This preview has been provided by the Cary Cross Currents Chamber Music Arts Festival.
We call it “Cross Currents” because we cross borders by bringing the best young talent of Europe together with the best of our region to engage in a musical conversation. We also cross boundaries by having classical chamber music as well as jazz, opera and contemporary composers come together to create concerts. We believe this kind of “crossing borders and boundaries” not only builds audiences, but also builds cultural bridges that make the world a better place in which to live.
Our definition of “chamber” music includes any style of music designed to be played and enjoyed in a smaller, more intimate, concert venue (such as the 425 seat Cary Arts Center). This summer’s concerts will include: jazz, quartets, small ensemble work of modern composers, chamber orchestra and an evening of operatic arias and duets with the Brussels Chamber Orchestra.
Our goal is to build a new, younger audience for great classical music as well as to support the growth and development of young musicians. Last year we offered our first weeklong intensive workshop for students in which we paired local string students with members of the Brussels Chamber Orchestra for a week of study, rehearsal, mentoring and performance.
This year, our one-on-one/Side-by-Side concept will be expanded to three separate weeklong workshops: Jazz (with the Will Scruggs Jazz Fellowship from Atlanta), quartets (with the Lipkind Quartet from Europe) and chamber orchestra (with the Brussels Chamber Orchestra).
In keeping with our goal of building a new audience for classical music, we offer free open rehearsals and encourage a wide range of people to attend, including: senior citizens, summer camp programs, special populations, people who cannot or prefer not to buy concert tickets, and families with young children.
To encourage our audience to try new musical experiences, our tickets are typically priced at $25 or less. We also have senior citizens rates for concert tickets ($20) and Festival tickets covering 11 of our 12 concerts for $150/$125 for seniors. That makes the average concert on a ticket less than $14.
This summer we will be presenting twelve concerts featuring: the Brussels Chamber Orchestra, the Lipkind Quartet, the Will Scruggs Jazz Fellowship, members of the NC Symphony as soloists, New Music Raleigh, and the Art of Cool Jazz Group at a special free concert.
The Cary Cross Currents Festival is also about art and community. This year, we have five arts events related to musical events: a workshop for students to attend an open rehearsal then create a musical instrument with recycled materials from the Cary Creative Center; a festival-long drawing to the music project for people to attend open rehearsals and sketch during the rehearsals; a juried art show for local artists to respond to the challenge of creating a piece of art about the concept of quartet (four…four artists working together, four colors, four panels…any configuration of four); a workshop with chamber orchestra students and Applause! Theater group in a puppet/dance workshop where the students will work together to create a play. We are also proud to be partnering with Cary Visual Art for the unveiling of the Cary Visual Arts 2012 public art works along Academy Street on August 10th.
Our August 10th Gala collaboration with Cary Visual Art will begin at 6pm at the Page-Walker Hotel for a cocktail reception with music by the Art of Cool Project. After the reception, guests will venture down Academy Street by trolley to view the unveiling of the twelve 2012 CVA sculptures and on to a concert at the Cary Arts Center with the Brussels Chamber Orchestra and soloists from the NC Opera, Anthony Roth Costanzo and Rachel Copeland, for an evening of duets and arias.
For more information and tickets: www.carycrosscurrentsfestival.com.
