Festival celebrates chamber music masterworks
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MANKATO -- Live music is returning to south-central Minnesota, and the upcoming ProMusica Chamber Music Festival is here to kickstart the return.
The 2021 ProMusica Chamber Music Festival is June 6-10 at Bethany Lutheran College's beautiful Trinity Chapel in Mankato.
The multiple-day event is a celebration of many forms of chamber music masterworks.
It will feature ProMusica Chamber Music Festival's Artistic Directors Peter McGuire and Bethel Balge, Minnesota Orchestra's Associate Principal Cello Silver Ainomäe, and violinist Colin McGuire.
The ProMusica Chamber Music Festival was established in 2019 by Bethel Balge and Peter McGuire. Balge established the Summit Avenue Music Series in 2016 to bring performances by professional musicians to campus.
The Summit Avenue Music Series merged with ProMusica in 2019. The goal was to bring chamber music to the region and now is the perfect time with the COVID restriction being lifted.
ProMusica Executive Director Benji Inniger said, "We've had to make it extra clear that these are live events and not virtual."
Over the last year, all musical performances were done as virtual events. Some patrons are still not used to attending concerts in person, but the response has been positive. The ProMusica festival will be unrestricted to those who are vaccinated.
The event is also exciting for the performers. Inniger said many of the performers have not been able to perform live.
In March, a Mother's Day concert was held at St. Paul's Lutheran in New Ulm and one of the performers said it was their first live performance in 14 months.
The live performance aspect is especially exciting for chamber music. Chamber music is classical music that is composed for a small group of instruments instead of a large orchestra. This allows for closer and more personal venues.
Inniger believes chamber music is growing in popularity in Minnesota. "I think chamber music more accessible to people," he said. "It's a different vibe."
With a large orchestra, the audience is at a distance and can't make a connection, but with chamber music, you see the people close up. Inniger said this was true of any type of music. "When you see your favorite band up close up, it means more to you."
The ProMusica festival will include some of the local greats. Inniger said ProMusica was able to bring in impressive musicians from the midwest through Balge and McGuire's friendships and connections in the region. The connections will continue to grow.
There is mixed emotion around the festival because it is one of the last chances to see Peter McGuire perform locally. McGuire is planning to move to Switzerland to join the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich. McGuire leaves for Zurich August 2.
Inniger said it will be a challenge to lose an important ally of ProMusica, but McGuire will still be involved from afar.
ProMusica is planning to bring at least three concerts to New Ulm in the next year. The performances will likely be held at the MLC campus.
Advance tickets for next week's festival performances are available, but people who can attend get tickets at the door.
The 2021 festival will open on Sunday, June 6 at 4 pm with Kreutzer, featuring works of Beethoven and Grieg, performed by Bethel Balge and Peter McGuire.
The next concert entitled Élégiaque on Tuesday, June 8 at 7 p.m., will feature works of Bach and Rachmaninoff, and will be performed by Balge, Ainomäe, and brothers Peter and Colin McGuire.
Back by popular demand, Wednesday, June 9, at 7 p.m. will be the Young Artist Recital, featuring standout student musicians from Minnesota.
The festival will conclude Thursday, June 10, at 7 p.m. with Bonn Revolutionary, featuring works of Beethoven and Mendelssohn performed by Balge, McGuire, and Ainomäe.