Halcyon Music Festival Starts July 20

EXETER, NH — The Halcyon Music Festival, which features chamber music performances around the Seacoast each summer, kicks off its first week of concerts on Wednesday, July 20, 2016, with “Bohemian Rhapsody,” at Phillips Exeter Academy Library in Exeter at 7 p.m.

The festival schedule continues Friday, July 22 with “Vive la France” and “Elegance, Jubilation and Heartbreak” on Saturday, July 23, both at 7:30 p.m. at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Portsmouth.

Submitted by the Halcyon Music Festival.

Now in its third season, Halcyon Music Festival’s mission is to enhance the growth of chamber music and make it accessible to a broad audience. Halcyon Music Festival is unique for both participating musicians—who come from all over the world to live, work and perform together over a two-week period—and the audience members who have the opportunity to attend a series of passionate and compelling performances they will not hear elsewhere.

This year’s Halcyon Music Festival roster of international virtuosos includes violinists Miki-Sophia Cloud, Gabriela Diaz, Katherine Manker, Irina Muresanu, Monica Pegis, Ben Sayevich; violists Tatjana Mead Chamis, Chung-Hoon Peter Chun, Tim Deighton, Robert Meyer, and Yizhak Schotten; cellists David Hardy, Brian Manker, and Wendy Warner, Mariel and Andrée Werner; pianists Katherine Collier, Lolita Lisovskaya-Sayevich and Heng-Jin Park ; and French hornist Abel Pereira.

“Bohemian Rhapsody” on July 20 will include Reicha’s Grand Quintet for Horn and String Quartet; Dvořák’s Piano Trio in F minor, Opus 65; and Suk’s Piano Quartet in A minor, Opus 1. “Vive La France” on Friday, July 22nd will include Ravel’s Sonata for Violin and Piano; Debussy’s String Quartet; and Chausson’s Concerto for Violin, Piano, and String Quartet. “Elegance, Jubilation, and Heartbreak” on Saturday, July 23rd will include Böhner’s Variations for Horn and String Quartet, Opus 24; Strauss’ String Sextet from the opera ‘Capriccio’; and Mozart’s String Quintet in C Major, K. 515.

There is a suggested $25 donation for individual concerts. Audience members interested in attending more than one performance are encouraged to purchase one of the discounted subscription options: $130 for the full festival; $110 for five concerts; $88 for four concerts; $65 for three concerts. Patrons can also purchase a discounted subscription for the four Portsmouth concerts for $88. Please note that the opening Exeter concert on July 20th is free to the public. Discounts apply only for the remaining six concerts. For more information or to purchase advance tickets, please visit halcyonmusicfestival.org/concerts/.

The Halcyon Music Festival continues the following week with “Novelties from Eastern Europe” at St. George’s Church in Durham on Wednesday, July 27; “Made in the USA” at Rye Congregational Church in Rye on Thursday, July 28; “The Four B’s—Bach, Beethoven, Bolcom, Brahms” at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Portsmouth on Friday, July 29; and concludes with “The Final Serenade” at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Portsmouth on Saturday, July 30. All concerts start at 7:30pm unless otherwise noted.

Caption: Artistic Director and Pianist Heng-Jin Park