St. Petersburg String Quartet and More to Return to Music Mountain Festival Today

A variety of musical traditions will be on display when America's oldest continuing summer chamber music festival Music Mountain welcomes celebrated pianist Evans Haile hosting a musical cocktail party, filled with devilish wit, humor, glittering piano virtuosity today, July 6 (6:30PM) followed by an encore appearance by the St. Petersburg String Quartet on Sunday, July 7 (3PM) with guest artist Ilya Yakushev, piano. This weekend's offerings are a fine example of how Music Mountain brings back favorite quartets, and welcomes new performers with scheduled summer concerts through September 8th.

Spend a Saturday evening with Renaissance man Evans Haile, as he hosts A Salon Soiree --- a musical evening, filled with devilish wit, humor, glittering piano virtuosity, romance, and laughter around the piano. From George Gershwin, Chopin, fiery Cuban Composer Ernsto Lecuona, to Debussy, and the "waltz king" Johann Strauss, this is an evening of fun stories and great music!

Back for the second consecutive weekend, the St. Petersburg String Quartet returns with guest artist Ilya Yakushev, piano. The afternoon's program will include: Schubert: String Quartet in E Flat Major, Opus 125 # 1, D87; Mendelssohn: String Quartet in D Major, Opus 44 # 1 and Franck: Quintet for Piano and Strings in F Minor. The Grammy Award-nominated quartet maintains an active schedule, performing at Carnegie Hall, touring England and France, the US and Mexico. In 2009 St. Petersburg String Quartet launched the St. Petersburg International Music Academy, an intensive summer program for students, which they bring to various campuses and festivals in the USA and Mexico. In 2010 St. Petersburg Quartet was appointed the inaugural Quartet in Residence at Wichita State University.

Ilya Yakushev is an award-winning pianist who has continued success on three continents. He has toured to Singapore, Malaysia, Russia, and extensively in the US - and is currently in the midst of a 15-city recital tour around the Midwest. Since 2002, Mr. Yakushev has served as Executive Director of the International Keyboard Institute and Festival at the Mannes College in New York City.

The Saturday Twilight series continues with the following schedule: Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks (July 13), Gunsmoke (July 20), Swingtime Big Band (July 27) and in their 20th Music Mountain appearance, The Galvanized Jazz Band (August 16).

Upcoming Chamber Music Concerts include: Penderecki String Quartet with pianist Pamela Mia Paul (July 14), Arianna String Quartet with pianist Pamela Mi Paul returning for the second week-end (July 21), Dover String Quartet, with Roberto Diaz, president of the Curtis Institute (July 28), Amernet String Quartet (August 3 & 4) with a special arrangement of "Peter & the Wolf" on Saturday plus cellist Ronald Leonard on Sunday.

Located in Falls Village, Connecticut, Music Mountain is located on Music Mountain Road, where a short scenic drive will bring music lovers to Gordon Hall with ample & free parking. Beer and wine are available and, as is the Music Mountain custom, audience members are invited to picnic before the concerts on the scenic grounds.

Tickets: Saturday: $30 at the door, $27 in advance. Sunday: $35 at the door, $30 in advance. Children ages 5-18 are admitted FREE for all concerts when accompanied by a ticket holder (Music Mountain gratefully acknowledges children admission support by the Hellen Plummer Foundation for a gift in memory of James Merrill, Connecticut's first Poet Laureate). All concerts begin at 6:30pm on Saturday evenings and 3pm on Sunday afternoons. Group rates and pre season ticket vouchers are available. Discounts apply through participating organizations. For a complete summer schedule, special ticket prices, and to download a ticket order form visit www.musicmountain.org or call 860-824-7126. Music Mountain is located at 225 Music Mountain Rd, Falls Village, CT.

Pictured: Boris Vayner, viola; Alla Aranovskaya, violin; Evgeny Zvonnikov, violin; Leonid Shukayev, cello. Photo Credit: Greg Grudt/Mathew Imaging.

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