Chamber Music Festival of Lexington

The Chamber Music Festival of Lexington presents its sixteenth season, with formal performances, free public appearances, and educational work with students in Lexington over a 10-day period.  Native Lexingtonian Nathan Cole, Akiko Tarumoto, Burchard Tang, Priscilla Lee and Alessio Bax inaugurated this festival back in 2007 and have graced the Lexington arts community with world-class chamber music programs and performances each year since, except for 2020. They are joined this season by Kenneth Olsen as artist-in-residence. He is Assistant Principal Cellist of the Chicago Symphony.

We are happy to welcome back WindSync as our ensemble-in-residence this season. This dynamic group of young musicians will appear throughout the community and will provide hands on educational work with underserved students in Lexington.

Thanks to the generous support of board member Ellen Rosenman, Nathan Cole and Alessio Bax will play the world premiere of a new composition by our composer-in-residence, Alistair Coleman, entitled Violin Sonata: Morning, Chapter 30.

A day-by-day list of activities follows:

• Saturday, August 19^th

Free public performances by WindSync check website for details

• Sunday August 20^th

Festival Fundraiser featuring brunch and the music of WindSync – 12:30 PM at the Bodley-Bullock house, 200 Market Street in Gratz Park – $100 check or credit card

• Monday, August 21^st

WindSync hands-on program with MusicWorks, an educational service administered by Central KY Youth Orchestras

• Tuesday, August 22^nd

Informal Cabaret with Festival musicians at Al’s Bar, 601 North Limestone St. – 6:30PM – $20 cover at the door

• Thursday, August 24^th

First Main Stage concert at the Pam Miller Downtown Arts Center, featuring cellist Kenneth Olsen, Nathan Cole, and core troupe – 7:30PM – Adults $40 advance, $45 door; Students with ID $15 at door; children 12 and under free!

• Saturday, August 26^th

Second Main Stage concert at the Pam Miller Downtown Arts Center, featuring cellist Kenneth Olsen, Nathan Cole, and core troupe – 7:30PM – Adults $40 advance, $45 door; Students with ID $15 at door; children 12 and under free!

• Sunday August 27^th

Third Main Stage concert – Sunday Matinee – at the Pam Miller Downtown Arts Center, featuring cellist Kenneth Olsen, Nathan Cole, and core troupe – 2PM – Adults $40 advance, $45 door; Students with ID $15 at door; children 12 and under free!

To find out more about any event please go to https://chambermusiclex.org/2023-festival or email us at director@chambermusiclex.orgfor a speedy response.

About the Chamber Music Festival of Lexington

Founded in 2006, The Chamber Music Festival of Lexington is held over 10 days every year in the famed Bluegrass horse country of Lexington, Kentucky. The festival brings together a quintet of nationally recognized musicians to offer Central Kentuckians formal concerts, concerts by its Ensemble-in-Residence, educational programs, a world class guest artist, and most years a newly commissioned chamber piece.  Its Musical Director is native Lexingtonian Nathan Cole, first Associate Concertmaster of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. For more information, please go to chambermusiclex.org.

About the Lexington Chamber Orchestra

A sister organization to the Chamber Music Festival of Lexington, the Lexington Chamber Orchestra was founded in 2015. It is a community orchestra that offers a year-round season of chamber music from every era performed by a professional ensemble of local musicians. Led by musical director Marcello Cormio, its mission is to offer fellow Central Kentuckians greater accessibility and knowledge of the beauty of chamber music. For more information go to https://chambermusiclex.org/lco.

Chamber Music Festival of Lexington programs are made possible through the generous support of LexArts. The annual Fund for the Arts has raised millions of dollars to support the visual, literary, and performing arts in Lexington.   

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