Chamber Music Northwest (CMNW) hosts their in-person and online 51st annual Summer Festival this month featuring four weeks showcasing performances by renowned artists.
There are 17 live, limited seating, concerts through July 25 at Reed College’s Kaul Auditorium in addition to two outdoor concerts. CMNW’s 2021 Fest features 65 of the nation’s finest chamber musicians performing works from classics to new music. As a special treat this year, the Israeli pianist composer Matan Porat performs improvisational accompaniment for two free Buster Keaton silent comedy movie performances at outdoor, community concerts in Gresham and North Portland July 12 and 13.
For this year’s Festival, CMNW present David Ludwig’s Les Adieux: For Clarinet and Chamber Ensemble honoring Artistic Director Emeritus David Shifrin; the world premiere of Marc Neikrug’s A Song by Mahler (co-commissioned by CMNW with The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, and the La Jolla, Lake Champlain and Santa Fe Chamber Music Festivals); Matan Porat playing his lilting Piano Quintet premiere with the Dover Quartet; and the Duo for Guitar and Saxophone by Pierre Jalbert, written for and performed by saxophonist Branford Marsalis and guitarist Jason Vieaux. The world premiere of Portland’s Kenji Bunch’s Vesper Flight, written for internationally acclaimed flutist Tara Helen O’Connor is another highlight.
Advance ticket reservations are required for live performances. The concerts will be recorded and streamed online July 15-August 31 at cmnw.org. 150 live seats are available in the 750 seat auditorium.
At-Home performances stream July 15-August 7 and the entire Fest will be available on-demand through August 31. A four-concert Live Festival Pass + At Home Pass is $325. Single concert tickets are $62.50.
See CMNW.org for more.