Manitou Music Festival kicks into gear

Nationally Acclaimed Musicians Join Local Favorites
The first chamber concert of the season will be held at The Leelanau School in Glen Arbor on Thursday, July 18 at 7:30 pm.

Local musicians, Crispin Campbell, cello and Hal Grossman, violin will be joined by nationally renowned artists, Michael Heald, viola and Ann Arbor’s Michelle Cooker, piano for an evening of classic and romantic chamber music by Mozart and Fauré. The pieces to be performed will be Mozart’s Piano Quartet in G Minor K468 and Fauré’s Piano Quartet in C Minor Opus 15.
“This concert promises to be the musical equivalent of a French impressionist painting, since the audience will be totally bathed in the colors and senses”, states Crispin Campbell, Artistic Director of the Manitou Music Festival and Cellist for the chamber concert. “Mozart represents the ultimate balance of form and content with a highly dramatic operatic quality, while Fauré, who was deeply inspired by Mozart, symbolizes the same balance of form and content with an absolutely ravishing sense of French color”.
Nationally Recognized Singer and Songwriter, Claudia Schmidt to Perform
The Manitou Music Festival presents an evening of outdoor jazz on Sunday, July 21 outside on The Green at The Leelanau School in Glen Arbor.
Claudia Schmidt, a nationally recognized singer songwriter who has toured across the USA and in Europe will headline the event. Ms. Schmidt is a resident of Leelanau County. Although her roots are as a folk musician, her repertoire is a kaleidoscope of sounds from blues to ballads to classical. Ms. Schmidt will perform with the Mr. Natural Quartet, comprised of some of Michigan’s top jazz musicians: Ron Getz, guitar, Don Julin, mandolin, Randy Marsh, drums, and Dave Hay, bass.
“Claudia’s style is a mix of her own unique compositions coupled with jazz standards”, according to Crispin Campbell, Artistic Director of the Manitou Music Festival. “Claudia is a hugely talented, improvising singer, who uses her voice as if it were a music instrument. She also has a gift of language, so her original songs make for a witty and moving performance”.
Chicago Singers to Perform Chamber Opera in English
The Manitou Music Festival has scheduled its annual Opera Night with a “Comic Intermezzo”, a Chamber Opera in English. The concert will be held on Thursday, July 25 at The Leelanau School.
Chicago Singers, Peter Van de Graaf, baritone and Kathleen Van De Graaf, soprano will perform the piece, “Miride e Damari”, by Johann Adolphe Hasse with the Manitou Festival Opera Ensemble. The lighthearted farce is guaranteed to fill the audience with laughter.
“As far as we can determine, we’re the first people to perform the work since the early 18th century”, boasts Peter Van de Graaf. “Even though we have been performing Baroque chamber operas (called “intermezzi”) for the last 16 years, this one has become very special to us, since we’ve presented it more than any other, and the reason we’ve done it more than any other is because it’s such a wonderful, funny piece”.
Acclaimed Jazz Musician, Harry Goldson to Perform
Leelanau county’s own Harry Goldson will perform jazz favorites outside on The Green at The Leelanau School in Glen Arbor.
A resident of Suttons Bay, jazz clarinetist Harry Goldson has thrilled sold-out audiences with his high-energy concert performances from Northern Michigan to Chicago to Los Angeles. For his July 28 show, he will perform classic jazz pieces ranging from music of Benny Goodman, to Miles Davis to Dave Brubeck.
“This is the first time I have performed for the Manitou Music Festival”, states Harry Goldson. “I consider this a unique opportunity to share my music with this audience and to present several new arrangements to the Glen Lake community”.
Tickets are $15 and can be purchased in advance at the Glen Arbor Art Association Office or at the door. Admission for Students and Children is free. For more information, contact the Glen Arbor Art Association at 334-6112, or visit www.glenarborart.org.