Aloysia Friedmann has no shortage of inspiration when planning her beloved music festival.
“Every year is different, and it’s fascinating where the direction of my programming goes,” said Friedmann, founder and artistic director. “So much of it is influenced by the artists who are coming and pieces I have wanted to play over the years. This year, I dedicated one piece of music throughout the festival to each of my board members.”
The 27th annual Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival opens Aug. 2 and runs through Aug. 17. Attendees can enjoy five 7:30 p.m. concerts, each repeated the next evening at 5:30 p.m., at Orcas Center. Those unable to attend in person can watch all 5:30 p.m. concerts online. Register at www.oimcf.org.
There are a variety of free offerings, including two pre-concert events, an outdoor Children’s Concert, an open rehearsal for older patrons and hamlet concerts in Olga, West Sound and Deer Harbor. Courtesy of the late Joyce Burghardt’s family, OICMF offers free tickets to all main stage concerts for youth ages 6-18 and their families. To secure “Friends of Joyce” tickets, contact the office at 360-376-6636.
“We are doing a lot for the community in addition to the amazing artists being here,” Friedmann said.
The festival will showcase work by Beethoven, Mozart and Brahms as well as jazz compositions by Django Reinhardt and Astor Piazzolla. Three concertmasters — Bollinger of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Thayer of the San Diego Symphony Orchestra, and Batjer of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra — headline concerts throughout this year’s programming.
“We have four amazing violinists who are all soloists in their own right. We have the return of the Gryphon Trio — they were last here in 2018 for a short-term residency. The Miró Quartet will be back. I am extremely happy to be showcasing a young Ukrainian pianist named Illia Ovcharenko,” Friedmann said.
Ovcharenko, who won the Honens International Piano Competition, joins pianist Jon Kimura Parker (who is also the OICF artistic advisor), Slovenian guitarist Mak Grgic, violinists Robyn Bollinger, Jeff Thayer, Cho-Liang Lin and Margaret Batjer, violists Friedmann and Eileen Swanson, cellist Robert DeMaine, and double bassist David Grossman.
A highlight of this year’s festival is the Gryphon Trio, pianist Jamie Parker, violinist Annalee Patipatanakoon and cellist Roman Borys. The musicians wowed Orcas Island audiences in 2011, 2014, and 2018 with their masterful technique and artistic flair and have since continued to cultivate an international reputation as one of the world’s most dynamic trios.
The final concert pair of the Festival is dedicated to the memory of William Anders, the astronaut who took the photo “Earthrise,” one of the most famous images ever recorded. Anders, a longtime supporter of the festival, passed away in a plane crash on June 7 in the San Juan Islands. A rendition of Franz Schubert’s Ave Maria featuring musical saw and Fiddlin’ for Bill, a string octet arranged by violinist William Fedkenheuer, are among the tributes. The closing night concert is sponsored by Anders’ wife, Valerie, in his memory.
To purchase tickets and view the festival’s entire repertoire, visit www.oicmf.org.
Free outreach events
The Gryphon Trio will treat patrons to a free mini-concert of tangoes on Aug. 9 at 6:30 p.m. and 10 at 4:30 p.m. A free pre-concert talk about Ovcharenko’s extraordinary win at the Honens International Piano Competition will precede the Aug. 13 and 14 concerts.
The free children’s concert will take place on the front lawn of Orcas Center at 1 p.m. on Aug. 7. Young people of every age will enjoy Adam Stern’s lively narration of Jean de Brunhoff’s beloved children’s classic The Story of Babar, the Little Elephant and musical fun with an ensemble of performers, including pianist Ovcharenko. No ticket is required.
Residents of Olga, West Sound and Deer Harbor can attend free hamlet concerts on Sunday, Aug. 4 — Olga is at 10 a.m., West Sound is at 1 p.m. and Deer Harbor is at 4 p.m. They are held in the community centers.
Senior citizens are invited to an open rehearsal of our Teenage Genius concert on Aug. 16 at 1 p.m.
“It’s an opportunity to see the inner workings of a piece that will be performed that evening,” Friedmann said.
Bo Huang photo. The Gryphon Trio from left to right: Cellist Roman Borys, violinist Annalee Patipatanakoon, and pianist Jamie Parker. The group has won three Juno awards and the prestigious Walter Carsen Prize for Excellence in the Performing Arts from the Canadian Council for the Arts.
