It is hard to believe that it has been 30 years since we started Midsummer’s Music. I remember the first concert at Dianne and Peter Trenchard’s in 1991 (I still have the attendance list), along with so many milestones and minor steps since then. I estimate that we have performed more than 600 concerts in […]
Coffee Chat with Jim Berkenstock: Secret Sauce
I’ve often referred to cooking when talking about music. We use some of the same words to describe music and foods — words like “sweet,” “sharp,” “dry,” “complex,” etc. Frequently, an audience member tells me after the concert that they liked a certain piece, but they don’t know for sure why they did … or […]
Griffon String Quartet May Day greetings & Online Music Lessons
Sister Bay, Wis. (May 4, 2020) – The Griffon String Quartet of Midsummer’s Music are currently working with children in northeast Wisconsin via the Einstein Series, a highly interactive program for school-age children. Students participate in private or group lessons or educational outreach programs. The quartet visits schools and classrooms to perform and discuss string […]
Midsummer’s Music Delays 2020 Season Ticket Sales
Sister Bay, Wis. (April 25, 2020) – Midsummer’s Music, Wisconsin’s oldest summer chamber music series, recently announced the 2020 summer concert series. In consideration for the safety of its audiences and musicians, which is of paramount concert to the organization, new ticket sales for the 2020 season will be delayed. Necessary adjustments to programming and […]
Midsummer’s Music HOPES to Celebrate 30 Years of Extraordinary Chamber Music in Door County this Summer
Sister Bay, Wis. (April 20, 2020) – We at Midsummer’s Music are doing all we can to adapt to the COVID-19 outbreak, and we express our concern that you are well. We hope and have planned that our 30th season will begin in June. If our current public health crisis prevents us from seeing you […]
Jeannie Yu of Midsummer’s Music Sends a Message of Hope Along with Music
I hope I can give you a few minutes of escape from the grim realities of the situation at this time. I never could have imagined a world so small, literally where you cannot fly off to somewhere else. Fortunately, we have music and we have ways to share from a distance. I am wishing […]
Coffee Chat: A Practicing Musician
I was going to devote this Coffee Chat to another subject, but then I got something in the mail that made me change my mind. It has to do with the drastic disruption in our normal lives that is taking place … and specifically with regard to our livelihoods. Everyone who has a job has […]
Midsummer’s Music Artistic Director Jim Berkenstock’s presents his second Coffee Chat: Edvard Grieg
Last week, for our first Coffee Chat, I focused on one of the two parts of our big celebration this summer – Beethoven’s 250th birthday. Today, I thought I would go to the other half, which is the 30th anniversary for Midsummer’s Music. In addition to the works we are featuring by Beethoven, we are […]
Griffon String Quartet Receives Women’s Grant
Midsummer’s Music and its resident string quartet, the Griffon String Quartet, are extremely grateful to have been awarded a $4,000 grant from the Women’s Fund in support of the quartet’s education and outreach mission. The funds cover activities that started in January of this year. The quartet performed their B Double Sharp program at Scandia […]
Midsummer’s Music Presents Jim Berkenstock’s Premiere Coffee Chat
By Jim Berkenstock Like many of you, I find my movements and options limited at the moment, so I thought I would jot down some notes about what we can expect this summer in Door County when the current cloud has hopefully lifted. Perhaps these musings will help propel your thoughts toward positive and inviting […]