Southern Illinois Music Festival opens Friday

Bach is back — and so are Mozart, Beethoven, Stravinsky, and the sounds of a classical music summer.

The Third Annual Southern Illinois Music Festival, a nearly three-week long, multi-site celebration of classical, jazz and chamber music organized by the School of Music at SIUC, begins Friday, June 15. A preview chamber music performance was held Sunday.

A special feature of the festival is its mobility. More than 50 performances are set for nearly two-dozen different venues all over Southern Illinois. Music lovers can hear chamber music at a café, quintets at a winery, quartets at community buildings and brown bag concerts in a recital hall. There will be jazz at an art show, concerts just for children at libraries and recreation centers, patriotic music in a city park and orchestras at music auditoriums and halls from Mount Vernon to Cairo, Marion to Murphysboro. An abridged version of Tchaikovsky's "Sleeping Beauty" ballet and an English-language comic opera bring a beautiful visual component to the festival as well.

Edward Benyas, SIUC music professor, conductor of the Chicago Chamber Orchestra and the festival's founder and artistic director, said the heart of the festival is the beautiful, neoclassic Shryock Auditorium on the SIUC campus. The elegance of the setting and the richness of the music are enhanced during the festival by wine tasting from Shawnee Hills Wine Trail wineries before, during intermission, and after each performance.

This year, an All-American program featuring Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" literally takes to the field. The new Rent One Park in Marion will swap out the crack of the bat for an orchestra concert highlighted by a fireworks display. And Marvin Hamlisch, the Broadway and motion picture musical score composer who brought us "The Way We Were," "A Chorus Line" and "The Sting" as well as music for movies such as "Sophie's Choice," "Ordinary People," and "Three Men and a Baby," comes to the Herrin Civic Center as part of the Southern Illinois Music Festival.

Several performances will feature original compositions by Festival Composer-in-Residence James Stephenson, III. Stephenson's music has been performed by dozens of orchestras around the country and his commissions include work with Branford Marsalis and Rodney Mack, the Houston Symphony and the Philadelphia Orchestra. He is known particularly for his work with young musicians.

This year's festival continues the tradition of including an opera selection. This year's offering, sponsored by the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail, is Gaetano Donizetti's "Elixir of Love," a comic Italian opera that will be sung in English. Lighting, scenery and costume combine with the music to tell the light-hearted, romantic and yet inspiring story of how the peasant Nemorino wins the hand of the hand of the wealthy beauty Adina aided by what he believes to be a love potion. Instead, it turns out to be simply a bottle of Southern Illinois wine. Local opera afficiandos should look for a familiar face among the opera performers. Carbondale Mayor Brad Cole will play the part of the Notary during the Carbondale performance; there also will be a performance in Sesser.

Benyas said this year's festival is the biggest yet. He said the variety of venues and the free or low admission price make the festival widely accessible. Most concerts are indoor events, but several events will take place outdoors and casual dress is welcome at all performances.

"The festival coincides with a two-week summer music camp for high school students, a 40-year tradition at SIUC," he said. "Members of the Chicago Chamber Orchestra are in residence during the festival — and that is a huge benefit for the camp participants." Summer Music Camp participants in music theater, concert band, jazz improvisation and high school choir have opportunities to perform during the festival.

In addition to SIUC, major sponsors include the Illinois Arts Council, the City of Carbondale, The Southern Illinoisan, WSIL-TV, WSIU Public Broadcasting, Carbondale Community Arts, Shawnee Hills Wine Trail, Southern Illinois Miners, Mélange, Boundless Gallery.com, Dr. Samuel Goldman, the Julia Harrison Bruce Foundation-Bank of Herrin Trustee, the Garwin Family Foundation, Hastings Foundation, Moore-Corpora Foundation, SISO Patrons Committee and Southern Foundation.

More information is available at www.SIFest.com or by calling 618-53-MUSIC or 618/453-2776.

The schedule of events follows. All events are free unless otherwise indicated. Reduced prices are for students of any age. The schedule is subject to change.

FRIDAY, JUNE 15

• Jive with Jazz (ages 0-8), 10 a.m., Eurma Hayes Center, Carbondale.
• Brown Bag Chamber Series, Noon, Old Baptist Foundation recital hall, SIUC. Bach: Cello Suite and Mozart: Quintet for Piano and Winds.
• Klassics for Kids (ages 0-8), 3 p. m., Cairo Public Library. Orchestra.
• New Arts Jazztet, 7:30 p.m., Shryock Auditorium, SIUC. Features: SIUC professors Tyler Kuebler, Robert Allison, Philip Brown and Ronald Coulter. Original compositions and jazz standards. $10 adults; $5 students.
• Orchestra Concert: Great Firsts. 7:30 p.m., Cairo Public Library. Featuring Beethoven: Symphony No. 1, Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 1, and Prokofiev: Symphony No. 1

SATURDAY, JUNE 16

• Jive with Jazz (ages 0-8), 10 a.m., Murphysboro Youth and Recreation Center.
• Klassics for Kids (ages 0-8), 10 a.m., Altgeld Hall, SIUC. Wind quintet.
• Orchestra Concert: Great Firsts. 7:30 p.m., Shryock Auditorium, SIUC. Featuring Beethoven: Symphony No. 1, Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 1, and Prokofiev: Symphony No. 1. $10 adults, $5 students

SUNDAY, JUNE 17

• Chamber Music at Mélange. 2 p.m., 607 S. Illinois Ave., Carbondale. Wind quintet, guitar and voice.

MONDAY, JUNE 18

• Music of the Week. 6 p.m., Mélange, 607 S. Illinois Ave., Carbondale. Informal lecture.

TUESDAY, JUNE 19

• Jive with Jazz (ages 0-8), 10 a.m., Stinson Library, Anna.
• Klassics for Kids (ages 0-8), 4 p.m., Herrin Civic Center. Wind quintet.
• Klassics for Kids (ages 0-8), 4 p.m., Murphysboro Youth and Recreation Center. Brass quintet.
• Chamber Concert, 7:30 p.m., Blue Sky Vineyards. Wind and brass quintets. $7 adults, $4 students.
• Chamber Concert, 7:30 p.m., Sesser Opera House. Stravinsky: Soldier's Tale — performed by mixed ensemble with text by Kurt Vonnegut narrated by Rick Williams, Bizet: Carmen Suite, Richard Strauss: "Till Eulenspeigel's Merry Pranks." $7 adults, $4 students.
• String Orchestra, 7:30 p.m., Herrin Civic Center. Bach: Double Concerto with Michael Barta and Josh Schlachter, soloists, Sibelius: Valse Triste, Stephenson: Double Concerto with Junghwa Lee and Robert Allison, soloists, Dvorak: Serenade for Strings, $7 adults, $4 students.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20

• Jive with Jazz (ages 0-8), 10 a.m., Du Quoin Middle School gymnasium.
• Klassics for Kids (ages 0-8), 2 p.m., Carterville Community Center. String Quartet.
• Summer Solstice Cabaret, 7:30 p.m., Carbondale Civic Center. Chamber music, folk music and jazz. String quartets by Mozart, Brahms and Stephenson. Wind and brass quintets. Trios by Beethoven, Triebensee and Ardevol. Stravinsky: Soldier's Tale – performed by mixed ensemble with text by Kurt Vonnegut narrated by Rick Williams. Loose Gravel, New Arts Jazztet.

THURSDAY, JUNE 21

• Klassics for Kids (ages 0-8), 4 p.m., Sesser Opera House. String Quartet.
• Klassics for Kids (ages 0-8), 4 p.m., Benton Public Library. Brass quintet.
• Klassics for Kids (ages 0-8), 4 p.m., Schweinfurth House, Mount Vernon. Stravinsky: Soldier's Tale – performed by mixed ensemble with text by Kurt Vonnegut narrated by Rick Williams.
• Klassics for Kids (ages 0-8), 4 p.m., Marion Civic Center. Wind quintet.
• Jive with Jazz (ages 0-8), 4 p.m., Cairo Public Library.
• Chamber Concert, 7:30 p.m., Schweinfurth House, Mount Vernon. Stravinsky: Soldier's Tale – performed by mixed ensemble with text by Kurt Vonnegut narrated by Rick Williams. Bizet: Carmen Suite. Richard Strauss: "Till Eulenspeigel's Merry Pranks." $7 adults, $4 students.
• Chamber Concert, 7:30 p.m., First Baptist Church of Benton. Wind and brass quintets. $7 adults, $4 students.
• String Orchestra Concert, 7:30 p.m., Sesser Opera House. Bach: Double Concerto with Michael Barta and Josh Schlachter, soloists. Sibelius: Valse Triste, Dvorak: String Serenade. $7 adults, $4 students.
• New Arts Jazztet, 7:30 p.m., O'Neill Auditorium, John A. Logan College, Carterville. $10 adults, $5 students. Call 618/985-2828, ext. 8287 for tickets.
• Mel Goot and Sharon Clark. 7:30 p.m., Cairo Public Library. Jazz

FRIDAY, JUNE 22

• Brown Bag Chamber Series, Noon, Old Baptist Foundation recital hall, SIUC. Haydn: Piano trio. Shostakovich: Piano quintet.
• Children's Ballet, 7:30 p.m., Shryock Auditorium, SIUC. Tchaikovsky: Sleeping Beauty. Presented by the Center for Dance Education, Evansville, Ind., with 60 area dancers in a 90-minute production. $10 adults, $5 students.

SATURDAY-SUNDAY, JUNE 23-24

• Art Fair, 1-7:30 p.m., Hickory Lodge, Carbondale. Organized by Carbondale Community Arts.

SATURDAY, JUNE 23

• Summer Camp Concert I. 1:30 p.m., Shryock Auditorium, SIUC. Jazz and concert bands, music theater.
• Orchestra Concert: Stars of Tomorrow. 7:30 p.m., Shryock Auditorium, SIUC. Side-by-side wind ensemble, featuring students from the summer music camp and professional musicians, directed by Christopher Morehouse. Solo competition winners. Stephenson: Concerto for Piano, Trumpet and Strings with Junghwa Lee and Robert Allison, soloists. Dvorak: Symphony No. 7. $10 adults, $5 students.

SUNDAY, JUNE 24

• Chamber Music at Mélange. 2 p.m., 607 S. Illinois Ave., Carbondale. Brass quintet.
• Jazz and Art, 2 p.m. Hickory Lodge, Carbondale.

MONDAY, JUNE 25

• Music of the Week, 6 p.m., Mélange, 607 S. Illinois Ave., Carbondale. Informal lecture.

TUESDAY, JUNE 26

• Klassics for Kids (ages 0-8), 10 a.m., Altgeld Hall, SIUC. Opera.
• Orchestra Concert: Northern Lights and the Sea. 7:30 p.m., Shryock Auditorium, SIUC. Sibelius: March from Karelia Suite, Debussy: La Mer, Offenbach: Doll Song from Tales of Hoffman with Sarah Tannehill, soprano, Grieg: Piano Concerto, with Kara Benyas, piano. $10 adults, $5 students.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 27

• Jazz at Noon. Noon: Shawnee Community College Atrium, Ullin. Mel Goot and Sharon Clark.

THURSDAY, JUNE 28

• Opera, 7:30 p.m., Sesser Opera House. Donizetti: Elixir of Love, sung in English. Directed by John Lipe. $7 adults, $4 students.

FRIDAY, JUNE 29

• Brown Bag Chamber Series, Noon, Old Baptist Foundation recital hall, SIUC. Ravel: Introduction and Allegro for harp. Sibelius: March from Karelia Suite for brass and organ.
• Jive with Jazz (ages 0-8), 4 p.m., Cairo Public Library.
• New Arts Jazztet, 7:30 p.m., Halliday Plaza, Cairo.

SATURDAY, JUNE 30

• Summer Camp Concert II, 1:30 p.m., Shryock Auditorium, SIUC. Choir.
• Opera, 7:30 p.m., Shryock Auditorium, SIUC. Donizetti: Elixir of Love, sung in English. Directed by John Lipe. Post-performance reception in Altgeld Hall. $10 adults, $5 students.

SUNDAY, JULY 1

• Chamber Music at Mélange, 2 p.m., 207 S. Illinois Ave., Carbondale. String quartet.
• Orchestra Concert and Fireworks, 8 p.m., Rent One Park, Marion. All-American program: Gershwin, Rhapsody in Blue with Junghwa Lee, piano. Also: music from the movies, Andrews Sisters medley, and choir of 100 local singers for Armed Forces Salute. Fireworks. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for pre-concert music. Call 618/998-8499 for tickets. Ticket prices are $10/$12/$15. Rain date: July 2.

TUESDAY, JULY 3

• Marvin Hamlisch, 7 p.m., Herrin Civic Center. Tickets: $155, includes dinner. Call 618/942-6115 for tickets.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 4

• Patriotic music, 7:30 p.m., Herrin City Park. Brass quintet.

- Andrea Hahn