Orcas Chamber Music Festival Arrives in August

August 4 – 20, 2016

— from Linda Slone —

The Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival’s 19th season will be a treat, “the best ever!” with twelve exciting and varied concerts featuring musicians known far and wide. But it’s not just the formal evening concerts – there’s also an information-packed lecture series, a performance on Lopez Island, and free Children’s Concert, Open Rehearsal for Seniors, and “Hamlet” Concerts (presented at Community Clubs across Orcas Island).

This year’s festival kicks off with Time for Three, the polished and dynamic string trio that has been wowing audiences across the continent with their classical and genre-bending repertoire. They arrive on Lopez on August 4 to play an evening concert and then ferry to Orcas for concerts Friday and Saturday, August 5 and 6. This is the hugely popular trio that includes Nikki Chooi, soon to be leaving the group to take up his new position as concertmaster of the New York Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. Time for Three will also be the performers at the Hamlet Concerts.

Following Time for Three will be Melody and Melancholy on August 9 and 10. This pair of concerts features works by Gian Carlo Menotti, Dmitri Shostakovich, Bedrich Smetana, and a Prokofiev march arranged by Jascha Heifetz. The works shall be performed on piano, violin, viola, and a pair of cellos.

Next, Romantic Treasures on August 12 and 13 presents works by Felix Mendelssohn, Antonín Dvorák, Ernö Dohnányi, and another Heifetz arrangement, this time Gershwin’s Summertime. There will be a taste of Heifetz in every show; read on to discover why. For this concert pair,keyboard and string players will be joined by clarinet and horn.

For the August 16 and 17 Four Centuries of Music concerts, Michael Collins flies in from England to join Jon Kimura Parker in playing Rhapsodos for clarinet and piano by Abbie Betinis. Co-commissioned by the Minnesota and Seattle Commissioning Clubs, the work had its World Premiere last March, in St. Paul. This evening marks its West Coast Premiere.

Rounding out the program are works by Alberto Ginastera, Wolfgang A. Mozart, Johannes Brahms, and a Heifetz arrangement of Claude Debussy’s The Girl with the Flaxen Hair.

The name À la Carte! references the format for the second half of the season finale on August 19 and 20. The audience will choose what will be performed from a menu of musical options, to be played by the Miró Quartet. The very entertaining members of the string quartet will no doubt serve up a very tasty repast of string quartet favorites, and the two concerts won’t necessarily end with the same repertoire. The first half will include works by Mozart, Kogan, Poulenc, Bunch, and, of course, another Heifetz arrangement, played on strings, horn, piano, and clarinet.

All of the Heifetz pieces on this season’s concerts are leading toward a highlight of this year’s Festival – An Evening with Heifetz. Originally scheduled for one show on Monday, Aug. 15, the event sold out so quickly another show had to be added the next afternoon. Dr. Ayke Agus, who studied violin with Jascha Heifetz and later became his studio piano accompanist, will talk with Jon Kimura Parker and Aloysia Friedmann about her time with the master violinist. Their question and answer session will be interspersed with performances of Heifetz’s arrangements for violin played by Chee-Yun, accompanied by Parker. There will also be video clips from the video “God’s Fiddler,” based on Dr. Agus’ book “Heifetz as I Knew Him.” Dr. Agus will sign copies of her book and the DVD at the reception following both concerts.

For our youngest fans, 1:00 on Aug. 10 will be show time. Musical fun and mayhem will ensue as Jon Kimura Parker transforms into “Jackie the Piano Man” for an action-packed and educational Children’s Concert. Children of all ages will enjoy a musical tour of various instruments, including clarinet, horn, and strings of all sizes. The concert is free, but advance tickets are required for attendance.

On Friday, August 19, seniors on the island will be treated to a free rehearsal featuring that evening’s concert repertoire. Seniors have enjoyed attending this event for the past several years. Their compatriots from Lopez Island come to the Orcas Senior Center to enjoy lunch before the concert as well. This event is also free, but again, courtesy tickets are required.
“Know the Score” lectures happen on the first morning of each pair of concerts. They are led by highly-regarded speakers including radio hosts, professors, conductors, and Festival Artists, They also offer pre-concert talks before the 7:30 concerts. A full list of lecturers can be found on the OICMF web site (www.oicmf.org).

Audience members are welcome to stay after each concert to meet the performers and enjoy a selection of light appetizers from Red Rabbit Farm and a glass of Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival signature wine from Thurston Wolfe Winery.

OICMF has become well-known in the classical music world, among both musicians and patrons. Artistic Director Aloysia Friedmann has continually been recognized for her varied and innovative programming. Earlier this year, she was appointed to the board of directors for Chamber Music America, the national service organization for ensemble music, which provides resources to chamber music professionals across the country.

Over the many days and nights of the Festival, there are offerings that will appeal to everyone. Each year, the concert attendees, the performers, and the wonderful volunteers who make up the Festival family enjoy world-class music, world-class camaraderie, world-class fun. Come be a part of it! Tickets are available through the Orcas Center Box Office or at orcascenter.org. More information on all these wonderful events can be found at www.oicmf.org.