photos courtesy Festival of the Arts
Over the last 15 years, the Georgetown Festival of the Arts has transported listeners to classical music destinations around the world, from northern Europe to vibrant Latin America to our own backyard of American melodies. Now back for its final season, the festival will celebrate its music journey with three retrospective concerts.
Members are looking forward to serenading Georgetown after last year’s postponement. “What we need right now is the opportunity to be together in a beautiful space, with the opportunity to share some beautiful music, and enrich our souls,” pianist Toby Blumenthal says.
“It is wonderful to have live performances again, even with COVID protocols in place,” festival committee member Florence Gould says. “Performers need to perform, and everyone who enjoys classical music has missed sharing the experience. We hope new and old friends of the Festival of the Arts will welcome these retrospective concerts presented throughout the year. It will be a new classical series for everyone to look forward to.”
The Festival of the Arts will also sponsor two concerts in the spring featuring the San Gabriel Chorale in March and the Central Texas Philharmonic in May. Visit sangabrielchorale.com and centraltexasphilharmonic.org for more information.
“Classical Sound” Hits the Right Note
Last month, surrounded by art and serenaded by classical melodies, folks were treated to a unique music experience at the Tiemann Art Gallery. Carrie Tiemann, owner of the Tiemann Art Gallery, says, “The idea is to grow interest by playing outside traditional concert halls; in galleries, churches, or even bars and restaurants where people might be more comfortable.” She was swept away by featured pianist Toby Blumenthal and cellist Douglas Harvey, and says, “I had never listened to classical music close up like that. I loved the intimacy; it was extraordinary.”
The brainchild of Carrie, Toby, and violist Bruce Williams, Classical Sound originated in Toby’s living room as a way to encourage out-of-work performers. “During COVID, when nobody was playing and musicians were getting depressed, I would invite my friends over to play,” she says.
When the group outgrew her living room, Toby turned to the art gallery, a hidden treasure in an unassuming strip mall in Round Rock. Carrie was enthusiastic about Toby’s dream of making the gallery their new home, to connect listeners and performers in an intimate setting. “When you’re sitting close and listening and seeing what’s going on, it makes a big difference,” Toby says, emphasizing the value of small ensemble music. “The world’s greatest composers wrote some of their best compositions for small ensembles—duos, trios, quartets, and quintets.”
Classical Sound hopes to develop classical music appreciation in audiences of all ages, and inspire the next generation through youth concerts and performances.
Sunday, November 21, 2021 • 4pm San Gabriel Presbyterian Church
5404 Williams Drive
Performers include Patrice Calixte, violin, Kiyoshi Tamagawa, piano, Bruce Williams, viola, Douglas Harvey, cello, and Toby Blumenthal, piano.
Compositions: Sonata in G Minor by George Frideric Handel, Song of the Birds by Pablo Casals, Piano Trio in G Major by Joseph Haydn, and Piano Quartet in C Minor by Johannes Brahms. This concert will be free.
Sunday, February 20, 2022 • 4pm San Gabriel Presbyterian Church
Performers include Patrice Calixte, violin, Kiyoshi Tamagawa, piano, Hai Zheng, cello, Bruce Williams, viola, Toby Blumenthal, piano, and Virginia Dupuy, mezzo-soprano.
Compositions: Sonatina No. 1 in D Major by Franz Schubert, Emily Dickinson songs by Aaron Copland, Cello Sonata in C Major by Ludwig van Beethoven, Romantic Piece by Antonin Dvorak, Morning Song by Edward Elgar, and Piano Trio No. 1 in D Minor by Anton Arensky.
Sunday, April 10, 2022 • 4pm San Gabriel Presbyterian Church
Performers include Stephen Girko, clarinet, Bruce Cain, baritone, Lynn Mock, soprano, Patrice Calixte, violin, Kiyoshi Tamagawa, piano, Hai Zheng, cello, Bruce Williams, viola, and Toby Blumenthal, piano.
Compositions: Marchenerzahlungen by Robert Schumann, Dos Canciones by Alberto Ginastera, I skogen (In the forest) by Wilhelm Stenhammar, So tag mit hjerte (Take away my heart) by Hugo Alfven, Tonerna (Music) by Carl Sjoberg, Cello Sonata in D Minor by Claude Debussy, Sonata for Clarinet and Piano by Leonard Bernstein, and Piano Trio No. 2 in C Minor by Felix Mendelssohn.
Classical Sound
March 27, 2022: 4pm • Tiemann Art Gallery, 1706 N Mays St, Round Rock. “Something in the Wind” featuring Ian Davidson, oboe, Stephen Girko, clarinet, Daniel Chrisman, bassoon, and Toby Blumenthal, piano.
April 30, 2022: 7pm • Tiemann Art Gallery, “Enchanted Evening”
featuring a mix of songs from Baroque to Broadway. Performers TBA
May 29, 2022: 4 p.m. at Tiemann Art Gallery, “The American Connection” featuring the Artisan String Quartet and Toby Blumenthal, piano.
For information and tickets, visit tagroundrock.com or call 512-551-9774.
Above: Toby Blumenthal, Patrice Calixte, Douglas Harvey at Tiemann Art Gallery.