After an extended hiatus due to the pandemic, Chamber Music Sedona returned to the stage. From May 1 through 8, seven artists in a span of five concert times showcased their talents.
Rather than returning with one concert, the festival was split into three programs to emphasize its comeback, Concert I: The Return, Concert II: Fundraiser — The Paul Neubauer Gypsy Band, and Concert III: Heart String Masterpieces.
“After nearly a year-and-a-half with no live concerts, I felt strongly that coming back for a single show simply wouldn’t suffice. I wanted us to return with a bang, so this immersive festival of three programs, five concert times, seven artists and about 15 different composers hopefully makes up for lost time,” Sedona Chamber Music Artistic Director Nick Canellakis said. “I think there is a hunger for it in the community; I know the musicians were certainly hungry to get back on stage and communicate with audiences in real time.”
Canellakis, who assumed the role of Chamber Music Sedona Artistic Director in 2018, is a sought-after and innovative cellist. Bringing world-renowned musicians to Sedona while having the chance to perform is a dream.
“I do wear many hats during this festival. Playing the cello and performing is my first love, and it really goes hand in hand with being the artistic director. I get to bring my favorite musicians and friends, program my favorite music, and share it with this arts-loving community that has adopted me into their world. It’s a dream,” Canellakis said.
Each concert in the festival had its own theme. There was an over-arching idea to the whole series — reflecting on where we’ve been and celebrating the return to being together again.
Concert I: The Return kicked off the festival on Saturday, May 1, at the Hilton Sedona Resort’s main ballroom in the Village of Oak Creek. A quartet featuring pianists Adam Golka and Michael Brown, violinist Bella Hristova and cellist Canellakis performed works by Ludwig con Beethoven, Arvo Pärt, Sergei Rachmanioff and Antonín Dvořák.
Golka, who won first prize at the Second China Shanghai International Piano Competition at 16, has appeared as a soloist alongside numerous symphonies worldwide, in recitals at Lincoln Center and other leading venues, and at various music festivals. A favorite among Sedona audiences, pianist-composer Brown is a winner of the 2018 Emerging Artist Award from Lincoln Center and a 2015 Avery Fisher Career Grant. Hristova has received several prizes and awards, including a 2013 Avery Fisher Career Grant.
The next concert of the Spring Festival, a fundraiser for Chamber Music Sedona, took place on May 5 in a private home. Legendary violist and two-time Grammy nominee Paul Neubauer, joined by a group of acclaimed chamber musicians, delighted audiences with a program of works by Schulenberg, Valdez and more.
The “Heart String Masterpieces” concert closed out the Spring Festival at The Collective Sedona on May 8. Violinist Arnaud Sussmann, violist and violinist Tien-Hsin Cindy Wu, and other names well-known to Chamber Music Sedona audiences, performed two of the great romantic works for strings: Felix Mendelssohn’s Quartet in A minor, and Johannes Brahms’s symphonic String Quintet no. 2.
The road to returning to the stage came with its challenges. Chamber Music Sedona, like virtually every other arts organization in the country, had to cancel all events starting back in March 2020.
“It has been quite a journey arriving at this spring festival. But as vaccines started rolling out several months ago, and the prospect of socially distanced, reduced capacity and even outdoor concerts became a viable option, I felt determined to do something for our chamber music community before another whole season went by. Planning a festival during pandemic times is no easy task, but I, along with our tireless board and staff, felt strongly that we could pull it off in a way that would be fun, rewarding, and safe,” Canellakis said.
To keep up with the latest and upcoming Chamber Music Sedona events, visit chambermusicsedona.org.
Kathleen Ritter can be reached at 282-7795 ext 126 or by email at kritter@larsonnewspapers.com
