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The Rockport Chamber Music Festival
is dedicated to the presentation of chamber and solo music performed
by the finest musicians and ensembles available. It is the intent
of the Festival to perform music of many countries, written in diverse
styles and periods including the music created by composers of our
time while maintaining a strong base in the classical tradition.
The Festival recognizes the importance of making chamber music accessible
to audiences from diverse musical backgrounds and will give attention
to the creation of opportunities for chamber music education to
encourage broad appreciation of the art. The Festival will also
support the performance of chamber and solo music by younger musicians
and will provide performance opportunities for the best of these
emerging artists. |
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Inspired by Rockport’s rich
artistic heritage and spectacular seaside setting, the Festival
was founded in 1981 by two musicians, pianist-composer David Alpher
and soprano Lila Deis, and Paul Sylva, a Rockport businessman. The
founders’ goal was to create an exciting chamber music series
in one of the nation’s oldest and most vital art colonies—home
to many well-known contemporary artists and a favorite haunt, in
the early part of the 20th century, of renowned painters such as
Winslow Homer, Harrison Cady, and Childe Hassam.
For the past 26 seasons, the Festival has honored the founders’
vision by presenting a chamber music series of extraordinary quality
each June. For each of these 26 years, the Rockport
Art Association has graciously hosted the Festival concerts
in its Hibbard Gallery.
Under the visionary leadership of Artistic Director David Deveau
since 1995, the Festival continues to receive praise for the highest
quality musicianship and innovative programming. Soloists and ensembles
of international reputation perform repertoire from standards of
the classical repertoire to little-known, early music to world premieres
of newly commissioned works. Lectures, discussions, and family concerts
with interactive programming stretch musical horizons and challenge
audiences of all ages with the new, exciting, and unexpected.
Engaging audiences, both young and old, in an appreciation for classical
music continues to be a vital part of the Festival’s mission.
RCMF brought 43 educational programs to Cape Ann residents over
the past year, reaching 2100 school students and more than 700 adults.
The Festival continues to broaden musical horizons even further
by expanding our programming to include jazz; a genre so important
to our American culture.
Over the past seven years, as Festival audiences and programs have
continued to grow, and as more of our concerts sell out –
even before opening night – RCMF has searched for a larger,
permanent home of its own. Our goal was to create an intimate setting
designed for the enjoyment of chamber music, but one that would
provide additional seating, unrestricted access, full air conditioning,
superior acoustics, and the opportunity for expanded and more diverse
programming.
In September 2006, RCMF took a momentous step toward the future
with the purchase of the three-story Haskins Building, home of the
former Madras Shop, on Main Street in Rockport. With the generous
financial support of all of those who love the Festival and its
music, the site will be transformed into an elegant new performance
center with a world-class concert hall, complete with a breathtaking
view of the Atlantic Ocean through the glass window behind the stage.
This extraordinary cultural resource will host a variety of performances
and educational programs year round to enrich the cultural and economic
life of the North Shore, greater Boston, and beyond. In addition
to expanded Festival programming, the new venue will also offer
opportunities for other presenters, and to business, civic, and
social groups.
Once again, welcome to an exhilarating 2007 Season, and please join
us in imagining the future of the Festival!
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