Britt Festivals 2008 Classical Season Opens Friday, Aug. 1 (7-30-08)

–Friday, Aug. 1 – Sunday, Aug. 17–

The 100-member Britt Festival Orchestra conducted by Peter Bay returns for seven concerts of classics with world-renowned guest soloists including violinists Midori and Jaime Laredo, cellist Sharon Robinson, a weekend of classic film music called "The Golden Age of the Silver Screen," string quartets performing on the street corners of Jacksonville, and a closing night of all-American music featuring pianist Jon Kimura Parker.

JACKSONVILLE, OR — Founded in 1963, the Britt Classical Festival runs for three weeks (August 1-17), featuring the celebrated Britt Festival Orchestra under the direction of Peter Bay. Some of the nation's best musicians journey to southern Oregon from orchestras across the country to form the 2008 Britt Festival Orchestra. Maestro Peter Bay returns for his 16th season as Music Director and Conductor. High-caliber guest artists join the orchestra each August to present concerts under a canopy of stars.

Britt Classical Administrator Angela Warren says, "The 46th Britt Classical Season is our most exciting ever!" featuring music from Chopin to Shostakovich, guest artists from around the world, ballet music, classic film scores and music that captures the American spirit—there is something for everyone during Classical 2008. The return of the Britt Orchestra is celebrated with a gala opening night concert on Friday, Aug. 1. Argentinean pianist Ingrid Fliter performs Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 2, and the orchestra performs excerpts from Prokofiev's ballet Romeo & Juliet.

On Saturday, Aug. 2, audiences will hear "Colors of the Orchestra" in a program that features each section of the orchestra. British trumpet phenomenon Alison Balsom will be featured on two pieces, and the program also includes Tchaikovsky's Serenade for Strings, the Britt horn section playing Schumann's Concertstück, and the percussion players in an exotic piece based on sensuous Haitian rhythms.

On Sunday, Aug. 3, the Arianna String Quartet returns for a recital at the SOU Music Recital Hall. The recital will include quartets by Mozart, Janacek and Dvorak. The Arianna String Quartet has attracted rave reviews for their performances throughout the U.S. and abroad. They are known for the unbridled energy, humor and transcendence they bring to each performance. This year the quartet has a new violist, Joanna Mendoza. Also, special guest pianist Anton Nel joins the Arianna Quartet for Dvorak's Piano Quintet in A Major. Nel was the winner of the 1987 Naumburg International Piano Competition that the New York Times describes as, "an uncommonly elegant pianist."

For the middle weekend of the Classical Festival Maestro Bay has planned a tribute to "The Golden Age of the Silver Screen" with two performances that feature film music and music of film composers from Hollywood's heyday. As is the case today, some of the most beautiful music written is for film scores. Violinist Janet Sung joins the orchestra on Friday, Aug. 8 for the Korngold Violin Concerto, and a program that includes excerpts by scores by Bernard Herrman, written for Hitchcock films Psycho, Vertigo and North by Northwest.

The film weekend continues on Saturday, Aug. 9, when world-renowned violinist Jaime Laredo and his wife, cellist Sharon Robinson perform Miklós Rózsa's Sinfonia Concertante. Pianist Sara Davis Buechner also joins the orchestra for two pieces, and the program concludes with music from The Bride of Frankenstein.

Few artists reach out to the public in as many ways as Midori, who will be at Britt on Friday, Aug. 15. She is best known as one of the world's leading violinists performing over 100 concerts worldwide each year, but she also touches people's lives in many other extraordinary ways. Through five community engagement projects she has founded in the U.S. and Japan, Midori addresses an issue that is close to her heart—access. She feels passionately that people must have access to a variety of great music and through Midori & Friends and Music Sharing, she tackles getting music education and concerts to children who might not otherwise have access to the arts.

Saturday, Aug. 16, will be an out-of-this-world experience for families when the Magic Circle Mime Company returns to Britt with a new program, "The Orchestra from Planet X." Patrons will find out what happens when aliens decide to bring their musical ideas to the Britt stage in this sci-fi thriller starring the Britt Orchestra. Fun pre-concert activities for the whole family start at 5:45 p.m. Children are encouraged to dress up as their favorite alien.

The final evening of the 2008 Classical Festival on Sunday, Aug. 17 is a chance to wave the flag and celebrate America through some of its music. From music inspired by "The Star-Spangled Banner" to quotes from Copland's Fanfare for the Common Man, to Gershwin's audacious Concerto in F played by pianist Jon Kimura Parker, this concert celebrates America's national musical character.

For the second year, students of the Britt Institute's String Quartet Academy will celebrate the Classical Festival with a special pre-concert event, filling the streets of Jacksonville with music. On Saturday, August 9, students will play from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in Jacksonville on California Street, Oregon Street, East Main and the Britt hill. Students will be placed in quartets playing works from one of the most prominent composers of the classical period, Franz Joseph Haydn. There are 40 students from throughout the U.S. attending the two-week String Quartet Academy.

For full information about Britt's 2008 season, visit Britt on the web at brittfest.org or call 541-773-6077 or 1-800-882-7488. Britt's box office is open 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m., Monday thru Friday at 216 West Main St. in Medford.

Now in its 46th year, Britt Festivals is a non-profit organization that presents and sponsors performing arts and supports those activities through on-going education and audience development programs, and 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, artist residencies, grade school programs, lectures and adult learning opportunities.
###

Share: