Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival August 1-16

||| FROM MARY TAYLOR for ORCAS ISLAND CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL |||

A dynamic range of musical delights awaits attendees of Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival’s 28th Summer Concert Season, opening this weekend and continuing through August 16. Highlights include the premiere of a piano trio celebrating the beauty of Orcas Island by contemporary composer John Wineglass and original nuevo tango music by the Latin Grammy Award-winning Pedro Giraudo Tango Quartet.

Festivalgoers can also look forward to a Tango Afterparty in the Black Box of Orcas Center on opening weekend and a series of pre-concert talks on a range of topics, including the secrets behind programming a chamber music festival and the experiences of young artists navigating the chamber music world today.

Founder and Artistic Director Aloysia Friedmann has programmed a series of brilliant concerts and events, with masterworks by Morricone, Telemann, and Vivaldi and innovative pieces by composers of nuevo tango genre, including Giraudo and the legendary Argentine tango composer, Astor Piazzolla.

From August 1-16, Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival is offering five 7:30 p.m. concerts, each repeated the next evening at 5:30 p.m., at Orcas Center. Also at Orcas Center are FREE daytime and evening events, including three pre-concert talks, an afternoon Children’s Concert, and an Open Rehearsal for our respected elder patrons.

The New York-based Pedro Giraudo Tango Quartet will headline opening weekend, Aug. 1 at 7:30pm and Aug. 2 at 5:30pm, treating audiences to the very best tango music on Orcas Center stage. The ensemble will also perform at OICMF’s Tango Afterparty on Aug. 2 at 9pm in the Black Box of Orcas Center. Late night event attendees are also invited to enjoy a mini tango lesson (all levels and abilities, no experience required!) by dance instructors Sara Thompson and Jeff Steele at 8:30pm, located in the Black Box. Tickets to the afterparty are $20 and include a free cocktail or mocktail.

Musicians performing throughout the Concert Season include pianists Jon Kimura Parker and Chelsea de Souza, cellists Ani Aznavoorian, Christine Lee, and Nathan Chan, violinists Chee-Yun, Zachary DePue, Emilia Carter, and Nanki Chugh, violists Aloysia Friedmann and Jasper de Boor, and oboist Anne Pinkerton. The Austin-based Miró Quartet, OICMF’s Quartet-in-Residence, will add to the magic of this Festival Season.

The season’s much-anticipated free children’s concert will take place on the front lawn of Orcas Center at 1pm on August 7 th . Three young Houston-based performers – narrator and visual artist Sophie Parker, author and violinist Nanki Chugh, and oboist Anne Pinkerton – will present Symba and the Lobster, an interactive storytelling experience based on Chugh’s upcoming children’s book about a tiny marine animal that lives on lobsters’ whiskers and eats their leftovers. This adaption includes spoken narration and costume design by Parker and live music performed by Chugh and Pinkerton. Bring a blanket or chair and grab a seat on the lawn.

Our respected elder patrons are invited to enjoy an open rehearsal of our Furioso! concert on August 15 th at 1pm. The free event offers attendees the opportunity to see how chamber music is created prior to the evening performances.

Those unable to attend concerts in person can watch all 5:30 concerts online after the performances. To receive a link to view the concert, register at www.oicmf.org.

Thanks to generous donors, complimentary tickets are available for those in need, including Friends of Joyce Tickets for young people ages 6-18 and their families. Founded by Rolf Eriksen and further supported by David Dotlich and Douglas Elwood, Tower Tickets guarantee access to all OICMF concerts. To request tickets, contact OICMF at info@oicmf.org.

The Festival Season’s entire repertoire is available to view at oicmf.org.