For 11 months out of the year, cellist David Ying and pianist Elinor Freer call Rochester home; that is, when they're not traveling for a concert.

But for that other month, their residence is Skaneateles, where the husband-and-wife team are the co-artistic directors of this year's 28th annual Skaneateles Festival.

“It's a job that's definitely big enough for two people,” Ying said in a phone interview from Aspen, Colo., where he was attending the Aspen Music Festival.

On Wednesday, Aug. 8, Ying and Freer ushered in their third season at the helm of the monthlong chamber music series. As he talked about the upcoming concerts in the Skaneateles First Presbyterian Church and on Brook Farm, Ying became excited about the selections that he says are a mixture of both the traditional and the modern.

Such a mix is attainable thanks to Ying and Freer's experience, Ying with his siblings in the Grammy award-winning Ying Quartet and Freer with her founding of a festival called Montana Summer Music.

“We have different circles of musician friends and people we've met,” said Ying, who like his wife is a highly lauded musician who has traveled around the world for performances.

Ying also credits his wife's “encyclopedic mind” for the festival's variety.

“Elinor has an incredible memory for pieces,” he said admirably. “She remembers practically everything she's ever heard.”

Ying has been a full-time professor at the University of Rochester's Eastman School of music for the last 10 years, while Freer has been teaching there part-time for five.

A few years ago, when then-artistic director Diane Walsh announced that she would be stepping down from her position with the Skaneateles Festival, Ying and Freer didn't have to think too long about accepting their new role.

Though they had never played at the Skaneateles Festival, they had been to see their friends perform.

Ying said that one of the main challenges every year is to find a balance between offering traditional pieces and new perspectives on classic works. The show regularly welcomes back performers from years past, but it also takes pride in extending an invitation to up-and-coming musicians, such as pianist Conrad Tao, 13, who will play on Saturday, Aug. 25.

And each week comes complete with its own theme, from folk music to food. The themes and selections, Ying hopes, will offer people a continued “sense of discovery,” even if they've been to the show every year or attend every concert.

“We want them (attendees) to sort of have an adventure throughout the summer, like they're reading a chapter in a book,” Ying said.

As for playing with his siblings in the Ying Quartet, as well as with his wife, Ying joked that “it seems like I only play with people I'm related to.” But, he added, it's really about trust, and though performing with others can give him a fresh perspective, he feels very comfortable playing with family.

His musical philosophy meshes well with that of his wife, he added.

“I think we are both into the idea of music being a communicative art,” Ying said.

Though this season has barely played its first note, the wheels are already turning for what kind of musicians and themes to include next year. The schedule is far from nailed down, but Ying hopes to keep concert-goers on their toes by offering new and unexpected things.

“We already do have ideas for next year. It is a constant thing,” Ying said, noting that most of his and Freer's ideas come from just talking to each other, playing a lot of music and reflecting on “what makes it tick.”

“I think you constantly have to be thinking of how one year grows into the next.”

If you go

The Skaneateles Festival runs through Saturday, Sept. 1. For a complete schedule of concerts and ticket prices, visit www.skanfest.org