Each summer, the Charles Ives Music Festival (CIMF) celebrates the legacy of Charles Ives, but this summer his impact on American music is particularly pronounced as we approach what would have been his 150th birthday in October. Through our professional artist concert series, we honor Ives's legacy not just with performances of his wonderfully inventive and captivating music, but also through performances of music by living American composers, for whom Ives helped set the stage over a century ago by writing music that sounded distinctively American. This summer, each concert is centered around one of Ives's defining contributions to the body of American music - from violin and piano music, to his creative use of American folk music, his conception of storytelling, and his boundary-breaking reimagination of the concert music experience.
The concerts, performed by our world-class artist-faculty who join us in Connecticut from July 28-August 10, 2024 from all around the United States, feature music by living composers including Chris Beroes-Haigis, Alexandra Bryant, John Corigliano, Reena Esmail, Adolphus Hailstork, Michael Ippolito, Maria Schneider, Augusta Read Thomas, Alex Weiser, Takashi Yoshimatsu, our composition program director Jon Cziner and CIMF Artistic Director Paul Frucht, alongside staples from the repertoire by Barber, Beach, Gershwin, Ravel, and of course, Charles Ives. Our faculty are joined by three outstanding artists-in-residence, mezzo-soprano Kara Dugan, pianist Peter Dugan, and GRAMMY-winning violinist Charles Yang.
AMERICAN
Sunday, July 28, 2024 - 4:00 PM - Lounsbury House (316 Main Street, Ridgefield, CT)
Featuring CIMF Artists Metropolitan Opera Orchestra violinist Julia Choi and concert pianist Mika Sasaki and an engaging program including Sonata No. 4 by Charles Ives, The Old Question by Alex Weiser, Romance by Amy Beach, selections from Porgy & Bess by George Gershwin, select movements from Excursions by Samuel Barber, and Sonata for Violin and Piano by John Corigliano.
SPIRITUAL
Thursday, August 1, 2024 - 7:00 PM - Keeler Tavern Museum & History Center (152 Main Street, Ridgefield, CT)
CIMF Artists flutist Katie Althen-Velázquez, violinists JeremíasSergiani-Velázquez and George Meyer, violist Jacob Shack, cellists Mitch Lyon an Francesca McNeeley perform Big Sky, Low Horizon by Micahel Ippolito, Plea for Peace by Augusta Read Thomas, Mysterium by Alexandra Bryant, Largo Cantabile by Charles Ives, “Adagio” from String Quartet No. 1by Adolphus Hailstork and Spoken in Waves by Chris Beroes-Haigis.
Tuesday, August 6, 2024 - 7:00 PM\ - MoCA CT (19 Newtown Turnpike, Westport, CT)
CIMF Artists and guest musicians perform solo work to large ensemble pieces including Inconvenient Wounds by ReeneEsmail, And Birds Are Still by Takashi Yoshimatsu, Nifrasch by Jon Cziner, Mother Goose Suite by Maurice Ravel, and The Unanswered Question by Charles Ives, with addendum by Paul Frucht.
TRAILBLAZING
Saturday, August 10, 2024 - 7:00 PM - Ives Concert Hall atWhite Hall on the WCSU Campus (181 White Street, Danbury, CT)
An exciting evening of music including works by Dvorak, Mendelssohn, Ives, Paul Frucht, Duke Ellington, Maria Schneider and more, and featuring CIMF Artists and 2024 CIMF Artists-in-Residence Grammy-winning violinist Charles Yang, concert pianist Peter Dugan, and acclaimed mezzo soprano Kara Dugan.
In addition to the four artist concerts, artist-faculty and guest artists will work closely with the 50 youth musicians attending the CIMF two-week educational and performance program this summer, culminating in three student concerts -- two chamber music concerts and a chamber orchestra and symphony orchestra performance. Both the CIMF Chamber Orchestra and full Orchestra are led by CIMF Orchestra Director and WCYO Music Director Eric Mahl.
We look forward to a wonderful two weeks of music-making and hope you will join us this July and August! For more information on the concerts, visit charlesivesmusicfestival.org/concerts-summer-2024/