Musikfest’s hundreds of concerts include an eclectic mix of classical, crossover, fusion and alternative repertoire on a wide range of instruments. While the festival starts Friday, the classical series’ run Aug. 6-11, divided into five Vesper concerts and five Chamber concerts. The Vespers concerts are at 5 p.m. in Central Moravian Church, and the Chamber concerts at 7:30 p.m. in the church’s Old Chapel. The schedule allows plenty of time to hear a Vesper concert, grab a bite from one of the fest’s many food vendors, and come back for the Chamber concert.
In addition to the Vesper and Chamber concerts, Musikfest has expanded the classical and quasi-classical offerings into other venues worth checking out.
Vesper series
Russian-born pianist Ilya Yakushev, who has astounded audiences worldwide, returns to Musikfest Monday, Aug. 6. With numerous awards and honors, he has performed in prestigious venues, including St. Petersburg’s Glinka Philharmonic Hall, Victoria Hall in Singapore, Carnegie Weill Recital Hall and Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco. He has appeared with orchestras on three continents, including the San Francisco Symphony, the BBC Concert Orchestra, the Boston Pops and the Utah Symphony. In May, he appeared with the Reading Philharmonic in a marvelous performance of the Shostakovitch Piano Concerto No. 2.
Founded in 2003, the Poulenc Trio has performed to critical acclaim in 45 states and at music festivals around the world. The ensemble, consisting of oboe, bassoon and piano, makes its second appearance at Musikfest Tuesday, Aug. 7, with a broad repertoire of classical standards and new works by living composers.
Praised by the New York Times for its “elegant rendition” of Piazzolla’s tangos, the trio has made a special commitment to explore and promote music that reflects its members’ African, Asian, Eastern European and Jewish roots.
Recent concerts featured works by Afro-Cuban jazz great Paquito D’Rivera, Mexican-American composer Carlos Medina and an exploration of Jewish culture by composer Jakov Jakoulov. The group recently appeared at the White Nights Festival in Russia, where it toured with and premiered two new works with renowned violinist Hilary Hahn.
On Wednesday, Aug. 8, hear guitarist James Labrosse, who certainly has the makings of a world artist. Born in a Spanish-speaking neighborhood in south Florida, he grew up in a French Canadian home and is fluent in French and Spanish. A graduate of the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Labrosse moved to Spain when he was 18 to learn flamenco. Now living in New York City, his music has a distinctive vibe that starts with the seed of flamenco, nourished with modern jazz and electronic touches. He performs original music to audiences across the Northeast with his ensemble, the James Labrosse Collective.
The Kim Duo — cellist Mimi Morris Kim and her pianist husband Leonard Kim — will perform selections from the rich classical piano/cello repertoire Thursday, Aug. 9. On the program is Lukas Foss’ “Capriccio,” Schumann’s “Fantasiestucke,” Op.73, and Beethoven’s Cello Sonata No. 3, Op. 69. Mimi Kim, cellist of the Fairmount String Quartet, has performed with the Riverside Symphonia, the Pennsylvania Ballet, the Philadelphia Pops and the Delaware Symphony. A former member of the Sebastian String Trio, she holds a doctorate in cello performance from the University of Michigan. Leonard Kim, chief of physics at the Maryland Anderson Cancer Center, is a passionate chamber musician who frequently performs as recitalist and soloist, including a recent appearance with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra under Neville Mariner.
Classical meets pop in a delightful convergence when the Philadelphia Handbell Ensemble comes to Musikfest Friday, Aug. 10. Established in 2003, the ensemble comprises auditioned, advanced-level handbell ringers from Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.
The ensemble’s music appreciates various styles and moods, with a repertoire that spans original compositions, transcriptions of classical literature and arrangements from a wide array of musical genres. An advanced range of ringing techniques allows the ensemble to move beyond the traditional handbell sound, and redefines the character of a single instrument, whether it’s through percussive stopped sounds, poignant echoes or a shimmering decrescendo.
Chamber series
Sisters Doris Dungan, flutist, and Cheryl Dungan Cunningham, harpist, grew up in a musical family in Bucks County and began playing together at a young age. Their ensemble, Duo Adelphi, comes to Musikfest Monday, Aug. 6.
Dungan plays flute and piccolo with the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra in Ontario and performs regularly with Consortium Aurora Borealis and other chamber ensembles. Cunningham is principal harpist of the New Jersey Capital Philharmonic and Allegro, the Chamber Orchestra of Lancaster. While maintaining separate careers, they perform together regularly and have appeared annually for many years at the Southampton Chamber Music Society series. Their performances reflect a special connection that comes from a lifetime of sharing music together.
Sometimes affectionately called “Hornucopia,” Lehigh Valley’s Covenant Brass Quintet is a frequent participant in local Sunday morning worship service, offering a variety of musical styles from traditional to Dixieland. Formed in 1982 to participate in the ecumenical choir festival of the Covenant Churches of Allentown, the group will draw from its vast repertoire of classical, religious and secular music Tuesday, Aug. 7. The ensemble has performed at Mayfair, Moravian Academy, Lehigh University, First Night in Bethlehem and Christkindlmarkt, as well as many local churches for services and weddings.
Performing Wednesday, Aug. 8 is the Linaria Ensemble, a group of exceptional musicians from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania devoted to works that celebrate the flute, harp and string trio. Linaria’s core members — flutist Robin Kani, harpist Frances Duffy, violist Adriana Linares, and violinist Elizabeth Wright — are all well-known to Lehigh Valley music lovers for their frequent appearances in such groups as Satori and the Pennsylvania Sinfonia.
In addition, each instrumentalist offers a wealth of performance experience with such orchestras as Radio City, Broadway and the Metropolitan Opera, as well as prize winning solo/chamber music performances in venues ranging from Carnegie Recital Hall and London’s Royal Albert Hall to the concert halls of Eastern China. Repertoire includes trio, quartet and quintet music of many styles and genres.
Reading and Lancaster are areas rich in musical talent, and you can sample some of it on Thursday, Aug. 9, in a concert presented by the Cherrywood String Trio. Cherrywood artists, who last appeared at Musikfest in 2015, are all professionally trained musicians who have performed with the Lancaster, Reading, York, Altoona, Johnstown and Williamsport symphonies. They perform in a variety of configurations, from duos to trios to quartets. The trio consists of Todd Sullivan and Stephanie McCullough, violins, and Brian Mishler, cello. The program will feature the trio’s extensive repertoire, which ranges from classical to pop.
True to its name, the International String Trio has honed an expansive repertoire embracing nearly a dozen styles from far-flung lands. The adventurous triumvirate will appear Friday, Aug. 10, bringing a global array of tunes drawn from jazz, folk, popular, classical, film and other sources.
Featuring Russian-born guitarist Slava Tolstoy, virtuoso violinist with Italian roots Gabe Terracciano and American acoustic bassist Greg Feingold, the trio embodies its cosmopolitan aesthetic. Its riveting performances encompass a breathtaking range of styles, including Gypsy swing, old-time Appalachian laments, traditional Irish reels, celebratory klezmer, passionate tango, graceful French musette and burning bluegrass.
Other classical and crossover offerings
The Lehigh Valley Music Teachers Association, created nearly 50 years ago, is a group of school, college and private studio music-teaching professionals. Students chosen by an audition process by member teachers will be featured in an hour-long family-friendly recital that has become a popular Musikfest event. The singers, accompanied by piano, will present classical and musical theater repertoire at 1:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 6, at Plaza Tropical, Main and Spring Streets.
The Community Music School is a nonprofit organization with teaching studios in five locations in the Lehigh Valley and Reading. Founded in 1981, the school provides quality music education and performance opportunities to all interested students, regardless of age, ability, background or financial need. Students from the school will perform classical and popular works at noon Tuesday, Aug. 7, at Plaza Tropical.
Born in Korea and raised in Seattle, violinist/vocalist Joe Kye has drawn rave reviews since launching his music career in 2013. Drawing upon his traveled upbringing, Kye blends indie-rock, jazz, classical, pop and world-folk to create a unique sound that “leaves everyone in awe,” says Sac News and Review. With his innovative use of digital effects and looping, Kye weaves together diverse textures, catchy melodies and rich, sweet vocals to create songs that groove, uplift and empower listeners. You can find him at 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 11, at Volksplatz.
