An Exhilirating Lineup

Written By: Luke Osteen | Issue: 2015/03 - March

After its triumphant 2014 season wrapped in last August, you’d expect the Highlands-Cashiers Chamber Music Festival’s Artistic Director, William Ransom, to take a little time off.

After all, Ransom is also the director of Piano Studies at Emory University and director of the Emory Chamber Music Society in Atlanta. That’s in addition to his performances as a recitalist and chamber musician in concerts around the world.

But his service to the Highlands-Cashiers Chamber Music Festival is more than a job, it’s a passion.

“My sister Kate was a founding member of the Alexander String Quartet, and they were the first quartet that our Founder Lucas Drew invited to the Festival at the beginning over 30 years ago,” Ransom says. “At that time, there was a small group of musicians who stayed for pretty much the whole Festival, and the pianist Tony Siriani was the main pianist. When Tony decided to take some time off from the piano, Kate suggested to Lucas that he give me a try. The rest, as they say, is history! I came as a guest artist for about 10 years, and then when Lucas was ready to retire, he asked if I would be interested in becoming Artistic Director. I jumped at the chance — it has always been my lifelong dream to play and present the world’s greatest music with the best possible players for a large enthusiastic audience — and in such a magical place as Highlands-Cashiers, it is a dream fulfilled! It also fits in perfectly with my work in the regular season, as Artistic Director of the Emory Chamber Music Society of Atlanta, the largest and most active Chamber Music organization in the Southeast.”

That natural enthusiasm is reinforced by the exquisite talent that Ransom is able to assemble season after season.

“I have two requirements for the musicians I choose to come to the Festival — one, they must be among the very best players in the world — but in addition, I look for musicians who are also fun to be with and                    communicate the great joy of music to audiences and each other,” he says. “I want our Festival to be infused with joy.

“This summer we welcome back the Eroica Trio and the Gary Motley Trio, performing together for the first time; violinist William Preucil and his talented daughter Alexandra; the Vega Quartet, whom we have watched develop into such a wonderfully mature group; and David and Julie Coucheron, brother and sister violin/piano duo who have wowed us the last two seasons.

New to us this year are the Ariel Quartet who are one of the top young Quartets in the world, — originally from Israel; violinist Andres Cardenes, the former Concertmaster of the Pittsburg Symphony; and I am absolutely thrilled that we will present the US debut of Russian violinist Roman Kim, perhaps the most outrageously talented violinist I have ever heard — he is being touted as “the new Paganini!” This is quite a coup for the Festival.”

For tickets about the 2015 Season and information about the musicians and performances, visit www.h-cmusicfestival.org or call (828) 526-9060.