From Yellowstone to Ojai, from Woodstock, New York, to Portland, Oregon, from the Berkshire Mountains of Massachusetts to the hills of San Francisco, from the waterfalls of Cuyahoga Valley National Park of O-H-I-O to the Indian pueblos of Santa Fe, New Mexico, let classical ring!
Maverick Concerts
(Woodstock, NY), Maverick Concerts is America’s oldest continuous summer chamber music festival (since 1916). This summer of twenty-five concerts over eleven weeks sees celebrations of the centenary of the death of Gustav Mahler, the twentieth anniversary of the passing of Leonard Bernstein, and the bicentennial of the birth of Franz Liszt. Highlights include performances by ETHEL, the Tokyo and Leipzig string quartets, the Shanghai Quartet with pianist Joel Fan, and the Canadian Brass and Nexus Percussion performing a program titled “Stars and Stripes.” Jazz shares the bill as well, with concerts from jazz pianists Bill Charlap and Uri Caine and the Don Byron Ivey-Divey Trio. Classical guitarist Jason Vieaux takes on the work of Pat Metheny
June 25-September 4
www.maverickconcerts.org
Tickets: 800.595.4849
Rockport Chamber Music Festival
(Rockport, MA), The thirtieth anniversary season of the Rockport Chamber Music Festival, held in a scenic seaport village, includes performances by the Borromeo, St. Petersburg, Jupiter and Daedalus string quartets; violinists Anne Akiko Meyers and Stefan Jackiw; pianists Vassily Primakov, David Deveau, Russell Sherman, and Marc-André Hamelin; as well as early-music ensemble Red Priest; the vocal quintet Calmus; piano duo Anderson and Roe; and the string orchestra A Far Cry. Pianist Wu Han and cellist David Finckel perform Beethoven and Brahms. The New Century Saxophone Quartet delivers arrangements of folk music. Pianist Russell Sherman closes the festival with a program of Liszt.
June 9-July 17
www.rockportmusic.org
Tickets: 978.546.7391
Grand Teton Music Festival
(Wilson, WY), Grand Teton Music Festival celebrates its fiftieth anniversary at the gateway to Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks. Music director Donald Runnicles leads an eight-week season commencing with a celebratory gala performance and culminating with a world premiere by composer Jennifer Higdon. San Francisco Festival Chorale is joined by soprano Leah Crocetto and mezzo-soprano Tamara Mumford for performances of Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, “Resurrection.” Guests include conductors Osmo Vänska, Nicholas McGegan and Matthias Pintscher as well as soprano Christine Brewer, cellist Lynn Harrell, pianists Yefim Bronfman and Jeremy Denk, and violinists Sarah Chang and Gil Shaham. The Festival Orchestra is made up of orchestral players from throughout North America. Chamber music, popular music concerts and family and community programming round out the summer offerings.
July 2-August 20
www.gtmf.org
Tickets: 307.733.1128
MusicFest Vancouver
(Vancouver, BC), This annual international festival of classical, jazz and world music offers everything from choral concerts and jazz performances to solo recitals and educational events. Festival headliners include Sarah McLachlan with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and a performance of Purcell’s King Arthur. The festival’s two jazz series feature Regina Carter (U.S.A.), Joe Chindamo (Australia), the Helge Lien Trio (Norway) and the Lorraine Desmarais Trio (Montreal). The forty-four events include free educational workshops; an Accordion Day; a Discovery Day featuring works for sitar and tabla, classical piano and electronics, and jazz; and a Family Day at the VanDusen Botanical Garden — in addition to world music.
August 5-14
www.musicfestvancouver.ca
Tickets: 604.688.1152
Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival
(Becket, MA), The longest-running international dance festival in America, Jacob’s Pillow features more than a hundred sixty free and ticketed dance performances and live music. Highlights include an Annie Leibovitz dance photography exhibit, the U.S. debut of 3e Étage: Soloists and dancers of the Paris Opera Ballet, the tango performers of Tangueros del Sur and Aspen Santa Fe Ballet. The 79th festival also celebrates the thirtieth anniversary of Mark Morris Dance Group and the fortieth anniversary of the Trisha Brown Dance Company.
June 18-August 28
www.jacobspillow.org
Tickets: 413.243.0745
Oregon Bach Festival
(Eugene, Ashland, Bend & Portland, OR), OregonBach Festival is a three-week festival of choral-orchestral works, chamber music, social events and educational programs. This year’s themes are In Praise of Women, Music of the Americas and Masterworks. Artistic director Helmuth Rilling leads a series of lecture-concerts on Bach cantatas and conducts Brahms’ Requiem and Beethoven’s Ninth. Performances include cellist Yo-Yo Ma soloing in Golijov’s Azul, Marin Alsop conducting a new staged version of Honegger’s Joan of Arc, and conductor Matthew Halls leading tributes to St. Cecilia by Purcell, Handel and Britten.
June 23-July 10
www.oregonbachfestival.com
Tickets: 800.457.1486
Boston Early Music Festival
(Boston & Great Barrington, MA), Boston Early Music Festival presents a week of early-music concerts. This year’s operatic centerpiece is the fully staged North American premiere of Agostino Steffani’s Niobe, Regina di Tebe with soprano Amanda Forsythe and countertenor Philippe Jaroussky. Festival concerts will include The King’s Singers, Jordi Savall, Ensemble Lucidarium, Paul O’Dette, The Tallis Scholars, Boston Camerata and others. In addition, the festival’s Exhibition gathers instrument makers, music publishers and professionals for lectures, master classes and symposia.
June 12-27
www.bemf.org
Tickets: 617.661.1812
