Festival Amadeus is a week-long music celebration

Festival Amadeus, the week-long classical music festival hosted by Glacier Symphony and Chorale, took place in Whitefish July 22-28.

The event included concerts nearly every night, a wine tasting and fundraiser for the symphony and chorale, and Camp Festival Amadeus, a collaboration between North Valley Music School in Whitefish and Glacier Symphony and Chorale.

Symphony performers, local music teachers and guest artists taught students, and everyone performed throughout the week.

Guest artists included violinist Tim Fain, violist Paul Coletti, pianist Alon Goldstein and cellist Amit Peled.

The camp in particular has grown over the festival’s five-year history. What started as a string camp has doubled in size, adding basses two years ago, woodwinds during the 2011 camp, and pianos and harps this year.

Thirty-seven students from Montana and three from Idaho spent six days attending orchestra, ensemble and master classes. Students ranged in age from 12 to 18 with levels from beginning-intermediate to advanced.

Cameron Blake of Glacier Symphony and Chorale contributed to this story.