South Florida Classical Review

Festival Miami, the music series that marks the traditional start of the fall concert season, is scaling back a bit this year but still offers a rich and imaginative selection of performances.

  The classical offerings rely more heavily on in-house talent than outside stars than last year’s celebratory 25th anniversary season, partly due to the recession, said Shelly Berg, dean of the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music, which presents the series.

  “We’re a little more austere in the budget this year,” he said. “But I feel the quality of the music is as high this year. We brought in outside chamber music groups last year, but this year the quality of the programming is just as strong, with faculty musicians who are world-class artists.”

  The festival runs from Oct. 2 to Oct. 30, with most performances at the university’s Gusman Concert Hall.

  Among the highlights: A tribute to Henry Mancini, with the participation of the late composer’s wife and daughter; a performance of Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto with the Frost School’s highly regarded pianist Tian Ying; six operas performed in 60 minutes, all composed by faculty or alumni; and an evening of Chopin and other Romantic composers performed by the pianist Kevin Kenner, a winner of the International Chopin Competition.

  “It’s some of the greatest music the world has ever known, in the intimacy of Gusman Hall,” Berg said. “To hear the Emperor Concerto in a 600-seat hall is a totally different experience from hearing it at the Arsht Center.”

  For more information go to http://www.music.miami.edu/festivalmiami/

Posted in News

---

Leave a Comment

Name (required):

Email (will not be published) (required):

Website:

Message:

Δ