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A new music festival is putting Fredericksburg on the map for lovers of cello.
Fredericksburg Music Festival Creative Director Joseph Kuipers explained that organizers “are presenting 13 concerts from June 8 through June 21 in the lovely little German town of Fredericksburg. Texas. Some of the concerts are in wineries. Some are in the old Marienkirche here from 1851, and St Joseph's Hall.”
Fredericksburg is well known for many attractive qualities, including its German roots and for the dozens of wineries that have blossomed throughout the area in recent decades. Now this festival may help position it as a center for classical music.
The festival is a mix of behind-the-scenes master classes and public performances.
Kuipers explained what's on the calendar: “Thursday, we will present part one of Bach and Bordeaux, the complete six cello suites by Johann Sebastian Bach, probably the most beloved music almost of all time, and that will be played in a lovely vineyard with wine served before and after the concert. Friday night, we have Clive Greensmith from the Colburn school and the Tokyo String Quartet, a really legendary British cellist.”
He added that Friday will also include French violinist Scott Tixier: “Friday night at 8:30 p.m. in Becker Vineyards, we have a five time Grammy winning jazz violinist from Paris. He plays with John Legend. He plays on Lion King soundtrack, some huge superstar who will be improvising a really beautiful jazz concert in a winery with wine served before and after the sets.”
The festival began on June 8, and its workshops, master classes and public performances stretch through Saturday, June 21. The full schedule of events is at TexasCellos.org.
“This Saturday night, Eunghee Cho, a professor in Houston ... will play a stunning program with Lindsay Garritson in St Joseph's Hall, cello and piano.”
On Sunday, Ken Freudigman, the principal cellist with the San Antonio Philharmonic, will play. The closing performance that night features a cello choir playing music from Lord of the Rings and Beethoven’s Ode to Joy.
