Noticias

If music be the food of love, play on. Telluride Chamber Music understood the brief. This month, it’s kicking off its summer MusicFest, Summer Soirées.

“MusicFest is quite a unique thing. It’s sort of a ten-day celebration of music and chamber music in town,” said Claire Beard, executive director of Telluride Chamber Music.

“It takes place in this beautiful private home, that’s actually a restored barn that overlooks Sunshine Mountain. It’s really intimate,” added Beard. “We do three main concerts there and each concert also includes a themed reception afterwards with themed food. It’s a really fun event.”

The festival will begin with a frame drum workshop, hosted by Yousif Sheronick.

“He’s a world-renowned percussionist. Drums will be included. It will be in a circle and he’ll be teaching people drum strokes. It’s actually called Rhythm of the Healing Arts, because a lot of people use drum rhythm as a wellness tool,” noted Beard.

Following the workshop will be three concerts, each with a geographical theme.

“The first one is all about a celebration of German music,” explained Beard. “There’s a really rich history of German music. Beautiful composers like Brahms and Schumann, and then they also always mix it up with some contemporary things as well.”

The second concert will focus on music from South America.

“That’s going to be a nice fiery program that has a lot of fun stuff in it,” she added.

Finally, the last concert will highlight music from Italy.

“There’s so much history of classical music from Italy, which is beautiful. But it also includes some surprises,” said Beard. “It finishes with a quintet that’s an arrangement of Frank Sinatra tunes. So, it really mixes the traditional classical with some other things thrown in. So, it’s some really fun programs.”

Beard noted chamber music is for everyone.

“It really connects to the human experience. It’s a really stripped-down version of music, there’s no microphones or anything like that. It’s stood the test of time because it’s been a way that people connect with human emotion and have that release,” she said.

Plus, she said, it’s a good time.

“There’s nothing hoity-toity about it. You don’t have to be in your fanciest clothes,” shared Beard. “Come, enjoy some gorgeous music, a beautiful view, you get a glass of wine thrown in. There’s nothing not to love.”

The Summer Soirées series will kick off on Thursday, June 26, with a Frame Drum Workshop at the Sheridan Opera House.

Concerts will take place on Sunday, June 29; Wednesday, July 2; and Sunday, July 6.

There will also be free events on Tuesday, July 1, including a Family Concert at the library and a Local Artists Night.

Tickets are available at telluridechambermusic.org.