Pictured: James Zellers
As summer returns to the Plateau, so does one of its most cherished traditions: the Highlands-Cashiers Chamber Music Festival.
Now in its 44th season, the Festival offers imaginative programs, world-class performers, and unforgettable settings, with concerts running from July 5 through August 10.
Anthony Georgeson
Festival performances continue their familiar rhythm, with Highlands concerts on Saturdays and Mondays at the Highlands Performing Arts Center, and Cashiers concerts on Sundays and Tuesdays at the Village Green Commons — two beautiful spaces where music and mountain air meet.
Among the early highlights is Winds at The Bascom, a gathering that feels as natural to Highlands, as the soft drumming of summer rain on the forest canopy.
Alexandra Prior
On Sunday, June 29, at 5:00 P.M., The Bascom Center for Visual Arts opens its doors for an evening of wine, hors d’oeuvres, and soaring music. Sponsored by J.F. and Peggy Bryan and Phyllis and Tom Davis, tickets are $80 per person, with reservations required.
The evening features a quintet of accomplished musicians whose résumés reflect the best traditions of American classical training. Jesse McCandless, Principal Clarinetist of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, brings technical precision paired with lyrical warmth.
Jack Bryant
Joining him are flutist James Zellers (a Juilliard graduate), oboist Alexandra Prior, French hornist Jack Bryant, and bassoonist Anthony Georgeson, known for his sensitive orchestral work with the Atlanta Symphony. Georgeson performs on a rare 1934 Heckel bassoon, producing a sound both characterful and controlled.
The main Festival, under the artistic direction of William Ransom, continues its tradition of balancing masterworks with fresh voices. Violist and composer Paul Coletti joins the Viano Quartet for the North Carolina premiere of his new Viola Quintet, and young virtuoso Zitong Wang inaugurates the Kathy and Mark Whitehead Family Young Pianists program. Grammy-winning guitarist Sharon Isbin appears with the acclaimed Pacifica Quartet.
Jesse McCandless
The season closes on August 10, when Grammy winner Zuill Bailey leads eight cellists in a spectacular “CelloBration” at the Gershon/Cohn Gala.
Summer, after all, is a season for soaring – and nowhere will the music soar higher than here.
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