Lake Placid, New York, known internationally as the site of the 1932 and 1980 Olympic Winter Games, is a year-round resort of extraordinary natural beauty. Situated in the High Peaks region of the Adirondack Mountains, within the protected confines of the Adirondack Park, it provides participants clean air, sparkling water, and stunning mountain views. Athletes preparing for international competition train in Lake Placid through the year, making use of the Olympic sites (skating rink, ski jumps, bobsled run, etc.), and are supported by excellent sports medicine facilities. During the summer months, most of the vacation houses on the lake (locally known as “camps”) are occupied, and thousands of short-term visitors pass throughout the town, greatly increasing its population.

Thanks to its resemblance to the Alps, Lake Placid proved especially attractive to European refugees fleeing the turmoil of the World Wars, and there is a long and strong tradition of keen interest in musical activities. Victor Herbert, the American composer, built a large camp on the lake with the proceeds from Babes in Toyland. Clarence Adler ran a summer music colony for pianists,  Artur Rodzinski worked with young conductors in Lake Placid during the last decades of his career, and Bela Bartok spent his last summers composing in a small rustic cabin in nearby Saranac Lake.