Violinist Philip Setzer, founding member of the Emerson String Quartet, is the new artistic director of the Manchester Music Festival, now celebrating its 50th year.
TIMES ARGUS - Staff Report | Jul 6, 2024 Updated Jul 8, 2024
MANCHESTER — Under the leadership of Artistic Director Philip Setzer, founding member and violinist of the Emerson String Quartet, the Manchester Music festival celebrates its 50th anniversary season lineup, celebrating “The Romantic Journey” with more than 30 curated events.
“I want to do something really celebratory for the 50th,” Setzer said. “I really want to look at what Romanticism means, because I think a lot of people have a very narrow idea of what that means — like you go out to dinner with a romantic partner.
“The whole movement of Romanticism that happened across the turn into the 19th century is a fascinating subject, and that’s something we’ll talk about during the festival. We’ll have some panel discussions,” Setzer said. “So I came up with this idea, “The Romantic Journey,” again to pull people into the overall concept of it. I was able to get wonderful musicians to come up and we will also bring in the Young Artists here and there to fill in the roster.”
The golden anniversary season, running July 11 to Aug. 8, will explore the definition and roots of Romanticism, taking audiences on a musical odyssey from Beethoven to Schubert, to Schumann, Mendelssohn, and Brahms, and onward to Dvořák, Tchaikovsky, Debussy and more.
The fourth week of the festival includes the world premiere of a new version of Sarah Kirkland Snider’s “Drink the Wild Ayre” for harp and ensemble. The main festival concerts will take place at the Southern Vermont Arts Center’s (SVAC) Arkell Pavilion.
Each week of the 2024 festival includes a theme focused on Romantic composers:
— July 11: Beethoven, Schubert — Wu Han, piano; Philip Setzer, violin; David Finckel, cello.
— July 18: Schumann, Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky — Jeewon Park, piano; Philip Setzer, violin; Edward Arron, cello; MMF Young Artists.
— July 25: Brahms, Robert and Clara Schumann, and Strauss — David Shifrin, clarinet; Sara Couden, contralto; Jenny Lin, piano; Philip Setzer, violin; Lawrence Dutton, viola; Colin Carr, cello; MMF Young Artists.
— Aug. 1: Debussy, Elgar, P. Setzer, Sarah Kirkland Snider — Nancy Allen, harp; Philip Setzer, violin; TBA, bass; MMF Young Artists.
— Aug. 8: Dvořák, Brahms, Barber, Respighi — Christine Goerke, soprano; Gilles Vonsattel, piano; Philip Setzer, violin; Sarah Crocker Vonsattel, violin; Matthew Lipman, viola; Estelle Choi, cello; MMF Young Artists Chamber Ensemble.
Performing alongside the featured artists are the members of the festival’s highly selective Young Artists Program, a full scholarship intensive for string players and pianists, ages 18-26. The 10 Young Artists receive coaching sessions from the MMF guest artists and attend master classes during the festival. MMF will also present concerts featuring these Young Artists in a special program called “Given a Chance” — Romantic works of underrepresented composers who have struggled to have their voices heard.
“I am excited because this year the Young Artists will be more interwoven into the texture of the programming than ever before,” Setzer said. “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.”
For tickets or information, call 802-362-1956 or go to www.mmfvt.org online.