Music festival brings world-class artists to La Sierra

  Arts+Culture   College of Arts & Sciences  

RIVERSIDE, Calif. – La Sierra University is hosting for the second year the Montecito International Music Festival which brings a slate of world-renowned classical musicians to the inland region.    

Grammy-winning cellist Lynn Harrell is among several featured guest artists who will give performances during the Montecito International Music Festival at La Sierra (Photo: Chad Batka)
Grammy-winning cellist Lynn Harrell is among several featured guest artists who will give performances during the Montecito International Music Festival at La Sierra (Photo: Chad Batka)
Los Angeles Philharmonic Concertmaster Martin Chalifour is a guest artist and instructor for the Montecito music festival.
Los Angeles Philharmonic Concertmaster Martin Chalifour is a guest artist and instructor for the Montecito music festival.
Canadian violinist Martin Beaver, another of the Montecito music festival's eminent guest artists.
Canadian violinist Martin Beaver, another of the Montecito music festival's eminent guest artists.
University of Southern California viola professor and noted performer Donald McInnes is a guest artist and faculty member with the Montecito festival underway at La Sierra University. (Photo: David Bazemore)
University of Southern California viola professor and noted performer Donald McInnes is a guest artist and faculty member with the Montecito festival underway at La Sierra University. (Photo: David Bazemore)

Free festival concerts will run this week through July 28 at the university’s Hole Memorial Auditorium and will feature performances by noted guest artists, a piano fest gala, festival faculty and student performances, and a tribute concert for the late Joseph Silverstein, an eminent violinist and former faculty member.

Additionally, a special benefit concert by a festival orchestra, string and cello ensembles will be held Sat., July 16 at 8:15 p.m. Tickets are $5 - $25. All proceeds support the La Sierra University Department of Music.

The Joseph Silverstein Tribute Concert will be held Tues., July 19 at 7:30 p.m. Silverstein, a violinist, noted conductor, and former long-time Boston Symphony Orchestra concertmaster died last November. He was among last summer’s guest artists for the Montecito festival’s inaugural appearance at La Sierra University.

The festival, designed to provide professional instruction and performance opportunities for young musicians, attracts more than 200 students. This year’s attendees range from 9 to 31 years of age and arrive from North America, South America and Europe.

Fifty faculty members from 20 countries lead studio classes and master classes in string and wind instruments, voice and piano. Students also receive private lessons and chamber music coaching sessions, and participate in recitals and concerts. Teachers include members of La Sierra University’s music faculty. La Sierra adjunct flute professor Martin Glicklich was recently appointed co-director of the festival.

This year’s guest faculty artists include Grammy-winning cellist Lynn Harrell, Canadian violinist and former Tokyo String Quartet first violin Martin Beaver, Los Angeles Philharmonic Concertmaster Martin Chalifour, violinist Alexander Treger, concert pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet, violist Donald McInnes, and others.

“It’s an incredible level of music for the community,” said festival co-director and founder Chan Ho Yun. The music festival, held annually in the Santa Barbara area since 2006, last year moved to La Sierra to accommodate the festival’s growth.

The festival’s students will also give free outreach performances at churches, community centers and other venues. “Any community center wanting the musicians to come and play, we will do our best to accommodate them,” Yun said. “We would love to engage the entire community.”

A concert calendar and festival information is available at http://www.montecitomusicfestival.com. La Sierra University is located at 4500 Riverwalk Parkway, Riverside. A campus map is available at https://lasierra.edu/campus-map/. For further information, call 951-785-2036.

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