Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina, the Brevard Music Center (BMC) has been providing young musicians with the opportunity to develop their talents for sixty-eight years and renowned guest artists for their fantastic summer music series (usually June through August). Brevard is a 45-minute drive from downtown Asheville. (See Brevard.)
Each summer more than 400 students, ages 14 through post-college, join professional musicians to eat, breathe and sleep music for seven weeks. In addition to a rigorous schedule of instruction, students collaborate with faculty and guest artists in more than eighty public performances.
The combination of studying with distinguished professional musicians and an intense performance schedule sets the Brevard Music Center apart from other summer music institutions and gives students the opportunity to understand the world of a professional musician.
Brevard Music Center is one of the few organizations of its kind that owns and operates its own physical facilities. The BMC campus encompasses more than 145 buildings spread over 140 beautiful mountainside acres in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.
From Asheville, NC: Take I-26 E to the Asheville Airport exit, #40. Turn right off the exit onto Highway 280 and drive 16 miles into Brevard. As you approach downtown Brevard, you will see directional signs to the Music Center. Travel time: 45 minutes from downtown Asheville.
2009 Schedule Brevard Music Center Summer Festival: June 26-August 9, 2009
Go to their Web site for details.
The Brevard Music Center (BMC) is pleased to announce details of its 2009 summer festival, seven weeks of varied performances held from June 26 through August 9. Keith Lockhart returns for his second summer as artistic advisor and principal conductor of the Music Center, a summer institute and festival in the mountains of western North Carolina. Maestro Lockhart, also conductor of the Boston Pops, is an alumnus of the Brevard Music Center. He has stated that his experiences at BMC as a teenaged student were a determining factor in his decision to become a professional musician.
Brevard Music Center hosts approximately 400 high school and college students and 65 artist faculty from 48 states and 12 foreign countries for the educational component of the Center. The more than 80 public performances showcase the talented students, artist faculty and guest artists and include recitals, chamber music, opera and orchestra concerts.
Lockhart will conduct five concerts this year, and has been working with the BMC artistic staff to shape the summer musical programs to benefit its students. There will be six additional conductors featured this summer, in addition to a special appearance by former artistic directors Henry Janiec and David Effron. Other conductors include Steven Smith, Andrew Grams, Larry Rachleff, Grant Llewellyn, Ken Lam and Andre Raphel Smith. Guest artists for the 2009 season include pianists Olga Kern and Norman Krieger; violinist Elena Urioste; violist Roberto Diaz; cellist Andres Diaz; violinist William Preucil; and the Biava Quartet. Tickets are now available for sale either by mail or via internet. Visit the Music Center online for detailed concert listings and ticket purchases.
Season Highlights
Orchestral masterpieces are abundant in this season's offerings at the Brevard Music Center. Keith Lockhart will conduct a mini-series of Tchaikovsky's most-loved symphonies, Nos. 4, 5 and 6 in different concerts throughout July. He will also present Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde on July 12 and a concert titled An American in Paris July 24 including other American favorites: Lincoln Portrait by Aaron Copland and Barber's Adagio for Strings. On July 26, Keith Lockhart will be joined by former artistic directors Henry Janiec and David Effron for a most memorable concert. All three conductors will lead the Brevard Music Center Orchestra in special works of their choice.
Additional highlights include two of Beethoven's most acclaimed works, Symphony No. 9 on August 2 conducted by Grant Llewellyn and Symphony No. 7 on July 3 conducted by Andrew Grams. The Firebird (June 28) will be conducted by Steven Smith and the Enigma Variations (August 1) will be presented by the Brevard Sinfonia.
Guest Artists appearing with the Brevard Music Center Orchestra this summer include pianist Norman Krieger, performing Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2 on July 5. Emerging artist, Elena Urioste, performs the Barber Violin Concerto on July 19 and the Season Finale will be Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3 with gold medal recipient in the Van Cliburn Competition, Olga Kern, on August 9.
Opera Productions
The Janiec Opera Company (JOC) is comprised of 40 students from the United States and Canada. They will present four fully-staged productions aided by a production staff of 28 that includes set designers, lighting technicians, wig and make-up artists and choreographers. 2009 productions begin with the comic and light-hearted Tales of Hoffmann by Jacques Offenbach on July 11, the matchmaking story of Hello, Dolly! on July 23 and 25, and a double bill of Puccini's one act operas Suor Angelica and Gianni Schicci, featuring the famous aria "O mio babbino caro" on August 8. The JOC will also present a night of favorite opera scenes at the Porter Center for Performing Arts at Brevard College on July 29.
Chamber Music
The summer chamber music series features the Brevard Music Center's artist faculty and guest artists. Held in the Porter Center at Brevard College, the eleven concerts will present works of Barber, Beethoven, Prokofiev, Faure, Brahms and many others. Favorite artists returning to BMC include violinist William Preucil on July 8, cellist Andres Diaz on July 13 and violist Roberto Diaz on July 15. The Music Center welcomes the Biava Quartet as the Quartet-in-Residence for three weeks of instruction and classes for the students, and will present two recitals, July 20 and 27. I Solisti di Brevard, a select group of gifted Music Center students, present a concert on August 3 and is a favorite on the chamber series.
Lighter Fare
Opening night at the Brevard Music Center will present famous American tenor, Stanford Olsen, singing selections from Broadway and opera. The program also includes Leonard Bernstein's Symphonic Dances from West Side Story. Returning to BMC is Rhythm & Brass, an exciting and eclectic group performing jazz and other styles of music, woven from a century of great composers. The annual Patriotic Pops concert on July 4 is titled "From Sea to Shining Sea" and includes favorites such as the Battle Hymn of the Republic and Armed Forces Salute and ends in grand style with Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture with live canons. Special start time of 2pm allows concert-goers time to view the fireworks display in town that evening.
Concert Enhancements
The Music Center offers free pre-concert lectures prior to Sunday orchestra concerts and all opera performances. These Musical Insights and Opera Insights are informative and engaging talks beginning one hour before the scheduled performance. Both are held in Thomas Hall, facing the lake behind Whittington-Pfohl Auditorium.
Free Community Events
The Brevard Music Center offers forty free events throughout the summer. These include student recitals and chamber music, symphonic band, composers' concerts, high school voice programs and opera scenes, and noon-time faculty chamber music at the Porter Center. The BMC Piano Competition finals and the Concerto Competition finals are also free and open to the public.
In a collaborative effort with the Transylvania County Library, students present a series of chamber music concerts on Mondays and Wednesdays at 12:30, beginning July 7. Free performances are a wonderful opportunity to experience the extraordinary talent of the students and faculty in variety of performances and venues.
Venues & Dining
The Music Center's 150-acre campus nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina makes it an ideal summer educational institute and performing arts venue. Students and faculty live and work -- in rehearsals, lessons and private practice -- in buildings throughout the 150-acre campus. Concerts are held in Whittington-Pfohl Auditorium, (seating capacity of 1800), an open-sided hall so that seating on the lawn is also possible. The smaller concert venue on campus is Straus Auditorium, home to many of the free student recitals and chamber concerts. Thomas Hall, located behind the main auditorium, serves as the venue for all pre-concert lectures and is used as a rehearsal space for the many groups on campus.
Many patrons bring picnics to enjoy with family or friends before a performance, taking advantage of one of the many tables scattered around the auditorium or nearby lake. Picnics will also be for sale at the Music Center, please call 828-862-2123 to place your order. Café con Brio offers fine dining on adjacent to the auditorium, provided by the chefs of Hobnob Restaurant of Brevard. Call 828-577-0690 for reservations and information. Light concessions including wine, coffee, and ice cream are available from local vendors.
Students & Faculty
Each summer, 65 distinguished faculty artists are drawn from the most prestigious music schools and symphony orchestras in the country. They commit their summers to teaching the 400 students from 48 states and 12 foreign countries who immerse themselves for six weeks of intense study and performance. For many, attending Brevard Music Center is a life-changing experience. Working, studying and performing alongside faculty and guest artists provide a unique learning experience.
Tickets & Ticket Packages
Tickets are now available by mail and online at brevardmusic.org. The box office, located in the foyer of Whittington-Pfohl Auditorium, opens May 11 for phone and walk-up orders. The box office phone number is (828) 862-2105 or toll-free (888) 384-8682. A number of ticket packages are available for a savings of 10-30% off of single ticket prices. Packages include Fridays on the Lawn, Summer Sundays, Conductor's Circle and the Chamber Music Series. Details can be found on the web or by calling (828) 862-2131.
Have a picnic before a concert by the lake!
