BY KENNETH KAPP, Shepherd Express, Milwaukee, Wis.
The 70th Anniversary Season of the Peninsula Music Festival began Oct. 1, 2021, and wraps-up August 2-20, 2022, with the Symphony Series featuring nine spectacular symphonic concerts. Christoph Ptack, PMF’s President and Chief Executive Officer, is the third in the festival’s storied history to lead the year-round organization. With a career that spans 30 plus years, Ptack spent over a decade as the artistic administrator at Lyric Opera of Chicago, is a frequent adjudicator at national and international competitions in support of the industry’s upcoming stars of tomorrow and works regularly as a private consultant in the arts.
“I couldn’t be more excited to welcome the orchestra back for the Symphony Series next month,” said Ptack. “I think we can all agree that over the past few years we’ve come to better understand the intrinsic value the performing arts contribute to our lives more than ever.”
Door County is the “Peninsula” for those new to Wisconsin. It is truly a wonderful place to visit year-round and boasts several scenic state parks including Peninsula State Park overlooking Green Bay besides Newport and Whitefish Dunes State Parks on Lake Michigan. Our own favorite time to visit is in the winter when snow and quiet blankets the ground. I will certainly plan my visits to overlap with some of the chamber music concerts that occur earlier in the Festival Season.
Ptack engages world-renowned conductors and guest artists for every season, and the Festival Orchestra is comprised of 80 professional musicians from operatic and symphonic institutions around the globe including those of Toronto, Calgary, Chicago, Boston, Milwaukee, Houston, and others.
Each of the Masterworks programs deserve mention so that you can begin making your music and travel plans. An abridged list is below. The complete program for each night can be found at musicfestival.com.
BRAVO BEETHOVEN!
Tuesday, Aug. 2. David Danzmayr, conductor; Inna Faliks, piano.
Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major
A DEBUT OF DISTINCTION
Thursday, Aug. 4. David Danzmayr, conductor; Benjamin Beilman, violin.
Saint-Säens Violin Concerto No. 3 in B minor
BOLD AND BRILLIANT
Saturday, Aug. 6. Ward Stare, conductor; Drew Petersen, piano.
Mendelssohn Capriccio Brillante in B minor
VIRTUOSITY
Tuesday, Aug. 9. Ward Stare, conductor; Susanna Self, flute; Simone Porter, violin.
Quantz Concerto for Flute in G Major and Vivaldi The Four Seasons
GOODYEAR GOES GERSHWIN
Thursday, Aug. 11. Marcelo Lehninger, conductor; Stewart Goodyear, piano.
Gershwin Piano Concerto in F
THE 3 B’S
Saturday, Aug., 13. Marcelo Lehninger, conductor; Rachel Barton Pine, violin.
Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor
LOVE AND WAR
Tuesday, Aug. 16. Yaniv Dinur, conductor; Oliver Herbert, cello. Shostakovich Cello Concerto No. 1 in E-flat Major
A HEROIC RETURN
Thursday, Aug. 18. Rune Bergmann, conductor; Bella Hristova, violin. Mendelssohn Concerto for Violin in E minor
NORDIC GREATS
Saturday, Aug. 20. Rune Bergmann, conductor; Juho Pohjonen, piano. Grieg Piano Concerto in A minor
Performances begin at 7:30 PM at the Door Community Auditorium, Fish Creek, WI. This is an auditorium any community would be proud of so if you’re curious, here’s the link: dcauditorium.org.
Please consult the festival’s website for concert details, ticket information, seating chart, COVID protocols and other information at musicfestival.com
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