Astoria Music Festival March Mimi-Series HERMITAGE PIANO TRIO 3 p.m. Sunday, March 15 Liberty Theater 1203 Commercial St., Astoria www.astoriamusicfestival.com $20 general admission, $5 students $30 patron, includes post-concert reception with the artists FROM FINLAND WITH LOVE 3 p.m. Sunday, March 22 Liberty Theater 1203 Commercial St., Astoria $15, includes post-concert reception The Astoria Music festival offers a taste of summer delights with its first-ever March Mini-Series Story by DWIGHT CASWELL presented at the Liberty Theater. And if that festival is always held in June, why not offer a foretaste of The Astoria Music Festival has become what it summer delights in a mini-series of concerts in the LVWRGD\²RQHRIWKH¿QHVWPXVLFIHVWLYDOVQRWRQO\ spring? in Oregon, but also on the West Coast — because And that’s how our homegrown festival is re- Maestro Keith Clark insists on not following a for- inventing itself in 2015, with what they are call- mula. “Our reputation,” says Clark, “is as a develop- ing, logically enough, the March Mini-Series. It’s a ing, young and energetic festival that does unusual chance to see and hear some of the talent that will be things well.” here in June. ,IDVLJQL¿FDQWZRUNKDVQHYHUEHHQSHUIRUPHGLQ 7KH ¿UVW FRQFHUW IHDWXUHG OXWHQLVW DQG JXLWDULVW Oregon, or North America, you can count on it being Hideki Yamaya, an Astoria Music festival favorite, and his mentor, John Schneiderman, whom Yama- ya now records with. They presented “Romantic German Music for Two Guitars” at Peace Lutheran Church. Unfortunately, as you can tell from the past tense, WKH¿UVWFRQFHUWKDVDOUHDG\KDSSHQHG,I\RXPLVVHG it, make sure you don’t miss the next two; both are at 3 p.m. at the Liberty Theater. The second concert features one of the most popular artists ever to play LQ$VWRULD6HUJH\$QWRQRYWKHWKLUGDQG¿QDOSHU- formance should not be missed by anyone of Scan- dinavian descent. Antonov, the “Cello Hero” of the music festival, along with Ilya Kazantsev on piano and Micha Key- lin on violin are the Hermitage Piano Trio. They take the stage of the Liberty Theater Sunday, March 15 to play the music of Beethoven, Brahms, Rachmanin- ov and Schubert. Micha Keylin has performed to consistent acclaim in 45 countries since his Carnegie Hall debut at the age of 11. Antonov won the Inter- national Tchaikovsky Competition, and Kazantsev won the Internation- al Chopin Competition in Moscow and the 2007 and 2008 World Piano Competition. Based in the United States but out of the great Russian musical tradition, this trio of remark- able musicians has recorded exten- sively and toured from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C., where The Washington Post reviewer said they, “turned in a performance of such power and sweeping passion that it left you nearly out of breath.” A reception will be held after the concert, at which those who pay a little extra will have a chance Submitted photo The Hermitage Piano Trio, featuring, from left, cellist Sergey Antonov, violinist Micha Keylin and pianist Ilya Kazantsev, will perfrom works by Beethoven, Brahms, Rachmaninov and Schubert on March 15 at the Liberty Theater. to meet the performers. The following Sunday, March 22, the Astoria Music Festival presents an event that will stir the hearts of all those who trace their roots to Scandina- via. “From Finland with Love: Songs of my Great Grandfather” features rarely heard music by Jean Sibelius. The concert is part of a worldwide celebration of the 150th anniversary of the birth of Sibelius, held in association with UNESCO. Sibelius captured the spirit of Scandinavia as no other artist. More than most composers, and even more than most Finnish people, Sibelius was an avid student of nature, and it LQVSLUHG KLV ¿QHVW ZRUN 3HUKDSV LW is for this reason that he approached the form and tonality of music in a unique fashion, for which he some- times received critical rebuke. Si- belius’ response to such disparagement was classic: “Pay no attention to what critics say. No statue has ever been put up to a critic.” Why “Songs of My Great Grandfather”? Be- cause the pianist performing the pieces is Ruusamari Teppo, the great-granddaughter of Sibelius. Teppo It’s a chance to see and hear some of the talent that will be here in June. Submitted photo Ruusamari Teppo, Finnish composer Jean Sibelius’ great-granddaughter, will perfrom “From Finland with Love: Songs of my Great Grandfa- ther” on piano with cellist Jussi Makkonen on March 22 at the Liberty Theater in Astoria. notforsale 12 | March 12, 2015 | coastweekend.com has performed as a soloist and chamber musician in this country, throughout Europe and in South Africa. She is joined by Jussi Makkonen, who will perform on an 18th century cello. Makkonen received his master’s degree in music from the Sibelius Acade- my and also has an impressive international resume. The Finnish Brotherhood of Astoria will hold a post-concert reception, for which there will be no additional charge. Based on past performance, the reception will be well worth attending. If after these events you feel your appetite whet- ted for the June festival, Maestro Clark promises a great show. “I am thrilled,” he says, “to bring this summer’s program to Astoria audiences. It’s a gath- ering of my best musical friends from the world’s greatest opera houses and symphony orchestras.” 7KH IHVWLYDO ZLOO SUHVHQW WKH 3DFL¿F 1RUWKZHVW premiere of Donizetti’s “Mary Stuart,” with Amer- ica’s reigning queen of Bel Canto opera (and festival regular) Angela Meade as Mary, Queen of Scots. “She’ll lose her head at the end of course,” says Clark, “but so will the rest of us when we hear this incredibly beautiful music.” There will also be two all-Beethoven nights, says Clark, “and much more coming soon. We’re build- ing the greatest music festival on the West Coast.” AP Photo Finnish composer Jean Sibelius is shown in Finland in January 1938. The Astoria Music Festival’s March Mini-Series concert “From Finland with Love” is part of a worldwide celebration of the 150th anniversary of the composer’s birth. Photo courtesy of David Lee Myers Celloist Sergey Antonov performs during the final celebrity chamber music matinee during last summer’s Astoria Music Festival. The award-winning cellist will be back in Astoria for a concert March 15 as part of the festival’s March Mini-Series. March 12, 2015 | coastweekend.com | 13