Staunton proudly hosts "Virginia's world-class music festival" (Travel + Leisure), which brings more than 90 world-class musicians from around the world to the Blue Ridge Mountains to perform for ten consecutive days and nights of eclectic chamber, vocal, and symphonic music. All performances are held entirely in historic downtown Staunton — named one of the "best small towns in America" by Smithsonian. 

In addition to spring and fall concerts, SMF hosts the signature August chamber music festival, presenting two dozen eclectic programs of opera, symphony, and chamber music. From the Middle Ages to commissioned world premieres, Staunton Music Festival offers an exceptional destination classical music event.

Each August Staunton Music Festival welcomes over 90 acclaimed professionals from around the world to perform in 30 events. Multiple concerts daily make for an exhilarating immersion in chamber, vocal, and symphonic music. The days are given over to one-hour, free admission programs, while the evenings come alive with longer, ticketed concerts preceded by special dinners and short lectures.

Schedule:

Friday August 11, 2023

7:30 pm: Handel's Orlando

Location: Trinity Episcopal Church

Cost: $22-$35

Doors open at 6:30 | Lecture at 6:45

The 2023 Summer Festival opens with one of Handel's most fantastical Italian operas, Orlando. This new staged production developed by Timothy Nelson features vocal soloists and the SMF Baroque Orchestra. Sung in Italian with English supertitles.

Daniel Moody, Orlando
Peter Walker, Zoroastre
Molly Quinn, Angelica
Sheila Dietrich, Dorinda
Angela Young Smucker, Medoro
Timothy Nelson, stage director
Carsten Schmidt, conductor

Tickets:

Section A | $35
Section B | $28
Section C | $22
Discounts available for youth, college, & military Included in Summer and Annual Passes

Saturday August 12, 2023

12:00 pm: Paris 1907: Proust at the Ritz

Location: Central United Methodist Church

Cost: Free

Doors open at 11:15 am. All seating is unreserved.

In 1907 Marcel Proust organized a concert of works by several of his favorite composers. SMF recreates that exact program with selections from Fauré’s Violin Sonata and Beethoven’s String Quartet Op. 135, arrangements from Wagner’s Meistersinger and Tristan, as well as works by Chopin, Schumann, and Chabrier.

Fauré | Allegro molto, from Violin Sonata Op. 13
Chopin | Prelude in D-flat Major, Op. 28/15, arr. for harp
Schumann | Des Abends, for piano
Wagner | Prelude to Die Meistersinger, for piano quintet
Chabrier | Idylle, for violin and piano
Beethoven | Lento assai, from String Quartet in F Major, Op. 135
Couperin | Les Barricades mysterieuses, arr. for harp
Wagner/Liszt | Liebestod, for solo piano
Fauré | Berceuse, for violin and harp

7:30 pm: Paris 1922: A Night at the Majestic

Location: Trinity Episcopal Church

Cost: $22-$35
Doors open at 6:30 | Lecture at 6:45

A musical homage to the famous night when several modernist giants (including Picasso, Proust, Joyce, Stravinsky, and Diaghilev) rubbed shoulders at the Majestic Hotel in Paris.

Ravel | Pavane pour une infante défunte, arr. for chamber ensemble
Berio | Thema (Ommagio a Joyce), for electronic tape
Barber | Three Joyce Songs, for voice and piano
Satie | Parade
Stravinsky | Petrouchka, arr. for two pianos and percussion (world premiere)

Tickets:

Section A | $35
Section B | $28
Section C | $22
Discounts available for youth, college, & military Included in Summer and Annual Passes

Sunday August 13,2023

10:30 am: Summer Sounds

Location: Blackfriars Playhouse

Cost: $16-$20

Doors open at 10:00 am. Concert will conclude by 11:30 am.

Blackfriars Playhouse becomes the stage for a diverse collection of chamber works. The musical creations touch all aspects of expressive potential, from the deeply intellectual Wind Quintet by Anders Hillborg to the laugh-out-loud adaption of Paganini's virtuosic Caprices created by duo violinists Tiksola (Antti Tikkanen and Minna Pensola).

English Madrigals by Wilbye and Weelkes
Hillborg | Six Pieces for Wind Quintet
R. Strauss | String Sextet from Capriccio, Op. 85
Paganini/Tiksola | The Reader’s Digest to the 24 Caprices

Tickets:

Section A | $22
Section B | $16
Discounts available for youth, college, & military Included in Summer and Annual Passes

4:00 pm: La Bella Italia

Loction: Trinity Episcopal Church

Cost: $22-$35

Doors open at 3:00 | Lecture at 3:15

Italian composers take their moment in the spotlight this afternoon. Familiar works by Rossini and Chopin (whose Barcarolle derives from the traditional genre of gondolier songs) stand side-by-side with an obscure gem by Scelsi and Pergolesi's radiant Stabat Mater.

Banchieri | Three Madrigals
Chopin | Barcarolle Op. 60 for solo piano
Scelsi | Okanagon, for harp, double bass, and percussion
Pergolesi | Stabat Mater, for soprano, alto, and strings
Verracini | Sonata for recorder and continuo
Berio | Opus Number Zoo, for wind quintet and narrators
Rossini | Overture to Il Barbiere di Siviglia

Tickets:

Section A | $35
Section B | $28
Section C | $22
Discounts available for youth, college, & military Included in Summer and Annual Passes

Monday August 14 2023

12:00 pm: Collegium Musicum

Location: Central United Methodist

Cost: Free

Doors open at 11:15 am. All seating is unreserved.

The concept of the Collegium Musicum pulls together chamber works from across the centuries. Two directors of the famous Leipzig collegium are featured (Telemann and Bach). In between their concertos we enjoy the delightful Octet of Paul Hindemith, who took inspiration from Bach's Brandenburg Concertos - works likely performed at the collegium all those years ago.

Bach | Concerto in A Major, for fortepiano and strings
Hindemith | Octet
Telemann | Concerto in D Major, 53:D5, for violin, cello, trumpet, strings, and continuo

7:30 pm: BAROCOCO

Location: Blackfriars Playhouse

Cost:  $16-$22

Doors open at 6:30 | Lecture at 6:45

BAROCOCO is a collaboratively devised ensemble work in which Happenstance Theater portrays oblivious entitlement on the brink of extinction. This timely reflection on history is a physical-comedic dive into the late Baroque and flaunts 18th century finery, wigs, panniers, gestural styling, elaborate ornamentation and the excesses of Rococo. The characters navigate dangerous curves of manners and the Age of Enlightenment from the exquisite to the revolting.

Featuring Gwen Grastorf, Caleb Jaster, Mark Jaster, Sabrina Mandell, Sarah Olmsted Thomas and Alex Vernon.

Tickets :

Section A | $22
Section B | $16
Discounts available for youth, college, & military Included in Summer and Annual Passes

Tuesday August 15, 2023

12:00 pm: Nordic Light & Darkness

Location: Central United Methodist

Cost: Free

Doors open at 11:15 am. All seating is unreserved.

This program of Scandinavian music combines darkness and light. The concert begins in deepest pathos (Sibelius may have penned Malinconia after the death of his young daughter), touches on a famously ethereal theme (the Arietta from Beethoven's Op. 111) given new life by Anders Hillborg, and closes with radiant lyricism of Edvard Grieg.

Sibelius | Malinconia, for cello and piano
Roman | Trio Sonata TBD
Hillborg | Kongsgaard Variations, for string quartet
Grieg/Wadsworth | Songs Op. 48, for voice and chamber ensemble

7:30 pm: Early Keyboard Extravaganza

Location: Trinity Episcopal Church

Cost: $22-$35

Doors open at 6:30 | Lecture at 6:45

The annual Early Keyboard Extravaganza concert remains an audience favorite, where the spotlight shines on numerous harpsichords, fortepianos, and organs. Hear Baroque and Classical era works performed on authentic and replica instruments from the relevant period, from Buxtehude to Schubert.

D’Anglebert | Suite in C Major for three harpsichords
J.S. Bach | Concerto in A Minor, for four harpsichords and strings
Buxtehude | Motet: Jubilate Domino, for countertenor, gamba, and organ
Schubert | Adagio and Allegro, for piano quartet
Schubert | Allegro in A Minor ("Lebensstürme"), for piano four hands
Handel | Organ Concerto in F Major, Op. 4/5

Tickets:

Section A | $35
Section B | $28
Section C | $22
Discounts available for youth, college, & military Included in Summer and Annual Passes

10:00 pm: Nightcap: from Camerata to Broadway

Location: Trinity Episcopal Church

Cost: $20

Relax with a drink and a short concert of vocal music ranging from madrigals to showtunes.

Tickets:

All tickets $20. Includes complimentary drinks.

Wednesday August 16,2023

12:00 pm: Serenades at Noon

Location: Central United Methodist

Cost : Free

Doors open at 11:15 am. All seating is unreserved.

Violist and composer Vladimir Mendelssohn was a formative and friendly presence at Staunton Music Festival for 20 seasons. After his death in 2021, friends and professional clleagues organized an international composition competition in his honor, partnering with a dozen festivals around the globe. Staunton is honored to be lone U.S. festival included in that list, charged with presenting the premiere of the top prize winner, Rosita Piritore's String Quartet. Piritore's work appears between music of Scarlatti and Debussy.

Scarlatti | Three sonatas for fortepiano
Piritore | String Quartet*
Debussy | Sonata for flute, viola, and harp

US premiere of this work is presented in conjunction with the Vladimir Mendelssohn International Composition Competition.

3:00 pm: Meet the Composer: Anders Hillborg

Location: Central United Methodist Church

Cost : Free

Doors open at 2:15 pm. All seating is unreserved.

Anders Hillborg gained his first musical experience singing in choirs; he was also involved in various forms of improvised music at an early age. From 1976 to 1982 he studied counterpoint, composition and electronic music at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm, where his teachers included Gunnar Bucht, Lars-Erik Rosell, Arne Mellnäs and Pär Lindgren. Brian Ferneyhough, who was a guest lecturer at the College of Music on several occasions, was also an important source of inspiration. Apart from occasional teaching positions, Hillborg has been a full-time freelance composer since 1982. His sphere of activity is extensive, covering orchestral, choral and chamber music as well as music for films and pop music.

In this free event, Hillborg will speak about his musical style and ambitions. The program includes a performance of Hillborg's Duet for clarinet and violin.

7:30 pm: The Breathing of the World

Location: Trinity Episcopal Church

Cost: $22-$35

Doors open at 6:30 | Lecture at 6:45

Midway through the 2023 festival we celebrate nature and the world we all share. From evocations of moonlight and a solar eclipse, the program advances to Hillborg's choral reflection on the present state of global ecological peril. Beethoven's grand Symphony No. 4 provides a burst of emphatic joy and energy as culmination of this "nature-lyric" evening.

Beethoven/Bierey | Kyrie in C Minor, for chorus and orchestra (after the "Moonlight" Sonata)
Wadsworth | Eclipse for harp and chamber ensemble
Hillborg | The Breathing of the World, for chorus
Milhaud | La Création du Monde, for piano quintet
Beethoven | Symphony No. 4 in B-flat Major, Op. 60

Tickets:

Section A | $35
Section B | $28
Section C | $22
Discounts available for youth, college, & military Included in Summer and Annual Passes

Thursday August 17, 2023

12:00 pm: Song Fest

Loction: Central United Methodist

Cost: Free

Doors open at 11:15 am. All seating is unreserved

The human voice is unequaled for its range of expressivity, as shown by the three works gathered together on this one-hour noon concert. From folk music of the British Isles to music of profound introspection and gravity to the radiant joy of Bach - all is possible.

Britten | Folksong Arrangements
Shatin | Vayter un vayter, for bass, clarinet, cello, and piano
J.S. Bach | Cantata No. 51, for soprano, trumpet, strings and continuo

7:30 pm: The Great Elopement

Loction: Trinity Episcopal Church

Cost: $22-$35

Doors open at 6:30 | Lecture at 6:45

Love is one of the most common themes of music. This evening program takes a look at love from various angles, from comedy and class in "The Marriage of Figaro" to the heady passions of Tchaikovsky's "Romeo and Juliet." The featured work, however, is a little-known arrangement of Handel's music made by English conductor Sir Thomas Beecham, titled "The Great Elopement" and featuring pantomime by Happenstance Theater.

Mozart | Overture to Le Nozze di Figaro

Trouvère Song
C. and R. Schumann | Romanzen, for oboe and fortepiano
Hillborg | O dessa ögon, for voice and string quintet
Tchaikovsky/V.Mendelssohn | Romeo and Juliet Fantasy-Overture, arr. for piano sextet
Handel/Beecham | The Great Elopement, or Love in Bath, with pantomime by Happenstance Theater

Tickets:

Section A | $35
Section B | $28
Section C | $22
Discounts available for youth, college, & military Included in Summer and Annual Passes

Friday August 18, 2023

12:00 pm: Bach Materia

Location: Trinity Episcopal Church

Cost: Free

Doors open at 11:15 am. All seating is unreserved

This noon concert is built around a substantial contemporary work, the "Bach Materia" by composer-in-residence Anders Hillborg. Hillborg's piece was commissioned by the Swedish Chamber Orchestra in 2017. For its US premiere, it is paired in Staunton with two related works by Bach: the striking Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 and Hillborg's own arrangement of the Bachian chorale melody "Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ."

J. S. Bach | Brandenburg Concerto No. 2
Hillborg | Bach Materia for solo violin and strings
Bach/Hillborg | Ich ruf zu dir, for oboe and strings

7:30 pm: Baroque Inside-Out: The Brandenburgs

Location:Trinity Episcopal Church

Cost: $22-$35

Doors open at 6:30 | Lecture at 6:45

The 2023 Baroque Inside-Out concert is devoted to J.S. Bach. Four of the captivating Brandenburg Concertos are planned (the remaining two of the set can be heard on surrounuding concerts on Friday and Saturday), interspersed with two of his sacred motets. In addition, audience members are invited to step into the courtyard for a drink and non-Baroque musical treats during the extended intermission.

Bach | Brandenburg Concerto No. 1
Bach | Motet: Der Geist hilft unser Schwachheit auf
Bach | Brandenburg Concerto No. 5
Bach | Brandenburg Concerto No. 3
Bach | Duet: "O Menschenkind," from Cantata 20
Bach | Brandenburg Concerto No. 4

Tickets:

Section A | $35
Section B | $28
Section C | $22
Discounts available for youth, college, & military Included in Summer and Annual Passes

10:00 pm: Nightcap: Baroque Bash

Location:Trinity Episcopal Church

Cost: $22

The Baroque immersion rolls on with a short concert of instrumental and vocal treasures, presented in an intimate space with complimentary drinks.

Tickets:

All tickets $20.
Includes complimentary drinks.

Saturday August 19, 2023

12:00 pm: Fin de Siècle

Location: Central United Methodist

Cost: Free

Doors open at 11:15 am. All seating is unreserved.

In 1900 Romanian composer Georges Enescu completed his substantial Octet for Strings, arguably the greatest work in that genre outside of Mendelssohn's famous example. A few years later French composer Maurice Ravel created one of his more popular works, taking inspiration from the newly developed pedal harp designed by the Pleyel firm. Both works celebrate the lavish sounds of turn-of-the-century Europe: a style evolved from the excesses of Wagner to touch the intimate colors and nuance of the Impressionists.

Ravel | Introduction and Allegro for harp and chamber ensemble
Enescu | Octet for Strings in C Major, Op. 7

3:00 pm: Baroque Lovers' Afternoon

Location: Central United Methodist Church

Free: Free

Doors open at 2:15 pm. All seating is unreserved.

This afternoon program delivers an extra dose of Baroque chamber music for listeners who cannot get enough of a good thing. Bach's Sixth Brandenburg Concerto, a delightful ode for two countertenors, and French cantata make for a sumptuous one hour concert.

Blow | Ode on the Death of Henry Purcell
Bach/Davids | Fugue in C for two violins
Campra | Silène et Bacchus, for voice, flute and continuo
Bach | Brandenburg Concerto No. 6

7:30 pm: España

Location: Trinity Episcopal Church

Cost: $22-$35

Doors open at 6:30 | Lecture at 6:45

Headlining this evening's focus on music of and about Spain, Manuel de Falla's miniature puppet-opera Master Peter's Puppet Show calls upon the visual artistry and comedy of Happenstance Theater. Other works on the program range from the haunting beauty of Victoria's Renaissance Ave Maria to George Crumb's mystical setting of poems by Lorca.

Albéniz | Triana, for two pianos
Victoria | Ave Maria, for eight voices
Crumb | Night of the Four Moons, for voice and chamber ensemble
Boccherini | Night Music in the Streets of Madrid
De Falla | Master Peter's Puppet Show, with pantomime and puppetry by Happenstance Theater

Tickets:

Section A | $35
Section B | $28
Section C | $22
Discounts available for youth, college, & military Included in Summer and Annual Passes

Sunday August 20, 2023

10:30 am: Mozart's Math and Magic

Location: Blackfriars Playhouse

Cost: $16-$22

Doors open at 10:00 am. Concert will conclude by 11:30 am.

Three works from Mozart's later years show the many sides of his genius. Wind music adapted from the lyrical highlights of The Magic Flute start the program, which closes with one of Mozart's masterful string quintets. In between, composer-in-residence Zachary Wadsworth updates one of the favored pasttimes of 18th-century parties: the musical dice game, where high art and happenstance come together.

Mozart | Harmoniemusik from The Magic Flute
Mozart/Wadsworth | A Musical Dice Game, for actor and chamber ensemble
Mozart | String Quintet in C Major, K. 515 

Tickets:

Section A | $22
Section B | $16
Discounts available for youth, college, & military Included in Summer and Annual Passes          

4:00 pm: Finale: Mozart Extravaganza          

Location: Trinity Episcopal Church

Cost: $22-$35

Doors open at 3:00 | Lecture at 3:15

The 2023 summer festival concludes with six late works by the incomparable Mozart. The programmed music everything from a song for voice and piano to the powerful G-Minor Symphony No. 40. Works touch upon the composer's religious and masonic beliefs, as well as celebrating his ability to compose in vocal, chamber, and symphonic mediums.

Mozart | Two quintets from The Magic Flute
Mozart | Andante and Variations from Piano Concerto in G Major, K. 453
Mozart | Abendempfindung, for voice and piano
Mozart | Symphony No. 40 in G Minor
Mozart | Eine kleine Freimaurer-Kantate
Mozart | Gloria, from Mass in C Minor, K. 427

Tickets:

Section A | $35
Section B | $28
Section C | $22
Discounts available for youth, college, & military Included in Summer and Annual Passes

Date: August 12, 2023  -August 20, 2023

Location: Various Location in Staunton, VA 24402

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