(Photos courtesy of Sunriver Music Festival)
The Festival’s 47th Season, entitled Classical Elements, will be held August 10-23 in Bend and Sunriver
Artistic Director & Conductor Brett Mitchell’s contract has been extended to 2028
Festival features four classical concerts, a pops concert, “Discover the Symphony” designed for families, and a solo violin concert
Distinguished Soloists: Pianists Joyce Yang & Orion Weiss; Violinist Tessa Lark
From August 10-23, 2024, Sunriver Music Festival will fill Central Oregon with world-class music. Artistic Director and Conductor Brett Mitchell leads professional orchestra musicians and acclaimed soloists in a remarkable 47th season held in two venues, the iconic Tower Theatre in downtown Bend and Sunriver Resort’s historic Great Hall.
Tickets for all events go on sale Saturday, June 1, and can be purchased online at sunrivermusic.org or by phone at 541-593-9310.
Brett Mitchell’s Contract Extension
The Sunriver Music Festival Board of Trustees has announced that Artistic Director & Conductor Brett Mitchell’s contract has been extended four years to 2028. The maestro’s four-year extension will encompass the Festival’s monumental 50th season. In March 2024, Mitchell was named music director of the Pasadena Symphony, beginning an initial five-year term with the 2024-25 season. He will work concurrently with the Pasadena Symphony and the Sunriver Music Festival, along with his many prestigious guest conducting roles.
“Maestro Mitchell is an esteemed conductor with a dedication to artistic excellence, creative concert curation, and inspired community engagement, and we are thrilled that his role with the Festival will continue,” said Festival Board President Dr. Ronald Carver.
Raise the Baton: The Elements of Music Fundraising Party
Raise the Baton (formerly Festival Faire) is the Festival’s premier fundraising event of the year, and it will be held on Sunday, July 14, at 5pm at Bend’s Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Central Oregon. This event raises vital funds for the Young Artists Scholarships and Sunriver Music Festival’s world-class concerts.
Hosted by Maestro Brett Mitchell, the event features performances by Central Oregon’s finest young student musicians. The Raise the Baton silent auction will include the season’s original framed art by Robert Allan Hooper (entitled Twilight Glow), plus sponsorship opportunities for “the elements of music:” guest artists, orchestra musicians, individual concerts and musical works, solo parts, travel costs, and more.
The auction and sponsorship opportunities will be hosted by local personalities Dr. Stephen Marshall and Brett Bizik. The cost to attend is $100 per person, and includes hearty hors d’oeuvres and complimentary wine and soft drinks. Register at sunrivermusic.org or by calling 541-593-9310.
New Engagement Program: Living Program Notes
Sunriver Music Festival has introduced a new engagement program—Living Program Notes: Conversations Exploring the Music of the Festival. Hosted by program annotator Mark J. Knippel, these events are an opportunity for music lovers to discover music from the inside and expand their listening experience.
Living Program Notes
Bend Wine Bar at the Box Factory, 550 SW Industrial Way, Suite 194 in the alley.
Free and open to the public. Wine & light appetizers available for purchase.
Session 1: Wednesday, June 19 at 6pm
Exploring Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue and Schumann’s Rhenish Symphony
Session 2: Sunday, June 30 at 3pm
Exploring de Falla’s Nights in the Gardens of Spain and Mozart’s Jupiter Symphony
Upcoming Festival Events
Summer Festival programs include four classical concerts, a pops concert, a solo violin performance and the family-friendly Discover the Symphony concert. The Summer Festival concert series opens August 11 at the Tower Theatre in Bend and closes August 23 at Sunriver Resort’s Great Hall.
Other events prior to the July 14 Raise the Baton fundraising party and the August 11-23 concert series include PLAY ON! Pickleball Tournament on May 31-June 1, Swings fore Strings Golf Tournament on June 2, and the Young Artists Scholarship Recital on June 7. More information can be found at sunrivermusic.org.
Sunriver Music Festival also presents free music education events, masterclasses and spontaneous chamber music concerts. Most orchestra rehearsals are free and open to the public. More details to be announced.
A new offering this summer is patrons who buy one full-price ticket can get a free ticket for a guest who is age 17 and under. A limited number of free tickets are available. Call 541-593-9310 to order.
2024 Summer Festival Concert Schedule
Orchestra concerts conducted by Maestro Brett Mitchell
Opening Night Classical Concert: EARTH
Sunday, August 11, 7:30pm
Tower Theatre, Bend
Tickets start at $45; tickets for age 25 & under $25
IVES (arr. Schuman) Variations on America
GERSHWIN Rhapsody in Blue
with Orion Weiss, piano
BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 6, Pastoral
The Festival season opener celebrates two landmark anniversaries: Charles Ives’ 150th birthday and his brilliant Variations on America, plus the 100th anniversary of George Gershwin’s immortal Rhapsody in Blue with pianist Orion Weiss. After intermission, Beethoven’s “Pastoral Symphony” is a musical depiction of five scenes in nature.
One of the most sought-after soloists of his generation, Orion Weiss is widely regarded as a “brilliant pianist” (The New York Times) with “powerful technique and exceptional insight” (The Washington Post). With a warmth to his playing that outwardly reflects his engaging personality, he has dazzled audiences with his passionate, lush sound and has performed with dozens of orchestras across North America.
Pops Concert: A Tribute to Broadway & Film Music
Tuesday, August 13, 7:30pm
Tower Theatre, Bend
Tickets start at $53; tickets for age 25 & under $25
Enjoy the Festival Orchestra in a lively tribute celebrating musical anniversaries from Broadway (Beauty and the Beast, Spamalot, Mary Poppins, Fiddler on the Roof and Leonard Bernstein’s Fancy Free) and Film (The Lion King, Forrest Gump, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, My Fair Lady and Henry Mancini’s Pink Panther).
Discover the Symphony Concert
Thursday, August 15, 3pm
Tower Theatre, Bend
General admission tickets are $15; tickets free for age 17 & under
This entertaining matinee presents orchestral music in a fun and informal setting. Bring the whole family and enjoy a one-hour concert with virtuosic recipients of the Young Artists Scholarship with the full Festival Orchestra. An instrument petting zoo is presented prior to the concert.
Classical Concert II: WATER
Sunday, August 18, 3pm
Tower Theatre, Bend
Tickets start at $45; tickets for age 25 & under $25
STRAUSS II The Blue Danube
DEBUSSY (orch. Büsser) The Sunken Cathedral
HANDEL (arr. Harty) Water Music Suite
SCHUMANN Symphony No. 3, Rhenish
This concert opens with the most famous waltz of all time—The Blue Danube by Strauss. After intermission, Schumann’s Rhenish Symphony is a musical depiction of the Schumanns’ travels along the Rhine.
Classical Concert III: FIRE
Wednesday, August 21, 7:30pm
Sunriver Resort Great Hall
Tickets start at $45; tickets for age 25 & under $25
BEETHOVEN Overture from The Creatures of Prometheus
HAYDN Symphony No. 59, “Fire”
FALLA Nights in the Gardens of Spain (1926 version)
with Joyce Yang, piano
FALLA Ritual Fire Dance from El amor brujo (Love, the Sorcerer)
This concert opens with Beethoven’s depiction of the God of Fire via his Overture from The Creatures of Prometheus before hearing Haydn’s “Fire” Symphony. The second half includes Manuel de Falla’s Nights in the Gardens of Spain—a set of three nocturnes featuring pianist Joyce Yang — and closes with the Ritual Fire Dance from El amor brujo.
Blessed with “poetic and sensitive pianism” (The Washington Post) and a “wondrous sense of color” (San Francisco Classical Voice), GRAMMY-nominated pianist Joyce Yang captivates audiences with her virtuosity, lyricism, and interpretive sensitivity. She first came to international attention in 2005 when she won the silver medal at the 12th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. Yang was a guest artist at the Sunriver Music Festival directly following her 2005 Cliburn win.
Solo Violin Concert with Tessa Lark
Thursday, August 22, 7:30pm
Sunriver Resort Great Hall
Tickets start at $36; tickets for age 25 & under $25
The picturesque Great Hall sets the scene for an eclectic solo performance from violinist Tessa Lark, who is praised for her astounding range of sounds, technical agility and musical elegance. In 2020 she was nominated for a GRAMMY in the Best Classical Instrumental Solo category. She is also a highly acclaimed fiddler in the tradition of her native Kentucky, delighting audiences with Appalachian and bluegrass music.
Season Finale Classical Concert: AIR
Friday, August 23, 7:30pm
Sunriver Resort Great Hall
Tickets start at $45; tickets for age 25 & under $25
AARON JAY KERNIS Musica Celestis
MICHAEL TORKE Sky
with Tessa Lark, violin
MOZART Symphony No. 41, Jupiter
The Festival season finale features Musica Celestis, a beautiful, meditative work by Aaron Jay Kernis, and Michael Torke’s Sky, a bluegrass-inspired concerto written for and premiered by Tessa Lark. The season closes with Mozart’s brilliant and ever-popular “Jupiter” Symphony.
Patrons who purchase a full six-concert series receive a ten percent discount. Details and tickets are available at sunrivermusic.org or by calling 541.593.9310.
Sunriver Music Festival is a year-round nonprofit presenting world-class orchestral performances and supporting music education throughout Central Oregon. Through a commitment to excellence, collaboration and innovation, the Festival seeks to foster a lifelong love of classical music in its many diverse forms.
