Blueridge Chamber Music Festival celebrates landmarks with audacious, inclusive program, August 12 to 15

This year’s lineup features bold birthday tributes, not only to groundbreaking artists such as Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, but also to the festival itself

By Brian Lynch

Samuel Coleridge-Taylor.

The Blueridge Chamber Music Festival presents Milestones at the Annex from August 12 to 15

THE ANNUAL BLUERIDGE Chamber Music Festival began a decade and a half ago as a gathering of musical friends, and quickly gained a reputation for bold, cutting-edge, inclusive programming. This year’s edition, bringing four mid-August concerts to the Annex under the title Milestones, will be no different.

With the festival marking its 15th anniversary, the program opens with the celebration of another auspicious birthday: on August 12, the concert Samuel Coleridge-Taylor at 150 highlights the Black British composer from the turn of the last century whose once-neglected works are now seeing a widespread revival. The Borealis String Quartet will be joined by violinist John Littlejohn and pianists Alejandro Ochoa and Risa Tonita for performances of three of Coleridge-Taylor’s melodically rich chamber pieces, each of them a Canadian premiere.

The following day brings Canadian Queens, another fascinating tribute. The Microcosmos Quartet and pianists Manuel Laufer, Jocelyn Lai, and Jane Hayes explore the work of Jean Coulthard, Violet Archer, and Barbara Pentland—three revered and hugely influential Canadian composers who all happen to have died exactly 25 years ago. Expect an inspiring study in deeply contrasting styles.

After observing one more landmark with an August 14 concert in honour of avant-garde German composer and pianist Helmut Lachenmann—who is set to turn 90 later this year—the festival closes on August 15 with Happy Birthday Blueridge!, a bash celebrating the launch of Gather Round, an album of works premiered at the festival. Performances will include yet another groundbreaking world premiere: the commissioned work fledgling by sound artist Mary Jane Coomber, enhancing the ensemble with live electronics and an invitation to audience collaboration.

And throughout the festival, Blueridge reflects its mission of inclusivity by offering pay-what-you-choose prices for tickets, ensuring that all are welcome to these powerfully unique musical experiences.

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