Collingwood Announces New Drive-in Concerts

Collingwood Summer Music Festival has announced a unique live music experience with a series of drive-in concerts this summer. From Saturday, July 10 through Friday, July 16, music-lovers are invited to enjoy a series of evening concerts that will be projected LIVE onto a massive 40-ft wide, 3-storeys high screen positioned in New Life Church's spacious parking lot. It can accommodate up to 200 cars in one evening.

The schedule each night:

7:30pm - Gates Open

8:30pm - Pre-Concert Talk

9:00pm - Live Concert

Click here to learn more about this new opportunity: https:// collingwoodfestival.com/drive- in-concerts/

$10 from each drive-in ticket sold goes to the Unison Benevolent Fund.

Daniel Vnukowski, Artistic Director of the Collingwood Summer Music Festival enthuses: "We're very excited about the new drive-in concept for this summer and want it to be an unforgettable experience for everyone who attends. The screen size is literally larger than life and the sound quality is crystal-clear with high-fidelity stereo. I look forward to discussing the concept further at our festival's next live-stream. We also greatly support the Unison Benevolent Fund's mission of supporting those artists currently facing extreme hardships as a result of the pandemic."

Wed May 19, 7pm. FREE Season Preview Live-stream! Join the festival's Artistic Director, Daniel Vnukowski, for a live music event that previews the 2021 summer season and introduces the new drive-in concept. Daniel Vnukowski performs the music of Rachmaninoff and invites three special guests to join him on a fun-filled evening of music and interviews: acclaimed historian and poet Dr. Duke Redbird, violin virtuoso Mayumi Seiler and the festival's youngest participant this year - 12 year old local pianist Jaden Benabdeslam.

Pre-register for the Q&A that follows the presentation at https://collingwoodfestival. com/event/2021-season-preview

In its second season, the Collingwood Summer Music Festival presents a diverse array of artists this summer, including Juno and Grammy-nominated musicians, in which classical masterworks fuse with contemporary novelties. This year, the festival features six brilliant Indigenous artists, three "Canadian Premiere" performances, two acclaimed poets and several engaging activities for youth, including a special sing-along event with the iconic folk singer Jerry Gray.

FESTIVAL SCHEDULE:

July 10 - 8:30pm. POPERA: Inaugural concert featuring over a dozen members of The National Academy Orchestra of Canada and several stars of the Canadian opera scene, directed by Maestro Boris Brott.

July 11 - 11am. FREE OUTDOOR EVENTS FOR YOUTH: Relaxed performances and activities for families and children with dancing and song-writing.

July 12 - 8:30pm. A WOMAN'S LOVE: Starring Vera Pavlova, a contemporary, best-selling Russian poet together with her daughter Natalia Pavlova (soprano) who will be streaming in from Rome, Italy. Accompanied by a live music ensemble made up of local talents. Music by Robert Schumann, Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Iraida Yusupova.

July 13 - 8:30pm. CHOCHO: Already well-known to Collingwood audiences but with a unique twist. Presenting the 'Chocho' or 'Butterfly' with Aki Takahashi on taiko and shamisen together with the unbridled energy of the celebrated Japanese drummers Nagata Shachu.

July 14 - 8:30pm. RED SKY PERFORMANCE: Celebrating the creativity and fire of Indigenous artistic expression with Red Sky Performance, Canada's leading contemporary Indigenous dance group and a very special guest - the established Indigenous poet and historian Dr. Duke Redbird, who will recite verses from his latest book of poetry. Accompanied by soothing sounds of the Native American flute with Jason Chamakese.

July 15 - 8:30pm. THE WILD GIRLS: A dramatic chamber music experience starring Mayumi Seiler on violin, Angela Park on piano and Cris Derksen on electric cello. Cris Derksen is a Juno Award-nominated, two-spirit, Cree cellist and composer, who will present specially-commissioned arrangements of her works specifically for this occasion. Music by Wolfgang A. Mozart, Johannes Brahms and Cris Derksen.

July 16 - 8:30pm. SCHEHERAZADE: Starring acclaimed Lebanese-Canadian opera singer Joyce El-Khoury in the role of Scheherazade well supported by Serouj Kradjian and ensemble - a Canadian first! A exotic fusion of traditional masterworks featuring Maurice Ravel

The pre-concert talk takes place outdoors on a makeshift stage and is followed by a live performance that is projected from the church's auditorium onto the outdoor screen shortly after sunset. The performances will be captured and streamed using an 8-camera film production team led by audio engineer Dave Burnham, making them available in real-time for both digital and drive-in ticket holders.

The drive-in concept allows patrons to safely enjoy live music once again, from the comfort of their own car. A digital archive of each performance will also be made available to all ticket patrons for a period of one month following each performance.

Order your tickets now at: https://collingwoodfestival. com/ticket-plans

Drive-in tickets start at $80/car and virtual tickets start at $20/viewing household. Season passes are also available. Early-bird rates are in effect until June 14.

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