Montecito Festival's renowned classical artists to give performances at La Sierra

Montecito International Music Festival will be held between July 12 and July 31 on La Sierra’s campus and will offer free public concerts by its internationally acclaimed guest artists as well as faculty and students. The event, organized annually in Santa Barbara since 2006, this year moved to La Sierra to accommodate the growth of the festival which last year attracted 200 students from 15 countries. 

The festival’s guest artists include renowned violinist Glenn Dicterow, retired in 2014 from a 34-year career as concertmaster and soloist for the New York Philharmonic; Alexander Treger, noted violinist and conductor, previous music director for the American Youth Symphony and former Los Angeles Philharmonic concertmaster; violinist Joseph Silverstein who has held positions with the orchestras of Houston, Denver, Philadelphia and Boston, and teaching positions at Yale and Boston universities, the New England Conservatory and Tanglewood Music Center; violist Donald McInnes who has appeared with the New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony and other major groups and associated with Leonard Bernstein, Yo-Yo Ma and other famed musicians; and cellist Lynn Harrell, a Grammy award-winner and frequent guest performer with the orchestras of Boston, Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco and others, as well as a collaborator with such noted conductors as James Levine, Sir Neville Marriner, Zubin Mehta, and André Previn.    

In addition, Grammy award-winning operatic soprano Faith Esham will serve as resident guest artist and will provide vocal instruction. Esham has received wide acclaim for her performances in the top opera houses of the United States and Europe, including the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, the New York City Opera, and the Vienna State Opera.

While the festival serves as an educational venue for up and coming young musicians, the guest and resident artists, as well as students will offer public performances. Following is a list of events with all performances beginning at 7:30 p.m. at Hole Memorial Auditorium. Admission to all events is free.

While the festival serves as an educational venue for up and coming young musicians, the guest and resident artists as well as students will offer public performances. Following is a list of festival concerts with all performances beginning at 7:30 p.m. at Hole Memorial Auditorium. Admission to all events is free. For additional student concert and master class schedule information visit Montecitomusicfestival.com.

-       Tues., July 14, Opening Gala Student Concert

-       Thurs., July 16, Festival Concert performing Mozart, Schumann, Tchaikovsky

-       Sun., July 19, Festival Concert performing Beethoven, Shostakovich

-       Mon., July 20, Festival Concert, ViolaFest

-       Tues., July 21, Festival Concert performing Moszkowski, Shostakovich, Brahms, Ysaye

-       Wed., July 22, Joseph Silverstein Recital

-       Thurs., July 23, Faith Esham Recital

-       Sun., July 26, Festival Concert, Piano Faculty

-       Mon., July 27, Festival Concert, Piano Duo, Timothy Ehlen and Yu-Chi Tai

-       Tues., July 28, Festival Orchestra Concert performing Vivaldi

-       Wed., July 29, Lynn Harrell Recital

-       Thurs., July 30, Closing Gala Student Concert

The guest artists are members of a 45-member festival faculty who will teach various types of classes to music students from junior high through university graduate level studying string and wind instruments, piano and voice. The faculty will also include La Sierra instructors -- La Sierra’s orchestra conductor Dean Anderson will serve as a guest conductor, La Sierra collaborating faculty members cellist Marek Szpakiewicz and flutist Martin Glicklich, vocalists Javier Gonzalez and Raejin Lee, director of vocal studies, will also participate. La Sierra pianist Sergio Leiva and student pianist Jonathan Mamora will serve as festival accompanists. 

“Montecito music festival will bring some of the top teachers and performers in classical music to work with students who want to perfect their art,” said Elvin Rodriguez, La Sierra University music department chair, pianist and professor of music. “The community will also benefit from student concerts and recitals by some of the same world class performers who are teaching in the festival. I feel this music festival will enrich our local culture in ways typically found only in large cities, while bringing national and international attention to this area.”

Festival founder and Director Chan Ho Yun brought the event to La Sierra through his connection with Rodriguez and the music department, whose students and faculty have participated in past Montecito festivals. 

“I’m very grateful to La Sierra and the senior administration, and to Elvin,” said Yun. He added that students return to the Montecito festival each year because of its nurturing, dedicated and friendly faculty. “Our family is not your usual [festival faculty]. We’re very down to earth. We have a deep sense of mission.”

The mission involves community outreach and a holistic view of musical education. The festival’s scholarship recipients will give concerts in senior retirement homes and churches, and concert admission is free to the community, Yun said. “Sharing, learning, giving – the festival is about the important facets of being a complete musician,” he said. Yun added, “We welcome the entire Riverside community to attend our master classes, student, faculty and guest artist concerts, and share in our beautiful music.”

Further information about Montecito International Music Festival is available at this link: http://www.montecitomusicfestival.com/, or by calling the La Sierra University Department of Music at 951-785-2036.