Maestro Peter Bay is considered among the best living conductors. Catch him for free on Aug. 11 on Center Stage in Town Center Park. PHOTO COURTESY OF ACBS
BIG SKY – When the likes of Johann Sebastian Bach and Ludwig
van Beethoven were crafting their timeless symphonies, the United States of
America we know today was but a twinkle in an eye. Big Sky, for certain, was practically
non-existent, as far as the European settlers populating the Eastern regions of
the nation were concerned.
In fact, the term “classical music” didn’t yet to exist, and
was later applied to the period of music spanning 1750-1820 in order to dignify
music considered by many to be beyond reproach.
Fast forward nearly two centuries from the close of the
Classical era, and the small mountain town of Big Sky will play host from Aug.
9-11 to the ninth annual Big Sky Classical Musical Festival, an homage to the
great works of those days of old.
Atypical to rest of the Arts Council of Big Sky’s summer
musical offerings, which tend to include a balance of rock, country, reggae,
bluegrass, big band, folk and Americana sounds featured at the weekly Music in
the Mountains concert series, this is an opportunity for fans of classical
music to relish in the sounds and styling’s that have influenced countless
artists ever since.
“I think one of our main goals as the Arts Council of Big
Sky is to provide a variety of music throughout the summer,” said Brian
Hurlbut, executive director of ACBS. “For a segment of population, classical is
important.”
According to Hurlbut, the performances of Big Sky’s festival
are unique to summer symphony in Montana, not only due to a level of talent
unparalleled at other festivals, but also because the musicians will play
classical compositions rather than just “pops” pieces—modern tracks played with
orchestra instruments.
“For one, conductor Peter Bay is perhaps one of best known
in the world,” Hurlbut said.
The festival kicks off on Aug. 9 at the Warren Miller
Performing Arts Center, with an intimate quintet recital consisting of Jonathan
Gunn, clarinet, Angella Ahn, artistic director for the festival and professor
of violin and viola at Montana State University, Yvonne Lam, a Grammy winner
for her work with Eighth Blackbird ensemble on viola, Alexandra Osborne,
violin, and John Eckstein, cello.
Between the five performers, the quintet has performed at
the highest levels and on some of the biggest stages in classical music,
including the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Los
Angeles Chamber Orchestra, New York City’s Lincoln Center, The Beijing Concert
Hall and the White House.
Expect performances of timeless numbers such as Johannes
Brahm’s “Clarinet Quintet in B minor.”
On Aug. 10, a free concert is available to the public at
Center Stage in Town Center Park, with musicians from the Iron Horse Youth Orchestra
opening at 6 p.m., followed by Dallas Brass at 7 p.m.
With a career spanning over 35 years, Dallas Brass has
cemented its position as one of the U.S.’s preeminent musical ensembles,
blending traditional brass instruments with drums and percussion for a unique,
electrifying sound.
Their range is also notable, playing classical masterpieces,
Dixieland and swing tunes, Broadway, Hollywood and patriotic music, performing
numbers for the likes of Presidents Gerald Ford and George H. W. Bush, sharing
stages with the late Bob Hope, collaborating with New York, Philadelphia and
Cincinnati Pops, and playing in legendary venues such as Carnegie Hall and the
John F. Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
The group’s music has also been featured a number of times
on the hit soap opera series, “The Young and the Restless.”
“The Saturday night performance is where we branch out and
have some crossover from the classical genre,” Hurlbut said. “Dallas Brass, a
premiere brass ensemble, features classical, Broadway, Hollywood and pop tunes
… it’s not necessarily a sit down performance.”
The festivities conclude on Aug. 11 with a free symphony
performance from the 40-person Big Sky Festival Orchestra, comprised of
musicians from the Utah Symphony, Fort Wayne Philharmonic and Dallas Opera
Orchestra, among others, held on Center Stage in Town Center Park. Clarinet
soloist Jonathan Gunn will play once more, performing Mozart’s “Clarinet
Concerto,” this time under the able guidance of Maestro Peter Bay.
Bay has appeared with 75 different orchestras including the
National, Chicago, Colorado, Bochum (Germany), Carinthian (Austria), Lithuanian
National, and Ecuador National Symphonies, to name a few.
Bay is considered a living legend in the classical genre,
and will conduct a performance in Big Sky with the same precision a mastery
that has allowed him to lead those orchestras on countless prestigious stages.
For Hurlbut, so much of the festival is geared toward
accessibility and exposure.
“We want to make it accessible for everyone,” he said. “It’s
an opportunity for people that might not normally go see classical music. For
one, there aren’t that many options in this area, and two, performances may be
on the expensive side … A family of four can go for free, rather than $150. And
this exposes them to the music … when it’s offered for free, maybe they’ll go
and be pleasantly surprised.”
We all are familiar with using a limited palette, but do you use one? Do you know how to use a
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We all are familiar with using a limited palette, but do you use one? Do you know how to use a limited palette to create different color combinations? Are you tired of carrying around 15-20 different tubes when you paint plein air? Have you ever wanted to create a certain “mood” in a painting but failed? Do you create a lot of mud? Do you struggle to achieve color harmony? All these problems are addressed in John’s workbook in clear and concise language!
Based on the bestselling “Limited Palatte, Unlimited Color” workbook written by John Pototschnik, the workshop is run by Maggie Shane and Annie McCoy, accomplished landscape (acrylic) and plein air (oil) artists,exhibitors at the Big Sky Artists’ Studio & Gallery and members of the Big Sky Artists Collective.
Each student will receive a copy of “Limited Palette, Unlimited Color” to keep and take home to continue your limited palette journey. We will show you how to use the color wheel and mix your own clean mixtures to successfully create a mood for your paintings.
Each day, we will create a different limited palette color chart and paint a version of a simple landscape using John’s directives. You will then be able to go home and paint more schemes using the book for guidance.
Workshop is open to painters (oil or acrylic) of any level although students must have some basic knowledge of the medium he or she uses. Students will be provided the book ($92 value), color wheel, value scale and canvas papers to complete the daily exercises.