Summer festival helps define chamber music
By Bob Kelly June 6, 2008 San Miguel de Allende

Chamber Music Festival
July 31–August 17
Various venues
www.festivalsanmiguel.com 

A mix of traditional and cutting-edge musicians playing string, brass and woodwind instruments will bring the spirit of a worldwide discussion over what chamber music is to the 30th anniversary of the summer chamber music festival July 31–August 17.

The discussion’s essence is summed up by the Ahn Trio, three glamorous young Korean sisters who were selected by People magazine for its much-hyped list of the world’s 50 most beautiful people.

The trio has become talked about and applauded for playing only works by living composers and, at times, joining forces with dancers, pop singers, painters, installation artists and even ecologists and kite makers. They will present concerts August 9 and 10 in the traditional setting of the Teatro Ángela Peralta.

The Ahn sisters’ musical world without Bach, Beethoven and Bartok seems to fit within the vision of a foremost exponent of chamber music, which historically has meant Western classical music for small ensembles playing in intimate settings. In its mission statement, Chamber Music America cites “a passion for chamber music in all of its manifestations … and chamber music’s potential to exemplify democracy, tolerance, and humanity; and respect for tradition, experimentation, and innovation.”

In 2000, the society established a program that has resulted in the creation of more than 80 new jazz works for chamber groups.

Ed Clancy, the festival’s former president, pioneered a more eclectic approach in 2006 by bringing in the Grammy-winning Turtle Island String Quartet. A hit then and last year, Turtle Island describes itself as a chamber music group that plays everything but classical chamber music.

They appeared with the Ying Quartet, a popular group in the old tradition with whom Turtle Island shared a Grammy for best crossover album. The Ying Quartet returns this year for the 11th time. 

Some festival board members were uneasy with the new approach and Clancy, the US consular agent in San Miguel, resigned as board president last November, citing creative differences. Also resigning was George Bell, an energetic fund raiser and talent scout. Bell, who trained as a concert violinist, is recognized for his wide-ranging connections with international performers and his strong opinions on chamber and classical music. 

The festival board reorganized, electing as its president Barbara Porter, who had been vice president and who also serves on the boards of two other groups, the San Miguel winter festival and Pro Musica. Richard Trumbull, who had been recruited to the board by Clancy, became vice president. Staying on as vocals, or directors, were Dorothy Jacobs; Sylvia Grosso, the festival’s former director; Carrie McIver and Sarah Hoch, who heads the short film festival Expresion en Corto. Joining the board were concert pianist John Stump, vocal; Ken Morrow, secretary; and Juan Villasenor, treasurer.

The new board has adopted the theme “Enter the Conversation” for this year’s festival, Porter said. “The worldwide conversation taking place among performers and audience members can be passionate at times as an expansion of traditionally accepted themes in chamber music are explored by the best musicians.” 

“The Festival de Música de Cámara also entered this ‘conversation.’ Our previous president, Ed Clancy, was passionate about bringing in groups that represented the ‘leading edge and transition’ in chamber music. Although he left the board in December 2007, his leadership in that direction can be seen in the Ahn Trio’s two-night appearance this year. 

“Our effort has been to build a 2008 season that would be a step forward for the festival. One of our criteria was to extend the music that we present both back in time from Haydn into the Baroque and pre-Baroque or Early Music periods as well as forward into the twenty-first century, including both modern and contemporary composers, such as those played by the Ahn Trio.

“We are also making a more focused effort to present music and events that will encourage attendance by more of the Mexican community. This includes offering three free concerts, putting five concerts into venues other than the Ángela Peralta and having three groups from Mexico as performers.

“We also are continuing to expand our student program, which has been part of the festival from the start,” Porter added. The La Catrina string quartet is returning as the quartet in residence and will supervise the student program.

A condition of acceptance by the world-class musicians playing at the Festival is that they agree to participate actively in the giving of master classes.

“At the behest of the La Catrina quartet, we are inviting young musicians from the US as well as from Mexico to be among the 35 participants in the program. This will provide what La Catrina’s Daniel Vega-Albela calls a ‘healthy and mutually beneficial exchange’ between young musicians from both countries.”

For more details, consult www.festivalsanmiguel.com.

Bob Kelly was a reporter for his hometown newspaper and the editor of a weekly, both in Parkersburg, WV. His last newspaper job was with the Chicago Sun-Times.

Sounds of Cuba and Veracruz to get you humming 
By Guadalupe Meza

Concert
Colibrí
Veracruz, baile de garita
Fri, June 20, 7:30pm
Bellas Artes
Hernández Macías 75
130 pesos

Colibrí (hummingbird), a musical group popular in Europe and the United States, has chosen San Miguel de Allende as the venue for the Mexican premiere of its most recent production, an homage to the music of Veracruz titled “Veracruz, baile de garita.”

Colibrí was formed in 1996 with the concept of performing music exclusively using instruments native to the country. Its musicians play with the technical finesse of the academy coupled with the flavor and exuberance of popular music. The group performs Veracruzana music and regional rhythms such as Huasteco, Jaliciense and Bambucos from Yucatán. 

Colibrí also performs a repertoire of music from other Latin American countries, mainly Colombia and Cuba. From the latter country come son montuno, bolero, danzonete and danzón. The unique mix of harp, violin, biguela, jarana and percussion blend naturally and beautifully with the voice of mesmerizing singer Arcadia Noguera. 

Noguera is also the director of Colibrí and plays the jarana. Her fellow group members include Don Guillermo Morales (bass), Víctor Figueroa (violin and second jarana), Jacinto Gatica (harp) and the young percussionist Lilia Morales. 

Tickets are available at Galería Atenea, Jesús 2. For more information, call 155-9336.

Colibrí’s credits

Colibrí performed on the soundtrack for The Mask of Zorro, starring Antonio Banderas and Catherine Zeta-Jones. They also performed the music for the stage show México, canta y aguanta directed by María Elena Velasco. 

The group also performs on Armando Manzanero’s TV program, accompanying Susana Harp. They have been named by actor and singer César Costa one of “The Great Hundred of Mexico.”

The musicians were interviewed by Mexican journalist Cristina Pacheco on her program “Conversando con Cristina Pacheco.” Colibrí has performed at national and international festivals in countries as distant as Japan and France, as well as at numerous popular dance stagings and other concerts. 

Songs for the belly, from the heart
By Elizabeth Cloyd-Annarino
Photos by Ri Anderson

Benefit concert
Stephanie Turner
Wed, June 11, 7pm
El Viejo Topo Café-Teatro
Stirling Dickinson 28
150 pesos

Singer/songwriter Stephanie Turner will perform a benefit concert to raise money for the CASA (Center for Adolescents of San Miguel de Allende) midwifery school and hospital.  Concert proceeds will help the school purchase one or two hand-held Doppler fetal heart monitors. Presently each midwife is responsible for buying her own Doppler at a cost of US$400–800 each.

A midwife may save many, many months for this essential tool. The monitors will be available for all midwives and midwifery students to use during prenatal consultations, home deliveries or deliveries at the hospital. 

Turner, who is originally from Rhode Island, has been playing guitar, writing songs and performing for over 20 years. She has played at the “Hear-In Rhode Island” music festival, has had songs played on Rhode Island radio and television stations and for five years hosted a very popular open mike night in Providence. She lived in Portland, Oregon, for three years where she combined her unique talents and was known as the “fire-eating folksinger,” opening for various local acts. She is mother to a two-year-old son, Liam, and is pregnant with her second son whose due date is two weeks after the concert. She is planning a natural childbirth in water at Hospital de CASA.

In the first set of the evening, Turner will sing jazz standards and other covers accompanied by Elena Shoemaker on piano. A folkie at heart, Turner wanted to expand her repertoire and started adding jazz tunes to her set list.

“I wanted to put down my guitar, concentrate on vocals and learn some of the classic standards. It has been a lot of fun working with Elena,” says Turner.

For the second set, Turner will pick up her guitar and sing original compositions, as well as an eclectic mix of blues, rock and folk covers. Local guitarist/bassist Hop-Along will play “the fancy parts,” as Turner puts it.

“I think this is a show that will appeal to a broad range of music lovers, a veritable buffet of music styles and genres, something for everyone,” commented Turner. She describes her voice as strong and bluesy but can still sing a sweet love ballad when called for. Her stage presence is engaging and her rapport with the audience lighthearted. “I paid my way through Europe as a street musician when I was 23, so I had to learn the art of drawing in an audience or there would be no coins in the guitar case at the end of the day,” she says laughing. Her original songs range from the simple love song to social commentary and even a song called “Space Chicks,” a tribute to Capitan Kirk.

“I have been living San Miguel for seven years and there are people who know me but have no idea that I am a musician, unless they have seen me performing at the art fairs at the Instituto, so I am really excited to perform my first concert for the benefit of CASA and show everyone what I did in my ‘former’ life in the States. Hopefully, I will be able to reach my guitar without my big belly getting in the way!”

Tickets will be available at the door the night of the concert or you can pay for your reservation ahead of time at Solutions or BorderCrossings. For more information please contact Stephanie Turner at mexiship@gmail.com.

Elizabeth and her husband moved to San Miguel to raise their three children. She is an advocate of natural childbirth and will be Stephanie's doula for her birth at CASA.