m., Friday. Treating listeners with a mix of Broadway, country, classical and current pop music with breathtaking vocals, humor and a touch of cowboy charm, the Tenors have collaborated with some of the most prestigious symphonies and performing arts centers throughout the globe. Tickets are $43-73. Preferred seating is available.

An American icon with a worldwide audience, the Beach Boys perform at 8:15 p.m., Saturday. Surf’s up! Grab your boards and get ready for some good vibrations! Tickets are $50-80. Preferred seating is available.

The Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus will close the Amphitheater’s 2017 entertainment season with a performance at 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Directed by Adam Luebke, this delightful concert will include classical works by composers such Johannes Brahms and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, as well as folksongs, spirituals and contemporary choral works. With a roster of approximately 110 singers, the BPC is frequently heard as the principal guest chorus of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. Admission to the grounds and the Amphitheater is free on Sundays.

Alternative Entertainment Options

Founders performs at 4 p.m. Monday, in Elizabeth S. Lenna Hall. Led by trumpeter and pianist Brandon Ridenour, this ensemble plays exquisite Bach and Handel, shows off with Scheherazade, and makes Brubeck meet Mozart in a jazzy twist that will delight and surprise. Described as “a mashup between Punch Brothers and Kronos Quartet,” Founders is a songwriting collective comprised of New York City’s most dynamic classical musicians. Their pieces range from Appalachian Folk originals, to Radiohead covers, to art songs using famous poetry, to the classics of Bach and Bartok.

Gate Pass Information

For Chautauqua Food Festival pricing information, see chq.org/foodfestival.

Day tickets are available for purchase at the Main Gate Welcome Center Ticket Office on the day of your visit. Morning tickets grant visitors access to the grounds from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. for $24. Afternoon tickets grant access from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. for $17. Combined morning/afternoon passes allow access from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. and cost $41. Evening passes grant access from 4 p.m. to midnight with the cost varying based on the evening entertainment. For tickets and information, visit chqtickets.com or call 716-357-6250. Gate passes are free on Sundays from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Parking in the Main Lot is free from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Sunday.

About Chautauqua Institution

Chautauqua Institution is a community on the shores of Chautauqua Lake in southwestern New York state that comes alive each summer with a unique mix of fine and performing arts, lectures, interfaith worship and programs, and recreational activities. As a community, we celebrate, encourage and study the arts and treat them as integral to all of learning, and we convene the critical conversations of the day to advance understanding through civil dialogue.