New Hampshire Music Festival sets schedule for 2019 summer season

PLYMOUTH — The New Hampshire Music Festival, in residency at Plymouth State University, will hold its 67th summer concert season from July 2-Aug. 1. The organization will perform 10 concerts at PSU’s Silver Center for the Arts and give 10 performances in Holderness, Laconia, Waterville Valley and other venues in Plymouth. Honoring the tradition of classical music while exploring new artistic paths, musicians from around the world will visit Plymouth to perform classic and contemporary works.

The 2019 summer season also marks the first for New Hampshire Music Festival Executive Director Lucinda Williams. “I joined the New Hampshire Music Festival at just the right time – gearing up for our incredible 67th concert season,” said Williams. “Our performances will feature beautiful, challenging music performed by talented musicians from across the country. We are excited to bring this music to life for audiences at the Silver Center and in our performances throughout the region.”

Founded in 1952 as a small chamber orchestra, the New Hampshire Music Festival started its residency at PSU in 1976, starting a collaborative partnership aiming to bring concerts and other cultural events to the Plymouth area.

“The New Hampshire Music Festival is a rich cultural asset befitting the splendor of our region,” said Paula Lee Hobson, vice president for university advancement at PSU. “Now entering our 43rd season as host, we look forward to welcoming audiences from near and far to enjoy these inspiring performances, beginning July 5th with the opening night champagne reception presented by Plymouth State.”

New Hampshire Music Festival will host its opening night concert on July 5, highlighting music from Antonin Dvorak, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, and Ludwig van Beethoven and featuring the Cuban violinist Andres Cardenes as a soloist. The concert on July 11 will spotlight clarinets, with music from Hector Berlioz, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Franz Liszt. Performances will also spotlight composer Ittai Shapira on July 18, and Johann Sebastian Bach, Richard Strauss and Mozart on July 25. The season will conclude with an Orchestral Murmuring concert on Aug. 1, with guest conductor Alyssa Wang and world-renowned piano soloist Misha Dichter.

New Hampshire Music Festival will perform several times at Waterville Valley, including a musical petting zoo on July 2, and Fresh Fares & Musical Airs on July 13, at Curious George Cottage. The organization will also host Music in the Mountains, individual ensembles held outdoors on July 8 in Holderness and July 27 in Meredith. Every Sunday in July, festival musicians will participate in Caffeinated Classics at Cafe Monte Alto at 10:30 a.m. On July 14 and July 28, New Hampshire Music Festival will perform concerts at the Taylor Community in Laconia.  

“Bringing music into the community, where it is accessible and can be enjoyed by everyone, is very important to me,” said Williams. “As a new Lakes Region resident, I look forward to meeting many neighbors and friends at our community events in Laconia, Holderness, Plymouth and Waterville Valley.”

For more information about the New Hampshire Music Festival, visit nhmf.org. For more information about Plymouth State University, visit www.plymouth.edu.

To see the 2019 summer season schedule, visit www.laconiadailysun.com.