June 21-August 4, 2013
Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina, the Brevard Music Center (BMC) has been providing young musicians with the opportunity to develop their talents for 70 years and renowned guest artists for their fantastic summer music series. Brevard is a 45-minute drive from downtown Asheville. (See Brevard.)
Each summer more than 400 students, ages 14 through post-college, join professional musicians to eat, breathe and sleep music for seven weeks. In addition to a rigorous schedule of instruction, students collaborate with faculty and guest artists in more than eighty public performances.
The combination of studying with distinguished professional musicians and an intense performance schedule sets the Brevard Music Center apart from other summer music institutions and gives students the opportunity to understand the world of a professional musician.
Brevard Music Center is one of the few organizations of its kind that owns and operates its own physical facilities. The BMC campus encompasses more than 145 buildings spread over 140 beautiful mountainside acres in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.
From Asheville, NC: Take I-26 E to the Asheville Airport exit, #40. Turn right off the exit onto Highway 280 and drive 16 miles into Brevard. As you approach downtown Brevard, you will see directional signs to the Music Center. Travel time: 45 minutes from downtown Asheville.
Conductor Keith Lockhart from Boston POPS
2013 Brevard Music Center Concerts
The 2013 season features seven weeks of classical masterworks including Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto, Stravinsky’s Firebird, and Beethoven’s beloved Fifth Symphony. The summer festival also includes an outstanding lineup of guest artists ranging from rising stars of the classical world, such as pianist Ji-Yong and violinist Bella Hristova, to two of today’s most celebrated soloists—pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet and violinist Joshua Bell.
The 2013 season features over 80 performances, including 18 different orchestra programs, four opera productions, wind ensemble, chamber music, new music, recitals, and more. The season closes on Sunday afternoon, August 4, with BMC Artistic Director Keith Lockhart conducting the Brevard Music Center Orchestra in Holst’s orchestral favorite The Planets and Elgar’s Cello Concerto with soloist Johannes Moser.
Orchestra
Orchestra forms the heart of Brevard's festival. A cast of renowned conductors, both American and international, will lead three different orchestras through some of the most important and best-loved music in the repertoire. In addition to Mr. Lockhart, who will conduct five concerts during the season, conductors will include BMC Principal Guest Conductor JoAnn Falletta (who conducts programs on June 21 and 23), the legendary Swiss conductor Matthias Bamert, Jeff Tyzik (Principal Pops Conductor of the Rochester Philharmonic and Seattle Symphony Orchestra), Grant Llewellyn (Music Director of the North Carolina Symphony), and BMC Resident Conductor Ken Lam. Orchestral repertoire includes Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade, Saint-Saens’s Piano Concerto No. 5, Tchaikovsky’s Symphonies Nos. 5 and 6, Sibelius’s Symphony No. 1, Respighi’s Pines of Rome, Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2, and Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony. Other guest soloists appearing this season include Russian pianist Ilya Yakushev performing Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3, classical guitar virtuoso Celil Refik Kaya performing Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranuez, and rising star pianist Conrad Tao making his Brevard debut with Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1. All of the orchestra programs occur in BMC's open-sided Whittington-Pfohl Auditorium, which creates a special “open air” experience for listeners while retaining the aural impact of a concert hall.
Opera
Opera has been a vital part of the Brevard Music Center for more than 40 years. In 2013 BMC will stage four operas at the Porter Center for Performing Arts on the campus of Brevard College. Three mainstage opera productions will be presented in the Scott Concert Hall: Franz Lehár’s The Merry Widow, Peter Brook’s The Tragedy of Carmen, and Giuseppe Verdi’s Falstaff. New for the 2013 festival, BMC will introduce “Opera in a Box.” Each summer, a composer and librettist will bring their work-in-progress to the Music Center, and BMC opera students will help them achieve their artistic vision. Sections of the opera will be staged and performed in the Morrison Playhouse black box theater at the Porter Center. The new work will be narrated by the creators and the stage director, guiding the audience through a one-of-a-kind glimpse into the creative process of developing a new work. This season, composer Michael Ching has been chosen to present his new work Speed Dating Tonight! created in partnership with BMC Director of Opera Dean Anthony.
Chamber Music and Recitals
BMC will present eleven chamber music concerts in the Scott Concert Hall at the Porter Center and in Searcy Hall on the Music Center campus. Chamber performances feature the Music Center’s artist aaculty and visiting guest artists collaborating on works ranging from Baroque to modern. These intimate concert settings provide a truly up close and personal experience of classical masterpieces.
Other Concerts
In addition to the full range of classical offerings, the 2013 season will include a number of concerts appealing to a range of tastes.
The annual Pendergrast Family Patriotic Pops concert is a beloved Brevard tradition, and it goes off at 2:00 PM on Thursday, July 4. Maestro Kraig Alan Williams will lead the Brevard Symphonic Winds, joined by the Brevard Community Band, in marches, patriotic songs, and other favorites, finishing up with the 1812 Overture, complete with live cannon.
On Saturday, June 22, BMC will present The Ultimate Doo-Wop show featuring performances of doo-wop favorites from the 1950s and 60s. Don your poodle skirts and satin jackets and bring the whole family for an evening celebrating the golden age of popular music.
On Saturday, July 27, conductor and virtuoso trumpeter Jeff Tyzik returns to the Music Center to lead the Brevard Sinfonia in an evening of music from the movies. Film buffs and music lovers alike will enjoy hearing the themes from their favorite films such as Superman, Casablanca, and Star Wars performed live on stage.
Additional concerts are still being added to the 2013 schedule.
Free Events
In its 2013 season, the Brevard Music Center offers more than thirty free events to the community. These include concerts by the Brevard Symphonic Winds, opera scenes, student piano recitals, new music concerts, student chamber concerts and recitals, and other special events.
Pre-Concert Events
The Brevard Music Center offers pre-concert events free to ticketholders for all of its weekend performances. For each opera performance and for each performance of the Brevard Music Center Orchestra, BMC offers an informal talk one hour before curtain. Conducted by a member of the artist faculty, these talks provide additional insights into the history and significance of works being performed, unique production aspects, and other information specific to each performance.
Ticketholders for concerts of the Brevard Sinfonia and the Brevard Concert Orchestra may attend special pre-concert performances featuring BMC's students and artist faculty. Programs will feature solo and chamber music and will occur in Thomas Hall one hour before the orchestra curtain time.
Tickets
2013 subscription sales will begin on March 1 with single tickets scheduled to go on sale May 1. For more information on 2013 subscription packages and concert information please visit www.brevardmusic.org. The box office is located in the foyer of Whittington-Pfohl Auditorium on the Brevard Music Center campus. The box office phone number is (828) 862-2105 or toll-free (888) 384-8682. You can request a brochure by calling (828) 862-2100 or view a performance schedule online at brevardmusic.org. This offer is not valid for Variations concerts or the Season Finale. Details can be found on the web or by calling (828) 862-2105.
Parking is free to all events at the Brevard Music Center.
Have a picnic before a concert by the lake!
