Musical Chairs: a chamber music festival that lives up to its name
The name is no accident: by its very nature, our Musical Chairs Chamber Music Festival is truly that! How so? For starters, it brings together music students and professors from all over the world — and even though these chamber music players arrive with an already-formed ensemble, soon everyone will be called upon to play... musical chairs!
The hustle and bustle of the unexpected
As many institutions from all over the world are participating in the Festival, there can any number of reasons why the planned roll-out of events can be disrupted: a delayed flight, travel visa complications, etc. No sooner does the news arrive, and ready, set, go — a game of musical chairs is on! Participants fill in the empty spaces, parts are learned, and repertoire may even shift. An ensemble was supposed to rehearse at some point during the day, but can't make it? Another one takes its place. It's that simple!
The cherry on top: the ephemeral ensembles
This is the very heart of our festival: beyond the quartets and trios (and more) we welcome, one of the best parts of the event is when we shuffle the deck to form new ensembles that will exist only for a moment — and only during Musical Chairs. This mix of performers of all origins were completely unknown to each other a few days earlier and are now working together and making music.
Chamber music marathons
In addition to our masterclass and concert programming, chamber music concert marathons take place during the last two days of the festival. During these marathons, the ephemeral ensembles formed on site will perform in rotation, filling the lobby of the Elizabeth Wirth Music Building with music. It's an extended session of musical chairs to delight the audience. In a relaxed atmosphere, the concert attendees are treated to a true celebration of chamber music. This is a unique opportunity to hear these groups perform and to watch the magic happen!
Are you more of a coffee or glass of wine person?
The concert marathons are presented in two formats, both equally enjoyable. For the lovers of a happy hour, a marathon takes place on Friday in a 5 à 7 (but more like 8, 8:30 pm... it is a marathon after all!), glass of wine in hand. For the early birds, the Saturday morning performance is just the thing. From 10:00 am, coffee and pastries accompany the audience in their morning listening.
Are you only able to catch a snippet of music before moving on? Everyone is welcome, no matter how long you stay! There is no strict protocol here, only the pleasure of gathering around our love of music — with the audience playing their own version of musical chairs!
Join us on Friday, May 27 starting at 5:00 pm and Saturday, May 28 beginning at 10:00 am! For all the details on our program, visit our website: bit.ly/musicalchairs22.
