Festival offers classical intimacy
It was once played in palace chambers: Intimate settings filled with royalty and power.
Today, while it may have lost its exclusivity and no longer requires an intimate location, chamber music is still considered one of the cheapest ways to experience classical music.
The Juniper Winter Chamber Music Festival offers Logan residents an opportunity to hear professional-caliber chamber music. The festival is due largely to the work of Michael Carrera, the chief organizer of the festival.
“I was inspired by two other Chamber Music festivals: Cooperstown, New York has one, so does Tuscon, Arizona,” Carrera said. “I chose Logan [for the Juniper Winter Chamber Music Festival] because of the mountains.”
Now in it’s fifth season, the festival has far outreached its humble beginnings.
“It started on [the Utah State University] campus, but last year was held in the Ellen Eccles Theater and they liked it so much they wanted to come back this year,” says Amanda Matthews, marketing and communications director for the Cache Valley Center for the Arts.
This year’s festival artists include Judith Ingolfsson, director of the Tucson
Arizona Chamber Music Festival, ont he violin, Linda Chesis on flute, Brandt Bayless on the viola and Orli Shaham on the piano. Shaham played at the festival two years ago and is the first ever returning artist.
In addition to the chamber music recitals, the festival focuses on musical education at the university level.
“These artists will be holding masterclasses and workshops all week for students. Even after performances, they’re happy to talk with students about what they heard. It’s a big education and outreach program,” Matthews said.
The Jan. 27 program includes “Trio for Piano, Flute and Viola” by Maurice Drufle, “Prokofiev Soatat for Two Violins” by Sergei, “Trio for Piano, Violin and Flute,” by Bohuslav Martino and “Piano Quartet” by Antonin Dvorak.
For more info, visit www.centerforthearts.com or call (435) 752-0026.
-limarc@cc.usu.edu