CHAUTAUQUA – Chautauqua Institution is proud to announce the program lineup for Week Seven of its 2016 season. The week, which begins Aug. 6 and concludes Aug. 13, features presentations by renowned guests such as host of CNN’s “Fareed Zakaria GPS” Fareed Zakaria, Harvard professor of government Michael J. Sandel, author and recipient of The Chautauqua Prize Cyrus M. Copeland and gender rights advocate Janet Mock, as well as performances by Canadian Brass and more.

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. In Week Seven, speakers will discuss how we are “Pushing Our Bodies’ Limits” and changing what it means to be human in the process. In a world where people’s natural states of age, ability and gender are constantly changing, the question of how humanity can continue to break past its own boundaries will be explored.

The Interfaith Lecture Series, at 2 p.m. weekdays in the Hall of Philosophy, addresses “The Limits and Transcendence of Our Humanity.” Taking two concepts central to many religions, lectures throughout the week will provide perspectives on what lies beyond ordinary human consciousness, the ethical questions involved in altering humanity and the possibilities for the human race in the future.

The Rev. Thomas Long, Bandy Professor of preaching emeritus at Emory University, will serve as ecumenical guest chaplain for the week. He is the author of 21 books, including “The Witness of Preaching” and “What Shall We Say? Evil, Suffering, and the Crisis of Faith,” which was named “2011 Book of the Year” by the Academy of Parish Clergy. He is also a frequent contributor to The Christian Century and Journal for Preachers.

Amphitheater Entertainment

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

On Saturday, the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra returns in collaboration with Chautauqua Opera Young Artists, guest conductor Steven Chafetz and stage director Kathleen Smith Belcher for the CSO Opera Pops Concert. Tickets for the show at 8:15 p.m. are $42.

At 2:30 p.m. Sunday, the CSO appears with conductor Rossen Milanov for a Special Matinee performance. The repertoire includes some of the most popular pieces by Beethoven, Bach and John Williams, among others. Admission to the grounds is free on Sundays.

On Monday, students from the Chautauqua School of Music’s Voice Program will appear with the Festival Orchestra in a performance of Giuseppe Verdi’s Rigoletto. Marlena Malas directs the voice students and Timothy Muffitt conducts. Tickets for the performance at 8:15 p.m. are $42.

At 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Wild Kingdom featuring Peter Gros comes to the Amphitheater as part of Chautauqua’s 2016 Family Entertainment Series. As Mutual of Omaha’s special Wild Kingdom ambassador, Gros will share his love of wildlife and wilderness with all ages, featuring videos and stories of his many travels and animal encounters and on the importance of conservation. As part of a series of Community Appreciation Nights, tickets are $20.

At 8:15 p.m. Thursday, Chautauqua welcomes Canadian Brass to the Amphitheater stage. The group brings with them virtuoso talent, musical variety and fun for the whole family. As part of a series of Community Appreciation Nights, tickets are sold for $20.

On Friday, Charlotte Ballet in Residence appears with the CSO at 8:15 p.m., featuring Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux as director and Grant Cooper as conductor. Tickets for the performance are $42.

Alternative Entertainment

Chautauqua Opera presents its final production of the season, “Song From the Uproar,” on Monday. The first-ever collaboration between the Logan Chamber Music Series and Chautauqua Opera, “Song From the Uproar” is inspired by the life and writings of the 19th-century Swiss adventuress Isabelle Eberhardt who, at the age of 20, traveled by herself to North Africa, where she dressed as a man, joined an all-male Sufi sect, married an Algerian soldier and drowned in a flash food at the age of 27. Weaving together voice, live chamber music, electronics and film created by Stephen Taylor, the piece has been praised as “powerful and new” by The Wall Street Journal. “Song from the Uproar” was written for mezzo-soprano Abigail Fischer and the NOW Ensemble, who will perform alongside Chautauqua Opera Young Artists. Chautauqua Opera General and Artistic Director Steven Osgood conducts. The opera is in English with English supertitles.

Chautauqua Theater Company’s production of Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew” previews on Friday at 8 p.m. in Bratton Theater. Love, power, gender roles and companionship reach unbridled new heights in this spin on the classic battle of the sexes, featuring male actors in the women’s roles and vice versa. Tickets for the show are $35.

Gate Pass Information

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 $16. Combined morning/afternoon passes allow access from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. and cost $40. 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 357-6250.