Vashon Chamber Music Festival

Experience Schumann, Brahms, Beethoven’s and more when some of the region’s finest classical musicians gather for the annual Vashon Chamber Music Festival.

Island cellists Rowena Hammill and Douglas Davis have brought together a stellar list of musicians to participate in the three day celebration. Musicians include: ODEONQUARTET, Duo Patterson (viola, violin); Hammill-Davis Duo, Francoise Régnat, piano; Patricia Kostek, clarinet; Martin Kuuskmann, bassoon; Alex Shapiro, guest composer; and Karin Choo, violin.

            At 7:30 p.m., Thursday, May 19 only, ODEONQUARTET will perform works by Shapiro, Golijov and Beethoven at Vashon Methodist Church. Hammill, who joined the group just over a year ago, loves that the quartet is constantly breaking new ground in classical works. “Beethoven’s Opus #59 was composed at the beginning of his middle period. It’s buoyant, youthful and fresh…enormously expressive and energetic; It’s just glorious,” adds Davis. 

            ODEONQUARTET will also perform two original works by guest composer Alex Shapiro, who composes acoustic and electro acoustic pieces known for their lyricism and drama. Her music may be heard in concerts and broadcasts across the U.S. and internationally, and can be found on over twenty commercially released CDs. Educated at The Juilliard School and Manhattan School of Music, Shapiro's honors and awards include those from The American Music Center, ASCAP, the American Composers Forum and more. Raised in Manhattan, Shapiro now lives on San Juan Island. She will discuss her work in an informal pre-concert lecture at 6:30 p.m.

            New this year, Hammill adds that ODEONQUARTET will perform a free concert for McMurray students. “It will be a potpourri, an introduction to classical music,” she says.

            At 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday, May 20 and 21, program will include works including Mozart, Brahms and Arvo Pärt. The group will also perform variations on Pachelbel’s Canon, in the styles of various composers.

            A condensed version of the Friday/Saturday program will be performed at 10 a.m., Saturday in a free family concert at the Blue Heron.

            Tickets are $20/$23 for single performances. A combined Thurs/Fri or Thurs/Sat ticket is $34/$39. Saturday morning Family Concert is free. Tickets are available at Blue Heron, Heron’s Nest, Books by the Way and www.BrownPaperTickets.com.