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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (June 18, 2015)
Astoria Music Festival moves into second week ASTORIA — The 13th annual Astoria Music Festival contin- ues into its second weekend and week of stunning concerts Fri- day, June 19 to Wednesday, June 24. Weekday programming fo- cuses on young instrumental and vocal artists . On Friday, June 19, the Her- mitage Piano Trio — featuring cellist Sergey Antonov, pianist Ilya Kazantsev and violinist Mi- sha Keylin — violinist Anthea Kreston, cellist Jason Duckles and violist James VanValkenburg will join Astoria Music Festival Chamber Music Director and pianist Cary Lewis in a stirring concert ranging from Beethoven to Sibelius, as the music festival continues its celebration of the 150th anniversary of the latter composer’s birth. Pieces to be performed include Beethoven’s String Quintet after the “Kreut- zer” Sonata; Brahms’ Hungarian Dances for Piano Four-Hands, and Sibelius’ Piano Quintet in G Minor. Tickets are $20 to $45, and the concert takes place at the Liberty Theater. After a recent Hermitage Pia- no Trio concert, the Washington Post raved, “three of Russia’s most spectacular young solo- ists…turned in a performance of such power and sweeping passion that it left you nearly out of breath.” Kreston and Duckles’ chamber ensemble, the Amelia Piano Trio, was honored by Na- tional Public Radio as the Young Ensemble in Residence with a week of concerts and interviews in 2003. Founding member of the International String Quartet and current Assistant Principal Viola of the Detroit Symphony, VanValkenburg continues to col- laborate with chamber musicians such as Gidon Kremer, David Shifrin and Isaac Stern. Lewis spent most of his career as the ac- claimed pianist of the legendary Lanier Trio, whose recording of the complete Dvorak Trios was selected by Time as one of the 10 best recordings of 1993. Saturday, June 20 begins with a free brown bag lunch talk at noon in the Liberty Theater’s McTavish Room, providing cul- tural context for the festival’s production of Bach’s majestic “St. John Passion.” Speakers include Portland State Univer- sity German language professor William Fischer and Dwight Caswell, who has a doctorate in theology. At 4 p.m. Saturday, cellist Sergey Antonov welcomes festi- val-goers with his popular Hap- py Hour, an informal, hour of concert and conversation with his fellow artists of the Hermit- age Piano Trio. The concert takes place at the Liberty Theater, and tickets are $15. The program will be announced on stage. The evening continues at 7:30 p.m. on the Liberty Theater stage with Keith Clark directing the Festival Orchestra in the deeply moving “St. John Passion” by Bach. The production includes FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC. Member FINRA/SIPC Submitted photo by Dwight Caswell The Ensemble of Oregon direct- ed by Patrick McDonough and internationally acclaimed singers Oliver Mercer as the Evangelist and Metropolitan Opera bass Richard Zeller, returning to the festival for his 10th summer, in the role of Christus. Sunday, June 21 begins at 4 p.m. with Clark introducing the festival’s second all-Beetho- ven program in a free Concert Preview. Then at 5 p.m., the Hermitage Piano Trio opens the concert with the bravura Triple &RQFHUWR7KHGUDPDLQWHQVL¿HV as Clark leads the orchestra, the North Coast Chorale, Vocal Ap- prentices and acclaimed opera soloists in the powerful Act II of opera in concert “Fidelio,” in which a courageous wife disguises herself and hazards a treacherous political prison to rescue her wrongly accused hus- band. Richard Zeller as Don Fer- nando is joined by Emily Pulley as Lenore; Allan Glassman as Florestan; Deac Guidi as Roc- co; and Matthew Hayward as Pizarro. Tickets are $17 to $45, and the concert takes place at the Liberty Theater. Monday, June 22 brings the culmination of coaching by members of the Hermitage Pia- no Trio with the 2015 Festival’s Instrumental Apprentices. The combined ensemble allows the performance of two of Mendels- sohn’s master works: the Double Concerto in D Minor and the 6WULQJ2FWHWLQ(ÀDW0DMRU$S- propriate to the youth of the ap- prentices, Mendelssohn’s Octet, written when the composer was only 16, bursts with exuberant brilliance. Since it was written as a gift for a friend and teacher, the Octet also honors the mentoring Lower Columbia HorseFest • ST O C K S/B O N D S • M U T U AL FU N D S • F D IC -IN SU R E D C D ’S • IR A A C C O U N T S #1 12TH ST., SUITE 7 ASTORIA, OR Saturday June 27th 8:30am-4:30pm FREE Admission Clatsop County Fairgrounds • Astoria, Oregon Mark Hedeen 22 | June 18, 2015 | coastweekend.com Financial Advisor Submitted photo Tenor Oliver Mercer will perform June 20 in Bach’s “St. John Passion,” which tells of the final days of Jesus of Nazareth in a work of searing intensity, as dramatic as any opera. Award-winning cellist Sergey Antonov, lower left, performs with the Astoria Music Festi- val orchestra under the direction of Keith Clark, right. Presented by: North Coast Chapter OET 503.325.0677 Submitted photo James VanValkenburg, assistant principal viola of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, will perform June 19 at the festival. Demonstrations • Seminars Vendors • Displays 503-791-3066 Submitted photo Soprano Emily Pulley has performed with Glimmerglass Opera and Boston Lyric Opera, and will sing the role of Lenore in Beethoven’s “Fidelio” June 21 at the Asto- ria Music Festival. experience. The concert is free and takes place at the Liberty Theater at 7:30 p.m. At 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 24, Keith Clark will part the curtains on Mozart’s involve- ment with the secret society of )UHH 0DVRQU\ DQG LWV LQÀXHQFH on his music. The free talk takes place at the Astoria Masonic Lodge, located at 1572 Franklin Ave. Following the talk, attend- Submitted photo Pianist Ilya Kazantsev, part of the Hermit- age Trio, will perform June 19, 20 and 22 during the festival. ees are invited to take a short walk from the lecture to glimpse the dress rehearsal for “The Magic Flute” (being performed June 25 and 26). For more information or tick- ets, visit www.astoriamusicfesti- val.org; visit the Astoria Music )HVWLYDOER[RI¿FHDW&RP- mercial St. or call 503.325.9896; or visit the Liberty Theater box RI¿FHDW&RPPHUFLDO6WRU call 503.325.5922, ext. 55. Pla ying toda y’s best m usic
