Students, Instructors Tuning Up For MasterWorks Fest
Posted
Tim Robertson-trobertson@timesuniononline.com
WINONA LAKE - Performing arts professionals and students from all over the world will converge on Winona Lake Sunday for the 11th annual MasterWorks Festival.
"This is going to be, by far, the largest MasterWorks Festival we've had," said MasterWorks artistic director Patrick Kavanaugh.Kavanaugh said more than 250 students and more than 100 instructors will attend the festival. "This year, every continent is represented except Antarctica," Kavanaugh said.
This year's festival will feature two full orchestras and headlining soloists including Associate Concertmaster for the Minnesota Symphony Orchestra Roger Frisch, violinist and Dean of the Julliard School Stephen Clapp and Hung Sung, a pianist from the Curtis Institute of Music.
Another addition to the festival this year is a Chamber Week. The first week of the festival will include faculty concerts featuring chamber music from Brahms, Shostakovich, Mozart and others.
The purpose of the festival is an intensive training course for student performers.
"It's a lot of work," said Kavanaugh. "It's the equivalent of six months of college training in four weeks."
He said the requirements and standards for instructors and performers at the festival have become more selective each year of the festival.
"Every year we raise the bar," he said. "What it does is bring the really good guys out of the woodwork."
The hard work and training pays off for students as they begin their careers auditioning for orchestras and performance companies. It pays off for the local community in free performances.
Last year's festival included 95 concerts. Kavanaugh said he expects more this year. "The main thing the public needs to know is that everything is free," Kavanaugh said.
Kavanaugh said the support of Winona Lake, Warsaw, and surrounding communities help make the festival a success each year.
"It's one of the largest festivals of its kind in the world and it's right in our backyard," he said. "One of the things I like to see is lots of families, lots of kids. It's nice to be able to put on stuff where whole families can come."
Kavanaugh said the public also should keep their ears open for impromptu performances in the Village at Winona throughout the festival.
This year's MasterWorks theatrical productions include Arthur Miller's "The Crucible" and Verdi's opera, "La Traviata."
The festival begins Sunday and continues until July 22.
For locations and times of performances see page 10A or visit www.masterworksfestival.org.
