Festival Amadeus returns to the Flathead Valley – and Whitefish – for its fifth year in 2013, beginning this Sunday evening with a free outdoor concert in Whitefish Depot Park.
Conductor John Zoltek and the Festival Amadeus orchestra will present a festive concert program in Depot Park to kick off the opening of the 2013 festival, so bring your picnic, or plan on buying dinner from one of the vendors who will be at the concert.
Lawn chairs and blankets are a must, and get there early – this has become one of the premier summertime events in Whitefish, and more than 1,000 music lovers are expected to converge on downtown Whitefish for the concert. There will be a designated area near the beer/wine garden for you to sit with your family and friends, and enjoy the concert and sampling our signature beers and wines for the festival.
The festivities in and around Depot Park begin at 6 p.m., with the concert running from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Expect a wonderful summer evening of classical selections by Beethoven, Bizet, Rossini and Mozart, performed in the Depot Park band shell stage.
The festival continues on Monday night at the Whitefish Performing Arts Center, with a 7:30 p.m. performance by the Festival Amadeus orchestra and guest performers Brant Bayless on the viola, Catalin Rotaru on double bass and April Lane on piano. The program features a collection of sonorous works by Bach, Telemann, Schumann, Stravinsky, Faure, Chopin and others. A rare opportunity to enjoy these internationally acclaimed artists and their surprising repertoire.
The action continues next Tuesday night with the Quartet Quintet Rhapsody, featuring the Fry Street Quartet and Brant Bayless. The dynamic, engaging performance style of the Fry Street quartet will be on display in this wonderful program featuring string quartets by the Viennese classicist, Franz Josef Haydn, and the 20th century British composer, Benjamin Britten. Mozart’s elegant musical Quintet in C Major K515 (with added viola) will conclude the evening. It’s a great opportunity to hear this professional quartet in full recital.
The 2013 festival concludes on Wednesday night with another 7:30 p.m. performance at the performing Arts Center: Emerging Virtuosos! The talents of pianist Andrew Staupe and violinist Simone Porter will be spotlighted in a delightful evening of fine chamber music ranging from Scarlatti to Bloch. Andrew Staupe will offer solo piano selections by Scarlatti, Schubert, Chopin and Debussy. He will be joined by Simone Porter in the beautiful Violin Sonata in B-flat Major K454 by Mozart. The concert concludes with violin showpieces by Ernest Bloch and Pablo Sarasate.
For more information on any of the week’s events, visit http://www.gscmusic.org.
Classic ‘cowboy’ concert, as well!
If classic country-western music is more your style – with an emphasis on western – make plans to head on out to Gaynor’s Ranch & Resort on Thursday, August 1, for a “Cowboy Dinner Concert” featuring the music of legendary cowboy singer Gene Gordner.
Set for 7-10 p.m. next Thursday night, the evening includes a camp-style steak dinner with all the trimmings – corn on the cob, cowboy beans, salads and Dutch oven cobbler. Once everyone has had their fill, Gordner will lead them on a trip through the Wild West in story and song. His repertoire includes such cowboy classics as Cattle Call, Ghost Riders in the Sky, Back in the Saddle, El Paso and the Yellow Rose of Texas.
Tickets for the dinner and concert are $35 for adults; $25 for children 5-12, and proceeds from the event will benefit the Tamarack Grief Center. For more information, call gaynor’s at 862-3802, or visit their website: www.gaynorsresorts.com.