You can almost hear the sounds of instruments driving past Birch Creek Music Performance Center. Earlier this month, tickets went on sale for the 2024 season, which begins on June 20th with the Percussion, Steel Pan, and World Music session. The symphony session will follow, beginning on July 4th, and the first two consecutive sessions of Big Band Jazz will start on July 17th. Birch Creek Music Performance Center has been building its ensembles since early December, with registration numbers on par with last year's. Executive Director Mona Christensen says the sessions put musicians on the right path toward a career in music by immersing them in performance and connecting them with world-class instruction.
Whether you want to register your child for one of the sessions or buy tickets for the performances, Christensen encourages you to visit their website for more information. You'll be able to read more about the individual sessions below.
SESSION PREVIEWS
Opening night takes place on Thursday, June 20. The inaugural performance promises a spectacular Percussion, Steel Pan & World Music concert titled "Percussion at the Disco: I Just Want to Celebrate the 70s!". Following this, from June 21 to June 29, six more Percussion, Steel Pan & World Music concerts await, highlighting the talents of faculty percussionists and students. Program Director Dan Moore, Professor of Music and Director of Percussion at the University of Iowa, will lead these performances.
The Percussion series at Birch Creek offers a diverse range of styles, featuring Caribbean grooves with Scott McConnell, Chicago Youth Symphony Percussion Director, as well as percussive jazz, authentic world music, original compositions, and more. Anthony Di Sanza, a highly acclaimed performer and educator from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, will guide concertgoers through the vibrant sounds of Brazil, Cuba, and the Middle East. Notably, renowned steelpan virtuoso Victor Provost, hailing from St. John, US Virgin Islands, is set to be the Special Guest Artist. With a dazzling improvisational style, he is recognized globally for seamlessly blending Bebop, contemporary flair, and Caribbean roots. Having collaborated with jazz luminaries like Wynton Marsalis and Paquito D’Rivera, he is a rarity in the jazz ecosystem, as noted by Downbeat Magazine and the NY Times.
Symphony session concerts, featuring an 85+ piece full symphony orchestra led by Program Director Ricardo Castañeda, Principal Oboist of Lake Forest Symphony and Chicago Sinfonietta, along with Conductor Taka Matsunaga, will take place July 4-6, and July 11-13. Get ready to
experience a breathtaking musical journey as our symphony orchestra brings together the works of some of the most celebrated composers of all time.
From the emotive melodies of Bernstein and Gershwin to the intricate harmonies of Rachmaninoff, Verdi, Beethoven, and more, the performances are set to enthrall classical and contemporary orchestral enthusiasts alike. The July 5 concert will feature the talented winners of Birch Creek’s annual Clampitt Concerto Competition, returning to display their exceptional musical prowess. Additionally, distinguished faculty soloists Jodie DeSalvo, piano, will fascinate audiences with Gershwin’s "Piano Concerto in F” on July 6, while Elizabeth York, violin, will play Vaughan Williams’ “The Lark Ascending” on July 12. This summer, “A Birch Creek Symphonic Fourth” will take place on Thursday, July 4 at 3:00 PM.
The powerful and mesmerizing sounds of Big Band Jazz classics will be performed in concert during two sessions from July 17-20, July 24-27, July 31-August 3, and August 7-10. Program Director Jeff Campbell, Professor and Chair of Jazz Studies & Contemporary Media at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, and the Birch Creek Jazz Faculty Orchestras, bring their chemistry, charisma, and exceptional musicianship to Birch Creek audiences.
Performances showcase internationally acclaimed musicians and faculty performers from across the country delivering the best and most authentic big band jazz experience. Over 16 nights, Birch Creek will transport concertgoers back to the golden age of jazz, featuring the timeless sounds of legends such as Ellington, Basie, Miller, and more.
Audiences can expect to be swept away by the talented musicians, who will bring popular and newly found pieces in the Blues, Swing, and The American Songbook genre to life. Immerse yourself in the captivating sounds of horns, the rhythmic beats of the drums, and the soulful melodies of the trumpet, promising an evening of swinging, swaying, and pure musical delight. Students will be featured in pre-concert combo performances and big band numbers.
