Cassatt String Quartet Returns to Music Mountain Today

Music Mountain, America's oldest continuing summer chamber music festival, continues its 84th season with an extra special weekend of chamber and folk music. The weekend begins today, August 24th (12noon - 9PM) with Music Mountain's first annual Folk Music Jamboree - a full day of music, crafts, and food! The chamber music continues on Sunday, August 25th when Cassatt String Quartet performs Shostakovich, Beethoven, and Faure with Ursula Oppens, piano. This weekend is an example of the continued commitment Music Mountain strives for to bring new music to the Falls Village community. The summer season has featured never before performed works and new collaborations. Concerts at Gordon Hall are scheduled through September 8.

Cassatt String Quartet comes to Music Mountain for another season with acclaimed pianist, Ursula Oppens. The evening's program will feature Shostakovich: String Quartet #8 in C Minor, Opus 110; Beethoven: String Quartet in E Flat, Opus 74; and Faure: Piano Quintet #1 in D Minor, Opus 89.

The weekend begins with the first annual Folk Music Jamboree. Enjoy an entire day of folk music, dancing, crafts, and food! Outdoor music from noon until 6pm, with a concert inside Gordon Hall at 6:30pm. Come early and stay late for this inaugural summer event that is sure to become a family tradition! Artists included in the day's lineup include New York City's acclaimed the Johnson Girls; along with the Barefoot Boys; Caroline Paton, co-founder of Folk-Legacy records, who will perform and talk about running a record label for over 50 years; the popular Wildcat Creek Band playing old-time and Irish dance music; and Contra Dance Band (led by Jim and Jane Prentice). In reference to the special event, Nicholas Gordon, Music Mountain's longtime president said: Folk music is a marvelous outpouring of emotion and hope. It belongs in our schedule as one more example of music that people love".

Cassatt String Quartet is recognized as one of America's outstanding ensembles. Top prize winners at international competitions, Cassatt String Quartet has performed at many of the world's renowned concert halls including Alice Tully Hall, the Kennedy Center, the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris and Maeda Hall in Tokyo. Named for the celebrated American impressionist painter Mary Cassatt, the ensemble formed in 1985 and was the inaugural participants in Juilliard's Young Artists Quartet Program. Committed to the encouragement of young musicians, the Cassatt String Quartet has been in residencies at Princeton, Yale, Syracuse University, and the University of Pennsylvania.

Pianist Ursula Oppens is regarded as an elite musician among audiences, critics, and colleagues alike. This season, the Grammy nominated artist appears at Carnegie Hall and will perform in a duo recital with Jerome Lowenthal at New York City's Bargemusic, featuring the world premiere of Frederic Rzewski's Piano Four Hands. Ms. Oppens is currently a Distinguished Professor on the faculty of the Conservatory of Music at Brooklyn College and the CUNY Graduate Center.

The summer's chamber music concerts continue with Shanghai String Quartet (August 31 & September 1 with guest artist Haochen Zhang, piano); and Bard Festival String Quartet (September 8 with guest artist Xak Bjerken, piano).

Located in Falls Village, Connecticut, Music Mountain is located on Music Mountain Road, where a short scenic drive will bring music lovers to Gordon Hall with ample & free parking. Beer and wine are available and, as is the Music Mountain custom, audience members are invited to picnic before the concerts on the scenic grounds.

Tickets: Saturday: $30 at the door, $27 in advance; Sunday: $35 at the door, $30 in advance. Children ages 5-18 are admitted FREE for all concerts when accompanied by a ticket holder (Music Mountain gratefully acknowledges children admission support by the Hellen Plummer Foundation for a gift in memory of James Merrill, Connecticut's first Poet Laureate). All concerts begin at 6:30pm on Saturday evenings and 3pm on Sunday afternoons. Group rates and pre-season ticket vouchers are available. Discounts apply through participating organizations. For a complete summer schedule, special ticket prices, and to download a ticket order form visit www.musicmountain.org or call 860-824-7126.

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