CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL 

Something traditional, something new
By Ed Clancy, June 15, 2007

Festival time is fast approaching and although there will be no funny hats, horns, fireworks or dancing in the streets (OK, maybe some dancing) the annual Chamber Music Festival of San Miguel de Allende is still cause for celebration. And this 29th season looks particularly worthy of celebration for its innovative combination of the new with the old.

The Festival continues to explore the latest developments in the genre while remaining firmly grounded in the standard repertoire. This season what’s new in the world of chamber music promises to expand the imagination, while the works of the masters continue to excite the senses. 

There are 15 concerts over the two weeks, from July 28 to August 11, 2007. The season ticket offers 11 concerts for the price of 8, all in the comfortable and intimate Angela Peralta Theater. There is a free concert in the Bellas Artes auditorium and this year there are three extra concerts designed to showcase and enjoy San Miguel’s architectural treasures. One is in the church at Atotonilco, the second in a special private home in Atotonilco, and the third in an old and historic church in Centro. These three concerts are not included in the season ticket package but can be purchased separately.

Enjoyment of music is the prime objective of any festival and this season’s program of exploration and discovery is designed to engage the audience, the artists and composers in a musical dialogue of mutual appreciation.

Turtle Island Quartet inaugurates this new vision on Saturday, July 28 at 7pm in the Angela Peralta Theater. Those who attended the opening last year are sure to remember their electrifying, sold-out performances. The foursome, who won the Grammy Award for Best Classical Crossover Recording of the Year in 2006, were proclaimed by Yo-Yo Ma as having “a unified voice that truly breaks new ground—authentic and passionate—a reflection of some of the most creative music-making today.” They fuse classical quartet esthetic with contemporary American musical styles in performances that honor both which accounts for their phenomenal international appeal in Europe where chamber music remains a vital facet of life. 

Another new approach to the music comes from the Imani Winds, a quintet that expands the boundaries of the traditional wind quintet and explores the links between European, African and American music traditions. Their name means “faith” in Swahili.

The Imani Winds’ commitment to the expansion and diversification of the traditional repertoire leads them to combine works from Mendelssohn, Ravel, Poulenc and Luciano Berio, with newer pieces by Astor Piazzola, Elliott Carter and John Harbison and then to reach beyond, to the unexpected ranks of Paquito D’Rivera, Tania Leon and Fred Ho. The quintet is enjoying great success and was a participating artist in the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center during 2006.

Returning to us this year is the incomparable Rossetti String Quartet. People still talk about their evenings devoted to the works of Dvorak and Shubert, and about Timothy Fain’s interpretation with string quartet of The Four Seasons . This season’s lineup also includes three outstanding groups new to San Miguel—the Cypress, Cassatt, and Brentano String Quartets. And another old friend returns in a special role—the La Catrina String Quartet will be the Quartet-in-Residence for the Festival’s Student Program. La Catrina has played to great acclaim several times here in San Miguel at St. Paul’s Church.

Besides bringing you wonderful music, the Festival has kept its prices the same, giving the season ticket holders a great value. Season ticket prices remain the same as last year: US$240 (2,640 pesos) for orchestra and US$315 (3,500 pesos) for box seats. The balcony seats are priced at 50 pesos again, making individual concerts affordable for all. And the three additional concerts will cost 250 pesos each with a 20 percent discount for season ticket holders and for those who purchase all three extra concerts.

As a special courtesy to last year’s season ticket holders, the festival is reserving the same seats for you until the end of June. Tickets for the 2007 season are available online at: www.chambermusicfestival.com  and by email at: info@chambermusicfestival.com.  The Festival office is at Belles Artes, 75 Hernández Macías (in the Bellas Artes building) Tel: 415-154-8722.









Boston Children’s Chorus to perform with San Miguel children

Concert
Boston Children’s Chorus with Anyel
Thurs, June 28, 6pm
Teatro Ángela Peralta
Corner Hernández Macías and Mesones
Free


The internationally acclaimed Boston Children’s Chorus performs with Anyel Children’s Chorus at the Teatro Ángela Peralta.

“We use music as a tool for youth development, social healing, and community building,” said David Howse, program director of this extremely diverse chorus.

On June 29, concert participants, including children from the Santa Julia and Mexiquito children’s homes, will participate in a choral workshop and comida at the Biblioteca Pública on Insurgentes. Anyel is seeking a donation of US$250/2,500 pesos to cover food costs, and volunteers to assist with comida preparation and serving. Donation boxes and volunteer sign-up sheets will be positioned at the checkout counter and café at the Biblioteca, and at Casa de Papel on Mesones.

“Anyel is blessed to have the Boston Children’s Chorus visit, for the experience they bring will help local children grow culturally and increase their awareness of opportunities in the world,” concluded Elsmarie Norby, Anyel founder.

For more information, contact Elsmarie Norby at elsmarienorby@yahoo.com. 

Campos Quartet opens “Summer of World Music”
By Isaac Toporek

Concert Jorge Campos Quartet Fri, June 22, 9pm El Viejo-Topo Cafe Plaza Pueblito Stirling Dickinson 28 Col. San Antonio 154-8701

As both student and master of his instrument, Jorge Campos is inspired by the experimental.

“As a musician I try to be innovative. I don’t like to repeat sequences and I’m not interested in ‘pyrotechnics.’ What motivates me is experimenting with sound,” says Campos. 

Born in Chile in 1957, Campos is one of Latin America’s top bassists. He plays the double bass and the electric bass; he composes, teaches, produces and has performed all over the world. On Friday, June 22, he and his Quartet open El Viejo-Topo’s Summer of World Music.

Campos played with the jazz band Fulano, an icon of the avant-garde music of the ‘80s. He was part of the Chilean band Congreso and he’s worked as a session musician with musicians such as Sting, Peter Gabriel, Ruben Blades, Wynton Marsalis, Chucho Valdes, Dizzy Gillespie and the list goes on. 

He recorded his first solo album in 1998, La Magia Necesaria and was at work on his second when he got involved in designing an electric bass that Warwick made especially for him. It is known as the Machi Bass, named as a tribute to the female spiritual healers in the Mapuch tribe. That second album, Machi, was recorded in 2000 and is ethnic fusion and experimental rock.

The recording of Araukania Kuintet (2001), based on the music of Victor Jara and Violeta Parra, was done in Cuba with renowned Cuban pianist Rolando Luna and drummer Oscarito Valdes of Irakere, one of the most famous jazz bands in Cuba. 

This album was a milestone in Campos’ career but he has no intention of slowing down, only to continue sharing his music on the world stage.