Festival Highlights/Les Festivals d'été

Atlantic Festivals Preview

By David Podgorski

If you’re going to spend your summer on the Rock, there’s plenty of great music to enjoy through July and August. The Gros Morne Summer Music Festival (July 16-August 17) features classical and jazz, but also the traditional music of Newfoundland, Cape Breton, and Quebec. Highlights of this festival include a concert of Bach, folk music, and Steve Reich, and an all Early Music programme with violinist Mintze Wu, violist Yoko Okoyazu, cellist Diederik van Dijk, and pianist David Maggs August 6, 7, and 8.

The Tuckmore festival runs from August 11-24 in Saint John’s, Newfoundland. As well as regular concerts, there will be a variety of masterclasses and student concerts. Stephanie Sant’Ambrogio will be giving a violin masterclass August 18, and if you’re interested in playing chamber repertoire, you can attend a masterclass with the Duke Trio on August 13, or the Miro Quartet’s masterclass on August 21.

Fans of Early Music may want to spend the summer in the Maritimes, as New Brunswick and Nova Scotia have three Early Music festivals between them. The venerable Lamèque Festival returns for a twelfth straight season from July 24 to 27. Montréal’s Ensemble La Rota will kick off the festival will a concert of medieval music on July 24, while Francophiles will want to hear flautists Anne Thivierge and Grégoire Jeay’s all-French Baroque concert featuring the music of Marais, Sainte-Colombe, Machy, and Forqueray on July 25. Harpsichordist Luc Beauséjour will join violinist Pascale Giguère for an all-Bach programme on July 26, and Toronto’s I Furiosi will wind the whole thing down with a concert of love songs by Dowland, Couperin, Handel, Tartini, and Rossi on July 27.

The Fredericton Baroque festival runs June 6 through 8 and will feature the up-and-coming artists of the Early Music world. The York Early Music Ensemble will play a concert of Biber, Handel, Mozart, Vivaldi June 6, while the Seasons Baroque Ensemble will give a concert featuring music from the Seven Years War on June 7.

Lunenburg Nova Scotia plays host to the Boxwood Festival, which runs from July 19 to 25 and will be dedicated to baroque and traditional flute and pipe music. East Coast flute master Chris Norman will be joined by guest artists David Greenberg, Adrienne Greenbaum, Brian Finnegan, David McGuinness, Gilles Plante, and Betsy MacMillan.

If you’re in the mood for something completely different, Sackville New Brunswick’s OK.Quoi?! Festival (yes, it really does use that punctuation) celebrates five days of contemporary art from July 28 to August 2 and holds the record for the best title of any music festival anywhere. Ken Gregory will be leading a two-day workshop on acoustic kite-making July 30 and 31, while the Motion Ensemble will be leading a “Honk Symphony” in downtown Sackville on August 1. For a more conventional concert, be sure to catch “The Very Last Chance for Summer Romance,” a barbecue and musical evening featuring artists Bette & Wallet, Kim Barlow, Laura Barrett, and Superfantastics. Halifax hosts the Scotia Festival of Music, an annual two-week chamber music festival that runs from May 27 to June 8. Don’t miss the Super Nova Quartet in a concert of Haydn, Mendelssohn, and Schnitke May 29 with Simon Docking playing Messaien’s Catalogue d’oiseaux, May 30, and the Evergreen Gamelan Ensemble on June 4.

Opera buffs will want to catch the Lunenburg Summer Opera Festival,which features a concert version of Bizet’s Carmen on June 13, 15, 19, and 21 and an evening of Broadway show tunes featuring Jenna Barry on June 20.

Prince Edward Island hosts the Indian River Festival, which runs from July 4 to August 4. Their opening extravaganza promises many pyrotechnics, as Canadian soprano Mary Lou Fallis will join pianist and host Peter Tiefenbach along with the Summerside Community Choir and the Indian River Festival Chorus for a concert and fireworks display. You can also catch the People’s Gospel Choir of Montreal on July 14, a tango concert on July 27, and a tribute to Django Reinhardt on August 8.

LES FESTIVALS DU QUÉBEC

By Philippe Gervais, Caroline Louis, Julie Roy, Laura Bates

Concerts aux Îles du Bic – festival de musique de chambre

La septième saison du festival de musique de chambre Concerts aux Îles du Bic offre une programmation particulièrement prestigieuse débutant par une soirée avec l’Orchestre de chambre I Musici de Montréal et son chef Yuli Turovsky. Mentionnons également que le festival inaugure cette année un concert-gala réunissant tous les artistes participants dans un concert d’envergure magistrale animé par François Dompierre, le samedi 9 août. Notons entre autres la participation des chambristes Élise Lavoie et James Darling, fondateurs du festival, de Pascale Giguère, André Moisan, Mathieu Lussier, Ethel Guéret et plusieurs autres virtuoses.

De Messiaen à Beethoven, de Mozart à Prokofiev, les artistes invités vous interpréteront une programmation conçue autour de la musique de chambre avec clarinette.

Venez faire le plein et goûtez l’esprit intime et chaleureux de ce rendez-vous musical annuel dans les lieux enchanteurs des sites patrimoniaux de Bic/Saint-Fabien et du Parc National du Bic ! Du 1er au 10 août 2008, www.bicmusique.com

Le Domaine Forget fête ses 30 ans !

Situé dans le cadre majestueux de Charlevoix, entre les montagnes et le fleuve Saint-Laurent, le Domaine Forget occupe une vaste propriété historique qui propose aux visiteurs une expérience culturelle à nulle autre pareille en Amérique du Nord.

Le Domaine Forget offre une programmation artistique étalée sur 9 mois. De la mi-juin à la fin août, il réunit, dans le cadre de son Festival international, des artistes de renom provenant de partout à travers le monde et présente une trentaine de concerts de musique classique, jazz et musique nouvelle et des spectacles de danse.

En plus des activités de l’Académie et des Brunches-Musique du dimanche, le Festival accueillera des ensembles tels que Les Violons du Roy et leur chef Bernard Labadie, La Chapelle de Québec, l’Orchestre symphonique de Québec avec les chefs Yoav Talmi et Jean-François Rivest ainsi que le Choeur et l’orchestre du Theater of Early Music et leur directeur Daniel Taylor. L’Ensemble Constantinople, l’Ensemble Caprice et le Quatuor à cordes de Moscou participeront à cette grande fête musicale. Des artistes de réputation internationale seront invités à se produire, en solistes ou comme chambristes. Nous aurons le plaisir d’entendre Marc-André Hamelin, Louise Bessette, Régis Pasquier, James Dunham, Alexandre Da Costa, Wonny Song et plusieurs autres.

Le 16 juillet, le fabuleux quatuor vocal britannique Cantabile propose un voyage musical éclectique, en alliant l’humour « British » à la virtuosité musicale, mélange décapant qui fait son succès. Coté jazz, notons le concert du 22 août avec Tiger Okoshi, Lorraine Desmarais, Michel Donato et Camil Bélisle se produisant avec leurs étudiants. Stacey Kent sera accompagnée des musiciens Jim Tomlinson, Art Hirahara, Dave Chamberlain et Matt Skelton le 26 juin prochain dans le cadre de la série des Concerts Jazz Industrielle Alliance. Le 30 août, cette même série présente Denzal Sinclaire en trio pour le plaisir des amateurs de jazz. Cinq séries éclatantes à découvrir pour le plus grand bonheur musical de tous ! www.domaineforget.com

FESTIVAL DE LANAUDIÈRE

Destination incontournable pour les amateurs de musique classique, le Festival de Lanaudière propose une soirée grandiose pour donner le coup d’envoi à la 31e saison : 200 instrumentistes et choristes sur la scène de l’Amphithéâtre dans les spectaculaires Carmina Burana de Carl Orff.

À l’orchestre se joignent quatre chœurs et les solistes Erin Wall, soprano, Frédéric Antoun, ténor et James Westman, baryton. Cette grande soirée d’ouverture comprend également le tempétueux Concerto pour piano no 2 de Prokofiev, un défi pianistique assumé par la virtuose Valentina Lisitsa.

Le Festival célèbre le centenaire de la naissance d’Olivier Messiaen avec Le Grand Bal des oiseaux, une série d’activités dédiée au thème des oiseaux dans la musique. Le chef Jean-Marie Zeitouni dirigera l’Orchestre du Festival dans l’Oiseau de feu de Stravinsky. Le pianiste Stewart Goodyear se joindra à eux dans les Oiseaux exotiques de Messiaen, et la soprano Aline Kutan dans des airs de Gounod, Saint-Saëns et Handel. Le concert offre aussi la création de Joie des Grives, une œuvre du compositeur Antoine Ouellette.

Un foisonnement d’activités musicales à ne plus savoir où donner de la tête !

Le chef d’orchestre Jean-Marie Zeitouni dirigera l’Orchestre Métropolitain du Grand Montréal le vendredi 18 juillet pour un trépidant parcours astronomique et musical à travers Les planètes de Holst avec projection de photos de la NASA.

Ambassadeur artistique du Festival, Alain Lefèvre a voulu consacrer le 19 juillet « Journée des jeunes et du piano » ! En soirée, pas moins de huit excellents pianistes partageront la scène avec Alain Lefèvre et l’Orchestre du Festival dans des œuvres pour deux, trois et quatre pianos de Bach et Mozart, sous la direction du chef Daniel Myssyk.

Notons également la participation au festival de l’Orchestre baroque de Freiburg. Une soirée tout Mozart avec le baryton Christian Gerhaher, vendredi le 1er août.

Une magnifique conclusion ! Kent Nagano dirigera l’Orchestre symphonique de Montréal dans le célébrissime Requiem de Verdi. Quatre solistes, Sondra Radvanovsky, soprano, Elena Maximova, mezzo-soprano, Arturo Chacon-Cruz, ténor et John Relyea, basse, participeront à cette œuvre légendaire du répertoire lyrique. www.lanaudiere.org

FESTIVAL MONTRÉAL BAROQUE : SIROP, SOIE, SAFRAN

Pour sa sixième année, le festival Montréal Baroque choisit de s’orienter vers les musiques du monde dont les liens avec les musiques anciennes d’Occident sont nombreux. À côté d’événements résolument baroques (les Pièces de clavecin en concert de Rameau par l’ensemble Masques, deux cantates de Bach…), d’autres veulent jeter des ponts entre des traditions diverses. Ainsi, les Voix Humaines et l’ensemble Tsuni Shou proposent un récital où alterneront chansons d’amour françaises et chinoises du XVIIe siècle, tandis que le spectacle de clôture, intitulé Versailles Vaudou, rien de moins, mêlera danses françaises (les Sauvages de Rameau, assurément) et danses haïtiennes, en plus d’offrir un concerto pour violon du Chevalier de Saint-George, compositeur noir né à la Guadeloupe. Intrigante, également, la visite d’un virtuose indien du tabla et celle d’un groupe de musique klezmer jouant sur des instruments du XIXe siècle ! Décidément, la musique baroque mène à tout, dès qu’on en sort… On regrette néanmoins la disparition (temporaire, espérons-le) du concours Étoiles Galaxie de Radio-Canada lequel permettait à de jeunes interprètes de musique baroque de se faire connaître.

De l’envoûtant orient à l’enchanteur occident, les musiques baroques de toutes les cultures animeront les rues du Vieux-Montréal des 20 au 23 juin ! www.montrealbaroque.com

FESTIVAL ORFORD

Situé au cœur du parc national du mont Orford, au pied de la montagne, le Centre d’arts Orford est un espace où nature et culture sont en symbiose dans un cadre propice à l’épanouissement artistique.

Pour lancer les célébrations du Festival Orford 2008, le vendredi 20 juin, Vic Vogel et Le Jazz Big Band rendront un vibrant hommage à un de nos grands jazzmen disparus récemment, Oscar Peterson, dans un concert enlevant intitulé Merci Monsieur Peterson.
Tout au long de cette saison 2008, une pléiade de grands noms participeront à la fête. Le samedi 21 juin, André Laplante au piano et Brian Manker au violoncelle brilleront lors du concert En présence des grands maîtres. Le vendredi 27 juin, Angèle Dubeau et La Pietà célèbreront leur 10e anniversaire. Le vendredi 4 juillet, Les Violons du Roy sous la direction de Bernard Labadie présenteront Les Variations Goldberg. Le samedi 5 juillet, le retour remarqué du pianiste Anton Kuerti pour un concert intitulé Les choix de Kuerti.
Louis Lortie présentera trois concerts exceptionnels lesquels nous transporteront dans les grandes villes musicales d’Europe. Prague, Venise et Vienne seront à l’honneur, le 2, 8 et 10 août prochain.

Notons de plus pour cette édition 2008 la présence de Stéphane Lemelin, d’Augustin Dumay, de Maria Belooussova, de Michel Strauss, du New Zealand String Quartet, et plusieurs autres artistes de renommée internationale.

Une place de choix sera réservée à l’Orchestre Mondial des Jeunesse Musicales avec trois concerts. Vous seront présentés le samedi 9 août le Double concerto de Brahms sous la direction de maestro Franz-Paul Decker et les artistes invités Laurence Lesser au violoncelle et Masuko Ushioda au violon, et le vendredi 15 août, le Concerto en sol de Ravel sous la direction de maestro Josep Vicent et l’artiste invité Ivàn Martin au piano. Enfin, la soirée de clôture brillera de tous les feux de Viva España ! en présence de la soprano Marianne Fiset.

Rendez-vous à Orford du 20 juin au 16 août prochain, pour cette nouvelle cuvée de concerts 2008 laquelle promet à tous de brillantes prestations musicales. www.arts-orford.org

FESTIVAL BEL CANTO

In his tenure as Music Director of the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, Kent Nagano has shown himself to be a masterful conductor in all genres, excelling particularly in operatic repertoire. His latest stamp on the OSM is his creation of Festival Bel Canto, presented along with Rome’s Accademia Nazionale Santa Cecilia. This big new Canadian festival will take place in the historic town of Knowlton, Québec over two weekends from August 15-24. Featured vocalists include Jennifer Larmore, June Anderson, Sumi Jo and Gino Vannelli. The highlight will be performances of Bellini’s opera Norma in a concert version with the OSM. Concerts will be given in a tent that accommodates up to 600, so get your tickets early! www.osm.ca

SOUTHERN ONTARIO FESTIVALS PREVIEW

By Laura Bates, Joseph So

There was a time when Torontonians had to go outside the city for that special musical fix during the lazy hazy days of summer. Happily this is no longer necessary. From June 6-15, Toronto hosts the second annual Luminato – Toronto Festival of Arts + Creativity. The inaugural festival last year attracted over one million participants. This year’s festival holds true to its key principles of collaboration, accessibility and diversity, by showcasing collaborative efforts that cross the boundaries of culture and genre: many free events to ensure accessibility; a celebration of the multicultural diversity that is Toronto. There is a rich mix of events in music, dance, film, visual arts, literature, theatre, and illuminations. While opera fans and classical music fans may be disappointed that there is no repeat of Luna, last year’s opera gala, there are plenty of other offerings that will prove interesting. www.luminato.com

The Toronto Symphony Orchestra season continues through June, with cellist Enrico Dindo playing Prokofiev’s Sinfonia concertante under the baton of principal conductor Peter Oundjian. The ever-popular virtuoso pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet returns in an eclectic program of Shostakovich, Prokofiev, and Gershwin. The TSO wraps up its season with Last Night of the Proms with conductor Bramwell Tovey. www.roythomson.com

Regrettably, the Canadian Opera Company no longer puts on the Altamira Concerts at Harbourfront. However, opera audiences will get a rare chance to see a production of Don Giovanni by Italian Baroque composer Giuseppe Gazzaniga, paired with Stravinsky’s comic burlesque, Renard (June 16-22). This twin bill features the talented artists of the COC Ensemble Studio, conducted by Steven Philcox and Derek Bate. www.coc.ca, (416) 363-8231

An extremely interesting undertaking this summer is the Toronto Summer Music Festival (July 22-Aug. 17), which runs concurrently with the Toronto Summer Music Academy, both under the artistic directorship of Agnes Grossmann. It gives young musicians an opportunity to study with well-known professionals through workshops, master classes, coaching, and opera performances. The theme this year is In the Fire of Conflict, an exploration of the myriad ways artists shed light on all aspects of society. On the program are over sixty Canadian and international artists in concerts, eight student concerts, workshops, lectures, and a fully staged opera. The Festival Opening event has pianist André Laplante in a concert of Chopin and Liszt (July 22). Other recitals or lectures/workshops include violinist Mayumi Seiler, pianists Menahem Pressler and Anton Kuerti, cellist Denise Djokic, the Gryphon Trio, and the Leipzig String Quartet. Of particular interest is Richard Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos, with former COC Ensemble soprano Melinda Delorme in the title role (Aug.14-17). www.tsmaf.ca, (416) 597-7840

The venerable Elora Festival opens with Handel’s Solomon, starring soprano Karina Gauvin, countertenor Robin Blaze, tenor Lawrence Wiliford, and baritone James Westman, with the Elora Festival Singers and Orchestra under the direction of Noel Edison (July 11). An extremely high-profile event is the already sold out recital by Kiri Te Kanawa on July 13. Other classical artists appearing this season include André Laplante (July 18), Choir of Trinity College Cambridge (July 25), tenor Colin Ainsworth singing Die schöne Müllerin (July 19), and concerts celebrating the 50th anniversary of the death of Ralph Vaughan Williams (July 17, 24, 31). There are also jazz, chamber and choral concerts. www.elorafestival.com

Many established stars – Ben Heppner comes to mind – as well as stars of tomorrow have appeared with Stratford Summer Music, and this year is no exception. Soprano sensation Marianne Fiset, who swept all the top prizes at the 2007 Montreal International Musical Competition, is soloist with l’Orchestre de la francophonie canadienne, conducted by Jean-Philippe Tremblay (July 27). Superstar soprano Measha Brueggergosman returns to give four recitals with German collaborative pianist Justus Zeyen, in a program of Britten, Schoenberg, Poulenc, Bolcom and Satie (Aug. 7-10). Canadian composer Mark Richards has adapted Shakespeare’s Hamlet into a new full-length opera, which will receive a week of workshops culminating in a concert reading on August 16. Soloists include Andrew Tees, Catherine Gardner, Meghan Fleet, and Joseph Schnurr as Hamlet. The Festival ends with a duo recital featuring two of Canada’s best voices, tenor Roger Honeywell and baritone James Westman, in a program of arias and duets from Carmen, La bohème, and La Forza del destino. As a bonus, Stratford resident/distinguished bass-baritone Gary Relyea will be their guest, singing Gremin’s aria from Eugene Onegin (Aug. 17). www.stratfordsummermusic.ca

Since 2003, Festival of the Sound, under the artistic directorship of James Campbell, has been performing in the 480-seat, architecturally striking and acoustically friendly Charles W. Stockey Centre for the Performing Arts. The program this year combines chamber, jazz, choral, and instrumental concerts featuring Canadian and international groups the likes of Penderecki String Quartet, Trinity College Choir, Gryphon Trio, and the Elmer Iseler Singers. Of interest to voice fans is baritone Kevin McMillan in a recital of lieder by Mendelssohn and Wolf (July 31), and Mahler’s Songs of a Wayfarer (Aug. 1). The Festival concludes with Carmina Burana, with soloists Leslie Fagan, Mark DuBois, Peter McGillivray, and the Elmer Iseler Singers (Aug. 10). (866) 364-0061, www.festivalofthesound.ca

Further to the east is the Highlands Summer Festival. Situated in picaresque Haliburton, HSF performs in the Northern Lights Performing Arts Pavilion. Its summer offerings combine drama and musical theatre with three evenings of opera featuring young artists honing their skills under the tutelage of Canadian tenor Richard Margison and opera director Valerie Kuinka at their Highlands Opera Studio (Aug. 25, 27, 29). www.highlandssummerfestival.on.ca

Similarly, Westben’s Concerts at the Barn, located in Campbellford in eastern Ontario, is well worth a visit for its mix of classical and popular music. The operetta this year is Die Fledermaus, with singers from the University of British Columbia Opera Ensemble under the direction of Nancy Hermiston (July 4-6). On July 26 is Saturday Night at the Opera, starring Monica Whicher, Elizabeth Turnbull, Keith Klassen, Gary Relyea, and Brian Finley. For lighter fare, don’t miss Lerner & Loewe on Love, with Donna Bennett, Laura Pudwell, Colin Ainsworth, Curtis Sullivan and Brian Jackson, singing hits from Camelot, Paint Your Wagon, Brigadoon, and My Fair Lady (July 22-27). www.westben.on.ca

Last but not least is the return of a revitalized Music at Sharon Concert Series. Soprano Suzie LeBlanc opens the festival with Songs of Earth and Heaven, featuring songs by Mozart, Poulenc, Fauré, Debussy, Messiaen, and Weill, with Robert Kortgaard at the piano. www.sharontemple.ca

BROTT SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL

For 21 years the Brott Summer Music Festival has delighted audiences of the Hamilton area and beyond with its commitment to exposing audiences to a wide array of concerts throughout its festival season. The festival is not light on orchestral programming. This year Maestro Boris Brott will take listeners on a journey from the familiar to the unexplored with their ensemble in residence, the National Academy Orchestra of Canada.

An impressive line-up of symphonic classics (including many Beethoven symphonies, Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique, Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade, Stravinsky’s Firebird and Mahler’s massive “Resurrection” Symphony as a finale) are contrasted by intimate chamber music performed by the NAOC’s musicians. And let’s not forget the traditional pops concerts done with all of the pomp and circumstance to be expected. Guest artists include Grammy award-winning violinist James Ehnes, who will perform Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto on June 14 at Melrose United Church. 888-475-9377 or 905-525-7664. www.brottmusic.com.

WEST COAST Festivals Preview

By John Defayette, David Podgorski

ALBERTA AND SASKATOBA

With a bone-cold winter giving way to a blazing summer, Westerners can open their doors to a wide array of cultural events. The Clear Lake Chamber Music Festival offers a four-day musical bash in Onanole, Manitoba, from August 1-4 running the gamut of musical styles from Mozart to klezmer. T. Patrick Carrabé hosts a grand opening that features Mozart, Schubert, and Szymanowski. Then on August 2, clarinettist Jocelyn Colquhoun and saxophonist Greg Gatien get together for a night of tango and cabaret that includes the music of Frederick Lowe and Saul Irving Glick. Die-hard classicals won’t want to miss the concerts on August 3, which feature the music of Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, Brahms, and Franck. The finale, a cruise in Riding Mountain National Park featuring jazz chanteuse Katherine Penfold, promises to be a hit.

The Banff Summer Arts Festival started on May 1 and runs all the way to September 2. Highlights include the Gryphon Trio playing Beethoven and Brahms on June 13, a jazz concert every Saturday night, and a Jon Kimura Parker playing Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto on July 5.

Finally, Saskatchewanians should make a point of seeing the Regina Folk Festival, which runs from August 8-10. The organizers have an expansive definition of folk music, but coughing up a mere $75 to see Final Fantasy, Broken Social Scene, Wood Pigeon, The Weakerthans, Polymaths, and Belà Fleck would still be worth it if they advertised it as a weekend-long tribute to the art of funerary violin music.

BRITISH COLUMBIA

British Columbia has no shortage of great music over the summer months, but the biggest event is still Festival Vancouver, which returns this year for an eighth outstanding season. It’s sure to be the mega-event of the summer on the west coast with over fifty shows in the space of two weeks. Ellen Hargis and La Cetra kick things off on August 3 with Music from the Hall of Mirrors, featuring a concert of Italian Baroque music from Monteverdi’s Mantua. Then on August 5, Jeunesses Musicales winner Marianne Fiset joins Mario Bernardi and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra for a gala opera evening. And be sure to catch a rousing revival of Rameau’s Pygmalion directed by Alex Weimann and starring Suzie LeBlanc on August 14. Other headliners include a tribute to Oscar Peterson featuring pianists Tilden Webb, Ross Taggart, and Miles Black on August 6, tango harmonicist Franco Luciani August 9, and a string quartet marathon on August 10 featuring the Borealis, Alcan, and Lafayette String Quartets. The Vancouver Early Music Festival is another must-see this summer, and features everything from medieval music from the Middle-East to the French Baroque. Be sure not to miss Japp ter Linden playing the Bach Cello Suites and Carissimi’s Jepthe.

The Hornby Festival offers nine days of diversion for those who either want to get away from the big city for the summer, or just never wanted to live there in the first place. Hornby is a picturesque island that is accessible only by ferry from Vancouver Island. They’ll be celebrating nine days of jazz, classical, world beat, film, dance, and spoken word, from July 31 to August 9 (but don’t take the ferry there on Wednesday, August 6, apparently they’re taking that day off.)

If you’re too busy this summer to take off a full week to go hear classical concerts, check out the Pender Harbour Chamber Music Festival, which features six concerts on the weekend of August 15-17, or check out the Vancouver Island Symphony Orchestra’s annual “Symphony in the Harbour” concert on August 9 in Maffeo Sutton Park, Nanaimo, or the Victoria Symphony Splash on August 3, in which they’ll be performing on a floating stage in Victoria’s Inner Harbour.

VICTORIA SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL

The City of Victoria comes alive in the summer with the sound of music. In addition, there are flowers everywhere — hanging from lampposts and in the many gardens. For years Ottawa has enjoyed almost the sole chamber listening spot, but this year we too will have Chamber Music, from July 22 to August 1. Many of the concerts will be held at the University of Victoria School of Music P. T. Young building at 7.30 PM. There is lots of parking, and the B.C. Transit bus has many routes to the campus.

Trio Accord offers Bach’s Goldberg Variations on July 24, followed by the Emily Carr String Quartet on July 26, and on July 29, we are fortunate enough to have Mark Weiger oboist. www.islandnet.com

The 21st season of the Eine Kleine opens on June21 with the Tokyo String Quartet playing with a matched set of Stradivari instruments. The Golden Trio programme includes Brahms-B major trio, Beethoven-Kakadu variations and Kenji Fuse-Trio on June 28. These concerts are held at the First Unitarian Church on the West Saanich road, which is a pleasant short drive North of the city.

Every year the Victoria Conservatory of Music has an extensive selection for all tastes in the summer. The first is the Victoria Jazz Fest from June 25 to July 19 with a Big Band Ian McDougall, conductor plus the Don Thompson Nonet. An added bonus is the opportunity to attend 11 workshops. The Summer String Academy has 4 days of music starting on August 5 and includes the Lafayette String Quartet. This is the seventh year that Joanne Hounsell, artistic director, has hosted the Summer Vocal Academy, which attracts many young vocalists June 27-July 12.There is also a Viva Voice for Teens offered from July 19-26. www.vcm.bc.ca

More than 30,000 music lovers congregate at the inner harbour on August 3 for the free Victoria Symphony Splash. If you prefer different music, then the Festival Mexicana is on July 4-6. www.1415broad.ca. Or the Victoria Electronic Festival is being held on August 2-3. British Columbia celebrates 150 years August 8-9 with BC 150 years of Chinese Canadian culture and music at the McPherson Playhouse. www.150goldenmountain.ca. The Latin Caribbean Music Festival is July 21-29. www.vires.bc.ca. Passion for Tango Festival takes place August 22-24 www.passiontango.ca, and August 29-September is the Vancouver Island Blues Bash. www.jazzvictoria.ca.