Three-part programming sustains the Festival’s celebration of chamber music’s most beautiful repertoire online
McGRATHPR.com – In light of sustained disruption due to the Covid-19 crisis, Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival (CCCMF) announces that its 2020 summer season as Cape Cod’s premiere presenter of summer chamber music will be held as a three-part virtual experience, extending its reach beyond Cape audiences. All live in-person performances are cancelled this season to best serve the safety and welfare of its performing artists, staff and audiences. The Festival celebrates its 41st season in 2020, programmed and presented by Artistic Directors Jon Nakamatsu and Jon Manasse and Executive Director Elaine Lipton.
“This year, more than ever, we hope music lovers everywhere will join us from the safety of their homes to once again celebrate the beauty of chamber music,” shares Jon Nakamatsu, CCCMF Co-Artistic Director. “Although a virtual season looks much different than prior years, we still look forward to celebrating with our audiences and growing them in the online arena.” The Festival plans to resume in-person live performances in 2021.
For its first-ever virtual season, the celebration in three parts begins with Artistic Directors Manasse and Nakamatsu, who will curate three hour-long audio programs, in the style of the beloved “radio show,” including archived performances spanning the 40-year history of the Festival. The shows will broadcast on each of the first three Tuesdays in August during each of the weeks the season usually is held. The audio programs will be streamed on CCCMF’s website and will be available without charge to the general public, and may also be broadcast on regional radio stations (to be announced).
Manasse and Nakamatsu will also create a video event featuring guest musicians which will also stream for free throughout the Festival’s month-long season in August on the Festival website and other online platforms.
The two artistic directors will also undertake a series of high-quality audio/video recording sessions featuring a small group of fellow musicians. This original content will be released in the future.
“These challenging times also present new opportunities, in that we are navigating a new way for us to share world-quality chamber music with world-wide audiences,” shares Jon Manasse. “We are excited about the potential of the quality and reach of this new virtual celebration.”
video outlining new plans for 2020, courtesy image
Exploring the virtual festival brings its own challenges to CCCMF. “Ticket sales alone cannot cover anywhere near our operating budget,” shares Executive Director Elaine Lipton. “With no ticket revenue at all this season, we are hopeful that our dedicated fans will understand that their financial participation is essential to our organization’s continued success.” She hopes that many devoted fans will make contributions and notes that there are opportunities for underwriting the virtual season events as well.
CCCMF’s Board has been hard at work creating these unprecedented options to the Festival’s traditional late summer season. “While we understand the unpredictable nature of our situation, we also know music and live performance have the ability to heal and fortify us all,” shares Manasse. “Our one guarantee is that we will make music for our supporters and audiences this summer, you can count on it!”
For more information about Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival’s 2020 season, visit capecodchambermusic.org, or follow Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival on Facebook and Instagram.
About the Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival
Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival was founded in 1979 by the late Samuel Sanders, a gifted pianist and accompanist to Itzhak Perlman for thirty years. Sanders’ goal was to establish a continuous presence of first-rate chamber music concerts on Cape Cod. As the Festival celebrates four decades, it excels under the leadership of its Artistic Directors, the team of Jon Manasse (clarinetist) and Jon Nakamatsu (pianist), both acclaimed musicians who represent the top ranks of American chamber music as a duo and as individual artists. The artistic directors work closely with Executive Director Elaine Lipton, along with the help of an active Board and more than 60 local volunteers, to bring a stellar mosaic of talent to the Cape. In addition to its annual summer season of 12 concerts, community and school outreach programs and an annual benefit in New York, it partners with local cultural organizations for educational programs and fundraising.
The Festival continues Sam Sanders’ tradition of showcasing emerging talent by presenting accomplished musicians early in their careers. Over the years this has included such famed musicians as Yo-Yo Ma, Joshua Bell, the Parker Quartet and the Jupiter Quartet, among others. Programming spans the 17th to 21st centuries, with periodic commissions from such composers as John Corigliano, William Bolcom, Osvaldo Golijov and Paquito D’Rivera. The Festival owns several quality grand pianos housed at its Cotuit, Chatham and Wellfleet venues, utilized year-round by community members and other arts organizations.
CCCMF traditionally presents the finest classical and contemporary music by both world-class ensembles and exceptional young, emerging artists to Cape Cod audiences, developing new and younger audiences for chamber music. It commissions new chamber works whenever possible and provides educational activities and programs that encourage, broaden and deepen the appreciation of the chamber music art form. The Festival has become synonymous with great chamber music at the height of the tourist season on the Cape. Outreach programs have served students in the Barnstable, Chatham and Nauset school districts and at the May Center in Chatham, as well as the residents of Thirwood Place in Yarmouth and the Riverview School in Sandwich.
Hailed by The New York Times as “A Triumph of Quality,” the Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival (CCCMF) has been a year-round presenter of chamber music and a major contributor to the cultural life of Cape Cod since its inception in 1979. Founded as the Cape & Islands Chamber Music Festival by the late collaborative pianist Samuel Sanders, the Festival continues his legacy. Now entering its 41st season CCCMF presents four weeks of intensive chamber music programming in a variety of Cape locations in August. Throughout the rest of the year CCCMF presents autumn and spring concerts, a community outreach program, and benefit concerts in New York and on Cape Cod. Hoping to ignite the interest of a younger audience CCCMF welcomes all youth up to age 18 to attend any regular concert free of charge. CCCMF is a private, non-profit organization supported by a volunteer Board of Directors with financial support from individuals, corporations, and foundations both local and nationwide. For more information about CCCMF’s programs, visit capecodchambermusic.org, call 508-247-9400 or follow Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival on Facebook and Instagram.
