Tonight I was lucky enough to
attend the second night of the
North Shore Chamber Music Festival which runs
through tomorrow, Saturday, June 8, 2013 at the
Village Presbyterian Church at
1300 N. Shermer in Northbrook, Illinois. This is a stunning festival, featuring
seasoned musicians who have won major performance prizes, have appeared with symphonies
around the word, teach at highly regarded music schools, and have amassed a
large discography. Tonight’s program
featured Shubert’s “The Trout,” as well as the Quintet for Clarinet and Strings
by Carl Maria Von Weber, and a very short Adagio by Arvo Part, all of which
were received very enthusiastically by
the audience.
Tomorrow night’s offering, which
starts at 7:30 pm, includes Romanian Folk Dances by Bela Bartok, a selection of
Jazz Piano solos in a tribute to Oscar Peterson, and Brahms’ Piano Quartet No.
1 in G minor. At 6:00 pm, a number of young Chicago performers will present a
pre-concert musical program. While the concert will be broadcast on WFMT-FM
(98.7), if you are anywhere in the area you really should go in person. I
bought tonight’s ticket shortly before the concert, and there were plenty of
seats left for tomorrow. While the seats near the front have been sold out,
there were plenty of seats left in the balcony. At a price of only $15, it is a
bargain, indeed.
Kudos are in order to
Vadim Gluzman,
the Festival’s Artistic Director, and
Angela Yoffe, the Executive Director, for
putting together a very ambitious and successful festival. It is always a treat to be able to hear world
class musicians, and when it is possible to hear them in a convenient suburban
location, it is a very happy occasion.
