The Charles Ives Music Festival (CIMF) at the Western Connecticut Youth Orchestra announces summer 2023 dates.
Led by artistic director and composer Paul Frucht, the two-week festival will be held from July 30-August 13, 2023 and is composed of educational chamber music and orchestra programs for advanced youth musicians and a concert series featuring CIMF Artist-Faculty.
CIMF educational programs offer aspiring musicians up to age 21 the opportunity to rehearse and perform side-by-side with world-class artist-faculty in chamber groups.
CIMF is pleased to welcome back as faculty violinist Jeremias Sergiani-Velazquez, principal second violin in the MET Opera Orchestra, Julia Choi, section violin in the MET Opera Orchestra, Jacob Shack, associate principal violist of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Emily Levin, principal harpist of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and Ariana Nelson, cellist in the Carpe Diem String Quartet alongside longtime faculty members flutist Katie Althen, violinist George Meyer, hornist Priscilla Rinehart, violinist Chelsea Starbuck Smith, cellist Mitch Lyon, and pianist Mika Sasaki who all frequently play in prominent chamber groups, on Broadway, and at concerts throughout the world.
Grammy-nominated double bassist and founding member of Time For Three, Ranaan Meyer, will join CIMF this summer as Artist-in-Residence. A full slate of faculty will be announced in early 2023.
Chamber Music Intensive (July 31-August 4) is an advanced chamber music only program, followed by the Chamber and Orchestra Performance Program (August 7-13), which also includes a component for student composers. Both weeks will be held at White Hall and the Ives Concert Hall at Western Connecticut University’s midtown campus in Danbury. CIMF is currently accepting applications for both programs. Visit https://charlesivesmusicfestival.org/ for details and to apply.
“It’s truly wonderful to see our students grow over the course of the two weeks through the masterclasses, rehearsals, and performances with the faculty” says Artistic Director Paul Frucht. “Playing together in such an intimate setting such as chamber music alongside world-class musicians and then bringing that to their solo or orchestral playing is really inspiring for our students. For the student composers, to hear their work performed and recorded can truly be life-changing.”
Youth musicians attending the CIMF program have won awards for performance and composition and gone on to study music at universities and conservatories. Others have continued to play and perform while pursuing diverse fields of study. Of note, CIMF participant, pianist and student composer Christian Yom, a senior and 2023 valedictorian at Carmel High School in Carmel, NY, was recently selected as a Finalist winner in the Classical Division of the National YoungArts Competition. Yom was one of 150 finalists selected from over 7000 applicants from around the country. Yom has also been named the Senior Division Winner in the Music Teachers National Association Student Composition Competition, and will advance to the national level of the competition.
In addition to the educational program, CIMF will present a professional chamber music concert series featuring CIMF Artists and guest artists. Festival concerts honor the legacy of Charles Ives, one of America's greatest composers and a Danbury native, through performances of his works, music of other American composers, and music that transcends the traditional boundaries of classical music to incorporate other styles of music. Concerts will be held beginning Sunday, July 30th at Lounsbury House in Ridgefield, CT, and take place throughout the Festival, concluding with a concert at The Ridgefield Playhouse on Saturday, August 12th featuring Ranaan Meyer in concert with CIMF Artists.
For more information on the Charles Ives Music Festival, its programs and events, please visit https://charlesivesmusicfestival.org/