43rd Season of Music

Written By: Marlene Osteen | Issue: June 2024

Scott Yoo

The announcement of The Highlands-Cashiers Chamber Music Festival’s 43rd summer season starting the weekend of July 6 is occasion to recall a quote by author E.M. Forster, “a festival should be festive, distinctive and responsive to its setting.”

Forster must have had HCCMF in mind. Because for those unfamiliar, HCCMF is not the usual staid or stuffy affair that many associate with classical music.

Long-time artistic director William Ransom brings to stages in Highlands and Cashiers immensely satisfying programming that encapsulates his joy toward the music, affection for its musicians, and admiration for the locale. Surprises and delights are around every corner, and the 2024 series hits a high note with a flurry of new festival debuts.

Exemplifying the astonishing acts that make up the 2024 program is conductor-violinist Scott Yoo. Yoo hosts the Emmy nominated PBS Show, Now Hear This – the first classical music show on American prime TV in 50 years. Renowned for beguiling audiences in unexpected ways (he opens a recent episode of his tv show eating gyoza with his mom and wife), Yoo premieres the weekend of July 6 in a program named after his PBS show, featuring the works of Beethoven and Brahms.

Vijay Venkatesh

The July 8 and 9 opening concerts, “All in the Family” bring together the talents of festival debut artists – multi-Grammy nominated pianist Marta Aznavoorian, and a pair of extraordinary talented musical siblings, the Diaz Brothers on cello and viola.

Critically acclaimed violinist and conductor and Charleston Symphony Orchestra artistic director Yuriy Bekker, unveils his talents Week 2 and Clarinetist David Shifrin, one of only two wind players to be awarded the Avery Prize, is featured the following week.

Making their HCCMF debut week 4 is The Dover Quartet – hailed by BBC Music Magazine as “one of the 10 greatest string quartets of all time.” Wrapping up the season and performing at the festival gala are first-time HCCMF artists, violist Joseph Skerik and “dazzling” pianist Vijay Venkatesh.

Yuriy Bekker

On June 30 audiences can experience the glory of brass music with iconic works by the masters from the All-Star Brass Quintet in the lovely setting of The Bascom Center for the Visual Arts.

Will Ransom elaborated, “The All-Star Brass Quintet, led by trumpeter Kevin Lyons, will enthrall with an entertaining program running from contrapuntal music of Bach to songs of Gershwin and Tangos of Piazzolla.” Cost is $80 per person and includes wine & hors d’oeuvres. The program is sponsored by J.F. and Peggy Bryan and Phyllis and Tom Davis.