Festival Amadeus floods Flathead with classical music
Published: July 20, 2011
The seven-concert Festival Amadeus, July 31-Aug. 6 in Whitefish, features acclaimed guest artists, along with the Bridger String Quartet of Bozeman and Glacier String Quartet of Kalispell, performing some of the finest classical music of Mozart, Beethoven, Piazzolla, Prokofiev, Wagner and others.
“This festival will be full of traditional favorites and some interesting twists and turns,” promises music director John Zoltek. “For instance, Adam Rapa will be playing the extremely demanding clarinet concerto by von Weber on a specially made four-valve trumpet – very cutting edge!”
This year’s guest artists are Italian pianist Robert Plano, violinist Nigel Armstrong, trumpet sensation Adam Rapa, classical saxophonist Ashu and 12-year-old trumpet prodigy, Natalie Dungey.
This year’s festival kicks off with a free “open air” concert at 7:30 p.m. in Depot Park featuring the Festival Amadeus Orchestra and saxophone virtuoso Ashu, who will be featured in music by Glazunov and Piazzolla, in addition to music by Handel and Mozart.
The festival moves to the O’Shaughnessy Center for six concerts Monday-Saturday, all at 7:30 p.m.
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Monday’s “Evening with the Artists” features an interactive evening of music with guests, hosted by Maestro John Zoltek. Three chamber concerts follow, beginning Tuesday with “Classical Sax and Quartets,” performed by Ashu, saxophone, April Lane, piano, and the Bridger String Quartet.
On Wednesday, trumpeters Adam Rapa and Natalie Dungey join Lane and the Glacier String Quartet in “Fanfare Flourishes, Mozart and Mahler”; and Thursday’s “Romantic Sojourn” features Roberto Plano, piano, and Nigel Armstrong, violin.
The festival concludes with two performances by the Festival Amadeus Orchestra. On Friday, the orchestra and trumpeters Rapa and Dungey offer “Mozart’s Jupiter and Trumpet Treats”; and on Saturday, Plano and Armstrong join the orchestra in the “Festival Finale.”
Tickets are $10-$18 for the first four concerts, and $15-$32 for the final two; call 257-3241 or visit www.gscmusic.org for details.
