Photo of the Day: Sax Appeal, Chautauqua NY

I’m more used to seeing busking on the streets and subways of New York City, but musicians playing for spare change are not unknown at the Chautauqua Institution, the venerable National Historic Landmark in rural southwest New York State.

And so, a few weeks ago, in the last week of the summer program—when visitors like me were more likely to listen to pop artists like Richard Marx, jazz musicians like Veronica Swift, or classical ensembles like the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra on its various stages—we could also hear one day the glorious, full-bodied tones of the saxophone coming from Bestor Plaza. Even on the top floor of the institution’s library, I could it swelling and filling the air gloriouslt in mid-afternoon..

Later, I discovered its source: the lanky youth I photographed here. He was every bit as agreeable as he appears in this image, so I hope he continues to make a joyful sound through life.