It's been a fairly quiet few weeks on the fun-and-funky-classical-news front as organizations ramp up for their summer festivals. Nevertheless, here are some interesting things that have been happening around the classical world, followed by a small list of festivals happening around our region.
JOHN WILLIAMS CALLS IT QUITS... MAYBE
Legendary composer and conductor John Williams has suggested that, at age 90, after completing a few more scores, he's probably going to call it a day. Probably.
After 60 years, dozens of films, and five Oscars, legendary composer John Williams might be ready to hang up his baton: https://t.co/Rshms8ZLhy pic.twitter.com/YPva8B0ysT
— IndieWire (@IndieWire) June 24, 2022
A STICKY "SOLUTION WITHOUT A PROBLEM"
In 1968, a scientist named Spencer Silver came up with an adhesive that was not-so-sticky, but could be used again and again. It didn't have any practical use to his mind, but there it was.
Then, according to ClassicFM, he met a choir singer, who needed a bookmark that wouldn't fall out of his scores.
ON THE ROCKS
If you find yourself in Portland, OR this summer with a craving for cocktails and live classical, check out "Mendelssohn's"! The new cocktail bar features chamber music three nights a week, and is the brain child of musician and distant Mendelssohn relative Lisa Lipton. Perhaps a similar joint will open in Boston sometime soon?
Mendelssohn’s pairs classical music with classic cocktails. Expect weekly live chamber music and monthly Operoke from the N Mississippi Ave barhttps://t.co/dG2sU4AegW
— Portland Monthly (@PoMoMagazine) July 6, 2022
FESTIVAL SEASON
North, South, East, and West, here are some festivals you should be aware of this summer to close out this week's roundup:
- WEST: Tanglewood Music Festival kicks off this Friday, and will be the summer home for the Boston Symphony through August 25. We'll have all the concerts for you if you can't make it to the Berkshires, and you can find out more here.
- NORTH: The fabulous young musicians of Marlboro Music are waiting in the wings, performing from July 16-August 14 in beautiful Marlboro, VT.
- SOUTH: The Newport Chamber Music Festival, down in Newport RI, is running through July 17.
- EAST: The Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival enters it's 43rd season this summer, and hosts concerts all over the Cape from August 2-19.
Also, if you hurry, you can still catch the last concerts of the Rockport Chamber Music Festival, which runs through July 10 (with an "August Annex" running August 12-14).
