Britt Announces 2009 Classical Festival (11-10-08)
- July 31 - August 16 • Tickets on Sale December 1, 2008 -
MEDFORD, OR - Britt Festival Music Director and Conductor Peter Bay announces the 47th annual Classical Festival, coming to the Britt hill in Jacksonville for three weeks next summer. Ninety of the nation's best musicians will journey to southern Oregon for three weeks of music-making as they come together to form the 2009 Britt Festival Orchestra. Maestro Peter Bay returns for his 17th season as Music Director and Conductor.
Featuring a high-caliber orchestra, music from Mendelssohn to Stravinsky and new and returning guest artists, the 2009 Britt Classical Festival includes seven orchestral concerts, a recital by the Arianna String Quartet and performances by the Britt Institute String Quartet Academy students.
The return of the Britt Orchestra is celebrated with a gala opening night concert on Friday, July 31. The season begins with American composer Michael Torke's ("TOR-key") Bright Blue Music. Other highlights of opening weekend include the Opening Night Champagne Picnic, cellist Alisa Weilerstein performing Schelomo by Ernest Bloch, and pianist Anton Nel in two performances-an orchestral performance with the Britt Orchestra on Saturday, August 1, and a chamber recital with the Arianna String Quartet on Sunday, August 2.
Throughout the Classical Festival, the orchestra will perform three overtures by Felix Mendelssohn, to mark the 200th anniversary of the composer's birth. In the middle weekend of the festival, two guest artists return to Britt. Violinist Anne Akiko Meyers performs Prokofiev's Violin Concerto No. 1 on Friday, August 7, and pianist Benedetto Lupo performs Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 4 on Saturday, August 8.
The final weekend of the Classical Festival includes three concerts with beloved orchestral works by Tchaikovsky, Grieg and Stravinsky. Violinist Philippe Quint (pronounced "Philip Kwint") performs Glazunov's Violin Concerto on Friday, August 14. On Saturday, August 15, Platypus Theatre returns to Britt for the annual Family Concert, using mime and unique storytelling to create a fun-filled concert experience. Closing night features the return of pianist André Watts performing Grieg's Piano Concerto in A.
Tickets for the 2009 Classical Festival go on sale to Britt members December 1 with "Early Bird" discounts of $2 off most tickets until February 16. Call the box office at 1-800-882-7488 or 773-6077 or visit www.brittfest.org for a complete listing of repertoire, guest artist information and details on ordering tickets. Britt's full 2009 season schedule, which runs from early June to mid-September, will be announced March 31. The summer-long series at the hillside outdoor amphitheater in historic Jacksonville features world-renowned artists in pop, country, folk, blues, jazz and dance.
Britt Festivals is a non-profit organization that presents and sponsors performing arts and supports those activities through cooperation with educational, civic, cultural and governmental organizations in southern Oregon. In addition to presenting concerts, Britt Festivals maintains a formal education program through the Britt Institute. Established in 1985, the Britt Institute hosts a wide variety of learning opportunities through a multi-faceted approach of summer camps, workshops, grade school programs, lectures and adult learning opportunities.
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