Music Mountain Announces 2020 Summer Music Festival Lineup

Chamber music and jazz aficionados alike will want to mark their calendars for Music Mountain's 91st Season! America's longest-running chamber music festival kicks off on June 7 honoring the late Peter Serkin's legacy, with pianist Benjamin Hochman and Friends playing Bach and Mozart at the 2020 Music Mountain Opening Benefit Concert & Reception.

The 2020 Chamber Music Series presents a spectacular lineup of string quartets and guest artists, while the Twilight Jazz Series remains focused on traditional jazz, swing and the American Songbook. Concerts are scheduled through September 20.

Chamber Music Series: Rediscovering Beethoven at 250

Music Mountain is eager to join the many celebrations of Beethoven's 250th birthday anniversary this year. With its unique season theme, "Rediscovering Beethoven at 250," Music Mountain aspires to shed new light on the titanic composer, who raised the string quartet to a level of artistry unmatched before or since. This summer, 11 of the 17 chamber music concerts will feature a master work by Beethoven within a diverse program, contrast being the catalyst to rediscovering Beethoven. In addition, like Brahms, who composed and discarded 20 string quartets before he felt ready to publish his first at age 40, many other composers fell under Beethoven's spell, and their work will be generously represented.

Another 91st Season highlight will be Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time, the extraordinary hour-long monument to the transformative power of music, written while the composer was a World War II prisoner, featuring the Horszowski Trio and Music Mountain artistic director Oskar Espina-Ruiz on clarinet, June 14.

The season continues with fourteen outstanding string quartets playing exceptional programs, including the American, Amernet, Arianna, Ariel, Cassatt, Daedalus, Harlem, Jupiter, Parker, Penderecki, Rolston, Shanghai, Ulysses, and Verona String Quartets. Eighteen stellar guest artists will perform this summer: pianists Tanya Bannister, Bernadene Blaha, Todd Crow, Misha Dichter, Simone Dinnerstein, Fei-Fei, Adam Golka, Judith Gordon, Benjamin Hochman, Pei-Shan Lee, Soyeon Kate Lee, and Victoria Schwartzman; violists Vivek Kamath, Maria Lambros, and Paul Neubauer; cellists Michael Kannen and Paul Katz; and clarinetist Oskar Espina-Ruiz.

The new and exciting works that will bring diversity to the programing in 2020 include Caroline Shaw's "Blueprint" (Penderecki String Quartet, June 21), Corigliano's "Snapshot-Circa 1909" (Arianna String Quartet, July 5), Jessie Montgomery's "Strum" (Harlem Quartet, July 26), Paul Frucht's "Rhapsody" for String Quartet, written in 2018 (Ulysses Quartet, August 16), Missy Mazzoli's "Quartet for Queen Mab" (Daedalus Quartet, September 13), and Tan Dun's "Eight Colors for String Quartet" (Ariel Quartet, September 20, concluding concert). Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel's String Quartet in E Flat Major (Harlem Quartet, July 26) and William Grant Still's Lyric Quartette (Musical Portraits of Three Friends) (Daedalus Quartet, September 13) further expand the diversity of this summer's programming.

The piano chamber repertoire is extensive this summer, including the piano quintets by Brahms, Dohnanyi, Dvorak, Franck, Schnittke, Schumann, Shostakovich and piano quartets by Brahms (G Minor, Op. 25), Faure (C Minor, Op. 15), Mozart (G Minor, K. 478) and Schumann. The Opening Benefit Concert & Reception featuring pianist Benjamin Hochman includes the chamber music version of the Mozart Piano Concerti #12 in A Major, K. 414, and #14 in E Flat Major, K. 449.

Twilight Jazz Series

Lovers of traditional jazz, swing and the American Songbook, won't want to miss Music Mountain's Twilight Jazz Series featuring the great Swingtime Big Band on July 25. This summer seven jazz bands will fill up the wonderful acoustics of Gordon Hall on 12 Saturdays at sunset (at the new start time of 7 PM): Jive By Five, New Black Eagle Jazz Band, Swing Times Five with Debby Larkin, Riverboat Stompers Jazz Band, Swingtime Big Band, Wolverine Jazz Band, and Galvanized Jazz Band.

The Twilight Jazz Series continues with five outstanding shows: Peter & Will Anderson Quartet returns with a program that celebrates Irving Berlin, Barbara Fasano Trio Featuring Eric Comstock performs American Songbook Standards from Sondheim to Sting, Aaron Johnson Quintet debuts with a program commemorating Charlie Parker at 100, and New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players bring a "well paced and extremely entertaining" show (Talk Entertainment)!

Music Mountain is well known for its Sunday afternoon chamber music concerts, but the Twilight Jazz Series is gaining popularity year after year, offering great music in a relaxed atmosphere with outstanding acoustics, over the backdrop of the beautiful Litchfield Hills at sunset.

Community Events and Summer Programs for All

Music Mountain is launching a free Lecture Series this summer, featuring performing artists and guest speakers on June 14 and August 16, two Sundays at 1:30 PM, right before the 3 PM concert, and on Monday, August 17, also at 1:30 PM.

On June 14, Messiaen, the ornithologist composer, will serve as inspiration for a morning Birdsong Walk at Music Mountain, led by the Litchfield Audubon Society. Music lovers can purchase a day pass that includes the 10 AM birdsong walk, lunch at the Falls Village Inn, the pre-concert lecture and 3 PM concert.

The 3rd Annual Painting Music Event will take place on August 22, 11:30 AM, bringing together families, young artists and professionals to paint on the Music Mountain lawn with live music. Materials are provided and the event is free, but signing up is required.

Music Mountain's Adult Chamber Music Program welcomes adults of all ages to play under the guidance of the Arianna String Quartet from July 5-9. Space is limited and registration is required.

Music Mountain's Summer Education Programs attract students from all over the country, who come to Music Mountain to immerse themselves in music-making with mentoring faculty. Those programs include the Music Mountain Academy, Next Festival of Emerging Artists, Lumino Festival, Lucarelli Oboe Master Class, Harlem Quartet Workshop and,starting in 2020, the Etchings Festival for emerging composers.

Connecticut's Region 1 School 3rd and 4th Graders will come to Music Mountain on April 21 to experience live music featuring young artists from Bard College.

Music Mountain is located at 225 Music Mountain Road, in Falls Village, Connecticut, where a short scenic drive will bring you to Gordon Hall atop Music Mountain. Free parking and picnic facilities are available.

Regularly scheduled Chamber Music Concerts are $40. Twilight Series Concerts are $35. Children ages 5-18 are admitted FREE to ALL CONCERTS when accompanied by a ticket holder. Sunday afternoon Chamber Music concerts are at 3 PM. Saturday evening Twilight Concerts are at 7 PM. Under 40 Single Tickets are $20. College Student Tickets are $10.

Specially Priced Concerts are as Follows: tickets for the Benefit Concert & Receptions on Sunday, June 7 or September 6 are $75. The Special Concert on Sunday, August 2 is $60.

Early Bird Ticket Packages for most concerts include up to a 35% discount and are available only until June 12. The Bird Walk Day Pack for Sunday, June 14, includes an Audubon Society led Bird Walk, Falls Village Inn Lunch, Music Mountain Lecture and Concert for $70 ($10 for under 18). The Twilight Dinner & Concert Pack returns in 2020, including a Saturday Dinner at the historic Falls Village Inn at 5 PM & Twilight Concert at Music Mountain at 7 PM for $70.

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.

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