2012 SOUTHERN ILLINOIS MUSIC FESTIVAL: “Turn of the Century Masters”
Day-By-Day Schedule (Details Below)
Fri. June 1
5pm: Festival Preview: Duo Piano Recital (Cairo Public Library) (Free)
Kara Benyas and Hyun Ji Oh, Pianos
Tue. June 5
10am: Jive with Jazz (Herrin Civic Center) (Free)
Fri. June 8
7:30pm: Ballet: Petruchka and Firebird (Marion Cultural and Civic Center) ($25/15/10)
Sat. June 9
10am: Jive with Jazz (University Mall) (Free)
11am: Klassics for Kids-Winds (Marion Civic Center) (Free)
1:15pm: Pre-Concert Lecture by David Tuttle (Marion Civic Center Lobby) (Free)
2pm: Ballet: Petrochka and Firebird (Marion Cultural and Civic Center) ($25/15/10)
Sun. June 10
2pm: Brass and Percussion Concert (Carbondale Community High School) ($10/5)
5pm: New Arts Jazztet (StarView Vineyards) (Free)
Tue. June 12
4pm: Klassics for Kids (Cairo Public Library) (Free)
7:30pm: Chamber Music Concert (First United Methodist, Carbondale) ($10/5)
Music of Mozart, Jacob and Puccini
7:30pm: Chamber Music Concert (Cairo Public Library) (Free)
Music of Ravel and Grieg
Wed. June 13
5pm: Art Exhibition with String Quartet (Carbondale Civic Center) (Free)
Thur. June 14
10am: Jive with Jazz (Boys and Girls Club, Carbondale) (Free)
7:30pm: Concert to Benefit Harrisburg Tornado Rebuilding (First Baptist Chruch, Marion) ($20/10)
Kara Benyas, Piano, and Festival Orchestra.
Fri. June 15
7:30pm: Symphonic Dances (Carterville High School) ($20/10)
Rachmaninov and Strauss. Kara Benyas, Piano, and Festival Orchestra.
Sat. June 16
10am: Klassics for Kids-Strings (Carterville Fine Arts Academy) (Free)
10am: Klassics for Kids-Winds (Old Feed Store, Cobden) (Free)
10am: Jive with Jazz (Renascence House, Makanda) (Free)
7:30pm: Chamber Soiree (Private Home) ($75) (Limited to 50 patrons)
Sun. June 17
2pm: Chamber Music Concert (First United Methodist Chruch, Carbondale) ($10/5)
Mendelssohn and Stravinsky Octets; Strauss: Symphony for Winds
5pm: New Arts Jazztet (TBA) (Free)
Mon. June 18
10am: Klassics for Kids (Boys and Girls Club, Carbondale) (Free)
Tue. June 19
10am: Klassics for Kids-Strings (Altgeld Hall, SIU Campus) (Free)
10am: Klassics for Kids-Brass (DuQuoin) (Free)
4pm: Jive with Jazz (Cairo Public Library) (Free)
7:30pm: Chamber Music Concert (Sesser Opera House) ($10/5)
Music of Franck, Elgar and Bloch for Piano and Strings
Fri. June 22
7:30pm: Opera: La Bohème (Carterville High School) ($25/15/8)
Post-Concert Reception (Carterville)
Sat. June 23
10am: Klassics for Kids-Winds (University Mall) (Free)
10am: Klassics for Kids-Strings (Murphysboro Youth & Recreation Center) (Free)
7:30pm: Stars of Today and Tomorrow (1st United Methodist, Carbondale) ($20/10)
Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Strauss. Festival Soloists and Orchestra.
Young Artist Competition Winners
Sunday, June 24
12:30pm: Pre-Concert Lecture by Mark Frieman (Theater Lobby) (Free)
2pm: Opera: La Bohème (Carterville High School) ($25/15/8)
5pm: New Arts Jazztet (TBA) (Free)
Performance Details
Ballets: Firebird and Petruchka by Igor Stravinsky
Friday, June 8 at 7:30pm and Saturday, June 9 at 2pm
Marion Cultural and Civic Center
The 8th annual Southern Illinois Music Festival opens with two one-act ballets, Firebird and Petruchka (never before performed in Southern Illinois), with music by turn-of-the-century master, Igor Stravinsky, and choreography by Sydelle Fulk. A dozen professional principal dancers are supported by several dozen local dancers, with beautiful costumes and scenery. Petruchka is the story of a puppet that comes to life at a Russian carnival, while the second ballet tells the story of Prince Ivan and the magical Firebird. These ballets, recently celebrating their 100th birthdays, made important contributions to 20th century music and dance. The Southern Illinois Music Festival Orchestra is conducted by Artistic Director, Edward Benyas, for two performances at the Marion Civic Center.
Concert to Benefit Harrisburg Tornado Rebuilding
Thursday, June 14 at 7:30pm at First Baptist Church in Marion
Our Symphonic Dances concert featuring the music of Rachmaninov and Strauss, as well as the artistic talent of Pianist, Kara Benyas. All proceeds go to benefit rebuilding efforts in Harrisburg.
Symphonic Dances
Friday, June 15 at 7:30pm at the Carterville High School Performing Arts Center
The Southern Illinois Music Festival Orchestra, under Artistic Director, Edward Benyas, performs the great Russian composer, Sergei Rachmaninov’s Symphonic Dances and the incredibly exciting orchestral tone poem, Don Juan, by turn-of-the-century master, Richard Strauss. Southern Illinois native, Kara Benyas joins the orchestra as piano soloist in Rachmaninov’s lush and exciting Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini for Piano and Orchestra.
Stars of Today and Tomorrow
Saturday, June 23 at 7:30pm at the First United Methodist Church of Carbondale
The Southern Illinois Music Festival Orchestra, under Artistic Director, Edward Benyas and Associate Conductors, Michael Wheatley and Charles Shapera, performs music by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Strauss. Soloists include SIFest Concertmaster, Professor Michael Barta, Principal Horn, Kurt Civilette, and Soprano, Ashley Wheat. This program also features winners of the Southern Illinois Music Festival Young Artists Competition
Opera: La Bohème
Friday, June 22 at 7:30pm and Sunday, June 24 at 2pm at the Carterville High School Performing Arts Center
One of the world’s most beloved operas, Giacomo Puccini’s La Bohème tells the story of a group of starving artists (Bohemians) in 1830’s Paris, centered around the tragic love story of Mimi and Rodolfo. It contains some of the most beautiful and recognizable melodies in all of opera. Sung in Italian with English supertitles projected above the stage, the award winning cast features the glorious tenor voice of Philadelphia’s Gary Seydell as Rodolfo, the soaring soprano voice of Gina Galati from St. Louis as Mimi, Southern Illinois’ own Eric McCluskey as Marcello, and a fabulous cast and chorus. See this performance Friday night or Sunday afternoon in the brand new, 750-seat Carterville High School Performing Arts Center (just 6 minutes from the Carbondale Wal-Mart) as the final event of the 2012 Southern Illinois Music Festival.
CHAMBER MUSIC CONCERTS
Chamber Music has always been part of the Southern Illinois Music Festival. It allows the brilliant instrumentalists who come to Southern Illinois from all parts of the country and the world to be featured in small ensembles and more intimate venues. Concerts include well-known and lesser know works by Mendelssohn, Franck, Strauss, Bloch, Stravinsky and others. Chamber music venues this year include First United Methodist Church of Carbondale, Sesser Opera House and Cairo Public Library.
NEW ARTS JAZZTET
The New Arts Jazztet has long been regarded as southern Illinois' premier jazz group, regularly presenting an engaging selection of original works, forged in the energy of neo bop and the eclecticism of contemporary jazz. The group has been a featured ensemble each year at the Southern Illinois Music Festival. The New Arts Jazztet appears this year on a Sunday evening series at three fabulous local wineries: StarView Vineyards, and two more TBA.
