BIGFORK CHAMBER CONCERTS- Saint John Paul II Catholic Church, 7:30 pm concerts

Tuesday, Aug. 4, Chamber Night 1 - Ashu, Kutik and Myer. Saxophonist, Ashu, violinist Yevgeny Kutik and pianist, Spencer Myer, will come together in a mesmerizing night of violin/piano and sax/piano duets by a range of composers, from Mozart to Rachmaninoff to Ravel.

Wednesday, Aug. 5, Chamber Night 2 - Fry Street Quartet with Andrew Staupe, piano. The engaging Quartet will be joined by Staupe in a program of music of piano quartet, piano solo and string quartet by Mozart, Schubert and Beethoven.

Thursday, Aug. 6, Chamber Night 3 - Brasil Guitar Duo in Recital. This internationally acclaimed duo offers a cross-cultural program of music for two guitars by Rameua, Tedesco, Leo Brower, David Leisner and others.


Festival Amadeus, Montana's largest classical music festival runs August 2-9, 2015 in Whitefish and will be filled with a diversity of musical artists and repertoire, ranging from a classical guitar duo, to a saxophonist, to a world-renowned string quartet, even a finale concert featuring a piano duet! The Festival will kickoff on Sunday, August 2 at 5 p.m. with a free family-friendly picnic featuring outdoor music at Riverside Park in Whitefish. Bring a picnic and enjoy music provided by the Fry Street Quartet under the gazebo. In addition to the seven consecutive concerts in Whitefish, three alternating chamber concerts will be held in Bigfork,
providing easy access to the Festival for residents of southern Flathead County.

Festival Music Director, John Zoltek, has selected superb combinations of musicians for the three chamber and four orchestra concerts and each night will offer a new enticement. Returning guest artists who will perform during Festival Amadeus include the internationally acclaimed Fry Street Quartet. Back for their third season with the Festival, FSQ brings a their unique chemistry together in a blend of technical precision and spontaneity. They will perform in two chamber concerts and with the Festival Amadeus String Orchestra.

Also returning this season will be the up-and-coming concert saxophonist, Ashu, who performed with the Festival in 2011. Ashu's solo performances have taken him throughout the world and while most people have never heard the saxophone in concert music, Ashu has begun to change this. "It's really an incredible instrument. It can play with such emotional intensity, sing like a voice, and effortlessly project in the largest of halls," he says.

Two former Festival Amadeus favorites, pianists Andrew Staupe and Spencer Myer will also perform this year in two monumental 'double trouble' orchestra works, The Bach Concerto for 2 pianos and Mozart's Concerto for 2 pianos. The artists will also play individually with other musicians in chamber concerts (see schedule below).

New to Festival Amadeus this year will be the dynamic Brasil Guitar Duo. Joao Luiz and Douglas Lora met in Sao Paulo Brazil as teenage guitar students and have been performing together for more than 15 years. Their seamless blend of traditional and Brazilian works have resulted in a global touring schedule and international acclaim.

Completing the roster will be the Russian American violinist, Yevgeny Kutik whose dazzling command of the violin is said to be reminiscent of the legendary Romantic masters. Kutik debuted with the Boston Pops in 2003 as the 1st Prize recipient of the Boston Symphony Orchestra Young Artists Competition. His mastery of his instrument has been is described as combining a deep investigation into the heart of the music's story. He currently plays throughout the US and Europe.

Glacier Symphony and Chorale produces the Festival under the baton of John Zoltek. All Whitefish concerts will be held at the Whitefish Performing Arts Center starting at 7:30 pm.

Bigfork concerts will be held in Saint John Paul II Catholic Church at 7:30 pm. For complete concert information and to buy tickets and ticket packages visit the website www.gscmusic.org or call 406-407-7000.