News & Articles

By the time you read this sentence, more of the Arrowhead summer music opportunities will have bounded out into the open field. In my twenty years of living here, each summer seems to have more music and stage performances than the year before.

Northern Lights Music Festival

I think this is the 12th year that pianist/professor Veda Zuponcic has presented fabulous music in the Range communities of Aurora, Chisholm, Ely, Virginia, and Gilbert. Seven years ago she added an opera component, which will be The Merry Widow (Franz Lehar) this season. Opening night will be 7pm Friday (July 10) at Mesabi East Auditorium in Aurora, followed by 3pm Sunday(July 12) at Chisholm HS, and 7pm Monday (July 13) at Washington Auditorium in Ely. The cast of characters - -Jasmina Halimic as Hanna, Mark Womack as Danilo, and Glenn Seven Allen as Camille - - is not familiar to Minnesota opera buffs, but each is a powerful rising star on the US and international scene. Other chamber music and orchestral events continue through July 20. Visit http://www.northernlightsmusic.org for details of performance and location.

Summer  Mostly Thursday

Meanwhile, this is about the 21st year of Thursday evening chamber music programming in Bayfield, WI. Take note of the new starting time:  this series starts at 5:30pm, Thursday,July 9, and runs uninterrupted through Thursday, August 27. These programs last about 75 minutes and take place at several different venues in Bayfield. On July 16, CHANCE (Ed Willett,cello,and Cheryl Leah,singer) will offer their exciting blend of classical and popular creations in the intimacy of Christ Episcopal Church. The variety continues every Thursday for the next eight weeks. Visit http://www.bayfieldsummermusic.org for details about each week’s presentation.

Lake Superior Chamber Orchestra

Here in Duluth, the Lake Superior Chamber Orchestra is celebrating 29 years of very creative chamber concerts. This year features music new to the Duluth scene in each of the four concerts. I’ll write about the fiddle concerto(Thursday, July 9) in next week’s issue of The Reader. The July 16 concert will feature two young Duluthians, Paul Bagley on violin and Aleks Tengesdal on cello. These performances begin at 7:30 in Mitchell Auditorium on the St. Scholastica campus. On July 23/24 Jim Ouray and his Magic Smelt Puppet Troupe will join the LSCO at the Marshall Performing Arts Center on the UMD campus. The season will close July 30, with soprano Emily Van Evera as guest, along with the best of the Quartet Project for 2015. More about these will be forthcoming, and you can look at http://www.lakesuperiorchamberorchestra.org for details and ticket information.

Superior Singers

Just for amusement, I drifted across the bridge to Heritage Skate Park on Hammond Ave. this past Saturday to catch ‘The Beat Goes On,’ a choral visit to the music of the 60s by about eighteen members of the Superior Singers, led by founder/director Brian MacDonnell. In their colorful tie-dyed t-shirts, they shared a variety of songs by Bob Dylan, the Beatles, the Association, the Temptations and the Impressions. MacDonnell had chosen sophisticated choral arrangements, some with instrumental accompaniment, some completely a cappella, and the singers offered a very delightful performance. A cool breeze from the east added to the pleasure of a sunny Fourth of July with plenty of music wafting around the park. More about this enthusiastic group of community singers can be found at their creative website:
http://www.superiorsingers.com.