The 2023 season runs June 14 through September 4.
Midsummer’s Music, Wisconsin’s oldest summer chamber music series, is celebrating its 33rd season of presenting exceptional chamber music in the vacation paradise of Door County, Wisconsin. Concerts hailed as “exciting, pulse-pounding and riveting” are performed in cultural, historical, and scenic locations, including art galleries, museums, churches, historic sites, and private homes, with several venues offering panoramic views of Lake Michigan and the waters of Green Bay. The 2023 season – running June 14 through September 4 – features more than 40 concerts performed by world-class musicians, drawing on the extraordinary talent of artists from the Chicago Symphony, Chicago’s Lyric Opera, Milwaukee Symphony, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Indianapolis Symphony, Aspen Music Festival, the Spoleto Festival, China National Symphony, the Ravinia Festival, and the renowned Pro Arte Quartet, among others. The concerts feature standard repertoire as well as gems from rarely heard composers and attract a growing, dedicated following every year, plus thousands more via Wisconsin Public Radio, Chicago’s WFMT Radio, Performance Today, the Violin Channel, and social media giants Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Providing unique, diverse, and scenic musical experiences, the 33rd season features composers Pytor Il’yich Tchaikovsky, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Johannes Brahms, Joseph Haydn, Ludwig van Beethoven, Felix Mendelssohn, Franz Schubert, and Antonín Dvořák, while continuing the tradition of championing the works of female and lesser-known composers throughout the season, including Ilse Fromm-Michaels, Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel, Johanna Müller-Hermann, Nkeiru Okoye, and more.
One of the remarkable highlights of the season is a program featuring a Door County favorite, guitarist and vocalist Eric Lewis, paired with Midsummer’s Composer-in-Residence, Will Healy, who is the founder and artistic director of ShoutHouse, a collective of hip-hop, jazz, and classical musicians in Brooklyn, NY. The two join forces to create a truly one-of-a-kind program featuring pieces by J.S. Bach as well as original compositions, traditional pieces, and at least two world premieres. Being performed only twice, the 7:00pm concerts are July 13 at the Donald & Carol Kress Pavilion in Egg Harbor and July 14 at Shepherd of the Bay Lutheran Church in Ellison Bay.
Among myriad offerings, the summer season also includes opening night at 7:00pm on June 14 at Egg Harbor’s Kress Pavilion with guest host Norman Gilliland from Wisconsin Public Radio; the “Women to be Heard” program in late June, with pieces by three 19th century female composers; a Salon Concert at private residences in Sturgeon Bay in August; and the annual Labor Day Gala to be held at Björklunden in Baileys Harbor on the afternoon of September 4.
Familiar Midsummer’s musicians who are returning include Heather Zinninger, Flute; Lindsay Flowers, Oboe; JJ Koh, Clarinet; Fritz Foss, Horn; David Perry, Ann Palen, and Roy Meyer, Violins; Sally Chisholm and Allyson Fleck, Violas, Jeannie Yu, Piano; Paula Kosower, Cello; and Drew Banzhaf, Bass. Additional musicians are Alicia Lee, Clarinet; Suzanne Beia and George Meyer, Violins; Christopher Dozoryst, Catherine Lynn, and Kayla Patrick, Violas; Anthony Arnone, Aaron Fried, and Mara McClain, Cellos.
Midsummer’s Music continues its collaborations with local artists and Write On, Door County poets, presenting original pieces based on inspiration from the music being performed at select concerts.
The complete 2023 summer season brochure can be downloaded at www.midsummersmusic.com.
Tickets are $38 for adults, $17 for students, and children 12 and under are free when accompanied by a paying adult. Premium prices apply for opening night, the salon/home concert, and other special events. Flex-packs of six tickets for the price of five tickets are also available. Tickets can be ordered at www.midsummersmusic.com or by phone at 920-854-7088.
Midsummer’s Music was co-founded in 1990 by Jim and Jean Berkenstock, long-time Door County summer residents and principal orchestral players with the Lyric Opera of Chicago. What began as two concerts among friends has become one of the Midwest’s most anticipated chamber music series, bringing thousands of chamber music enthusiasts from around the globe to the magical Door County Peninsula.
High-resolution photos can be downloaded at https://www.midsummersmusic.com/photos/.
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For calendar listings:
Opening with a Flair: Bartók & Fauré
Quartet in C Major Béla Bartók
Quartet No. 2 in G Major, Op. 45 Gabriel Fauré
June 14, 7:00 pm: Opening Night Gala, Donald & Carol Kress Pavilion, Egg Harbor; special guest emcee Norman Gilliland
June 17, 7:00 pm: St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Sister Bay
June 20, 7:00 pm: Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Ephraim
June 21, 7:00 pm: Hope United Church of Christ, Sturgeon Bay
Women to be Heard
Musica Larga Ilse Fromm-Michaels
Quartet in E-flat Major Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel
String Quintet in A Minor, Op. 7 Johanna Müller-Hermann
June 22, 7:00 pm: Donald & Carol Kress Pavilion, Egg Harbor
June 23, 7:00 pm: Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Ephraim
June 24, 7:00 pm: St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Sister Bay
June 25, 5:00 pm: Woodwalk Gallery, Egg Harbor
Remembering Rachmaninoff, Remembering Tchaikovsky
Quartet No. 1 in D Major, Op. 11, “Accordion” Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky
Trio élégiaque No. 2 in D Minor, Op. 9, “In Memory of a Great Artist” Sergei Rachmaninoff
June 29, 7:00 pm: Donald & Carol Kress Pavilion, Egg Harbor
June 30, 7:00 pm: Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Ephraim
July 1, 7:00 pm: St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Sister Bay
July 2, 5:00 pm: Hope United Church of Christ, Sturgeon Bay
Brahms in the Spotlight
Movements for String Quartet Nkeiru Okoye
Quintet in G Major Sir Arthur Somervell
String Quintet No. 1 in F Major, Op. 88, “Spring” Johannes Brahms
July 6, 7:00 pm: Donald & Carol Kress Pavilion, Egg Harbor
July 7, 7:00 pm: Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Ephraim
July 8, 7:00 pm: St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Sister Bay
July 9, 5:00 pm: Woodwalk Gallery, Egg Harbor
Eric Lewis Meets Will Healy
Door County favorite Eric Lewis joins forces with Midsummer’s own Composer-in-Residence Will Healy to create a truly one-of-a-kind program. Being presented only twice, you do not want to miss a single note of this incredible collaboration, including a world premiere by Will!
July 13, 7:00 pm: Donald & Carol Kress Pavilion, Egg Harbor
July 14, 7:00 pm: Shepherd of the Bay Lutheran Church, Ellison Bay
Emperor Concerto & Jeannie Yu
Quartet in D Major, Op. 8 Bernhard Henrik Crusell
Symphony No. 95 in C Minor (Salomon arr.) Joseph Haydn
Concerto No. 5 in E-flat Major, Op. 73, “Emperor” (Lachner arr.) Ludwig van Beethoven
July 15, 7:00 pm: St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Sister Bay
July 16, 5:00 pm: Hope United Church of Christ, Sturgeon Bay
July 19, 7:00 pm: Donald & Carol Kress Pavilion, Egg Harbor
July 21, 7:00 pm: Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Ephraim
Haydn (Michael) & Mendelssohn
String Quintet in C Major, P. 108 Michael Haydn
Phantasy Quartet Ernest John Moeran
Quintet No. 2 in B-flat Major, Op. 87 Felix Mendelssohn
July 20, 7:00 pm: Old Gibraltar Town Hall, Fish Creek
July 22, 7:00 pm: St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Sister Bay
July 23, 5:00 pm: Woodwalk Gallery, Egg Harbor
July 26, 7:00 pm: Sister Bay Moravian Church, Sister Bay
Schubert Trio
Piano Trio No. 2 Dmytro Klebanov
Piano Trio No. 1 in B-flat, D. 898 Franz Schubert
July 27, 7:00 pm: Donald & Carol Kress Pavilion, Egg Harbor
July 28, 7:00 pm: Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Ephraim
July 29, 7:00 pm: St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Sister Bay
July 30, 5:00 pm: Hope United Church of Christ, Sturgeon Bay
19th Century French Rapture
Quintet in C Minor, Op. 42 Louis Vierne
Quintet No. 1 in D Minor, Op. 7 Charles-Marie Widor
August 23, 7:00 pm: Hope United Church of Christ, Sturgeon Bay
August 24, 7:00 pm: Donald & Carol Kress Pavilion, Egg Harbor
August 25, 7:00 pm: Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Ephraim
August 26, 7:00 pm: St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Sister Bay
Splendid Stories
Four Two-Bit Contraptions Jan Bach
En Saga, Op. 9 (Gregory Barrett arr.) Jean Sibelius
Quintet in G Major, Op. 77 Antonín Dvořák
August 27, 5:00 pm: Woodwalk Gallery, Egg Harbor
August 29, 7:00 pm: Björklunden, Baileys Harbor
August 30, 7:00 pm: Mutchler Residence Salon Concert, Sturgeon Bay
August 31, 7:00 pm: Donald & Carol Kress Pavilion, Egg Harbor
September 3, 3:00 pm: The Clearing Folk School, Ellison Bay
Celebratory Fireworks!
Piano Quartet in D Minor, Op. 25 Dora Pejacevic
Café Music Paul Schoenfeld
Piano Quartet in C Minor, Op. 13 Richard Strauss
September 1, 7:00 pm: Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Ephraim
September 2, 7:00 pm: St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Sister Bay
September 4, 3:00 pm: Labor Day Gala, Björklunden, Baileys Harbor