VIVO Music Festival is back – and it promises to sound a lot like it did before the pandemic.
After two years of pandemic-era versions of the annual chamber music festival — in 2020, the festival went entirely virtual, and in 2021, socially distanced outdoor programming was included — this year’s edition, set for Aug. 31-4 September, it’s very much a return to normalcy.
The festival will return to a closed format, with concerts set in venues used by the festival in the past, including the Columbus Museum of Art and the Southern Theater. And no virtual program is expected.
“There is no substitute for live sound,” said festival co-founder Siwoo Kim, a 33-year-old violinist who spent his teenage years in Westerville and now lives in New York City.
More: Columbus Performing ArtsDispatch@150: The Columbus performing arts scene continues to grow, evolve
In all other ways, however, the festival — in its eighth year — remains the most advanced classical music offering in Greater Columbus. Kim and festival co-founder, 34-year-old violist and Upper Arlington native John Stulz, will be among a group of eight young guest musicians playing both revered works from the past and pieces exciting present.
The combination, the organizers think, makes VIVO a uniquely engaging experience.
“We have to make it a welcoming environment,” Kim said.
Here are the details of this year’s event.
When does VIVO Music Festival start?
This year’s VIVO Music Festival will kick off at 7pm on August 31 at the Columbus Museum of Art, 480 E. Broad St. The “Schubert and Beethoven” program will feature performances of Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Trio for Clarinet, Cello and Piano” and Franz Schubert’s “Quintet for Strings” in the Schottenstein Estate Group Pavilion.
The location within the museum was chosen for its privacy.
“We decided to do a concert in the round so that all the audience members could be as close as possible to the musicians,” said Stulz, a member of Ensemble Intercontemporain, a music group in Paris.
Tickets are $20, or $10 for students.
More: Columbus Chamber MusicA Columbus Chamber Music concert review
New location chosen for the concert
The festival, which boasts performance in new locations, will make its performance studio debut inside WOSU Public Media’s new five-story headquarters, 1800 N. Pearl St., at 7 p.m., Sept. 1. The “Beer and Beethoven” program will feature musicians playing shorter works and refreshments for sale to all. WOSU broadcast host Jennifer Hambrick will participate in the informal event, which Stulz describes as a launch pad. perfect for chamber music beginners.
“We have some pieces prepared, we have some unprepared, some surprises, things like that,” Stulz said. “I think most people will feel comfortable coming to a place, having a beer or a favorite drink and kicking back and relaxing.”
Tickets are $20, or $10 for students.
Finale to pay homage to the Columbus of Chamber Music
Columbus Chamber Music, which invites national and international chamber music artists to the South Theater, will soon begin its 75th season, and in recognition of the occasion, the much younger VIVO will honor its older cousin. big with a concert at 2pm on September 4th. , south, 21 E. Main St.
“So our eighth season finale will be their season 75 opener,” Kim said.
Added Stulz, “We’ve always loved Chamber Music Columbus—many of our artists tend to return throughout the year to play in the Chamber Music Columbus series.
The program will feature key pieces from the chamber music repertoire, including Maurice Ravel’s “Piano Trio,” as well as a newly commissioned work by South Korean composer Jaehyuck Choi in honor of Columbus chamber music founder James N. Cain , whose instrument was the clarinet: Choi’s new clarinet quintet will be heard for the first time in the concert.
The merger of an old chamber music organization with a much newer chamber music festival makes for the perfect mix, Kim said.
“It’s like chamber music between organizations and also between generations,” he said.
Tickets are $25, or $15 for students.
Where can I buy tickets?
To purchase tickets or get more information, visit www.vivofestival.org.