Aston Magna Music Festival’s 46th Season, June 14-July 21, 2018, Presents Bach, Beethoven, Brahms and More, Plus a Newly Commissioned work by Alex Burtzos, All Performed on Period Instruments
Three new Friday venues include Rhodes Arts Center at Northfield Mount Hermon School in the Pioneer Valley; Time and Space LTD in Hudson, N.Y., and Wethersfield Garden in Amenia, N.Y.; Thursdays and Saturdays at Brandeis and Berkshire venues
Great Barrington, Mass. ~ Aston Magna Music Festival’s 46th season in seven Northeast venues runs June 14-July 21, featuring six weeks (Thursdays through Saturdays) of performances of baroque through classical music, plus a newly commissioned work by composer Alex Burtzos – all on period instruments.
The summer program includes the works of Bach, LeClair, Ste. Colombe, Couperin, Beethoven, Mozart and Romberg, and many more. A newly commissioned work, The Hourglass Equation by composer Alex Burtzos, and a program of Brahms Sonatas by Robert Levin – performing on his own 1869 Streicher piano — highlight two of the weekend programs. All works are performed on period instruments by master musicians who are experts in early music performance practice.
Aston Magna’s Thursday evening performances (7 p.m.) take place again this year at Slosberg Music Center at Brandeis University in Waltham, Mass.
On Fridays, Aston Magna introduces three new venues: Time & Space LTD in lively Hudson, N.Y.; Wethersfield Garden in Amenia, N.Y., and at Northfield Mount Hermon School in the scenic Pioneer Valley of North-Central Massachusetts. Friday performances take place at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday evenings bring guests to the Berkshires, to Saint James Place (6 p.m.) and the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center (8 p.m., only on July 21) in Great Barrington.
All events include a pre-concert talk by Aston Magna Artistic Director Daniel Stepner; Berkshire events include post-concert wine and cheese receptions with the artists.
Thursday, June 14 Only!
J.S. Bach: The Partitas for Solo Violin: An Evening with Daniel Stepner
Daniel Stepner is the artistic director of Aston Magna Music Festival and a renowned master of early music.
June 14, 7 p.m., Slosberg Music Center, Brandeis University, Waltham, Mass.
July 21, 22 & 23
Bach, Telemann, Handel & Burtzos
J.S. Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 and “Ich habe genug,” Cantata No. 82
Handel: Two German Arias; Telemann Sonata; and Burtzos’ The Hourglass Equation
Daniel Stepner, baroque violin; Christopher Krueger, flute/recorder; Andrew Schwartz, baroque bas soon; Julie Leven, baroque violin; Laura Jeppesen, baroque viola; Loretta O’Sullivan; baroque cello; Michael Sponseller, harpsichord
June 21, 7 p.m., Slosberg Music Center, Brandeis University, Waltham, Mass.
June 22, 7:30 p.m., Time and Space LTD, Hudson, N.Y.
June 23, 6 p.m., Saint James Place, Great Barrington, Mass.
June 28-30, 2018
Dueling Violins, Genial Gambas
The Music of Leclair, Stradella, Caldara, Marais, Ste. Colombe, Couperin
Edson Scheid and Daniel Stepner, baroque violins; Sarah Cunningham and Laura Jeppesen, violas da gamba; Michael Sponsellor, harpsichord; Catherine Liddell, theorbo
June 28, 7 p.m., Slosberg Music Center, Brandeis University, Waltham, Mass.
June 29, 7:30 p.m., Wethersfield Garden, Amenia, N.Y.
June 30, 6 p.m., Saint James Place, Great Barrington, Mass.
July 5-7, 2018
Brahms: The Sonatas for Piano and Violin
Robert Levin, 1869 Streicher piano, and Daniel Stepner, violin
July 5, 7 p.m. at Slosberg Music Center, Brandeis University, Waltham, Mass.
July 6, 7:30 p.m. Rhodes Arts Center, Northfield Mount Hermon School, Mount Hermon, Mass.
July 7, 6 p.m. Saint James Place, Great Barrington, Mass.
July 12-14, 2018
Beethoven Septet, Mozart Quartet, Bernhard Romberg Trio
Eric Hoeprich, classical clarinet; Daniel Stepner, baroque violin; Todd Williams, natural horn; Andrew Schwartz, baroque bassoon; Anne Trout, bass; Jacques Lee Wood, baroque cello
July 12, 7 p.m., Slosberg Music Center, Brandeis University, Waltham, Mass.
July 13, 7:30 p.m., Rhodes Arts Center, Northfield Mount Hermon School, Mount Hermon, Mass.
July 14, 6 p.m., Saint James Place, Great Barrington, Mass.
July 19-21, 2018
Bach: The Art of the Fugue
In a new orchestration by Daniel Stepner
Daniel Stepner, baroque violin; Christopher Krueger, flute; Peter Sykes, harpsichord; Laura Jeppesen, viola da gamba; Stephen Hammer, baroque oboe; Loretta O’Sullivan, baroque cello
July 19, 7 p.m., Slosberg Music Center, Brandeis University, Waltham, Mass.
July 20, 7:30 p.m., Rhodes Arts Center, Northfield Mount Hermon School, Mount Hermon, Mass.
July 21, 8 p.m., Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, Great Barrington, Mass.
Except for Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, all tickets: $40 in advance, $45 at the door; Mahaiwe tickets $25-50. Visit astonmagna.org/venues-tickets for more ticketing, discount and venue information; Mahaiwe tickets can be purchased by phone (413) 528-0100 or online.