Festival Amadeus announces full schedule
The 2014 Festival Amadeus classical music event in Whitefish has been expanded this summer to offer eight nights of extraordinary chamber and orchestra concerts featuring internationally distinguished guest artists and the Festival Amadeus Orchestra.
Produced by the Glacier Symphony and Chorale under the direction of founding music director John Zoltek the festival opens on Sunday, Aug. 3, with a free concert in Depot Park, and closes the following Sunday, Aug. 10, with a grand finale orchestra concert. During the week there will be three chamber nights featuring the soloists and ensembles, followed by four orchestra concerts pairing the guest artists with the orchestra and conducted by maestro Zoltek.
All concerts will be held at the Whitefish Performing Arts Center and begin at 7:30 p.m.
Three chamber concerts will be added this year in Bigfork featuring Festival Amadeus chamber artists. The concerts will be held at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 5-7 at Blessed Pope Paul II Catholic Church with a wine and champagne reception starting at 6:30 p.m. on the church patio that offers stunning vistas of the Swan Mountains.
The Festival Amadeus 2014 guest artist lineup includes the internationally acclaimed Fry Street Quartet, comprised of Robert Waters, violin, Rebecca McFaul, violin, Bradley Ottesen, viola and Ann Francis Bayless, cello. The quartet returns for its second appearance with the festival. In Whitefish they will perform a chamber concert on Monday, Aug. 4, and then on Friday, Aug. 8, in a combined orchestra concert with the Festival Amadeus Strings.
Additional artists scheduled are Polish-born violinist Kinga Augustyn and pianist Spencer Myer. Both musicians have been featured recently in concerts with the Glacier Symphony. Joining them will be Tanya Gabrielian, a rising young pianist based in New York. These guest artists will also be featured as orchestra soloists throughout the week. Also performing with pianist Gabrielian will be Festival Amadeus orchestra principle musicians Reid Merley, oboe, Dinah Weimer, clarinet, Alicia McLean, bassoon and Paul Rossi, French horn.
Zoltek has selected a diverse program of composers for the four Orchestra Night concerts. Orchestra Night 1 on Wednesday, Aug. 6, features a Mozart favorite, Piano Concerto No. 21 “Elvira Madigan” with guest pianist Tanya Gabrielian and the Festival Amadeus Orchestra. The work’s nickname comes from the 1967 Swedish film of the same name that follows the tragic story of a Danish tightrope dancer. Also on the program will be the “Oxford” Symphony by Haydn.
Orchestra Night 2 on Friday, Aug. 8, will feature the Fry Street Quartet in concert with the Festival Amadeus Orchestra Strings in Mozart’s “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik” loosely translated as “A Little Night Music” and the “Intro and Allegro” by Elgar. The concert will also showcase works by Handel and Sibelius.
Orchestra Night 3, on Saturday, Aug. 9, is titled “Turkish Polonaise” and highlights Polish violinist Kinga Augustyn performing Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 5 in A Major “Turkish” and “Polonaise Brilliant in D Major for violin and orchestra” by Wieniawski. The repertoire is completed with a Beethoven’s energetic “Symphony No. 8 in F Major.”
The week culminates in a Festival Grand Finale orchestra concert on Sunday, Aug. 10, featuring pianist Spencer Myer in Beethoven’s “Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major,” plus Mendelssohn’s “Overture to a Midsummer Night’s Dream” and Mozart’s wonderful “Linz” Symphony.
The free open air concert that opens the festival follows the tradition of offering a sampling of the above classical repertoire.
Both a Festival Pass and a Pick 4 Pass are available for the Festival Amadeus concerts and can be purchased by calling 407-7000. The Festival Pass is transferable and is priced at $188 for adults, $166 for seniors and $102 for students. A Pick 4 Pass offering a choice of any four concerts is priced at $122 for adults, $107 for seniors and $67 for students.
Single tickets are priced in two seating tiers and can be purchased on the website www.gscmusic.org starting on June 1, 2014. Festival Amadeus in Bigfork tickets include the wine tasting for age appropriate adults and are priced at $20 adult; $18 senior; $10 youth. Festival passes are available for $50 adult; $45 senior; $25 youth.
CONCERT SCHEDULE
“Open Air Orchestra Concert” Sunday, Aug. 3 – Whitefish Depot Park. Gates open at 6 p.m, concert begins 7 p.m. Entry is free and food, beer and wine will be available from vendors. Picnicking is welcome. Bring blankets and lawn chairs and claim your spot on the lawn.
The following concerts will all be held at Whitefish Performing Arts Center at 7:30 p.m.
Chamber Night 1: “Fry Street Quartet in Concert”: Monday, Aug. 4, Fry Street Quartet
Chamber Night 2: “Mozart Piano Wind Quintet”: Tuesday, Aug. 5, Tanya Gabrielian, Reid Merley, Dinah Weimer, Alicia McLean, Paul Rossi.
Orchestra Night 1: “Mozart’s Elvira Madigan”: Wednesday, Aug. 6, Tanya Gabrielian with the Fesival Amadeus Orchestra, John Zoltek Conductor.
Chamber Night 3: “Violin Piano Synergy”: Thursday, Aug. 7, Kinga Augustyn and Spencer Myer.
Orchestra Night 1: “A Little Night Music”: Friday, Aug. 8, Fry Street Quartet with the Festival Amadeus Orchestra Strings, John Zoltek, conductor
Orchestra Night 3: “Turkish Polonaise”: Saturday, Aug. 9, Kinga Augustyn with the Festival Amadeus Orchestra, John Zoltek, conductor
Orchestra Night 4: “Festival Grand Finale”: Sunday, Aug. 10, Spencer Myer with the Festival Amadeus Orchestra, John Zoltek, conductor
Festival Amadeus in Bigfork Chamber Concerts
All concerts held at 7:30 p.m at Blessed Pope Paul II Catholic Church, 195 Coverdell Road, Bigfork
“Violin Piano Synergy”: Tuesday, Aug. 5, Kinga Augustyn, violin, Spencer Myer, piano
“Fry Street Quartet in Concert”: Wednesday, Aug. 6, Fry Street Quartet
“Mozart Piano Wind Quintet”: Thursday, Aug. 7, Tanya Gabrielian, Reid Merley, Dinah Weimer, Alicia McLean, Paul Rossi.