An Appalachian Summer Festival Turns 25

Annual Arts Festival Begins Saturday

Story by David Brewer

App Summer 2009 Schedule

6/27 Leahy
6/28 Broyhill Chamber Ensemble
6/29 to 7/3 Workshop: Creating in Clay
6/29 to 7/3 Workshop: Plein Air Boone
6/29 to 7/3 Workshop: Cre8tive Drama Day Camp
6/29 Film: The Band’s Visit (at Dragonfly Theater & Pub)
6/30 Charlotte Symphony Orchestra Pops
7/1 Broyhill Chamber Ensemble
7/1 Lunch & Learn: The Sounds of Summer
7/2 Melissa Manchester
7/3 Lecture: Steven Siegel
7/3 TCVA Members’ Preview Reception
7/3 Summer Exhibition Celebration
7/5 Sophie B. Hawkins (at Westglow Spa)
7/6 Broyhill Chamber Ensemble
7/6 to 7/10 Workshop: Figure Drawing with Tim Ford
7/7 Pilobolus
7/8 Lunch & Learn: Inside and Out
7/9 Film: The Underground Orchestra (at Dragonfly Theater & Pub)
7/10 Patagonia’s Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival
7/11 Buckwheat Zydeco
7/11 Family Day at TCVA
7/11 Workshop: Shibori
7/12 Eastern Festival Orchestra
7/13 to 7/15 Workshop: Beyond Collage
7/13 Film: Vitus (at Dragonfly Theater & Pub)
7/14 Paul Taylor Dance
7/15 Broyhill Chamber Ensemble
7/15 Lunch & Learn: Dancing Around the Subject
7/16 Lecture: Ron Rash
7/16 to 7/18 Workshop: Wash and Roll
7/17 Paula Poundstone
7/18 Mike Cross
7/19 Halpert Biennial Gallery Talk
7/19 Eastern Festival Orchestra
7/19 Silent Auction Ends
7/20 Broyhill Chamber Ensemble
7/20 to 7/24 Workshop: Create Your Own Fantasy Chair
7/20 to 7/24 Workshop: Jewelry—Modern Reliquaries
7/21 Triad Stage: Oleanna
7/22 Triad Stage: Oleanna
7/22 Lunch & Learn: Stage Coach
7/23 Joan Baez
7/24 Triad Stage Workshop: Providence Gap
7/25 Workshop: Fanciful and Functional 3-D Artist Books
7/25 Kenny Loggins (at Holmes Convocation Center)

Beginning this Saturday, the ASU campus will be abuzz nearly every day until the end of July with the vast and exciting array of live music, dance, film, theater, comedy and visual arts that comprise the 25th season of An Appalachian Summer Festival.

“We have a terrific 25th anniversary season,” said Megan Hayes, director of marketing and public relations for the office of Arts & Cultural Affairs. “We’re very excited about it.”

To celebrate its silver anniversary, App Summer organizers packed this year’s schedule with mixture of familiar favorites from years past alongside new, exciting performers and activities. From the bouncy Southern party music of Buckwheat Zydeco and the sheer technical brilliance of the Broyhill Chamber Ensemble, to the majestic movements of Pilobolus and dramatic turns by members of Triad Stage, App Summer 2009 is undoubtedly the best bet in the High Country for world-class summer entertainment.

According to Hayes, word-of-mouth advertising among local residents is helping sell tickets for some of the series’ most exciting events. Folk legend Joan Baez’s July 23 is already sold out, while tickets for comedian Paula Poundstone and singer Melissa Manchester are selling briskly.

Thanks to last year’s overwhelmingly positive response to the introduction of a film component via the Wild & Scenic film series, App Summer will screen arts-related films both at Farthing Auditorium and at Dragonfly Theater & Pub in Boone. Tickets for events at the Dragonfly are currently on sale at Farthing Auditorium and will be on sale at Dragonfly on the day of the shows.

“We have been looking for ways to expand the film series,” said Hayes. “We are always looking for fun and creative off-campus venues.”

For those looking for hands-on activities, the Turchin Center will again offer several workshops throughout App Summer.

Because of construction in the Raley parking lot across from Farthing, App Summer will run shuttles from the Raley lot, as well as from the lot at the Broyhill Inn & Conference Center. According to Hayes, the Broyhill will offer dinner specials in its Jackson Dining Room to App Summer festivalgoers nightly throughout the festival.

Tickets to App Summer performances range from $5 to $30. Most visual arts and educational events are free of charge. The festival offers two flexible ticket passes: the Pick 5 offers a 15 percent discount off of any purchase of five or more tickets; the Festival Pass offers a 25 percent discount and priority seating for those who purchase a ticket to each performance.

Tickets are on sale now, and may be purchased by calling 828-262-4046 or by to clicking www.AppSummer.org.

App Summer’s success is due in large part to generous support from loyal private donors, as well as a dedicated group of corporate and media sponsors, many of whom have supported the festival for more than a decade. 2009 Festival sponsors include Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation, Westglow Resort and Spa, SkyBest Communications, Inc., McDonald’s of Boone, Mast General Store, Best Western—Blue Ridge Plaza, Allen Wealth Management, Footsloggers Outdoor & Travel Outfitters, Peabody’s Wine & Beer Merchants, Chetola Resort, the Broyhill Inn and Conference Center, High Country Press WBTV, WCYB, Charter Media, the Winston-Salem Journal, Mac 100.7FM, Mix 102.3FM, WHKY AM 1290 Talk Radio and WHKY-TVDT, Mountain Television Network, WDAV 89.9FM, WFDD 88.5FM, WETS 89.5FM, WNCW 88.7FM,WASU 90.5FM, WNC magazine, The Mountain Times and All About Women magazine.

The 25th season of An Appalachian Summer Festival will kick off on Saturday, June 27, with a performance by Celtic sensations Leahy at Farthing Auditorium and will continue with dozens of performances, workshops, films and lectures through July 25.

Canadian Celtic Sensations Leahy Kick Off App Summer Saturday

This Saturday, June 27, the 25th season of An Appalachian Summer Festival will be jolted to life by the energetic and soulful sounds of Canadian family octet Leahy. The band has become renowned throughout the world as purveyors of modern and energetic interpreters of Celtic music. The show will start at 8:00 p.m.

A whirlwind triple-threat of fiddle-driven music, dance and vocals augmented by keyboards and percussion, Leahy is a powerhouse of eight musical brothers and sisters who delight and stupefy audiences whenever they perform. Known for their unique blend of musical styles and genres, Leahy combines the influence of their Irish and Scottish roots with a rare level of energy, originality and musicianship.

The band's three acclaimed CDs—Leahy, Lakefield and In All Things—have garnered significant critical acclaim, several awards, worldwide sales of more than half a million copies and touring success throughout Canada, the United States and Europe.

The raven-haired clan from Lakefield, Ontario brings to the stage a distinct repertoire that Leahy writes, arranges and produces. They continue to be driven to forge new paths with their category-defying brand of music—a sound and style known to their many fans as simply "Leahy."

Veteran App Summer patrons will remember Leahy from their 2005 performance, when the group wowed the festival audience, earning multiple standing ovations and roaring applause.

Saturday’s show is a Schaefer Popular Series Event sponsored by Westglow Resort & Spa, and made possible through the generous support of Bonnie and Jamie Schaefer.

Tickets to Leahy’s Saturday performance are $25 for adults, $15 for ASU students, $16 for students ages 6 to 18 and $10 for kids 12 and under. The festival offers two flexible ticket passes: the “Pick 5” offers a 15 percent discount off of ticket purchases in multiples of five; the “Festival Pass” offers a 25 percent discount and priority seating for those who purchase a ticket to each performance.

For tickets and information, call 828-262-4046 or click to www.AppSummer.org. To learn more about the group, click to www.leahymusic.com.

Broyhill Chamber Ensemble Performs Passing The Torch Sunday

The Broyhill Chamber Ensemble will begin its series of five App Summer performances at Rosen Concert Hall this Sunday, June 28, at 8:00 p.m. with a performance titled The Passing of the Torch based on the compositions of Robert Schumann.

The Broyhill Chamber Ensemble is an extraordinary association of internationally acclaimed musicians which, in association with Nine Circles Chamber Theatre and its international Reflections series, presents an alternative to the conventional approach to chamber music programming. The ensemble's flexibility of instrumentation and great variety of repertoire make it the ideal group for exploring the full spectrum of chamber music's expressive palette and experimental performance.

One of the Romantic era's most celebrated and tragic figures, Schumann’s compositions inspired generations of composers long after his death. A close friend and ardent admirer of both Schumann and his wife Clara, Johannes Brahms inherited the torch of Romanticism and held it until the end of the century, when it passed to Brahms' devotee and protégé Antonín Dvorák.

The program will include: Antonín Dvorák's “Terzetto in C Major”; Robert Schumann's “Arabeske” and “Quintet for Piano and Strings”; Clara Schumann's “Romance Op. 11” and Johannes Brahms' “Rhapsody in g minor.”

Featured performers will be Gil Morgenstern and Jennifer Koh on violin, Kathryn Lockwood on viola, Wilhelmina Smith on cello and Benjamin Hochman on piano.

"The Reflections series continues the well-established tradition of exploring both Old World masters and the less familiar but masterful works of contemporary artists,” said Morgenstern, the artistic director of the Broyhill Chamber Ensemble. “From sublime compositions created in the midst of horror and terror, to music inspired by painting and sculpture, each piece on select programs will reflect and refract the ones surrounding it in an interactive and intimate setting.”

Whether in traditional concert format, in residency or in its Reflections series, the Broyhill Chamber Ensemble steps outside the customary performance boundaries by presenting programs that marry the intimacy of chamber music with the power of theatre.

Acclaimed for his artistry and technical brilliance as soloist with orchestra, in recital or as a chamber musician, violinist Morgenstern has performed all over the world to overwhelming critical praise. In addition to his role with the Broyhill Chamber Ensemble, Morgenstern is the co-artistic director of Nine Circles Chamber Theatre, an organization dedicated to exploring the collaborative nature of interdisciplinary performance, and the artistic director of performance series in New York City, Florida, Pennsylvania and Florence, Italy. He has been the subject of numerous television and radio shows and he can be regularly heard on NPR broadcasts. Morgenstern and the Broyhill Chamber Ensemble record for the MMC and Koch International Classics label.

Tickets to the Broyhill Chamber Ensemble’s Sunday performance are $18 for adults and $10 for all others. For tickets and information, call 828-262-4046 or click to www.AppSummer.org. The festival offers two flexible ticket passes: the “Pick 5” offers a 15 percent discount off of ticket purchases in multiples of five; the “Festival Pass” offers a 25 percent discount and priority seating for those who purchase a ticket to each performance.

Albert-George Schram, a native of the Netherlands, is the director of the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra Pops, performing at ASU’s Farthing Auditorium on Tuesday, June 30.

Charlotte Symphony Orchestra Pops June 30

Take a musical trip to Italy on Tuesday, June 30, when An Appalachian Summer Festival welcomes back the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra Pops for the second consecutive year. The concert, titled “That’s Amore!,” will take place at 8:00 p.m. at Farthing Auditorium on the ASU campus.

The night of Italian-themed music will feature Verdi’s Overture to La Forza del Destino, Rossini’s Overture to Le Gazza Ladra and Tchaikovsky’s “Capriccio Italian.”

Directed by Albert-George Schram, the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1932 and has grown into one of the premier musical institutions in the Southeast, giving some 100 performances each season and reaching an annual attendance of more than 250,000 listeners.  Throughout its history, the orchestra has collaborated with the world’s leading soloists, including Andrés Segovia, Alicia de Larrocha, Luciano Pavarotti, Isaac Stern, André Watts, Itzhak Perlman, Emanuel Ax, Yo-Yo Ma and many others. Today, the Charlotte Symphony is the largest and most active professional performing arts organization in the central Carolinas. Committed to expanding the orchestral repertoire through commissioning, the Charlotte Symphony has premiered more than 30 compositions.

Under Schram’s leadership, the Pops series has thrived, and the Charlotte Symphony has collaborated with such musical artists as Art Garfunkel, Johnny Mathis, Tony Bennett, Dianne Reeves, Olivia Newton-John, Linda Eder, José Feliciano, the Four Tops, Kathy Mattea, the United States Naval Academy Men’s Glee Club, Michael Feinstein, The Temptations and the late Ray Charles.

Schram, a native of the Netherlands, was recently named Nashville Symphony’s principal conductor for Pops and special programs. In the United States, his recent guest appearances include the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Oklahoma City Philharmonic, Spokane Symphony, Dayton Philharmonic, Nashville Symphony, Shreveport Symphony, San Antonio Symphony, Lubbock Symphony, Allentown Symphony, Mansfield Symphony, and Ballet Metropolitan, among others.

Allen Wealth Management sponsors the Charlotte Symphony Pops performance.

Tickets to the Charlotte Symphony Pops performance are $25 for adults, $15 for ASU students, $16 for students ages 6 to 18 and $10 for kids 12 and under. The festival offers two flexible ticket passes: the “Pick 5” offers a 15 percent discount off of ticket purchases in multiples of five; the “Festival Pass” offers a 25 percent discount and priority seating for those who purchase a ticket to each performance. For tickets and information, call 828-262-4046 or click to www.appsummer.org.

Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Melissa Manchester performs at Farthing Auditorium on Thursday, July 2, at 8:00 p.m.

Melissa Manchester in Concert at Farthing Auditorium July 2

Grammy Award-winning artist Melissa Manchester brings her smooth, sultry voice and compelling songwriting to the Farthing Auditorium stage as part of the 25th annual An Appalachian Summer Festival on Thursday, July 2, at 8:00 p.m.

Discovered by Bette Midler while performing in New York’s Greenwich Village, Manchester joined Midler as a backup singer, and six months later, headlined her own concert at Carnegie Hall.

Manchester's debut releases Home To Myself and Bright Eyes positioned her as a dynamic new talent, and her career launched with her smash hit single “Midnight Blue.” With Kenny Loggins, she co-wrote the radio classic “Whenever I Call You Friend,” and Barbra Streisand, Dusty Springfield, Alison Krauss, Roberta Flack and Johnny Mathis have recorded her songs. Her songs “Through The Eyes Of Love” and “Don't Cry Out Loud” became international hits.

Manchester has received numerous awards and accolades, including two Grammy nominations, a Grammy Award and two Oscar-nominated movie themes. Manchester has also written and starred in many musicals. She composed for Disney's The Great Mouse Detective and co-wrote the score for Lady And The Tramp II. In 2004, she released her 16th CD, When I Look Down That Road.

The artist has entertained sold-out audiences across the country for four decades.

Best Western Blue Ridge Plaza and Mast General Store are the sponsors of Manchester’s concert. This is Manchester’s first appearance at ASU.

Tickets are $25 for adults, $15 for ASU students, $16 for students ages 6 to 18 and $10 for kids 12 and under. The festival offers two flexible ticket passes: the “Pick 5” offers a 15 percent discount off of ticket purchases in multiples of five; the “Festival Pass” offers a 25 percent discount and priority seating for those who purchase a ticket to each performance. For tickets and information, call 828-262-4046 or click to www.appsummer.org.

LOCAL WEATHER FORECAST

LATEST COMMENTS FROM OUR READERS

TOP NEWS ACROSS THE NATION

HIGH COUNTRY MAGAZINE