We stand at the half-way point of MCCMF 2015! A very typical “festival” scene unfolds rounds me … I sit in the green room (our church library transformed) while the great Rudolf Haken practices, preparing for tonight’s performance, during my blog entry. I love this! This week of music making!
It’s been spectacular, so far, and I anticipate a full week of successful music making. What’s been my favorite memory? With many to choose from, I have to say it’s been our audience’s acceptance of George Crumb’s “Apparition”.
One of my greatest joys from the 14 years of the festival has been witnessing our concert goers enjoying very modern works; pieces that use dissonance and other, “less accessible” compositional techniques. Many organizations shy away from programming works like this, but we do not. We simply present them in an open, educational, and loving manner, and the audience appreciate them as easily as works by Tchaikovsky or Schubert!
In the past Olivier Messiaen’s “Quartet For The End Of Time”, Dmitri Shostakovich’s Quartet #8, and Sergei Prokofiev’s Piano Sonata #8 have been greeted with instant standing ovations! This year it was Crumb’s turn. Jasmin Arakawa and Melisa Badrick Baldwin displays uncommon virtuosity in their performance and the crowd responded. With another “contemporary” success, we will continue our commitment to presenting new music at the MCCMF!
Sent from my iPad, Nic Orbovich, www.nicorbovich.org
Artistic Director/Violin, Michigan City Chamber Music Festival, www.mccmf.org Director of Music Ministries, 1st Presbyterian Church, Michigan City, IN Principal 2nd Violin, South Bend Symphony (IN)
