Woodstock Mozart Festival

Last updated
Woodstock Mozart Festival
Type non-profit
Industry Live music
Founded1987
Headquarters Woodstock Opera House
Woodstock, Illinois, USA
Key people
Anita Whelan, Executive Director
Mark Peskanov, Artistic Advisor
Lori Babinec, Personnel Manager/Librarian
ProductsSummer Festival
Revenuenon-profit
Website Woodstock Mozart Festival

The Woodstock Mozart Festival was a summer music festival in Woodstock, Illinois that presented classical music concerts, primarily of Mozart's music, by the Woodstock Mozart Festival Orchestra and guest artists.

Contents

History

The Woodstock Mozart Festival had its origins in the 1987 as part of a summer festival at the Woodstock Opera House entitled "Woodfest". Additional performances were scheduled for the following year, and the 3 week festival continued to be held annually through 2015. Internationally recognized guest artists were a mainstay of the festival since the beginning.

The festival's original conductor/artistic director was Charles Bornstein. Since 1983, guest conductors were an integral part of the festival format. Performances also included a chamber music series and concerts in the Woodstock square gazebo (as part of the City of Woodstock's concert in the parks series).

John von Rhein, classical music critic for the Chicago Tribune, wrote "The Woodstock Mozart Festival has long been a means for local classical buffs to catch rising young musicians and established artists who seldom get to crack the sacred precincts of downtown Chicago." [1]

In 1995, the Festival Orchestra was named "Chamber Orchestra of the Year" by the Illinois Council of Orchestras.

Goals

The Festival's goal is to maintain a superb orchestra that delivers extraordinary performances, centered on Mozart, which inspire and educate audiences of all ages. [2]

Orchestra Personnel

The orchestra was composed of musicians from Chicago, Milwaukee, and New York, as well as Europe.

Final Season

The Woodstock Mozart Festival website states that 2015 was its final season:

"It is with great regret that we announce that the Woodstock Mozart Festival will close after this past 2015 season, our 29th. All of us associated with the Festival – musicians, Board members, Artistic and General Director – extend our deep appreciation to all who have attended concerts and contributed to make the Festival such a value to the Woodstock community and beyond. We will miss performing for you…"

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Riccardo Muti</span> Italian conductor (born 1941)

Riccardo Muti is an Italian conductor. He currently holds two music directorships, at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and at the Orchestra Giovanile Luigi Cherubini. Muti has previously held posts at the Maggio Musicale in Florence, the Philharmonia Orchestra in London, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, and the Salzburg Whitsun Festival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Claudio Abbado</span> Italian conductor (1933–2014)

Claudio Abbado was an Italian conductor who was one of the leading conductors of his generation. He served as music director of the La Scala opera house in Milan, principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra, principal guest conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, music director of the Vienna State Opera, founder and director of Lucerne Festival Orchestra, founder and director of Mahler Chamber Orchestra, founding Artistic Director of Orchestra Mozart, music director of European Union Youth Orchestra, and principal conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic orchestra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rafael Kubelík</span> Czech conductor, violinist, composer and director conductor of Czech philharmony

Rafael Jeroným Kubelík, KBE was a Czech conductor and composer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Mackerras</span> Australian conductor

Sir Alan Charles MacLaurin Mackerras was an Australian conductor. He was an authority on the operas of Janáček and Mozart, and the comic operas of Gilbert and Sullivan. He was long associated with the English National Opera and Welsh National Opera and was the first Australian chief conductor of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. He also specialized in Czech music as a whole, producing many recordings for the Czech label Supraphon.

The Elgin Symphony Orchestra is a regional orchestra founded and headquartered in Elgin, Illinois. Its Music Director is Andrew Grams, who was named the 2015 Conductor of the Year by the Illinois Council of Orchestras. The Orchestra's season includes some 40 performances annually at the 1,200-seat Hemmens Cultural Center in Elgin and the 440-seat Prairie Arts Center in Schaumburg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adelaide Symphony Orchestra</span>

The Adelaide Symphony Orchestra (ASO) is a South Australian performing arts organisation comprising 75 full-time musicians, established in 1936.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leonidas Kavakos</span> Greek violin virtuoso and conductor

Leonidas Kavakos is a Greek violinist and conductor. As a violinist, he has won prizes at several international violin competitions, including the Sibelius, Paganini, Naumburg, and Indianapolis competitions. He is an Onassis Foundation scholar. He has also recorded for record labels such as Sony/BMG and BIS. As a conductor, he was an artistic director of the Camerata Salzburg and has been a guest conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra and Boston Symphony Orchestra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Levine</span> American conductor and pianist (1943–2021)

James Lawrence Levine was an American conductor and pianist. He was music director of the Metropolitan Opera from 1976 to 2016. He was terminated from all his positions and affiliations with the Met on March 12, 2018, over sexual misconduct allegations, which he denied.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Symphony Nova Scotia</span> Canadian orchestra

Symphony Nova Scotia is a Canadian orchestra based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Its primary recital venue is at the Dalhousie Arts Centre's Rebecca Cohn Auditorium.

Oregon Mozart Players is a professional chamber orchestra based in Eugene, Oregon, United States. The orchestra presents five concert sets in a typical season, in addition to numerous small ensemble performances and recitals by guest artists. Orchestral repertoire ranges from the Baroque period to world premieres of 21st century works. Soloists with the group include internationally acclaimed artists as well as members of the orchestra. The current conductor and artistic director is Kelly Kuo.

Paul Goodwin is an English conductor and former oboist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen</span> Chamber orchestra in Bremen

The Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen is a chamber orchestra based in Bremen (Germany), with place of residence in the historical building Stadtwaage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ransom Wilson</span> American flutist and conductor (born 1951)

Ransom Wilson is an American flutist, conductor, and educator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Denis Brott</span>

Denis Brott, SMOM is a Canadian cellist, music teacher, conductor and founder and artistic director of the Montreal Chamber Music Festival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Dean (clarinetist)</span> Australian clarinetist, composer, conductor

Paul Dean is an Australian clarinetist, composer and conductor

Alan Heatherington is one of the leading orchestra conductors in Illinois. He has conducted and/or played with virtually all of the major orchestras in the Chicago area. He was the Music Director of Ars Viva Symphony Orchestra, the Lake Forest Symphony Orchestra and the Chicago Master Singers, and is Music Director Emeritus of all three ensembles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin R. McMahon</span>

Kevin R. McMahon is an American conductor, composer, orchestrator, clinician and violinist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Music of the Baroque, Chicago</span> Chorus and orchestra in Chicago

Music of the Baroque is an American professional chorus and orchestra based in Chicago, Illinois.

Det Norske Kammerorkester or The Norwegian Chamber Orchestra is a chamber orchestra based in Oslo.

The Chicago Philharmonic is an American orchestra based in Chicago, Illinois, governed by the Chicago Philharmonic Society. Founded in 1988 by principals of the Lyric Opera Orchestra of Chicago, it is a musician-governed, non-profit organization consisting of nearly 200 classical music performers from the Chicago area. Since 2013, the Artistic Director and Principal Conductor has been Scott Speck.

References

  1. "Mozart music is alive and well in Woodstock". Chicago Tribune.
  2. Woodstock Mozart Festival, A Brief History

Further reading

42°19′52″N88°26′52″W / 42.33111°N 88.44778°W / 42.33111; -88.44778