4 // COASTWEEKEND.COM
Astoria welcomes back its
musical heroes
14th Astoria Music Festival showcases cellist, soprano
and a $1.7 million violin — plus a tribute to David Bowie
By PATRICK WEBB
FOR COAST WEEKEND
H
Heroes is one theme for
this year’s Astoria Music
Festival. Change could be
another.
The three-week program
begins Saturday, June 18
and features 13 concerts and
operas.
The 14th year sees a
new board of directors that
regrouped after last summer’s
leadership confl ict. Artistic
Director Keith Clark doesn’t
dwell on the changes, ac-
knowledging that there were
differences that he and those
remaining want to put behind
them. Leena Riker, Dwight
Caswell, Craig Holt, Michael
Foster and Doug Westervelt
have provided organizational
continuity. Others who have
joined the board include
Dr. Bill Armington, Jeanne
Peterson, John Orr and Sarah
Nebeker.
“The festival will be great
again, the program is more
varied than during some
earlier years, and should be of
interest to younger audiences
as well,” said Riker, former
board president.
The Liberty Theater, the
Clatsop Community College
Performing Arts Center and
Grace Episcopal Church are
among the venues.
Events begin with a 4 p.m.
matinee Saturday featur-
ing cellist Sergey Antonov,
violinist Elizabeth Pitcairn
and pianist Cary Lewis with
a selection of works by Men-
delssohn, Grieg and Dvorak.
Antonov will be back in the
spotlight at 7:30 p.m. as solo-
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Elizabeth Pitcairn will perform 4 p.m. Sunday, June 19 on the
1720, $1.7 million Mendelssohn Stradivarius violin.
PHOTO BY DWIGHT CASWELL
Artistic Director Keith Clark will conduct Saturday’s gala evening concert, which features Philip
Glass’ 1996 Symphony No. 4 “Heroes,” as well as Sunday’s rendition of Beethoven’s Symphony
No. 3 “Eroica.”
ist on Elgar’s Cello Concerto.
The son of two Moscow
cellists learned the instrument
from age 5. Clark recalls
American cello teacher Terry
King telling him in 2010, “If
you want to get on the ground
fl oor of the next generation
of cellists, there is a really
remarkable Russian student
who is putting the polishing
touches on his preparation. I
can guarantee you will love
this guy.” “Based on that
recommendation, I brought
Sergey in sight unseen, and
everything that Terry forecast
came true,” Clark said.
The concert will feature
the Music Festival Orchestra
performing Philip Glass’
1996 Symphony No. 4
“Heroes,” based on the late
David Bowie’s 1977 album
of the same name.
Clark has never con-
ducted Glass’ music, but
describes him as “the
‘EVERY DAY I OPEN THE SCORE
I DISCOVER SOMETHING NEW.
IT’S ONE OF THOSE MIRACLES OF
HUMAN THOUGHT, BEAUTIFUL,
TECHNICAL — SO EXCITING.’
Beethoven of our time,”
an American composer
especially well regarded in
Europe. Despite his work
often being called “mini-
malist music” — a label that
Glass detests — this piece
calls for the largest number
of instrumentalists Clark has
assembled at the Liberty. (He
thinks it will be about 50.) “It
will be an amazing sound.”
“The song ‘Heroes’ is
considered one of the great-
est pieces of rock ’n’ roll
music of the 20th century,”
said Clark. “David Bowie
was a multifaceted, talented
artist — more than just a
rock ’n’ roll guy. He did so
many things with so many
musical styles.”
Another “star” of the
opening weekend is a $1.7
million violin played by for-
mer child prodigy Elizabeth
Pitcairn. The 1720 Men-
delssohn Stradivarius was
bought by her grandfather at
Christie’s auction in London
in 1990 and inspired the
movie “The Red Violin.”
Clark met Pitcairn as a
student in Los Angeles years
ago. “She was very spectac-
ular as a young teenager and
she’s grown into an interna-
tional special virtuoso.
“She could make beau-
tiful music on a cigar box,”
said Clark, crackling with
laughter. “The fact that she
has a most beautiful violin
makes it even better.”
The heroes theme contin-
ues with Sunday’s rendition
of Beethoven’s Symphony
No. 3.
The “Eroica” (“heroic”)
was dedicated to Napoleon,
although Beethoven report-
edly changed his mind when
the Frenchman proclaimed
himself emperor. Clark fi rst
conducted it in his early 20s.
“I have been living with this
my entire life. Every day I
open the score I discover
something new. It’s one of
those miracles of human
thought, beautiful, technical
— so exciting.
“The mechanics are
phenomenal. Deep and
profound heights of joy,
such a depth of sorrow in the
second movement, which is
a funeral march, and then the
third is a scherzo — a dance,
the happiest music you will
ever hear.”
Clark said the viscer-
al piece was pivotal. “It
changed the course of music
history,” becoming louder,
displaying unbridled energy
— no longer just polished
notes to please the aristoc-
racy of Europe — and set
the stage for Brahms and