Bellingham Festival of Music’s “Season of Discovery” showcases five conductors in July | EarRelevant

EarRelevant Staff | 26 JUN 2023

orchestral musicians from around North America are converging this week in Bellingham, Washington, to play in the annual Bellingham Festival of Music, which opens this Saturday, July 1 and runs through July 18. Eight of the Festival Orchestra’s musicians come from Atlanta this year.

One of America’s premier orchestra festivals, the Bellingham Festival of Music was established in 1993, with American orchestral conductor Michael Palmer as its founder and artistic director. Palmer stepped down from that position at the end of the 2022 season, becoming the Festival’s conductor laureate.

Under Palmer’s leadership, the Festival became internationally recognized, featuring some of the world’s finest orchestral musicians and major guest artists. Over the years, live recordings from its annual concerts have been broadcast on American Public Radio’s nationally syndicated program, Performance Today.

In searching for a new artistic director, the Festival has titled its 2023 season a “Season of Discovery,” featuring five conductors, each curating and leading a single concert during July: Ward Stare, Marcelo Lehninger, Ken Lam, Joshua Weilerstein, and Conner Gray Covington. All are making their BFM debuts.

Guest artists for 2023 include soprano Andriana Chuchman, violinists Blake Pouliot and Alexi Kenney, pianists Conrad Tao and Michelle Cann, and the Calidore String Quartet.

Here is a rundown of the 2023 Festival’s five orchestral and two chamber concerts:

Bellingham Festival of Music, 2023 Concert Series:

SATURDAY, JULY 1, 2023 @ 7:00 p.m.
WWU PAC
Ward Stare conductor
Andriana Chuchman, soprano
BRAHMS: Variations on a Theme by Haydn
Samuel BARBER: Knoxville Summer of 1915
MAHLER: Symphony No. 4
THURSDAY, JULY 6, 2023 @ 7:00 p.m.
WWU PAC
Marcelo Lehninger conductor
Blake Pouliot, violin
Valentin SILVESTROV: Hymne – 2001
TCHAIKOVSKY: Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35
DVORAK: Symphony No. 8 in G Major, Op. 88
MONDAY, JULY 10, 2023 @ 7:00 p.m.
WWU PAC
Ken Lam conductor
Conrad Tao, piano
Cindy McTEE: Circuits
RACHMANINOFF: Piano Concerto No. 2
SHOSTAKOVICH: Symphony No. 9
WEDNESDAY, JULY 12, 2023 @ 7:00 p.m.
WWU PAC
The Calidore String Quartet
BEETHOVEN: String Quartet No 7 in F major Op. 59 No. 1
BEETHOVEN: String Quartet No. 8 in E minor, Op. 59 No. 2
BEETHOVEN: String Quartet No. 9 in C major, Op. 59 “Eroica” No. 3
FRIDAY, JULY 14, 2023 @ 7:00 p.m.
WWU PAC
Joshua Weilerstein conductor
Alexi Kenney, violin
Gideon KLEIN: Partita for String Orchestra
Samuel BARBER: Violin Concerto, Op. 14
BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 3 in E-Flat Major
SUNDAY, JULY 16, 2023 @ 4:00 p.m.
Fairhaven Cruise Terminal
“Chamber Music by the Bay”
BFM Principals
Missy MAZZOLI: Lies You Can Believe
Sergei PROKOFIEV: Quintet in G Minor, Op. 39
Max REGER: Serenade op. 141a in G Major
Alexandre TANSMAN: Septet
TUESDAY, JULY 18, 2023 @ 7:00 p.m.
WWU PAC
Conner Gray Covington conductor
Michelle Cann, piano
Anna CLYNE: This Midnight Hour
Florence PRICE: Piano Concerto in One Movement
MENDELSSOHN: Overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream
RAVEL: Mother Goose (complete ballet)

For more information, visit the Bellingham Festival’s website. ■

External Links:

Bellingham Festival of Music: bellinghamfestival.org

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