NEW ENGLAND LIVING - July 10, 2024
Vermont’s Manchester Music Festival opens for 50th anniversary season
Photos courtesy of Manchester Music Festival
Starting this Thursday, July 11, a new season of Vermont’s Manchester Music Festival begins with a lineup of over 30 events celebrating “The Romantic Journey.” Running for four weeks through Thursday, August 8, the festival will include performances of work by Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann, Mendelssohn, Brahms, and many more. The main concerts will take place at the Southern Vermont Arts Center’s Arkell Pavilion.
This year isn’t quite like any other: it’s the festival’s 50th anniversary, and in celebration, the events promise to be bigger and better than ever. In its fourth week, attendees will enjoy the world premiere of a new version of Sarah Kirkland Snider’s “Drink the Wild Ayre” for harp and ensemble.
Performing alongside featured artists throughout the festival will be 18-26-year-old members of the Young Artists Program, a full scholarship intensive program for string players and pianists. “I am excited because this year, the Young Artists will be more interwoven into the texture of the programming than ever before,” says Philip Setzer, the festival’s artistic director, who is also the founder and violinist of the Emerson String Quartet. “They will have their own concerts but will also appear on the main Thursday night concerts. This will allow a more cohesive and inclusive experience for all of the musicians as well as for the public.”
To purchase tickets and view the full lineup of events, visit mmfvt.org
