Week of Events
Oregon’s Organ Institute Turns 10
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Oregon Bach Festival’s Organi Institute, alum Greg Zelek will give a solo organ recital on July 8. Repertoire includes works of Bach, Florence Price, and Léon Boëllmann. https://calendar.uoregon.edu/event/greg_zelek_organ_recital
American Music for Reed Quintet at Bravo! Vail
The Akropolis Reed Quintet makes its Bravo! Vail debut on July 9. Their program includes works by two American composers: Marc Mellits’ Splinter and Jeff Scott’s Homage to Paradise Valley. https://www.bravovail.org/performances/community-concerts/communityconcerts-2/akropolis-reed-quintet/
John Luther Adams Premiere in Oregon
John Luther Adams’ latest work for chamber ensemble, Prophecies of Fire, will receive its world premiere on July 10. Sandbox Percussion will perform the piece, under the auspices of Chamber Music Northwest, which co-commissioned it. Gabriela Lena Frank’s Luciérnagas and Zapatos de Chincha are also on the program. https://cmnw.org/concerts-events/2024-summer-festival/special-event-world-premiere-of-prophecies-of-fire/2029/
Shaham Brings Bates Concerto to Bravo! Vail
The Philadelphia Orchestra, led by music director Yannick Nézet-Séguin, will play the Bravo! Vail Festival premiere of Mason Bates’ explosive Nomad Concerto, featuring violinist Gil Shaham. The July 11 program continues with Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2. https://www.bravovail.org/performances/orchestral-series/the-philadelphia-orchestra-2/nezet-seguin-conducts-rachmaninoff/
Owls Quartet Spreads Wings Across Styles at Caramoor
Owls are an exciting new quartet collective that shatters all expectations and throws labels out the window with their unmissable, lively, and deeply personal performances. Their July 11 program at Caramoor spans centuries and styles, from François Couperin to Terry Riley, and from Franghiz Ali-Zadeh to Chick Corea. https://caramoor.org/event/owls-summer-2024/
‘Fairy Queen’ Opens Toronto Summer Music
A new production of Henry Purcell’s The Fairy Queen opens the 2024 Toronto Summer Music on July 11. William Christie and Paul Agnew share the job of music director while Mourad Merzuki choreographs. With the Orchestre des Arts Florissants in the pit, the company features eight Baroque vocal specialists. https://torontosummermusic.com/event/opening-night-the-fairy-queen/
A Comic Orpheus in Rural NH
Billed as “a comedic romp through Hades,” Opera North’s July 11-14 production of Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld will be sung in French but include English dialogue. The work is presented as part of Summerfest 2024 at Blow-Me-Down Farm in Cornish, NH. https://lebanonoperahouse.org/events/orpheus/
Hometown Premiere for Jim Stephenson Work
While the main draw on July 12-13 may be Stewart Goodyear playing Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto under Giancarlo Guerrero at the Grant Park Festival, the world-premiere opener by Chicago-based composer Jim Stephenson will be worth showing up for too. And stay for Duruflé’s powerful Requiem sung by the Grant Park Chorus. https://www.grantparkmusicfestival.com/music/2024-season-1/beethoven-emperor-concerto
‘Righteous’ Follows Preacher’s Path to Politics
The world premiere of The Righteous will take place July 13-Aug. 13 at Santa Fe Opera. The opera, composed by Gregory Spears with a libretto by Tracy K. Smith, follows a Texas man on his journey from preacher to governor, with all its moral development and decay. The cast will include baritone Michael Mayes, soprano […]
New Opera Tells Of Sargent’s Muse
On July 13-18, Des Moines Metro Opera presents the world premiere of American Apollo, by Damien Geter and Lila Palmer. The main character is Thomas Eugene McKeller, a Black hotel worker who was also the model and muse for painter John Singer Sargent. Justin Austin and William Burden star, with stage director Shaun Patrick Tubbs […]
Ravinia Marks Fauré Centenary
2024 is the 100th anniversary of Gabriel Fauré’s death, and the Ravinia Festival will mark the occasion with a chamber-music tribute on July 13. This program matches Fauré’s timelessly serene Piano Quintet No. 2 to Ravel’s arrangement of Debussy’s Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune, as well as the Venezuelan-born Reynaldo Hahn’s own Piano Quintet (featuring […]
Beethoven Between Two Americans at Tanglewood
Carlos Simon’s Warmth from Other Sons and two works by Duke Ellington will book-end Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 at Tanglewood on July 13. Yuja Wang is the piano soloist, while Andres Nelsons conducts the Boston Symphony. https://www.bso.org/events/bso-yuja-wang-program-tba
